[A. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
IT IS 5:30, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9TH, 2022.
I HEREBY CALL THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES BUDGET WORKSHOP TO ORDER. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE.
TRUSTEES VESSA, WESTON, FELLER, HARRISON, WEIR AND BONE ARE IN ATTENDANCE, TRUSTEE XIAO IS NOT HERE AS OF RIGHT NOW.
[C. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY]
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AGENDA ITEM C.AT EACH BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD WILL SET ASIDE TIME TO AFFORD THE GENERAL PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
WE ASK THAT CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS NOT BE RAISED IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM. SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY, ACCORDING TO APPLICABLE BOARD POLICIES.
THE BOARD REQUESTS THAT COMMENTS WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE AND THE VIEWERS THAT THE COMMENTS OF THE SPEAKERS REFLECT THEIR OWN POSITIONS OR OPINIONS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THE PUBLIC DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK, THAT RIGHT IS NOT UNLIMITED. PER TEXAS PENAL CODE 38.13, 42.01, 42.02, AND 42.05 AND TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 37.105, NO AUDIENCE MEMBER OR SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO ENGAGE IN ANY CONDUCT THAT IS DISRUPTIVE OR THREATENING TOWARDS ANY SPEAKER OR OTHER PERSON, OR TO VIOLATE THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER PERSON.
THE BOARD SHALL NOT TOLERATE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING BY MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE IF, AFTER AT LEAST ONE MORE INDIVIDUAL WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO DISRUPT THE MEETING BY HIS OR HER WORDS OR ACTIONS, THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL REMOVED FROM THE MEETING. THE BOARD MAY NOT DISCUSS OR ACT UPON ANY MATTER THAT IS NOT LISTED UNDER THE ACTION ITEM PORTION OF THE AGENDA, THEREFORE, BOARD MEMBERS MAY NOT DISCUSS THE COMMENTS OF SPEAKERS.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT A LACK OF RESPONSE FROM BOARD MEMBERS DOES NOT INDICATE AGREEMENT OR APPROVAL OF THE COMMENTS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
TRUSTEE HARRISON WILL BE THE DESIGNATED TIMEKEEPER.
WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
THE FIRST ONE IS NICHOLE NUNNALLY.
SHE IS SPEAKING ON ITEM D1, AND SHE DOES NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
IS IT ON? HELLO? OK. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH ME OR TO HEAR ABOUT MY CONCERNS.
I AM A LID TEACHER, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN THE DISTRICT.
I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR EA 2S AND 3S.
MY CONCERN IS THAT THEIR RAISES THAT ARE BEING GIVEN ARE ONLY ONE PERCENT EACH YEAR, AND THAT'S ABOUT $.16 PER HOUR FOR OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR EAS, IN THE LID SETTING.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A CONSIDERATION OF THE COST OF LIVING GOING UP.
THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH TO MAKE A LIVABLE WAGE RIGHT NOW.
SO ALL THE WORK, THE BACKBONE OF THE LID PROGRAM, FAC FCC FLC IS BEING HINDERED BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO REPLACE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT, REPLACE LONG TERM POSITIONS OR EVEN GET SUBS. AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S SO UNDESIRABLE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T LIVE ON THE WAGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR THESE EA 3S.
THE AVERAGE PAY FOR A LEVEL TWO IS $12 DOLLARS AN HOUR AND THEN THE AVERAGE PAY FOR LEVEL THREE IS $15 AN HOUR.
THE LEVEL 3S ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DEALING WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES, THEY ALSO ARE DOING HYGIENE NEEDS FOR OUR STUDENTS, THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, THEY DO THINGS AFTER HOURS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE THE MOST TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE, AND I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT BEING TREATED AS THEY DESERVED.
THEY'RE NOT BEING LOOKED AT AS A EDUCATOR, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE.
I CAN'T DO MY JOB EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT THOSE PEOPLE, SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER A MORE SUBSTANTIAL RAISE FOR OUR EA'S IN THE LID PROFESSION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHANNON PROBE.
SHE IS SPEAKING VIRTUALLY ON ITEM D1 AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
SO GIVE US JUST A SECOND TO SWITCH OVER TO VIRTUAL.
OH, SURE. ALL RIGHT, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES.
PREVIOUSLY, I'VE COME TO YOU AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND A PARENT, BUT NOT OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. TODAY I'M COMING TO YOU AS THE PARENT OF A STUDENT IN ROUND ROCK ISD AS MY OLDEST WILL BE ENTERING KINDERGARTEN THIS FALL FISCAL YEAR OF 2022-2023.
I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT I SEE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP
[00:05:02]
PRESENTATION, BUT TALK IS CHEAP.I TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT A BUDGET IS A REFLECTION OF PRIORITIES ON EVERY SCALE WHERE WE SPEND OUR MONEY PERSONALLY CAN SAY A LOT ABOUT OUR BELIEFS.
