[1. Call to order]
[00:00:02]
AND THIS MEETING IS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER.
WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM ATTENDING BOTH IN PERSON.
WHITBECK, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO NOW MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE.
[2. 2022-2023 Budget and Proposed Tax Rate]
ON THE FOR TONIGHT'S AGENDA.THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN PREPARED BASED ON STATE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
A PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THIS MEETING WAS PUBLISHED IN THREE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ON JUNE 1ST AND JUNE 2ND, AND THAT IS AT LEAST TEN DAYS PRIOR TO TODAY'S MEETING, AND IT WAS ALSO POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
THE GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE DISTRICT FOR 2223 IS PROPOSED AT $767,993,527.
THAT BREAKS DOWN TO EXPENDITURES OF $9,769 PER STUDENT, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 0.75% OVER THE ESTIMATE FOR THE 2122 SCHOOL YEAR.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS PROJECTED TO BE 78,617 BASED ON THE DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHERS LOW GROWTH ESTIMATE.
AND FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, STAFF HAS MET WITH THE CHIEF APPRAISER FOUR TIMES DURING THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY, MARCH AND MAY, AND THE ESTIMATE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR IS PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH OF 12%, AND THAT REPRESENTS TOTAL VALUATION OF ABOUT $52.7 BILLION OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
THIS DOES REPRESENT ONE OF THE HIGHER POINTS OF GROWTH FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND WITH PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH AT 20 12%, MANY PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY WONDERING HOW MUCH NEW MONEY IS THE DISTRICT RECEIVING IN THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS ZERO.
WE ARE NOT RECEIVING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND THE GENERAL FUND THAT WILL SUPPORT OPERATIONS.
AND SO ALTHOUGH HOMEOWNERS ARE SEEING MUCH HIGHER VALUATION THAN WHAT'S BEEN EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TRANSLATED INTO FUNDING THAT WE CAN USE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND AS A REMINDER, HOUSE BILL THREE AND SENATE BILL TWO THAT WERE PASSED DURING THE 86 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, A COMPONENT OF SENATE BILL TWO, CAPPED PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH AT TWO AND ONE HALF PERCENT FOR PROPERTIES WITH A RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
AND SO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS IS FUNDED THROUGH A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF FORMULAS AND THE FOUNDATION SCHOOL PROGRAM, OR FSP, AS THE PRIMARY MECHANISM OF FUNDING BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THE STATE DETERMINES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WILL BE PAID TO DISTRICTS TO SERVE STUDENTS AND WHAT PORTION OF THE FUNDS WILL COME FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND THROUGH THE FSP FROM THE STATE.
I MENTIONED THAT FUNDING IS FORMULA BASED AND FOR FORT BEND ISD, THE MAXIMUM REVENUE THAT WE CAN RECEIVE AND THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH THE FSP WITHOUT INCREASING OUR TAX RATE IS 606 $76.1 MILLION.
AND THE GRAPH YOU SEE SHOWS AS PROPERTY REVALUATIONS INCREASE.
OUR ACTUAL FUNDING DOESN'T INCREASE.
IT STAYS STATIC AT THE 676.1 MILLION.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS AS THAT REVALUATION INCREASES, OUR ACTUAL FUNDING SHIFTS FROM THE STATE OVER TO LOCAL TAXPAYERS. AND SO WHETHER OUR PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH IS AT 3% OR 20% WILL STILL RECEIVE THAT SAME 676.1 MILLION, BUT THE BURDEN DECREASES FROM ABOUT 34% FROM FOR THE STATE TO ABOUT 28% BASED ON THAT CHANGE IN VALUATION.
[00:05:08]
BUT AGAIN, THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER THAT WE RECEIVED DOES NOT CHANGE.AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE IN CONTEXT AS WE WALK THROUGH FUNDING FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND WE'LL REVIEW THAT BUDGET NOW AND THE GENERAL FUND THE BUDGET WILL BE ASKING THE BOARD TO CONSIDER IN JUNE, MAINTAINS A 90 DAY OPERATING RESERVE THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED BY BOARD POLICY.
IT UTILIZES $27 MILLION IN UNALLOCATED ESSER THREE FUNDS.
IT INCLUDES A REDUCTION OF ABOUT $1.6 MILLION IN CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION STAFFING.
IT INCLUDES A COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENT FOR STAFF, AND IT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF TO SUPPORT GROWTH IN AREAS SUCH AS SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MULTILINGUAL. OUR KEY BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS INCLUDE THE USE OF OUR DEMOGRAPHERS LOW GROWTH SCENARIO OF 78,617 STUDENTS, AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF 96.5%, A SPED POPULATION OF 11.9% OF TOTAL ENROLLMENT.
PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH OF 12%, WHICH WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL COMPRESSION OF THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE WEIGHTED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT AND A FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH COUNT OF ABOUT 38,000 STUDENTS.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE ENDED THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH ENROLLMENT.
THAT IS HIGHER THAN WHAT OUR DEMOGRAPHERS PROJECTION IS.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO HAD LOWER DAILY AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, AND IT WAS CLOSER TO ABOUT 93 TO 94% VERSUS OUR HISTORIC RATE OF ABOUT 96 AND A HALF PERCENT. AND SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 400 STUDENTS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES BEYOND THE LOW GROWTH SCENARIO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT REFLECTED IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THAT'S GIVEN BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THAT LOWER ADA AND WE'RE ASSUMING THAT MAY CARRY FORWARD INTO THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SO AGAIN, YOU WON'T SEE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN OUR REVENUES, BUT WE HAVE FACTORED IN THE FACT THAT WE MAY HAVE HIGHER STUDENT POPULATION GROWTH THAN WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING THROUGH THE LOW GROWTH SCENARIO.
ANOTHER KEY ASSUMPTION IS RELATED TO COMPENSATION FOR STAFF.
ADDITIONALLY, ALL TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE A $500 STEP INCREASE, WHICH MEANS ALL TEACHERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WILL RECEIVE A $4,500 INCREASE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
FOR ALL OTHER STAFF, A 2% ADJUSTMENT TO MIDPOINT WILL BE GIVEN WITH OUR AUXILIARY STAFF RECEIVING AN ADDITIONAL 1% FOR A TOTAL OF A 3% INCREASE FOR AUXILIARY STAFF.
AND AS A REMINDER, THAT'S MOSTLY COMPRISED OF HOURLY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS AND CRAFTSMEN WHO WORK TO DO THE MAINTENANCE ON OUR CAMPUSES.
AND THEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, AS WE TALK THROUGH COMPENSATION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE WILL HAVE NO ADJUSTMENT TO EMPLOYEE HEALTH PREMIUMS. THOSE WILL NOT BE CHANGING.
