Presidents discuss school budgets and new testing

Heading into the 2012–13 school year, board presidents in Magnolia and Tomball have both been busy setting school calendars, managing budget workshops and making sure everyone from the grounds crew to the superintendent would be ready for the first day of school.

For Charlie Riley, this year will be his first as the school board president for Magnolia ISD. Formerly the board's vice president, Riley will be replacing Cecil Bell Jr., who was recently elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

"For eight years I've had to prepare for school board meetings, special meetings and budget hearings," he said. "The only difference this year is I'll be the one putting it all together."

For John McStravick, president of the Tomball ISD school board, there are several key issues the board will deal with throughout the year, including the continued reduction of state funding for public schools and the implementation of new STAAR standardized test.

Despite the decrease in funding, TISD is going into the school year with a balanced budget and a bright future, McStravick said.

"We are in good shape financially, but that is not by chance," he said. "The board is well informed and actively participates in the budget planning process. This, coupled with the wise use of public funds by all administrators, has been key."

John McStravick, President, Tomball ISD school board

What are your priorities going into the 2012-13 school year?

Financial issues are always a priority for the board. We will be watching the legislative session closely. The board, working with the administration, is always focused on meeting the individualized needs of our students and remains committed to high student achievement, quality instruction and continuing to strengthen our educational programs. The board is also very supportive of new and additional programs to provide support to our teachers through staff development sessions that inspire innovative instructional techniques in the classroom.

What has been your proudest accomplishment as board president?

I am very proud that Tomball ISD has maintained the Recognized rating for two consecutive years. The state accountability rating system no longer exists under the new STAAR testing system, but our administrators, teachers and students have worked hard to exceed high academic standards. I am also extremely proud of our facilities that have been built, renovated and expanded in a very fiscally responsible manner. Under Bond 2007, which is Tomball ISD's $198 million bond program, we have opened five new schools, including a second high school, and built four additional support facilities.

What are the biggest challenges facing the board of trustees right now?

School finance is one of the biggest and most difficult challenges facing the board. State budget shortfalls have meant that funding for public schools continues to be reduced. However, state legislators are cutting funding for public schools while adding unfunded mandates and increasing accountability standards. Tomball ISD is financially sound, but the state funding formulas need to be changed in order to fund Texas public schools.

Another challenge is the new STAAR test. The state implemented the test without releasing any passing standards.There were many uncertainties regarding the design of the test. Unlike the TAKS test, the new test was also timed. I am proud that our preliminary scores are very strong.

To what do you attribute TISD's ability to stay financially secure?

The board, working with a very capable administration, has planned and anticipated the issues that have faced public school finance for the past few years and the foreseeable future. Continuity of the senior administrators and their fiscal conservativeness, coupled with the wise use of public funds by all administrators, has been key to successful implementation of this planning.

Charlie Riley, President, Magnolia ISD school board

What initially inspired you to get involved with the Magnolia ISD school board?

I moved here in 1971 and enrolled as a sophomore at Magnolia High School, where I eventually graduated. My wife and two kids all graduated from here. To be honest, I never paid a whole lot of attention to the school board before I got involved with the county government working for [Precinct 2 Commissioner] Craig [Doyal]. After that, I started to realize what the school board does. I saw the board was doing a good job and thought that I would like to get involved, to continue doing what they were dong. I ran for the board about eight years ago and was elected.

What are your main responsibilities as board president?

As president, you hold the school board meetings, special meetings and budget workshops. You do the school calendars. You're involved in everything from the ground up. We have been working on our budget, which was approved Aug. 20. We were able to bring some personnel back that we had to let go of last year. We're making sure we've got all our schools ready to go—all our personnel, computers, equipment and everything we need.

A lot of people think the school board runs every aspect of the ISD from top to bottom. We'll take recommendations from department heads and directors and set the priorities for the schools, but let them operate the way they should.

What do you hope to bring to the position as the new president?

I think communication is key to the whole school district, and I hope to get people in all departments communicating more, from the grounds crew to the superintendent. About every quarter, we get together and go over our goals to see how we're stacking up. If we're not doing well on one goal, we try to figure out how we can do better. That's something I think we need to do more often.

There's a lot confusion about the new STAAR test—how you grade it [and] how you track all the movements. I'm concerned the state is putting too much emphasis on testing. I think that's the biggest problem we've ever had as a district. Testing does not show the true picture of what a school district really does, or how good or bad it is.

What are main goals for the upcoming school year?

To keep the tax rate where it is, keep our budget manageable, be good stewards of our taxpayers' money and show the folks of this school district that they are getting their money's worth from top to bottom.