WHERE WE SPEND OUR MONEY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M CONCERNED BY THIS DISTRICT'S DESIRE TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON POLICING OUR STUDENTS.
THIS DOES NOT SERVE THEM AND IS ACTUALLY A HINDRANCE TO SO MANY.
ON A RELATED NOTE, WE CANNOT SERVE OUR STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH IF THOSE SERVICES ARE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND TO THOSE WHO WILL USE THIS LATEST STATEMENT AS A REASON TO GRANDSTAND ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION, PLEASE STOP BEFORE YOU START.
BECAUSE IF WE TRULY CARE ABOUT PREVENTING SUICIDE, WE WOULD HAVE COME OUT WITH A STRONGER STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF OUR LGBTQIA2S PLUS STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT POLITICAL MOVEMENT IN THE STATE TO ATTACK THOSE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT U.S.
TRANSGENDER SURVEY, AND A 2018 ARTICLE FROM THE NRH QUOTE, A WHOPPING 40 PERCENT OF TRANSGENDER ADULTS HAVE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN THEIR LIFETIME, MUCH HIGHER THAN THE LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT OF THE GENERAL U.S.
POPULATION. ANOTHER JAW DROPPING STUDY FOUND THAT QUEER PEOPLE LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MORE STIGMATIZING TOWARD THEY'RE QUEER IDENTITIES ACTUALLY DIE AN AVERAGE OF 12 YEARS EARLIER THAN QUEER FOLKS IN MORE ACCEPTING COMMUNITIES.
THERE ARE FURTHER STRUGGLES FOR QUEER FOLKS WITH OTHER MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES, SUCH AS QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR.
DESPITE A MAJORITY OF QUEER ADULTS OF COLOR EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, ONLY TWENTY NINE PERCENT HAVE RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS FOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, COMPARED WITH THIRTY NINE PERCENT OF QUEER ADULTS BROADLY.
BARRIERS TO HEALTH INSURANCE OR OTHER FACTORS.
AGAIN, BUDGETS ARE A REFLECTION OF PRIORITIES, SO LET'S GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT, NO PUN INTENDED. THANK YOU.
THIS CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
[D. DISCUSSION ITEM]
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM D1, 2022-2023 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. PRESLEY. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT FELLER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.SO TONIGHT IS OUR FIRST STEP AND I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE IT'S OUR FIRST STEP IN A LONG JOURNEY. IT'S NOT THAT LONG, BUT IT'S LOTS OF MEETINGS.
AND I THINK I'LL JUST PAUSE THERE AND REMIND THE COMMUNITY HOW MUCH TIME YOU GUYS SPEND IN MEETINGS, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT OUTSIDE OF MEETINGS AS FAR AS RESEARCHING LOOKING AT DATA FOR THE DISTRICT.
IT'S A THANKLESS JOB IN MANY, MANY WAYS.
SO I THINK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
SO, MR. COVINGTON AND HIS TEAM HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION AT KIND OF THE FIRST LOOK, KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE SOME ASSUMPTIONS IN THAT, AND MR. CUMMINGS HAS BEEN WITH US FOR SIX MONTHS, I THINK HE CAME ON IN OCTOBER, AND BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT HE'S DONE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SALUTE FOLKS IN THE PAST AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE STEWARD OUR MONEY IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ARE IN GOOD FINANCIAL STEAD AS A DISTRICT AND WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
WHEN I TOLD MR. COVINGTON, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS, MAYBE NOT TONIGHT BECAUSE IT'S A FIRST LOOK, SO I WOULD TELL YOU TO KIND OF ABSORB EVERYTHING TONIGHT.
BUT WE HAVE SEVEN MORE MEETINGS, I THINK, AFTER THIS ONE.
AND WHEN I TOLD MR. COVINGTON, YOU MAY GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND HE REMINDED ME THAT AS A VETERAN, HE HAD BEEN UNDER FIRE BY MISSILES WHILE HE WAS WORKING ON HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OVERSEAS AND HE'S BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD, SO HE DOESN'T REALLY GET SHAKEN BY QUESTIONS.
AND SO I'VE BEEN VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM ON THE TEAM, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE'S DONE TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIMILAR LOOK TO WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, BUT ALSO SOME NEW IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE GO ABOUT THINGS AND KIND OF OUR APPROACH TO THE BUDGET.
OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS MAKING SURE OUR KIDS GET WHAT THEY NEED, AND THAT'S OUR VERY HIGHEST PRIORITY AND OUR STAFF GETS WHAT THEY NEED.
WE HAD A SPEAKER TONIGHT, EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS ARE ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT--.
