School Finance

Hallsville ISD owes state $7.3M
HALLSVILLE — Hallsville ISD officials are blaming a former employee for failing to make required state payments, leaving the district on the hook for more than $12 million. It was unclear Thursday where the money or the former employee were. "I cannot begin to describe my disbelief that a professional educator could betray a community and its children in the way that we have been betrayed," Superintendent Greg Wright said in a prepared statement issued Thursday evening. [ View Article ] Sep 3, 2010, 06:30

Harlandale, South San OK budgets
Harlandale and South San approved budgets this week and set final district tax rates for the year. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 08:15

Aledo idea spreads (Make Education A Priority)
An idea that started with Aledo ISD may not be a unique inception as much as an idea whose time has come. In June, Aledo school board members set up a tent in town to collect signatures for a campaign they called “Make Education a Priority.” The goal of the project is to achieve 4,555 signatures, one to match every student in the Aledo school system, and take those signatures to Austin to show legislators that the community wants them to take up the issue of school finance during the next legislative session, which starts in January. Aledo board vice president Bobby J. Rigues plans to head to Austin once the 82nd Legislative Session starts. “This is the year we have to make it a priority,” Rigues said. And, other school districts are showing they agree. The Aledo campaign’s website, www.schoolpriority.com has been up since early summer, but a big push was started Friday to get more districts involved. Since the start of this initiative, several school districts, school advocates and local legislators have contacted Aledo wanting to join forces, Rigues said. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 08:10

San Benito voting begins on shifting funds for raises
Early voting began Tuesday for a Sept. 18 election in which school officials will ask voters to allow the district to shift its tax dollars to leverage more state money to pay employee raises. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 08:01

Bowie school budget lean
The finance director of the Bowie Independent School District has presented a lean budget to her school board. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 07:45

Stafford MSD approves budget
Managing district funds in an efficient and effective manner--that's what Stafford Municipal School District Superintendent H.D. Chambers thanked school campus administrators, teachers, and overall staff after the adoption of the school district's $28 million budget last week. Last year's adopted budget amount was a little over $25 million. On Aug. 26, the Stafford Municipal School District Board of Trustees and Stafford City Council approved SMSD 2010-11 budget in a joint budget meeting and public hearing. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 07:41

White Oak, Kilgore ISDs adopt budgets
White Oak ISD this week passed its first balanced budget in eight years, Superintendent Mike Gilbert said Wednesday. White Oak and Kilgore school districts each adopted budgets and tax rates this week. Gilbert said his district's $9.8 million budget was balanced with no money being pulled from reserve funds or district savings. [ View Article ] Sep 2, 2010, 07:39

Burton ISD adopts budget
BURTON — School trustees here have adopted a lower budget and a property tax rate that stays at $1.16 per $100 valuation. [ View Article ] Sep 1, 2010, 07:45

Corsicana: CISD adopts budget
Trustees for the Corsicana Independent School District took final action on the district's 2010-20111 budget Monday, approving the spending plan and tax rate for the coming year. The district's ad valorem tax rate will remain unchanged from the current year's budget, at $1.283 per $100 assessed valuation. [ View Article ] Sep 1, 2010, 07:41

Equity Center Radio :Interview Aledo ISD Board Members and Super Don Daniels
Aledo ISD Continues to Push for Equity in School Finance Equity Center Radio | August 27, 2010 | Bobby J. Rigues, Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of Aledo Independent School District, and Superintendent of Schools Don Daniel Talk to Wayne Pierce About How Aledo ISD’s Board Members and Superintendent ... [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 08:39

Denton County: School districts hash out budgets
A number of northern Denton County school districts spent the week not only opening campus doors to students for a new school year but also approving fiscal budgets that will take effect Wednesday. Some districts have passed balanced budgets, some of which include a surplus, while others are facing a deficit. In other districts, school board members attempting to adopt their budgets will be down to the wire before the fiscal year begins Sept. 1. Here’s a look at what’s taken place in area districts. [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 08:10

Marshall: MISD approves $1.04 tax rate
Marshall ISD board members gathered Saturday morning during their CRSS meeting to adopt the 2010-2011 budget and approve the tax rate. The CRSS reformed governance program is an annual meeting of superintendents and school boards working to create the superintendent evaluation process. The board worked for several hours to develop the instrument that will evaluate the superintendent next year which included looking at an overview of the process and then breaking off and developing the actual tools. MISD board members met before the program where they approved the tax rate of $1.04 per $100 valuation for the district for the 2010-2011 year that will include $1.04 per $100 for the purpose of maintenance and operation and nothing for bonded indebtedness. It's the same rate as last year. [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 07:59

Burton board to vote on budget, tax rate
BURTON — School trustees here will vote Monday on a 2010-11 tax rate that is expected to be the same as before.

[ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 07:50

Ingram ISD to end year with surplus
Ingram Independent School District announced Friday that it would end the 2009-10 financial year with a surplus. [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 07:50

School trustees approve 2010-11 budget
After several months of budget hearings, the Calhoun County Independent School District board of trustees approved the proposed 2010-2011 budget during its meeting Thursday evening. [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 07:45

School trustees approve 2010-11 budget
After several months of budget hearings, the Calhoun County Independent School District board of trustees approved the proposed 2010-2011 budget during its meeting Thursday evening. [ View Article ] Aug 30, 2010, 07:45

Equity Center Radio | Friday, August 27, 2010
AT 10:45 Today: Equity Center Radio: Today’s podcast features a member of the school board trustees from Aledo Independent School District and its superintendent, Don Daniel. Aledo ISD is located about 20 miles west of Ft. Worth with a student population of roughly 4,500 ADA. Wayne’s interview with Don Daniel and Bobby Rigues reveals their unique and inspiring grassroots efforts to reach out to the local community and the state to gain support for overhauling the current inequitable and inefficient school finance system. By getting individuals and board members all across the state behind a common message to make education a priority, they want to work with the legislature and state leaders and influence state policy. The Equity Center applauds their leadership and agrees that an overhaul is necessary and long overdue. You can read their resolution, more about their project, and review their “Board Member” call-to-action email at www.schoolpriority.com. PODCAST LINK Aug 27, 2010, 08:36

Center Point ISD passes balanced budget
The Center Point Independent School District passed a balanced $5.8 million budget Wednesday. [ View Article ] Aug 27, 2010, 08:32

Arlington district eyes change in fiscal calendar for one-time boon
Strapped with budget deficits, the Arlington school district is considering an accounting switch that could save it about $22 million in fiscal 2011-12. [ View Article ] Aug 27, 2010, 08:10

New Waverly ISD approves budget, tax rate
As students headed back to school, New Waverly Independent School District trustees got down to business themselves, approving their 2010-11 budget and tax rate in a meeting earlier this week. According to NWISD Superintendent Dr. Clay Webb, the board approved a general fund budget of $7,683, 623 - a budget very similar to the? previous year's. [ View Article ] Aug 27, 2010, 07:38

Palestine: PISD approves budget
Trustees of the Palestine Independent School District unanimously approved the district's $24.6 million budget for the upcoming school year Monday night, with the district chief praising principals and administrators for tightening their belts. PISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas A. Wallis described the district's 2010-11 budget as "bare bones" and without any "fluff. [ View Article ] Aug 26, 2010, 07:37

El Paso: EPISD Budget Finalized, Short Millions
After thousands of El Pasoans voted down the idea of a property tax increase to help with the El Paso Independent School District's budget woes, officials said they've bounced back and approved a final budget. "Its been a difficult process but we're starting a new year with almost a balanced budget so we're doing really well," said EPISD board of trustees president. [ View Article ] Aug 25, 2010, 08:32

Why I’m not crying for Louisiana and Colorado
Interesting Article! Many of the “reformers” out there are whining and fist-thumping about the surprise omission of Louisiana and Colorado as Race to the Top Winners. After all, Louisiana has been a heavy favorite from the outset of RttT, and Colorado… well Colorado took the amazingly bold leap of adopting legislation to mandate that a majority of teacher evaluation be based on value-added test scores. That’s got to count for something. Heck, these two states should have gotten the whole thing? Here’s Tom Vander Ark’s take on this huge surprise loss: [ View Article ] Aug 25, 2010, 08:31

Lufkin ISD facing almost $1 million deficit
Officials at the Lufkin Independent School District finance meeting presented the 2010-11 overall budget to the board of trustees Tuesday morning with a $989,217 deficit [ View Article ] Aug 25, 2010, 08:24

Austin: AISD board votes to avoid property tax increase
Because of a lack of community agreement, the Austin Independent School District's Board of Trustees decided to keep a proposed property tax increase off the November ballot [ View Article ] Aug 25, 2010, 08:10

Red Lick: RLISD board approves $3.5 million budget
After a brief public hearing, the Red Lick Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a $3.5 million 2010-2011 fiscal year budget Tuesday. The $3.5 million in projected expenses are expected to be covered by nearly $3.7 million in projected local, state and federal funding sources next fiscal year, according to district records. [ View Article ] Aug 25, 2010, 07:39

Austin school board OKs budget
The Austin school district will not hold an election to increase taxes in November. Trustees voted unanimously Monday to approve a $716 million 2010-11 operating budget. They also approved a planned 2.5-cent increase to the portion of the property tax rate that goes to pay for debt and does not need voter approval. And they announced $41,500 in bonuses for Superintendent Meria Carstarphen for meeting certain goals set in October. The tax votes came after an announcement earlier in the evening that Education Austin, a group that represents more than 4,000 district employees, was withdrawing its recommendation that board members call a tax ratification election to pay for teacher raises, among other things, because of a lack of "community consensus" on the issue. Instead, the union asked that the board use possible money from a federal education jobs bill passed earlier this month to give teachers raises. [ View Article ] Aug 24, 2010, 08:38

Abilene ISD adopts deficit budget with high hopes
The budget approved Monday for the Abilene Independent School District includes staff raises, big technology funds and a $2.1 million deficit that district officials hope to make up through an enrollment increase. Superintendent Heath Burns did not release first-day enrollment figures — which strays from district protocol in the past — but said that Monday’s initial class counts gave “lots and lots of reason to be optimistic regarding enrollment growth in the coming year.” [ View Article ] Aug 24, 2010, 07:59

About $4.1M headed to Coastal Bend schools
A media center, new library materials and financial counseling for low income college students. What do they all have in common? They are made possible through more than $4.1 million in federal grants headed toward educational centers in the Coastal Bend. [ View Article ] Aug 24, 2010, 07:55

Troup ISD balances budget while working with less revenue
As several East Texas school districts and counties are considering tax rate increases, Troup ISD is bucking that trend. Hayley Wielgus explains how the district is balancing the budget while working with less revenue. Board members are holding a public hearing about the budget and tax rate tonight, but board members aren't expecting a large turnout. [ View Article ] Aug 24, 2010, 07:45

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