THERE ARE SOME OPTIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE THAT EMPLOYEES CAN PURCHASE, SUCH AS VISION AND DENTAL.
AND FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT JUST ENDED.
2122 FORT BEND ISD WAS VERY COMPETITIVE WITH SEPHORA, KATY, LAMAR AND HOUSTON.
WE'VE DONE ANALYSIS ON ACTIONS TAKEN TO DATE BY THE SAME PEER DISTRICT GROUP.
AND BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THE NEWS, AS WELL AS HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE RESPECTIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE ON THE PAY SCALE AND ALTHOUGH WE WON'T NECESSARILY BE AT THE TOP OF THE TEACHER'S STARTING SCALE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR AFTER YEAR FIVE, WE REMAIN VERY CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH OUR PEER DISTRICTS, AND IT'S ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT HOUSTON AND KATY HAVE BOTH SHIFTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THIS LISTING.
HOUSTON IS FUNDING THEIR COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS THEY ARE DOING WITH ESSER FUNDING, AND SO THOSE FUNDS EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR OR IN AUGUST OF 2024.
AND THEY HAVE NOT INDICATED AT THIS POINT HOW THEY'VE DONE THAT OR HOW THEY WILL DO THAT.
[00:10:07]
THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE WORKED TO REDUCE EXPENDITURES TO OFFSET THE FUNDING SHORTFALL THAT IS ANTICIPATED FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.HOWEVER, IN PRIOR YEARS, IF A CAMPUS WAS NEAR THE THRESHOLD FOR ADDING A SUPPORT POSITION SUCH AS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL COUNSELOR OR AN AIDE POSITION, IT MIGHT BE ADDED PRIOR TO THEM ACTUALLY MEETING THE THRESHOLD.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE, AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL IS ADDED ONCE THE THRESHOLD OF 900 IS REACHED AND YEARS PAST IF THEY WERE AT 890 BECAUSE THEY WERE SO CLOSE AND THE PRINCIPAL WAS ADVOCATING THAT WE MAY HIT THAT ENROLLMENT THRESHOLD, IN SOME CASES WE ADDED THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WHEN WE SAY STRICT ADHERENCE TO STAFFING GUIDELINES, THAT'S SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE REFERENCING.
WE'RE ALSO DISCONTINUING THIS INCENTIVE PAY AS OUR OTHER NEARBY DISTRICTS, SUCH AS KATY, LAMAR AND ALI, AND AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY SHARED, WE'VE HAD 16 CENTRAL ADMIN POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING REDUCED OR HELD VACANT, AND THAT'S CREATING THE $1.6 MILLION IN SAVINGS THAT ARE REFERENCED A MOMENT AGO.
THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT WERE HANDLED BY THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR THAT WAS USED PREVIOUSLY.
FINALLY, THE FINAL TWO ITEMS THAT WE HAVE ON HERE IS IT STAFF WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY AN ALTERNATIVE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS FOR SINGLE SIGN ON FOR STUDENT SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS THAT'S RESULTING IN SAVINGS.
AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO DISCONTINUED SOME OPTIONAL INSURANCE COVERAGES.
THE TERMS OF THOSE CONTRACT, THAT CONTRACT HAS CHANGED.
AND SO NOW WE ARE ABLE TO DISCONTINUE THAT WHICH WILL RESULT IN SAVINGS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
AND SO FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, IF WE WERE TO NOT USE ESSER, WE WOULD END THE FISCAL YEAR WITH AN 84 DAY FUND BALANCE AND FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR THAT THE BOARD WILL BE CONSIDERING IN JULY. IF WE DON'T USE ESSER, THAT WILL RESULT IN A 60 DAY FUND BALANCE AGAIN, ASSUMING WE DIDN'T USE IT THIS YEAR EITHER.
AND THIS IS THE SAME INFORMATION FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AND CORPORATION INCORPORATING ESSER FUNDING THAT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE USED AND WE ANTICIPATE USING $12 MILLION IN ESSER FUNDING FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
AND AGAIN, THAT ALLOWS US TO MEET OUR 90 DAY OPERATING RESERVE REQUIREMENT.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
AND AS A REMINDER, WE DID DO RAISES LAST YEAR FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.
AS I SAY, LAST YEAR, REFERENCING THE 2122 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THAT RAISE EQUATED TO ABOUT $36 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT WAS A 6% AVERAGE INCREASE FOR TEACHERS AND 4% FOR ALL OTHER STAFF.
[00:15:09]
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.THERE ARE ALSO NEW PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WHERE WE HAVEN'T ADDED IN NEW REVENUE STREAMS TO SUPPORT THOSE PROGRAMS. AND I'LL TOUCH MORE ON THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
AND WE'VE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 27 SPED TEACHERS THAT ARE ACCOUNTING FOR SPEED GROWTH THAT WE'VE SEEN.
THAT'S FACTORING IN TO ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE'RE NOW CARRYING.
I MENTIONED SPED GROWTH AND THAT'S THIS ILLUSTRATES WHAT OUR PAST AND ANTICIPATED GROWTH IN SPED IS.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ANTICIPATING FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR TO BE RIGHT AT 12%.
AND SO WE STILL ANTICIPATE SOME ADDITIONAL SPEED GROWTH.
THE REASON THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IS ALTHOUGH WE DO RECEIVE WEIGHTED FUNDING FOR SPED STUDENTS, THE FULL COST OF EDUCATING THOSE STUDENTS IS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING IN REVENUE. AND SO WE PAY ROUGHLY $9,000 IN LOCAL FUNDING PER SPED STUDENT THAT'S IDENTIFIED, THAT'S OVER AND ABOVE THE FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING WE RECEIVE FOR SPED STUDENTS.
BUT WE DIDN'T ADD ANY NEW REVENUES TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND SO THE WAY THAT THEY WERE FUNDED IS THROUGH STUDENT GROWTH.
AND SO PART OF THE REASON THAT WE ARE FACING THE SHORTFALL THAT WE ARE TODAY IS THAT STUDENT GROWTH ALONG OR LACK OF STUDENT GROWTH, RATHER, ALONG WITH THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE ADDED OVER TIME, HAVE FINALLY CAUGHT UP.
AND AT THIS POINT, IT'S CREATING THE DEFICIT SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
I'LL NOW TRANSITION INTO TALKING THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BY FUNCTIONAL AREA AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR TOTAL BUDGET OF $768 MILLION, ABOUT 80% OF THAT TOTAL IS CONCENTRATED IN OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT CATEGORIES WITH THE REMAINING PORTION FOUR BEING FOR DISTRICT OPERATIONS, WHICH IS ABOUT 17% OF THE TOTAL.
AND THEN FINALLY, CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION MAKING UP ABOUT 3% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
SO OUR CORE BUSINESS IS INSTRUCTIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT.
