The budget will increase the district’s revenue from the maintenance and operations rate while slightly reducing the amount slated for debt service for one year in order to maximize the state funding formula in the year after a natural disaster, officials said.
“We will collect less in debt service but will be able to use our debt service fund balance to make up the shortfall and still remain within the reserve levels established in our debt management policy,” SISD Chief Financial Officer Ann Westbrooks said.
The $397 million budget includes additional money for special education; gifted and talented; and performing and visual arts programs, SISD Superintendent Rodney Watson said.
The maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate will increase from $1.04 to $1.06 per $100 valuation, while the interest and sinking portion of the rate—which funds debt service—will decrease from 47 to 45 cents per $100 valuation, Westbrooks said. An election is normally required—such as the one Klein ISD is holding on June 16—to raise the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate above $1.04, but the state tax code makes an exception for one year in the event of a catastrophic event, she said.
“Hurricane Harvey certainly falls within that category,” Westbrooks said. “This one-time opportunity will generate approximately $9.7 million in additional revenue by maximizing our state aid with close to $7.2 million in additional state aid and about $2.5 million more in local tax revenue.”
The same option was not pursued by Klein ISD because it desires to increase the tax rate for more than one year to allow sufficient revenue to fund needed projects and restore a healthy fund balance, KISD Chief Financial Officer Dan Schaefer has said.
Other highlights of the Spring ISD 2018-19 budget include:
- A payment of $1,500 for full-time employees and $750 for half-time employees in the Nov. 23 payroll intended as a staff retention supplement
- An additional $1 million for special education improvements such as staff development
- An additional $500,000 for a performing and visual arts integration program that will launch in the 2018-19 school year
- An additional $124,000 for gifted and talented instructional materials, enrichment and professional development
- The launch of dual language programs in Northgate Crossing, Hirsch and Clark Primary schools
- New personnel, including a district-level director of mental health, a student information management systems clerk, a full-time library media specialist for every elementary and middle school campus, six new special education teachers at the high-school level and elementary interventionists at 10 schools
- A principal for Middle School No. 8, which will open in 2019
The board will vote on the tax rate in the fall after the district receives certified tax rolls from the Harris County Appraisal District, officials said.
Copies of the budget are available at www.springisd.org