THERE'S A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THAT GROUP AND THOSE ARE REALLY, REALLY TOUGH JOBS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY TRY TO BUILD INTO THE BUDGET--.
THIS IS JUST MY OPINION TONIGHT--.
WELL, IT'S ALWAYS MY OPINION, BUT I'M GOING TO STATE IT TONIGHT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE ALL STAFF A DECENT RAISE WITH THE COST OF LIVING INCREASES AND THE GAS PRICES GOING UP AND--. I FILLED UP MY TRUCK TODAY AND I THOUGHT I HAD TO GO TO THE BANK FIRST TO TAKE OUT A LOAN BEFORE I COULD FILL UP MY TRUCK.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE AMAZING TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS AND BUS DRIVERS, SO IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY TO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE OUR FOLKS IN THE END A WAGE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO LIVE IN THE AREA AND BE COMFORTABLE IN THE AREA WITH THEIR FAMILIES. SO I'VE SAID ENOUGH.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. COVINGTON AND YOU CAN TAKE IT OVER WITH YOUR TEAM.
THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID TO PREPARE THIS, SIR.
THANK YOU, SIR. PRESIDENT FELLER AND THE REST OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I'M HONORED TONIGHT TO PRESENT OUR FIRST LOOK, VERY FIRST HIGH LEVEL LOOK, AS TO WHAT 22-23 COULD LOOK LIKE. BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, ONE OF MY FIRST MEETING--.
[00:10:02]
WELL, I THINK [INAUDIBLE] WAS EXACTLY MY FIRST MEETING HERE, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION AROUND THE BOARD ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO TIE THE BUDGET TO OUR GOALS.SO I SENT YOU ALL AN EXERCISE TO DO SO WE CAN GET SOME IDEAS OF WHERE OUR GOALS RANK AND SOME INITIATIVES THAT YOU THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO BE LOOKING INTO FOR THESE GOALS.
IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
NEXT ONE. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE THERE WERE SIX STRATEGIC GOALS, AND WITHIN THOSE SIX, THERE WAS ALSO THREE BOARD GOALS, TWO OF THEM WAS THEN GOAL TWO, AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN GOAL SIX.
BUT THIS SHOWS THE RANKING BY THE BOARD MEMBERS AS A PRIORITY OF THE STRATEGIC GOALS.
EACH BOARD MEMBER WAS TO RANK THEIR PRIORITY, AND HOPEFULLY THAT INCLUDED THEIR CONSTITUENTS PRIORITY.
AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL THE SIX GOALS, AS YOU CAN SEE BASED ON THE NUMBERS, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS GOAL TWO.
WHICH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I'VE DONE THIS EXERCISE IN THREE DISTRICTS, FOUR DISTRICTS NOW, AND THERE WAS ONE DISTRICT WHERE ACADEMICS WAS NOT NUMBER ONE AND IT WAS MIND BOGGLING.
THEY HAD SEVEN, THE OTHER WAS FISCAL CONTROL, AND THAT WAS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE WE ALL THINK THAT ACADEMICS AS A SCHOOL IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. FOLLOWED BY, AND IT GOES RIGHT IN LINE WITH OUR SPEAKER TONIGHT, AND DR. PRESLEY IS THE GOAL NUMBER FOUR, HOW WE KEEP TALENTED PEOPLE HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FULL PAY AND WHATEVER THEY NEED TO STAY WITH ROUND ROCK ISD.
NUMBER THREE WAS GOAL NUMBER SIX, PREPARE FOR OUR STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
[INAUDIBLE] CLOSE [INAUDIBLE] NUMBER FIVE, THEN NUMBER THREE AND THEN ONE.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU ALL SEE AS THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES FOR THE 22-23 BUDGET.
SO FOLLOWING THE RANKINGS, I ALSO ASK THAT YOU ALL GIVE US SOME INITIATIVES THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TO SUCCESSFULLY MEET THOSE GOALS, AND SO THERE'S LIKE 19 SLIDES OF INITIATIVES AND I KNOW WE ALL CAN READ.
SO I WOULD NOT BE READING 19 SLIDES OF INITIATIVES.
SO I JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE ON EACH SLIDE AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS PORTION OF THE WORKSHOP AND GET ON TO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.
SO FOR GOAL ONE, SMALLER CLASS SIZES AND LET ME SAY THIS, AND I THINK WE ALL ARE SORT OF MAYBE CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT GOAL ONE IS.
I READ IT AS BEING ABOUT THE FACILITIES BEING SAFE AND THAT THE FACILITY IS ABLE TO SUPPORT EDUCATION.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME, I GUESS, SOME INITIATIVES THAT MAY NOT FIT WITHIN THERE, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE INITIATIVES, ESPECIALLY ONES CONCERNING READING.
THEY MAYBE NEED TO MOVE TO GOAL FOR, BUT ANYHOW.