AND AGAIN, 80% OF THE BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO THIS AREA, OR ABOUT $616.1 MILLION.
FOR DISTRICT OPERATIONS, WHICH IS THE NEXT COMPONENT OF THE BUDGET AT ABOUT $132 MILLION OR 17%.
THIS INCLUDES OPERATIONS SUCH AS BUS DRIVERS, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, CUSTODIAL STAFF, POLICE OFFICERS, CROSSING GUARDS, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CREW, AS WELL AS OUR I.T.
STAFF. IT ALSO INCLUDES UTILITY COSTS, POLICE SERVICES, BUILDING REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE, LAWN MAINTENANCE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPENDITURES, TRANSPORTATION COSTS, PROPERTY INSURANCE COSTS, AND ANNUAL PROPERTY APPRAISAL SERVICES.
AND THESE ARE EXPENDITURES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER TO KEEP OUR LIGHTS ON.
THE NEXT COMPONENT OF THE BUDGET IS CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION EXPENDITURES.
AND AGAIN, THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 3% OF OUR TOTAL AND THAT'S FOR $19.6 MILLION.
AND SO EMPLOYEES AND CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION INCLUDES ALL OF THE FINANCE STAFF, SUCH AS ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, BUDGET PURCHASING, SPECIAL REVENUES AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
THESE EMPLOYEES ENSURE THAT VENDORS AND SALARIES ARE PAID TIMELY, THAT TAXPAYER FUNDS ARE MANAGED IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER, AND THE DISTRICT MEETS ALL STATE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THROUGH THE STATE REPORTING STRUCTURE.
[00:20:04]
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, SUCH AS SUPERINTENDENT, IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS AREA, AS WELL AS OUR HR FUNCTIONS FOR HIRING THE TEACHING STAFF AND PRINCIPALS AND COUNSELORS THAT ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS.WE HAVE OVER 11,000 EMPLOYEES.
AND SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A LARGE SCALE WORK EFFORT ASSOCIATED WITH HIRING AND RETAINING THOSE EMPLOYEES, AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION STAFF.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE ASSUMING THAT OUR ENROLLMENT GROWS AT ABOUT HALF A PERCENT PER YEAR AND BECOMES ROUGHLY 13% OF THE POPULATION, STUDENT POPULATION AND ABOUT YEAR 2526 AND WE ARE ASSUMING NO CHANGES AND THE BASIC ALLOTMENT FOR THE STATE IN THE 2425 BIENNIUM, ALTHOUGH THE LEGISLATURE DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, THEN WE ARE ASSUMING AT THIS POINT FOR CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING PURPOSES THERE IS NO CHANGE FOR EXPENDITURES WE'RE ASSOCIATED OUR INCLUDING THE NEW TEACHING STAFF ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAMPUSES THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO OPEN IN EACH YEAR.
WE DO INCLUDE A 2% GENERAL PAY INCREASE AND TEACHER STEP AND THAT IS AT A MINIMUM.
OUR CURRENT SCENARIO SHOWS THAT THE PROPOSED 2223 PROPOSED BUDGET OF $776.8 MILLION, WHICH IS IN THE THIRD COLUMN OF NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE IS DOES MEET OUR 90 DAY FUND BALANCE OPERATING RESERVE REQUIREMENT AFTER USING $27 MILLION OF ESSER AS WE PREVIOUSLY SHARED. THE ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURE AMOUNTS IN 23, 24 AND 2425 ARE SHOWING A SIGNIFICANT DRAWDOWN OF FUND BALANCE.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE INCLUDED THE COST OF COMPENSATION, EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENT AND THOSE NUMBERS AND 24, 25, WE HAVE ABOUT $4 MILLION OF POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING FUNDED ABOUT OUT OF ESSER BEING SHIFTED BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND ONCE ESSER THREE EXPIRES.
AND SO THERE'S STILL THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE KEEP THOSE POSITIONS.
BUT AT THIS POINT, WE ARE INCLUDING THEM FOR THE SAKE OF FORECASTING.
ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE'RE ASSUMING, AGAIN, NO CHANGES IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT AND WE'RE ASSUMING NO CHANGES TO OUR TAX RATE EITHER OTHER THAN NORMAL COMPRESSION THAT WILL OCCUR AS A RESULT OF SENATE BILL TWO.
WE'RE ASSUMING, AGAIN, PASSES MODERATE GROWTH.
AND THEN FINALLY, THIS SCENARIO DOES RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT DRAWDOWN OF FUND BALANCE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST AND TAKES THE FUND BALANCE OPERATING RESERVE WELL BELOW 90 DAYS.
AND THIS WOULD BE A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION TYPE WORK WHERE CHILLERS ARE SO FORTH GO OUT AT A CAMPUS.
THOSE WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH BOND CONTINGENCY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
BUT IT IS A NON CASH TRANSACTION AND SO WE DON'T EVER ACTUALLY RECEIVE THAT REVENUE OR MAKE THAT EXPENDITURE, BUT WE'RE REQUIRED TO BOOK IT TO SHOW WHAT OUR ACTUAL TREE'S IMPACT IS.
[00:25:03]
FUNDS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN BY CAMPUSES THROUGH THEIR VARIOUS FUNDRAISING EFFORTS THAT THEY HAVE MOVING TO OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND. JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS TO OUR TAX RATE.THE OTHER COMPONENT TO THE TAX RATE IS OUR INTEREST IN SINKING TAX RATE.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT THAT COMPONENT OF THE TAX RATE CAN ONLY BE USED TO PAY FOR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON BONDS SOLD FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AS WELL AS LAND AND FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT.
AND IN OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WE DO EXPENDING PLANNING SPENDING LESS THAN WHAT IS BUDGETED AND THIS IS DUE TO INTEREST SAVINGS ON COMMERCIAL PAPER AND LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED CLOSING COSTS.
ON OUR MOST RECENT TRANSACTION THAT OCCURRED IN LATE APRIL FOR 2223, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A TWO CENT REDUCTION TO THE IRS TAX RATE AND THAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR PROJECTIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A MOMENT.
AND THAT WILL TAKE OUR TAX RATE FROM $0.29 DOWN TO $0.27.
THAT TAX RATE SUPPORTS CURRENT AND FUTURE DEBT ISSUED FOR THE 2014 AND 2018 BOND PROGRAMS. AND THE 27 CENT RATE ALSO ALLOWS US TO SUPPORT UP TO $1.1 BILLION IN A FUTURE BOND ELECTION.
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT IN AUGUST THE DISTRICT MAKES DEBT PAYMENTS.
AND SO A LARGE PORTION OF THAT 29, 130 MILLION WILL BE DRAWN DOWN.
MOVING TO OUR CHILD NUTRITION FUND.
