Georgetown ISD trustees OK budget

We held the line as tight as we possibly could, Lee said. We feel very comfortable that this is going to be a very manageable budget that will be able to meet the needs of all of our staff and students through the 201415 budget cycle, and well see what the future holds.

The property tax rate will remain $1.398 per $100 of property valuation.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Steve West presented the budget, which includes approximately $4.5 million in added revenue.

The increased revenue is due in large part to a 12 percent, or $700 million, increase of taxable property values in the district, West said. The increased property values will give the district a one-year bump in revenue; however, West said he expects per-student revenue to decrease back to 201314 budget levels in the 201516 budget.

West said the states equalization formula typically means that increases in local property tax revenue cause the amount of state aid to be decreased. In the 201415 budget, property tax revenue accounts for 78 percent of the districts funding sources, he said. That is expected to increase to 80 percent by the 201516 budget.

The increases in the budget include the pay increase for all staff members, which will cost the district more than $800,000.

[The pay increase] is not near what we would like to offer our staff members, but [this is] all the resources we have available to do that, Lee said. It does give a minimal increase in salaries for all staff members.

The pay increase equals about $600 annually per employee, West said.

The budget also includes $700,000 for new staff positions including four to six teachers, maintenance workers and up to three counselors.

West said the budget also includes nearly $600,000 for computer upgrades and replacements, $700,000 for new buses, and $450,000 for new textbooks and classroom materials.

A 1.5 percent Teacher Retirement System of Texas funding increase, which equals $765,000, was also included in the budget. However, Lee said a majority of the increase would be offset by state contributions. Lee said the district is unsure whether the state will fund the contribution in future years.

The board was also asked to approve committing funds for accelerated instruction for students who failed to pass the required State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams, West said.

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams sent a letter to the district that said there was adequate funding in the states compensatory funds to provide the instruction. The commissioners letter required the district to demonstrate the funds would be used for those programs, West said.

The funding was part of House Bill 5 requirements and was already included in the district budget, Lee said.

West said about $112,000 in the budget would be directed toward the program, which would include four class periods at each high school dedicated to instructing students with those needs.

The districts new fiscal year began July 1.