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LISD adopts budget, approves pay increase
By CHRIS ROARK, croark@acnpapers.com
The Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees approved its budget for the 2010-11 school year Thursday, as well as a pay increase for many of its employees.
With everything factored in, the district is facing an $18.7 million deficit as expenditures ($520.4 million) are expected to surpass revenue ($501.6 million).
Included in the budget is a proposed Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate of $1.06. Residents will vote for the tax rate in September.
If the vote fails, the current M&O tax rate of $1.04 will be used, and district officials expect the deficit to grow to $22 million.
Another sticky point to the budget was the approval of a 1.18 percent pay increase for employees.
Board member Brenda Latham, who voted against the budget, and board member Jeff Knapp were against providing a pay increase for top administrators, which equated to 39 people. Those positions included the superintendent, deputy superintendent, athletic director and public information officer.
Latham made a motion to approve the pay increase for LISD employees minus the top administrators. Knapp seconded the motion. Not providing a pay increase to those top administrators would have been a difference of about $56,000.
“This isn’t about having anger toward the administration,” Knapp said. “We have a great administration. It’s about setting the tone since we’re asking the residents for a tax-rate increase. We need to be more fiscally responsible and start at the top.”
Ultimately, a motion to approve a pay increase for all employees was approved, 5-2.
“I don’t want to single anyone out,” said board vice president Vernell Gregg. “They all deserve a raise.”
Gregg added that she wishes the teachers and paraprofessionals, or hourly employees, could get an even higher increase.
Board president Carol Kyer said, “Those 39 people work as hard as everyone else. This paycheck is all they get. We need to give them now what we are able to give them now.”
Before the pay-rate discussion, the board heard the most up-to-date budget figures.
LISD officials expect that by the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year, the district will have $87.8 million left in the fund balance. That compares to $103.7 million at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year and $108.7 million in the proposed budget earlier this month.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, a handful of residents voiced concern over the deficit and offered suggestions on how to solve it. One resident suggested slowing down the construction around LISD, as well as questioning the number of employees needed for the district.
Flower Mound resident David Johnson suggested looking into gas leases.
“LISD is doing nothing to tap into its mineral rights,” Johnson said. “There is $6.5 million there in signing bonuses alone.”
After the meeting, Kyer said the district isn’t actively seeking leases, and she said there would be several issues that needed to be resolved with various cities and towns in the district regarding gas drilling regulations before pursing such an opportunity.
Also at the meeting, Dr. Penny Reddell, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment services, updated the board on the progress of considering a Bible course for the district.
Reddell said certain elements of such a course include English, language arts and social studies curriculum, which would be a requirement.
She said the district has already created a task force to study the issue, and the task force includes members of LISD’s language arts and social studies task force and those in the faith community.
The task force had its first meeting July 20, and she said some of the issues discussed include how the course has worked in other districts. She said the task force will determine if the course will provide a scholarly approach to Western literature, music, art, culture and history. It will also determine if the course would enrich the students’ high school lives and better prepare them for college. It will also decide if this is the right time for the new course.
Reddell said the course would not teach religion but rather culture, arts, music and history. It would feature two nine-week courses.
The task force will next meet Aug. 3 to discuss law, frequently asked questions and supporting documents pertaining to the course.
Also Thursday, the board named Dennis Winborn as interim superintendent through Aug. 31 since the contract of Dr. Jerry Roy, the current superintendent, expires today. Winborn has served as deputy superintendent.
Roy will come back to the district to serve as superintendent from Sept. 1 through Feb. 28 to assist in the transition of a new superintendent.
The board also named Michael Finch as Hebron High School’s new principal.
In other education news, LISD had 38 schools named “Exemplary” from the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings, released Friday. The district had 20 schools ranked “Recognized” and three schools ranked “Academically Acceptable.” Among those three was Lewisville High School, which LISD spokeswoman Karen Permetti said plans to appeal the rating.
“We’re pretty confident that we’ll win the appeal,” Permetti said.
Permetti also said that the Lewisville Learning Center was “Academically Acceptable” but that that type of campus only receives acceptable or not acceptable. Independence Elementary School was the other school rated “Academically Acceptable.”
As a district, LISD remains “Recognized.”
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
chademe wrote on Sep 9, 2010 5:17 PM:
" Was there some requirement that the budget be passed now? Wouldn't it have been more prudent to get the results of the tax election BEFORE passing the budget? The election will be done in a week. "
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