WE ANTICIPATE ENDING THE YEAR WITH A SURPLUS AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE SUMMER SEAMLESS OPTION OR SO THAT ALLOWED ALL STUDENTS TO EAT AT NO COST REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME LEVEL, IS SET TO EXPIRE.
AND SO, BEGINNING WITH THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, STUDENTS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY PAYING FOR LUNCH PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF QSO WILL ONCE AGAIN BEGIN PAYING FOR THEIR LUNCHES. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE NO IMPACT TO ANY STUDENTS WHO HAVE FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION AS REQUIRED AND ARE PART OF THE FREE AND REDUCED MEAL PROGRAM. THERE ARE TWO CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE FACED THIS YEAR, AND THAT INCLUDES A DEFLATIONARY INFLATIONARY EFFECTS DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS AND A VERY TIGHT LABOR MARKET.
AND SO EVEN WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN WOES ACCOUNTED FOR, WE'RE ENDING THE YEAR BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED.
GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THE RAISES THAT ARE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT INCLUDES THE 2% OF MIDPOINT FOR ALL STAFF AND AN ADDITIONAL 1% FOR OUR AUXILIARY STAFF.
AND IN THE. CHILD NUTRITION FUND.
MOST ALL OF THE CAFETERIA SPECIALISTS, THOSE FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE CAFETERIAS TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE AUXILIARY STAFFING COMPONENT. WE'RE EXPECTING SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS TO CONTINUE INTO THE COMING YEAR, AS WELL AS STAFFING SHORTAGE SHORTAGES.
ALTHOUGH, AS YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A MOMENT, WE DO ANTICIPATE ENDING THE YEAR IN A POSITIVE POSITION.
AND AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY SHARED, WE DO HAVE AN INCREASE TO MILK COSTS BUILT IN.
THIS WILL NOT IMPACT ANY STUDENTS RECEIVING FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT MEAL IS BEING AS A RESULT OF US HAVING TO USE THE TDA EQUITY TOOL BECAUSE WE HAD A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE IN THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING ENDING THE CURRENT YEAR WITH A FUND BALANCE OF $12.26 MILLION.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF OVER $11 MILLION FROM THE PRIOR YEAR WHERE WE FULLY UTILIZED OUR FUND BALANCE AND WERE PARTIALLY SUBSIDIZED OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR 2223 AT THIS POINT, BASED ON THE LABOR CONSTRAINTS THAT I MENTIONED, AS WELL AS SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A WE WILL BASICALLY BREAK EVEN AND NOT SEE A DRAWDOWN IN FUND BALANCE, BUT ACTUALLY MAINTAIN OUR FUND BALANCE OF $12.26 MILLION.
THE NEXT STEPS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS ARE FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER AND ADOPT THE BUDGET.
[00:30:02]
AT THE JUNE 20TH BOARD MEETING AND JULY, WE WILL COME FORWARD AND HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE POTENTIAL FOR A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION AND THE VARIOUS VAT TAX RATE SCENARIOS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.AND THEN FINALLY, AT THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD WILL ADOPT THE TAX RATE AND DEPENDING ON THE TAX RATE THE BOARD CHOOSES TO ADOPT, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TRIGGER THE ELECTION FOR THE VAT FREE.
URI. AND WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS $1 AND 21 OR $1, 2101 AND OUR AVERAGE HOME VALUE IS JUST UNDER 277,000.
AND SO THIS SLIDE IS A LITTLE SMALL AND SOMEWHAT HARD TO SEE, BUT THE TAXES GENERATED ANNUALLY ON CURRENT BASED ON OUR CURRENT TAX RATE ARE ABOUT $3,347, OR ABOUT $279 PER MONTH.
THE NEXT COLUMN WOULD ASSUME THAT WE WERE TO DO A TWO CENT INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE, BUT IT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE INCREASE AND THE STATE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM $25000 TO $40000 THAT WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS IN MAY.
AND SO WHEN THAT IS ACTUALLY DONE, THAT WOULD RESULT IN A INCREASE IN THE TAX BILL OF ABOUT $16.12 OVER THE CURRENT RATE, OR ABOUT A DOLLAR AND $0.34 PER MONTH.
SO IF WE WERE TO GO FROM THERE FROM AA2 CENT INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE AND PART OF THE REASON THAT WE OPTED FOR THAT SCENARIO IS THAT WOULD BE TAKING THE TWO CENT REDUCTION THAT WE ARE DOING ON THE INCOME AND SINKING OR INSIDE AND SHIFTING THAT OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THE $0.02 WOULD GO FROM THE INSIDE TO THE O&M SIDE AS A SWAP ON THE TAX RATE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT IS OUTLINED HERE.
THE NEXT COMPONENT OF THE TAX RATE WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO GO TO 5.5 CENTS ON THE TAX RATE.
AND SO THE ONLY CHANGE THAT YOU WILL NOTICE HERE IS THAT WE ARE CHANGING THE COPPER.
NUMBER OF COPPER PENNIES THAT THE DISTRICT COULD RECEIVE BY OUR THREE AND A HALF CENTS, RATHER.
AND WHAT THAT RESULTS IN IS A TAX BILL THAT IS ABOUT $120 MORE THAN IT CURRENTLY IS TODAY, OR ABOUT $9.96 PER MONTH. THE NEXT SCENARIO IS A SEVEN AND A HALF CENT INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE.
AND SO IF THAT CASE SCENARIO WERE TO PLAY OUT, THAT WOULD INCREASE THE AVERAGE TAX BILL BY ABOUT $180 OR ABOUT $15 PER MONTH.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS AVAILABLE TO IT AS PART OF A TREE.
THE MAXIMUM WE COULD POTENTIALLY INCREASE OUR TAX RATE IS $0.11.
AND SO IF THE BOARD WERE TO OPT FOR THAT PATH, THE OPTION OR WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD HAVE IS THAT WOULD INCREASE A ANNUAL TAX BILL BY ABOUT $280 OR ABOUT $23 PER MONTH.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE NO VICTORY AT ALL.
SO WE WOULD BE FULLY UTILIZING OUR ESSER FUNDING.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL BRING YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE IN JULY.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.
THE BOARD ENCOURAGES AND WELCOMES COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM OUR PATRONS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE 3 MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS.
ONCE THE SPEAKER STARTS THEIR COMMENTS.
SHIRLEY ROSE GILLIAM WILL ANNOUNCE THAT THE SPEAKER'S TIME HAS ELAPSED.
[00:35:03]
I THEN ASK THAT YOU RETURN TO YOUR SEAT SO THAT THE NEXT SPEAKER MAY HAVE THEIR 3 MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING YOU HAPPEN.
OKAY. TO CLARIFY THIS, WE MADE OUR COMMENTS WHERE WE SPEND.
SUBMISSION OR LATER? NO, MA'AM. THAT'S LATER.
