The Spring ISD board of trustees.[/caption]On Tuesday night, The Spring ISD board of trustees adopted a $389 million budget for the 2017-18 year, which includes a 4-cent tax rate increase and a 2 percent salary raise for all staff.
The budget also includes funds for 60 new bus drivers, several new gifted and talented program positions and funds to expand the district's full-day pre-kindergarten programs at seven campuses.
The new starting salary for a teacher will be $52,275. The salary increase also addresses an item expected to come up during the summer special session of the Texas Legislature, school officials said.
"One of the items in special session is an unfunded mandate to increase teacher salaries by $1,000," SISD Chief Financial Officer Ann Westbrooks said. "With a 2 percent increase, that would cover the $1,000 requirement for all teachers."
The board unanimously adopted the budget after a public hearing at which no members of the public registered to speak.
Here are a few key numbers to know from the budget presentation:
- Flat enrollment projected: 36,819
- Taxable value in SISD: $12.5 billion
- Property value increase in SISD since 2016: 6.6 percent
- Tax rate: $1.51 per $100 of assessed property value, which includes:
- Maintenance and operations: $1.04 per $100 of assessed property value
- Debt service: $0.47 per $100 of assessed property value
- General fund in 2017-18 budget: $307.1 million
- Debt service in 2017-18 budget: $55.3 million
- Child nutrition costs in 2017-18 budget: $26.9 million
- Total operational 2017-18 budget: $389.3 million
