The Spring and Klein ISD budgets for the 2017-18 school year both include new positions and a districtwide salary increase.
KISD’s 2017-18 budget—which includes $445.5 million in the general fund, $25 million in the food service fund and $85.2 million in the debt service fund—was adopted at a special meeting on Aug. 31.
This year’s general fund is an increase from last year’s $431.5 million budget, which KISD Chief Financial Officer Thomas Petrek said can be attributed to the opening of Klein Cain High School and the addition of about 800 new students to the district.
“I would guess in two years, [our budget] will be half a billion [dollars], as the district continues to grow,” Petrek said.
Petrek said the district allocated $5 million for the year for KCHS’s operating expenses. Next year, when Intermediate School No. 10 opens, the district will reallocate funds to accommodate the new intermediate school’s $3.5 million operating expenses.
“That’s the cost of opening up new schools,” Petrek said. “You transfer kids from one school to the other, but … the transfer of staff for the new school is obviously not an even swap. Maybe half of the teachers may get transferred, so I’ve got to hire half of them new.”
Petrek said payroll makes up the largest share of a school’s operating expenses and the district’s budget. Almost 90 percent of the district’s general fund goes to paying teachers, custodians, maintenance staff, cafeteria workers and other school employees.
The 2017-18 budget includes $14.7 million for 312 new positions—including 126 teachers—and a 2 percent districtwide salary increase, which costs about $6.2 million, Petrek said.
Petrek said KISD does not plan on increasing its tax rate of $1.43 per $100 valuation in the new budget. The board will vote on whether to approve the existing tax rate in October after the district receives certified tax rolls from the Harris County Appraisal District.
SISD’s board of trustees adopted a budget with $307.1 million in the general fund, $26.9 million in the child nutrition fund and $55.3 million in the debt service fund for the 2017-18 year on June 13. This budget also includes a 2 percent districtwide raise, which increases the average pay of each teacher by about $1,000.
The new budget also establishes a new starting annual salary of $52,275 for teachers as well as funds for 60 new bus drivers, several gifted and talented program positions and expansion of the district’s full-day prekindergarten programs to two additional campuses.
The board will vote on a proposed $1.51 per $100 valuation tax rate this fall after receiving certified tax rolls from the HCAD. This proposed tax rate is a 4 cent increase from 2016-17’s rate.