THAT'S ALL. I JUST. THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
OKAY. WELL, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING AND LISTING OUT WHERE YOU ALL DID MAKE CUTS, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THIS, I COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT YOU ALL WORKED HARD TO TRY AND MAKE CUTS SO THAT YOU COULD MAKE ROOM SO THAT THE TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS COULD HAVE A RAISE.
AND SOME OF THOSE WERE LIKE POINT ON THINGS THAT I KNOW PERSONALLY.
I WAS LIKE, WE NEED TO GET RID OF.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT.
THANK YOU, MA'AM. WE APPRECIATE THAT.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE. I'LL OPEN UP TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. GWYNNE, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND FOR THE SLIDES.
I APPRECIATE IT. SO I REALLY ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION AND I'VE I'VE PROBABLY ASKED THIS QUESTION IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT ON PAGE 20, THAT KIND OF SHOWS THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE YEARS.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING THE HICCUP WITH OUR BUDGET.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT TEACHER PLANNING TIME AND JUST REMIND ME, IS THIS DAILY PLANNING TIME OR WEEKLY PLANNING TIME AND IS IT AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES? SO I'M GOING TO LEAN TO SOME EXTENT ON MY FRIENDS AND TEACHING AND LEARNING TO PROVIDE.
AND SO YOU MAY RECALL THAT PART OF THE REASON THAT WE'RE SHOWING WE SHOWED YOU THAT WE WERE ADDING BACK IN THE $4 MILLION FROM ESSER USE OF ESSER IS THAT WE ARE FUNDING THAT TEACHER PLANNING TIME OUT OF ESSER.
AND UNLESS WE MAINTAIN IT IN THE GENERAL FUND, IT WOULD HAVE TO SUNSET AFTER ESSER EXPIRES.
AND SO AT THIS POINT AND THE CORE CONTENT AREAS OF OUR SECONDARY CAMPUSES, WHICH WOULD BE ENGLISH AS WELL AS SCIENCE AND MATH, THOSE CAMPUSES DO HAVE THAT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS A PILOT FOR THE STEM P.E.
AND FINE ARTS PULL OUT THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT TEACHER PLANNING TIME.
WELL, THERE'S A COMBINATION THERE'S A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PLANNING THAT'S BEING OFFERED.
SO AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, THIS THE TEACHER PLANNING TIME IS SCHEDULED ONCE EVERY SIX DAYS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT BRIAN WAS ALLUDING TO.
SO WE HAVE HIGHTOWER, MARSHALL AND WOOLRIDGE.
SO TEACHERS HAD TWO PLANNING PERIODS ON THAT SIX DAY.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE THE CONFERENCE TIME AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE A PLANNING PERIOD ON THAT DAY.
AND THAT WAS BUILT INTO THE SCHEDULE.
AND THAT ALSO WE ALSO HAD PLANNING THAT WAS ADJUSTED BECAUSE OF THE TIME FOR PE.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF PE MINUTES AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
SO WE HAD TO ADD ADDITIONAL STAFFING ON TEACHERS FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT THE ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.
SO THAT ENTIRE PACKAGE INCLUDED THE TEACHERS ADDITIONAL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THAT ADDITIONAL PLANNING DAY ON THE SIXTH DAY AND THEN ALSO ADDRESSING THE CAMPUSES THAT HAD THE AB BLOCK SCHEDULED AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
[00:40:02]
SO SO I APPRECIATE THAT.CORRECT. OR FOR THE SECONDARY COMPONENT? YES, MA'AM. THE ELEMENTARY COMPONENT IS CURRENTLY FUNDED OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
OKAY. AND THEN I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP FOR DR.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS MAYBE SOME TEACHER SURVEY ABOUT THE PLANNING TIME OR NO.
DO WE HAVE FEEDBACK ON BECAUSE PLANNING TIME HOPEFULLY IS IMPACTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND THEY'RE BEING ABLE TO USE THOSE PLACES EVERY SIX DAYS TO DO THAT.
BUT HAVE WE SURVEYED TEACHERS ON THE JUST THEIR GENERAL FEELING OF OF THE PLCS.
SUM OF MONEY OPEN TO STAFF, ADDING IN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID THE THE HUGE THOUGHT EXCHANGE WHERE WE HAD 3800 TEACHER COMMENTS, WHEN WE DIVIDE THOSE INTO CATEGORIES, I BELIEVE THAT THAT COMES UP IN THERE AND WE'RE STILL DISSECTING.
WE KIND OF WE FOCUSED ON THE BIG AREAS FIRST THAT WERE THE MOST COMMONLY NOTICED.
DR. LINDLEY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT? OR MAYBE STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, WHO DID THE SURVEYS BUT CONSTANTLY, I DON'T KNOW VERY MANY TEACHERS THAT DON'T WELCOME MORE PLANNING.
IT'S IT'S IT'S COMMON AND IT'S IT'S WELL DESERVED.
I MEAN, THEY'RE WORKING HARD, SO IT'S A MATTER OF HOW WE STRUCTURE IT.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MIXED, HONESTLY, AND I SAW THAT IN MY PREVIOUS DISTRICT AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF DOING A MODIFIED BLOCK AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THAT.
YOU GUYS MUST BE FOLLOWING UP ON THE 80.70.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE GREEN LIGHT LOOKED GREEN TO ME.
WHITBECK WAS ALLUDING TO WITH THE THE BLOCK SCHEDULE, WE DID INVOLVE ALL THREE OF THOSE CAMPUSES, AND THEY ARE GOING TO INITIALIZE A MODIFIED BLOCK FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH WILL BETTER ALIGN WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER CAMPUSES AND SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
IN ADDITION TO FIVE OF SEVEN PLANNING PERIODS ARE ALL STILL IN EFFECT.
SO THAT'S THE WAY THEY'RE INITIATED, INITIALIZING THE FIVE OF SEVEN PIECE AS WELL.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, DR.
WHITBECK. I APPRECIATE IT. DR.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA BECAUSE THAT THAT FORECAST OUT INTO 23, 24 AND BEYOND, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME THINGS. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MS.. MALONE. THANK YOU, MS..
HANNUM, FOR THOSE QUESTIONS, DR.
GILLIAM. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
I JUST WANT TO TAP ON THIS SINCE I SEE THE NEW PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED AND MR. QUINN, IF YOU CAN SHARE BECAUSE THE COMMENT WAS NEW PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED AND HOW THEY HOW THEY'RE CATCHING UP OR HOW THEY CAUGHT UP WITH THE SPENDING, I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION THERE.
I KNOW IT'S IT'S EASY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT TO THE COMMUNITY? SO YOU'RE REFERENCING HOW WE SO WE'VE ADDED PROGRAMS OVER TIME.
AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS LIST OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU SEE HERE, MOST ALL OF THESE WOULD BE QUALIFIED AS ENRICHMENT TYPE PROGRAMS. SO THIS WOULD BE OUR EARLY LITERACY CENTERS, THE EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, THE OPENING OF THE REC CENTER, ETC..
AND SO WE'VE ADDED THOSE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IF YOU LOOK AT OUR HISTORIC STUDENT GROWTH, WE WERE RECEIVING STUDENTS THAT WERE COMING IN THAT ALLOWED US TO FULLY FUND THOSE PROGRAMS WITH NO IMPACT TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
[00:45:01]
I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THIS, AND THERE'S NOT REALLY A NICE WAY OF SAYING IT IN SOME CASES.IN SOME WAY. WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, WE FUNDED THE PROGRAMS WITHOUT THE REVENUE SOURCE.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT I WOULD BE SAYING IS THAT GOING BACK FIVE YEARS, WE'VE ADDED PROGRAMS THAT WERE SUPPORTED BY STUDENT GROWTH UP UNTIL THE POINT AT WHICH THE STUDENT GROWTH STOPPED. AND SO I HOPE THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION.
BUT BUT IN ESSENCE, YES, IT DID.
IT REMINDS ME AND I'M NOT REALLY GOOD WITH THIS SORT OF LIKE THE GRADUATED MORTGAGE WHEN YOU GET IN THE HOUSE AND THEN AS YOU GET THROUGH TOWARD MAYBE ABOUT FIVE YEARS, IT GOES UP AND UP AND UP. AND THEN ONE DAY YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF SORT OF OR WOULD THAT BE I THINK THAT YOU COULD LOOSELY USE THAT ANALOGY.
BASICALLY, AFTER FIVE YEARS, AFTER FIVE YEARS OF THE MORTGAGE, I DIDN'T REALLY LOSE.
HOW'S THAT? THE MORTGAGE RESETS AND YOU HAVE TO PAY THE HIGHER RATE.
WELL, IN THIS CASE, AFTER FIVE YEARS, THE STUDENTS WERE NO LONGER THERE.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO FUND THOSE PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION ALSO.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE THIS QUESTION UNTIL I START HEARING THE.
WHITBECK, WHAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO DO IS TO ESTABLISH SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM AGAIN.
SO HOW ARE WE CAPTURING WHAT'S SUCCESSFUL? HOW DO WE KNOW WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION? BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE DATA.
WHERE IS THE DATA THAT SHOWS THAT THIS IS WORKING OR IT'S NOT WORKING? AND HOW DO HOW ARE WE EVALUATING THE PROGRAM? SO IF WE SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO A BLOCK SCHEDULE IN ONE YEAR BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ONE YEAR, AND NOW WE'RE GOING AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
OF COURSE, WE'VE WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY CHANGES AND JUST THAT WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING. AND IF THERE'S A SUDDEN CHANGE OR THERE'S A NEED FOR A CHANGE, I SHOULD SAY, IF WE COULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WITH OUR PROGRAM SO WE CAN BE CONSISTENT AND THAT WE CAN DO ALL OF THE RESEARCH THAT IS NEEDED PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING THOSE PROGRAMS INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TO SHARE THAT WHAT HAPPENED, I THINK ACROSS OUR STATE, PERHAPS ACROSS OUR NATION, I HAVEN'T STUDIED IT THAT DEEP IN TERMS OF BLOCK SCHEDULING, BUT I DO KNOW THAT MANY DISTRICTS, INCLUDING MY FORMER DISTRICT AND I LED THE CHARGE TO SWITCH TO BLOCK DURING THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR WHEN WE WERE HAVING STUDENTS RETURN BACK.
BUT WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP KIDS SAFE AND BLOCK SCHEDULE FOR FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR ALLOWS STUDENTS TO STAY IN CLASS MORE APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES AND THEN TO MOVE TO THE NEXT CLASS.
SO YOU HAVE ABOUT FOR ONE DAY AND FOR THE OTHER DAY.
AND SO YOU SEE THE TEACHERS EVERY OTHER DAY.
SO THE GOOD NEWS DURING DURING A PANDEMIC IS THAT THERE'S LESS MOVEMENT IN THE HALL, THERE'S LESS JUST THAT LAST, LESS TRANSFER, AND IT APPEARS TO BE A SAFER OPTION. SO MOST DISTRICTS AND I THINK THAT WAS WHAT MOTIVATED FORT BEND TO GO WITH THE BLOCK.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF PLACES? AND JUST BEFORE I CAME HERE, WE WERE SWITCHING TO A MODIFIED THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE WERE NOT INTENDING TO KEEP A BLOCK FOREVER BECAUSE THE RESEARCH IS VERY MIXED ON BLOCK SCHEDULES.
I MEAN, THIS GOES WAY BACK TO THE EARLY 2000S WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DONE A LOT OF DISSERTATIONS AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, LIKE MANY OF US THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES ACTUALLY STUDYING THEM, TALKING TO TEACHERS ABOUT THEM.
THERE'S PROS OF YOU GET EXTENDED TIME AND THAT'S GOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN A DEEP ART ACTIVITY, PERHAPS A SCIENCE LAB, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS LIKE THAT.
IT ALSO PROVES NOT TO BE AS BENEFICIAL WHEN ABSENTEEISM IS HIGH BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CHILD MISSES CLASS ON MONDAY, HE DOESN'T SEE HIS TEACHER TILL HE HASN'T SEEN A TEACHER SINCE THE WEEK BEFORE, AND HE SEES THEM AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.
THERE'S A GAP FOR THE CHILD AND SEEING THEIR TEACHER.
AND SO WE COULD YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST THINGS I JUST KNOW BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT FORWARD BECAUSE ANYTHING THAT WE DO LIKE SUCH A THING, AS DISRUPTIVE AS THAT WHICH DISRUPTION IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING, WE WOULD HAVE THAT BEHIND US AS WELL AS TEACHER INPUT.
[00:50:02]
I DON'T THINK I NEED TO SAY MORE.THANK YOU. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT.
YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS SOME WORK TO LOOK AT, THE BLOCK SCHEDULING AT THOSE THOSE CAMPUSES IN PARTICULAR, SOME OF THOSE CAMPUSES BECAUSE OF THE SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAD WITH THE EARLY COLLEGE IN P-TECH.
AND THE BOARD RECOMMEND THAT WE JUST PAUSE AND HALTS ON THAT.
AND THEN NOW AFTER HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE AND GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE PRINCIPALS WHO LEAD THOSE CAMPUSES AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE TEACHING STAFF, AND ONE OF THE POINTS THAT DR.
