Round Rock ISD board approves budget, tax increase

The Round Rock ISD board of trustees approved on June 21 a $333.4 million budget for the 2012–13 school year as well as a 4.5 cent increase in property taxes per $100 valuation.

Randy Staats, RRISD executive director of business services, said the approved tax rate—totaling $1.38 per $100 valuation—would equate to an extra $4 per month for the average homeowner and an additional $9 million or so in revenue for the district. The rate increase would be a return to 2010–11 levels after the school board voted last year to provide a one-time benefit to taxpayers because of $8.9 million in excess funds.

Overall, however, the district is looking at a $1.8 million shortfall in the approved budget, adding to the district's $6.9 million deficit.

Although approved by the board in a 6–0 vote, the tax rate will not be adopted until September and could change in the interim.

The budget also makes room for a 3 percent salary increase for teachers and staff—totaling about $6.7 million—as well as nearly $1.4 million in additional support for Stony Point and Cedar Ridge high schools, both of which had Academically Unacceptable accountability ratings last year.

The salary increase, Staats said, was due in part to a lack of pay increases last year coupled with changes to the district's health insurance plan that increased employee costs, effectively cutting salaries across the district.

In essence, he said, this was an effort to "catch up" with employee wages.

Although approved by the board in a 6–0 vote, the budget and tax rate will not be adopted until September and could change in the interim.

Blake Rasmussen contributed to this report

Correction: The approved budget is $333.4 million, not $335.3 million, as originally reported.