College Station Independent School District

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June Board Meeting Recap

June Board Meeting Recap
Posted on 06/18/2019
Image of pledge kids with board of trustees

Note:  This is an overview of some of the items on the June board workshop and meeting agendas.  This recap does not include every item on the agendas. Official meeting minutes will be made available on www.csisd.org following approval at the July board meeting.  A video and audio recording of the workshop and meeting will be made available within seven business days of the meeting at csisd.org.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The College Station ISD Board of Trustees met Tuesday, June 18.  The following discussions and actions are of note.

WORKSHOP

Discussion regarding 2019-2020 budget development process:  Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Mike Martindale made a fourth presentation regarding the development of the 2019-2020 budget.  The presentation was the first since the 86th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3, the new school finance bill which infused $11.6 Billion into the state budget for school funding and property tax reduction over the next biennium.

The new bill created a net addition of approximately $5.2 million in the CSISD budget, by decreasing the district’s projected recapture payment back to the state from $18 million to $1.4 million and compressing the maintenance and operations tax rate from $1.04 to $0.97.

In last month’s budget discussions, the board was presented a projected budget deficit of $5.9 million for the 2019-2020 school year.  With the new funding system in place, CSISD was able to give substantial raises to all employees (see below regarding the compensation plan) and add several needed positions (many to meet increasing needs in special education).

The changes in school funding, coupled with the aggressive compensation plan and the addition of new positions totals to a projected deficit budget of approximately $3.8 million, which would be covered by the district’s $37 million fund balance, or savings account.

CSISD adopted a budget with a deficit of $4.6 million for the 2018-2019 school year and is currently tracking at a lower deficit of approximately $1.9 million.  CSISD has historically underspent its budget as shown in the chart below.


Fiscal

Year

Adopted

Budget

Audited Budget Deficit / Surplus

2013-14

-$3.89 M

-$2.4M

2014-15

-$3.03M

+$325K

2015-16

-$1.84M

+$2.37M

2016-17

-$473K

+2.98M

2017-18

-$2.41M

+996 K

2018-19

-$4.6 M

In progress

 

For the first time, the board saw the projected tax rate for the 2019-20 school year.  HB 3 compressed the maintenance and operations rate from $1.04 to $0.97. In addition, some of CSISD’s bond debt is being paid off and the interest and sinking tax rate is projected to drop from $0.332 to $0.282.  The total tax rate is projected to drop 12 cents from $1.372 to $1.252, or an 8.7 percent decrease in the tax rate. A homeowner with an appraised home value of $300,000 would see a savings of $330 annually due to the lower tax rate.

The 2019-2020 budget and tax rate will be adopted at the August board meeting.

Receive report regarding Policy FNF (Local) - Random Student Drug Testing:  Chief Administrative Officer Molley Perry gave a report recapping the first year of the district’s random drug testing policy, which was approved by the board in June 2018.

The policy requires random drug testing of any student in grades 9-12 who chooses to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities or has a permit to park a vehicle on school property.

A total of 2,772 students participated in the program this past school year, with 426 students being randomly selected to be tested.  Of the 426 students tested, 12 students had at least one confirmed positive result, four of those students tested positive twice and two of the four students tested positive three times.

Discussion Regarding Policy FC (Local) - School Attendance Areas:  The board unanimously adopted updated language for policy FC (local) - School Attendance Areas.  The board discussed possible changes to the policy last month prior to adopting some changes this month.

The first change deals with the timing of the annual enrollment report and what is included in the report.  Specifically, the policy now calls for the report to be delivered to the board in “November or December, as soon as practical.”

In addition, language was added to make sure “administration identify key dates, events, time constraints and other factors that would likely have material impact on the timing and/or substance of decisions related to such recommendation.”

Finally, language was added to the grandfathering section related to high school boundary adjustments not related to the opening of a new high school which says, “students should be given the opportunity to start and remain at one high school for the student’s entire high school career.”

REGULAR MEETING

Approval of the Annual Compensation Plan for 2019-2020:  House Bill 3 requires school districts to spend at least 30 percent ($1.56 million for CSISD) of the new money infused into the system on compensation increases for all non-administrative employees and at least 75 percent ($1.17 million for CSISD) of that amount toward raises for teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses.

In the most aggressive compensation plan in years, College Station ISD will increase employee salaries by a total of $3.8 million, which is 73 percent of the new HB 3 money.

Classroom teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses with 0-5 years of experience will get a pay increase between 3.6 and 4.5 percent off the midpoint of teacher salary schedule, while teachers with more than six years of experience will get raises of 5.1 to 5.6 percent off the midpoint of teacher salary schedule.  This classification of employees encompasses 50 percent of the total CSISD staff and will receive 68 percent of the money put toward raises.

CSISD paraprofessionals (clerical staff and classroom aides) and auxiliary employees (bus drivers, maintenance staff, cafeteria workers, custodians) will receive a raise of four percent off the midpoint, while administrative professionals (non-teaching professional employees) will receive a raise of three percent off the midpoint.

Central office and campus administrators on two-year contracts will receive raises of two percent off the midpoint for their respective paygrade.

Receive report regarding CSISD Leadership Profile:  Chief Academic Officer Penny Tramel made a presentation to the board regarding the district’s new “Leadership Profile.”  The profile was developed by the district’s central office and campus administrators in the fall of 2018 and is meant to establish a common vision of the district’s expectations for leaders to portray as they interact with students, colleagues and parents.  LINK: CSISD Leadership Profile

The main sections of the CSISD Leadership Profile include:

  • Exhibits the highest standard of character and professionalism
  • Builds capacity in others and self
  • Demonstrates critical thinking and innovative problem solving
  • Communicates and collaborates effectively

Approval of new administrator contracts:  The board approved the hiring of the following administrators.

  • Laura Caspar-Teague, Spring Creek Elementary Principal
  • Jacqulyn Hahn, Assistant Director of Special Services

In addition, the board approved the administrator contract for Director of Early Education Service Susan Heath, subject to the approval of the Regional Head Start Office.

Purchases/Bid Approvals:

  • Approved an Interlocal Agreement with Brazos County regarding using the district’s fuel-pumping facility.  The agreement will allow the Brazos County law enforcement vehicles to use the CSISD Transportation Department fuel-pumping facility off Rock Prairie Road, which will reduce travel time and distance for refueling and allow deputies more time for their assigned duties.
  • Approved the purchase of Measure of Academic Progress Online Resources from the Northwest Evaluation Association in the amount of $154,064 using the 2018-19 General Fund.

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