WHITBECK BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE ATTENDANCE, BECAUSE IN THE BLOCK SCHEDULING, IF YOU ARE ABSENT, THEN THERE'S YOU MISS QUITE A FEW DAYS, THEN THERE'S A LOT OF CONTENT THAT YOU WOULD MISS. SO THE PRINCIPALS DIDN'T PRESENT AN OPTION OF STILL HOLDING TRUE TO HAVING THE BLOCK SCHEDULING, BUT MODIFYING IT.
SO THEY DID HAVE AN EIGHT PERIOD DAY SO THAT IF STUDENTS WERE ABSENT, THEY WOULDN'T MISS A LOT OF CONTENT BECAUSE THEY WOULD STILL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEIR TEACHERS DURING THE WEEK.
SO THAT WAS JUST SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT THUS FAR.
AND WE KNOW THAT AS WE LOOK AT SOME MORE DATA, SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE DATA, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OBSERVATIONAL DATA, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SEE WHAT THE BEST PATH FORWARD IS GOING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
MENSAH, AND EXCUSE ME, MADAM PRESIDENT, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
THAT WAS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND AS FAR AS EARLY COLLEGE AND P-TECH.
THAT IS HUGE AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO BLOCK SCHEDULING.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT AND BRINGING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT THAT THAT WAS THE PRIMARY REASON.
SO BUT AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU AGAIN ALSO TO MAKE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE EVALUATING THE PROGRAMS AND THAT WE REALLY DIG IN BEFORE WE PLACE A PROGRAM IN ANY SCHOOL IN FORT BEND ISD.
THANK YOU. MISS DAY OR MISS WILLIAMS? I CAN'T SEE. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
MY QUESTION RELATES TO PAGE 20.
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS WANT 1.4 MILLION.
I NEED IT FOR A MR. GUINTA ADDRESS.
WHY WERE WE PAYING FOR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS WHEN WE HAD THE V.A.
GRANT EXTENDED TO US TO PAY FOR ANY TYPE OF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS WE HAD? AND I ALSO RECALL SEEING THAT WE USED ESSER FUNDING TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL COUNSELORS.
SO I NEED HIM TO ELABORATE ON THAT LINE ITEM.
HOWEVER, WE ARE SHOWING THAT IN 24, 25, WE ARE BRINGING THOSE COUNSELORS BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND UNLESS WE MAKE A PROGRAMMATIC DECISION TO DISCONTINUE THAT SERVICE.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
CURRENTLY THEY ARE FUNDED OUT OF ESSER FUNDING.
AS FAR AS THE THE VOCA GRANT IS CONCERNED.
I BELIEVE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.
BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO TURN TO MY PEERS ON THIS ONE.
WESTBROOK IS APPROACHING THE LECTERN FOR THAT RESPONSE.
THANK YOU. APPARENTLY NOT GREEN ENOUGH.
SORRY. SO THE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE NOT SERVICING THROUGH THE GRANT DIRECTLY ARE BECAUSE THE VOCA GRANT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME.
I THINK MY QUESTION WASN'T QUITE UNDERSTOOD.
[00:55:02]
WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS ON PAGE 20, WE SPOKE ABOUT NEW PROGRAMS THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED THAT WERE NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THE BUDGET.I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE HAD MONEY IN PLACE.
FOR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS, WHICH AT THAT TIME WE WERE DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS.
SO THE COUNSELORS WERE NOT ON OUR PAYROLL.
WE HAD CLINICS WHO HAD THEIR OWN COUNSELORS.
SO HOW CAN THAT BE A NEGATIVE? WHEN WE WERE NOT HIRING COUNSELORS AT THAT POINT, WE WERE DEALING WITH CLINICS.
SO. MS.. WILLIAMS I BELIEVE THAT.
DR. WESTBROOK CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THERE WERE TWO COMPONENTS THAT WERE BEING FUNDED.
AND SO THEY WERE FUNDED FOR TWO YEARS THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
WHEN ESSER FUNDS WERE RECEIVED, WE SHIFTED THAT FUNDING OVER TO ESSER.
SO THESE WERE NOT POSITIONS ADDED AS PART OF ESSER.
THEY WERE ALWAYS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
DOES THAT CLARIFY THAT FOR YOU? YES. I THINK WE YOU STATED THAT 24, 25 YEAR IS WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE.
IT RELATES TO THE DECREASE FOR AUDITS.
WHERE YOU GETTING THAT NUMBER? 0.3 MILLION FOR AUDIT SERVICES REDUCED? WHY ARE WE REDUCING AUDIT SERVICES? YES, MA'AM. SO THAT'S ON PAGE 15.
YES, MA'AM. THE THE AUDIT SERVICES THAT WE ARE REFERENCING WERE THE INTERNAL AUDITS CONDUCTED BY GIBSON AND THE WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO PAUSE THOSE EXTERNAL.
IT'S AN INTERNAL AUDIT CONDUCTED BY AN EXTERNAL AUDITOR, BUT TO PAUSE THOSE AUDITS FOR ONE YEAR AND WE WERE ROUGHLY BUDGETING $300,000 ANNUALLY TO COVER THOSE COSTS.
SO IF WE WERE TO BECAUSE I'M CURRENTLY ON THE NEW AUDIT COMMITTEE AND IF WE WERE TO DECIDE TO DO AN INTERNAL AUDIT, WHICH I FEEL THAT WE NEED, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THE FUNDING FOR THAT IF THIS IS GOING TO BE TAKEN OFF, IF THIS 300,000 IS GOING TO BE REMOVED, IF THE BOARD WERE TO CHOOSE TO GO THROUGH THAT ACTIONS, WE WOULDN'T BE THE STAFF WOULD NEED TO MAKE REDUCTIONS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO ALLOCATE FUNDINGS TO SPECIFICALLY COVER THOSE PURPOSES.
REGARDING THE ESSER FUNDS, DO WE HAVE.
I'M SORRY IF THIS HAS BEEN ASKED BEFORE, BUT I'M THE NEW GUY.
DO WE HAVE A TOTAL AMOUNT THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED AND A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE SPENT? YES, SIR, WE DO. AND I'M SORRY, I CAN'T IMMEDIATELY RATTLE THOSE OFF.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE HAVE $13 MILLION ROUGHLY THAT IS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AB BLOCK AND THE FIVE OF SEVEN CAMPUSES THAT IS CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN OUR ASR PLAN AND WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT YEAR IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THAT IS SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE $27 MILLION THAT WE HAVE REMAINING.
AND SO THAT'S INCLUDED GOING FORWARD.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD IS ROUGHLY $13 MILLION FOR THE 2223 SCHOOL YEAR AND FOR THE 28.
SO THAT'S $13 MILLION IN YEAR ONE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH A BREAKOUT OF THAT THAT'S MORE DETAILED.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. AND I KNOW MISTY IS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING CONNECTED.
