Carroll, Grapevine-Colleyville await decision in lawsuit
Budgetary issues loomed large in the Grapevine-Colleyville and Carroll school districts in 2012, prompting austerity measures such as staff reductions, new fees and unleashing rainy day funds.
But through it all, both districts kept their priority on educating kids.
"For the most part, we kept the cuts away from the classroom," said Carroll ISD spokeswoman Julie Thannum.
Despite pressure to curtail spending, Grapevine-Colleyville school officials managed to move forward with technology improvements, including more interactive classrooms, as part of its 10-year strategic plan.
"We didn't cut any programs and added more technology to our classrooms," said GCISD spokeswoman Megan Overman. "We now have more than 130 digital classrooms."
Lawsuits
Officials in both districts hope 2013 will boost their fiscal prospects with increased state funding. The districts are parties to one of the six lawsuits filed against the state charging that the school finance system is inadequate, inequitable and establishes an unconstitutional statewide property tax.
More than 600 school districts are part of the lawsuits being heard in an Austin courtroom. The lawsuits were prompted by the Legislature's decision to cut $5.4 billion from school funding in 2011.
"We expect to win, but what the Legislature does after that remains to be seen," Thannum said.
The Legislature's massive cut to education left districts across the state struggling for solutions. Both Carroll and Grapevine-Colleyville officials adopted deficit budgets that required creative problem-solving to pay employees and bills. Grapevine-Colleyville lost $14.2 million in state money while Carroll's losses were about $8 million over a two-year funding period. Compounding those funding losses are the millions of dollars both districts also send to the state each year under a property tax recapture program commonly known as Robin Hood. Both districts must send money because they are designated as property-rich.
Grapevine-Colleyville offered buyouts as an incentive to entice about 40 teachers to retire or resign. Teachers camped out in the parking lot of the administration building last March to take advantage of the offer.
Grapevine-Colleyville also dipped into rainy day money to make up a $6.4 million shortfall from its $139.6 million operating budget, but managed to give employees raises for the first time in two years. A large chunk of the district's windfall of $9.7 million in mineral royalties and property leases was dedicated to increasing employee pay beyond the modest 1 percent cost-of-living increase included in the budget.
Grapevine-Colleyville officials also have begun planning for a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education academy at Cannon Elementary School, which will be introduced in the new school year.
Carroll tax election
The Carroll school district, facing a shortfall of about $3.9 million from its $83.2 million budget, proposed closing the gap with a 2-percent property tax rate increase.
Voters rejected the measure in September. The school board had hoped to gain support for the measure by reducing the tax rate for repaying bond indebtedness.
Other efforts to reduce the deficit in Carroll's budget included cutting eight teaching positions through attrition and adding bus fees.
The district is expected to tag its administration building on Dove Road as surplus — and possibly for sale — in 2013. Administrators moved into the former Carroll Middle School building. The new administration building includes a board meeting room, training facilities and ample storage, Thannum said.
The old Carroll Intermediate School also has been deemed surplus.
The district finished the year with a decision to install lights on the baseball and softball fields at Carroll Senior High School, which angered hundreds of neighbors. The Southlake City Council has the ultimate say.
February rally
Facing both districts going forward are enrollment dips and more budget uncertainty. The two districts are joining with the Keller district to sponsor a community rally 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at main gym No. 1, Grapevine High School, 3223 Mustang Drive, Grapevine. For details, go towww.southlakecarroll.edu.