SO IF SHE POPS BACK IN, THEN WE'LL GIVE HER A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MR. GWEN. I'M GOING TO START ON PAGE TEN, AND THAT IS WHERE YOU SHOW ESSENTIALLY THE COMPRESSION AND THAT WE CAP OUT AT 676.1 MILLION.
[01:00:10]
MY QUESTION IS, IF ENROLLMENT INCREASES WITH THE REVENUE INCREASE AS WELL, ESSENTIALLY WHAT OUR PIECE OF THE PIE INCREASE WITH AN ADDITIONAL WITH ADDITIONAL ENROLLMENT? YES, MA'AM. AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT CORRELATION THAT WE'RE MAKING HERE.OUR REVENUE GROWTH IS TIED SPECIFICALLY TO STUDENT GROWTH, NOT TO PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH.
AND SO, YES, MA'AM, YOU'RE 100% CORRECT.
IF WE GO FROM 78,700 STUDENTS TO 79,000 STUDENTS, THAT WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAM, ROUGHLY $8,000 PER STUDENT.
THAT'S WE RECEIVE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT THAT'S ROUGHLY $6,160, PLUS ANOTHER $1,000 OR SO FOR SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED TO STUDENTS SUCH AS CTE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YES, MA'AM, ADDITIONAL STUDENTS WILL INCREASE OUR REVENUE.
AND THEN WITH LEADING INTO THAT, LET'S MOVE ON TO PAGE 29 WITH THE KIND OF THE SAME THING IN MIND.
ESSENTIALLY, THAT FORECAST, YOU SET IT KIND OF QUICKLY.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY.
DID I HEAR THAT EVERYTHING ON THE FORECAST IS BASED ON PAST LOW GROWTH SCENARIO FOR THE 2223 SCHOOL YEAR? YES, MA'AM. IT IS BASED ON LOW GROWTH BEGINNING IN 23, 24, WE'RE ASSUMING A RETURN TO MODERATE GROWTH AND FOR 24, 25 AS WELL.
GOT IT. WITH THAT BEING SAID AND THE OUTLOOK AND WHAT I SEE WITH.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR FUND BALANCE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU.
I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE 2% REDUCTION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY REALIZES HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO.
BUT HATS OFF TO YOU, ESPECIALLY IN ECONOMIC TIMES WHERE WE'RE SEEING INFLATION AT THE RATES WE ALL ARE, JUST GO TO THE GAS PUMP, WE ALL FEEL IT AND THE DISTRICT FEELS IT AS WELL. AND SO FOR YOU TO FIND 2% TO REDUCE OUR BUDGET WITH BUDGET SAVINGS AND STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT.
THANK YOU, SIR. YOU, YOUR TEAM, EVERYONE ELSE.
DR. WHITBECK, I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
BECK'S LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, AS WELL AS THOSE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT THAT HAVE POINTED OUT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SAVINGS THAT WE CAN OR AREAS WHERE WE CAN REDUCE. SO AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YES, I DID THAT ALL, I WAS A VERY SMALL PART IN THAT OVERALL PROCESS.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
AND THEN EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPRESSION IN STATE FUNDING.
I HOPE WE AS A BOARD CAN WORK TOGETHER TO.
REALLY ADVOCATE FOR FORT BEND AND OTHER DISTRICTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS FUNDING EQUATION, IF YOU WILL, IMPROVED BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE PUBLIC. OUR TEACHERS, WE NEED TO.
SO I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND I DON'T SEE MRS. DAY THERE. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
GILLIAM HAS ONE MORE QUESTION.
SO YOU HAVE HIGHTOWER, WOOLRIDGE AND MARSHALL.
AH EACH SCHOOL IS BEING KIND OF GROUPED INTO THE THREE SO CAN SO IN LOOKING AT THE DATA.
SO WE'VE HAD DATA FROM ALL THREE SCHOOLS OR HOW DID, HOW DID WE APPROACH THAT.
DID WE LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS WORKING OR NOT WORKING? SO IT'S KIND OF BUGGING ME JUST A LITTLE BIT, SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT.
I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD, MR. LEMLEY.
LIKE DR. WHITBECK SAID, WE PULLED ALL THREE TOGETHER TO TALK THROUGH HOW IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED AND WHERE WE CAN CHANGE THINGS UP TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE AMENABLE FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS AS A WHOLE.
[01:05:01]
HOW MANY COMPLETERS DO WE HAVE? WHERE ARE OUR EARLY COLLEGE AND TECH PEOPLE ON THEIR ON THEIR JOURNEY? RIGHT. BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE HEADING INTO THAT SENIOR YEAR FOR THAT FIRST COHORT OF STUDENTS.SO HOW DID IT HELP THEM AND WHAT IS IT DOING FOR OUR YOUNGER KIDS COMING IN? ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PROGRAMMATICALLY FOR EACH SCHOOL, EARLY COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL IS A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THAN P-TECH.
RIGHT? AND P-TECH AT HIGH IS A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THAN P-TECH AT THE RICH.
AND DR. WHITBECK, I'M GOING TO REITERATE MY CONCERN JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HIGH TOWER COMMUNITY AND THE WILLOW RIDGE COMMUNITY AND THE MARSHALL COMMUNITY.
AND THEY RECEIVED A TOTAL TRANSITION THIS YEAR.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT TRANSITION WILL BE NEXT YEAR, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT'S A HUGE THING FOR A CAMPUS GOING FROM, FIRST OF ALL, GOING FROM SEVEN PERIOD DAY TO THE BLOCK AND NOW GOING FROM THE BLOCK TO THE SEVEN PERIOD DAY THAT WE JUST HAVE SOME DATA BEHIND IT AND THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS.
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU.
BUT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAD TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO BEFORE WE HAD THE GRADUATION RATE, BEFORE WE HAD THE EOC EXAM RESULTS, A.P. RESULTS, ALL OF THAT BECAUSE OF STAFFING.
AND SO GOING TO THE MODIFIED, WHICH DR.
LINDLEY CORRECT ME, I THINK WE'RE AT THREE DAYS, EIGHT PERIOD, TWO DAYS BLOCK.
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY IS A STRAIGHT EIGHT.
SO ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT.
IT'LL BE THE ODD PERIODS. ONE, THREE, FIVE, SEVEN.
THURSDAY IS GOING TO BE THE EVEN PERIODS, TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT.
WE CAN GO BACK TO FULL BLOCK IF WE WANT, OR WE CAN GO TO THE EIGHT PERIOD DAY.
WE CAN SWING WITH WHICHEVER WAY THE DATA THEN TELLS US TO GO.
BUT THIS IS A WAY TO COMBAT THE ABSENTEEISM AND THE LOSS OF INSTRUCTION DUE TO THAT.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS.
NUMBER ONE CONCERNS WAS TOO MUCH TIME BETWEEN A CLASS AND SEEING THEIR TEACHER.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED AND THE TIME IS 6:40 P.M..
AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.