COLLABORATION WITH FAMILIES IS ANOTHER ONE WE SHOULD ALWAYS COLLABORATE WITH OUR FAMILIES, NO MATTER WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
WE OUGHT TO GET THEIR INPUT ON THE MATTER, WHAT THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
INCREASE THE CROSSING GUARDS PAY.
I LIKE THE SECOND ONE, ALWAYS MAKE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS.
EVEN IN THE FINANCE WORLD, YOU ALWAYS USE DATA TO MAKE DECISIONS.
JUST MAKE SURE YOU COLLECT IT, ANALYZE IT AND FORM AN OPINION AFTER THAT.
BUILD AND MAINTAIN A WELCOMING, REPRESENTATIVE, AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR DIVERSE FAMILIES IN THE SCHOOLS.
THAT IS A VERY STRONG GOAL AND I HOPE WE ARE BUILDING SCHOOLS AND MAKING SCHOOLS INVITING FOR OUR FAMILIES WHEN THEY COME TO THE SCHOOL.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. GOAL TWO, A SMALLER CLASS SIZES, AGAIN.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING RESOURCES FOR LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
THERE HAS BEEN MANY INITIATIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, SO WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT.
THOSE SCHOOLS ALSO RECEIVE TITLE ONE FUNDING, SO WE OUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SCHOOLS ARE, I WOULD SAY, CO-MINGLING THE FUNDS CORRECTLY UNTIL WE GET THE BEST SUPPORT OF THOSE DOLLARS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
CONSIDER PAYING TEACHERS FOR EVENINGS AND WEEKEND TUTORING, EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS.
AGAIN, I ALWAYS MAKE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS.
HIRING AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATORS, WE CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT THEM.
ENOUGH SAID. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
[00:15:01]
GOAL THREE, IMPLEMENT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS TO ENGAGE AND INFORM, BUILD TRUST AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH STUDENTS.LISTENING SESSION WITH STUDENTS, STAFF AND PARENTS.
WHILE I WAS IN KANSAS CITY, THE MOST EFFECTIVE GROUP THAT WE MET WITH WAS OUR GRADUATING SENIORS. WE MET WITH THEM QUARTERLY AND THEY GAVE US SO MUCH INSIGHT TO THE DISTRICT, NOT ONLY JUST ACADEMICS, BUT MANY OTHER TOPICS THAT WE WENT TO THEM TO GET THEIR OPINIONS.
SO I HIGHLY AGREE WITH LISTENING SESSIONS.
RECOMMIT TO VIEWING PARENTS AS EVERY CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER AND TREATING THEM WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT.
REJECT TOPICS THAT DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY.
GREAT IDEAS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
DEDICATED RESOURCES TO COMMUNICATIONS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES.
I LIKE THE PART WHERE IT'S OUR COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT'S ALREADY INCREDIBLE.
THEY NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES NEEDED TO THEIR JOBS, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT STRESS OR STRAIN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
IDENTIFY, DEVELOP, SUPPORT AND RETAIN A TALENTED TEAM OF TEACHERS.
HIGHER PAID FOR STAFF, HOWEVER, WE CAN DO IT.
THAT SHOULD, BE OTHER THAN INCREASING OUR ACADEMICS, MAKING SURE WE KEEP OUR STAFF SHOULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
BETTER BENEFITS, HEALTH TIME OFF, ETC..
IMPLEMENT TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENTS.
EXPAND THE ELIGIBLE POOL OF SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS.
CONSTANTLY SEEK FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES.
ADDRESS SCHOOL CLIMATE ISSUES THAT ARE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RETAIN EDUCATORS.
INTENTIONALLY BUILD STAFF THAT IS RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY, ETC.
DIVERSE. GOAL FIVE, DEVELOP THE WHOLE CHILD CULTIVATING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS NEEDED TO THRIVE IN A DIVERSE AND EVER CHANGING WORLD.
PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR ALL STAFF WORKING WITH STUDENTS ON HOW TO SPOT, HELP, AND ENCOURAGE CHILDREN ON OUR CAMPUS.
MORE SOCIAL WORKERS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF TO ADDRESS BURNOUT AND STRESS.
HAVE SEL PARTNER WITH EXTRACURRICULAR TO UTILIZE IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
CHILDREN ARE LIKELY TO LIVE UP TO WHAT ADULTS BELIEVE OF THEM.
NEED A MORE GRAND WAY TO CELEBRATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
DOING IT AT A BOARD MEETING IS INADEQUATE, IN MY VIEW.
NEXT SLIDE. LISTENING, SOLVING FOR IDENTIFIED ISSUES BY HEARING THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
INVESTING IN SEL, ONE COORDINATOR SHOWS A LACK OF INVESTMENT INTO THIS GOAL.
GOAL SIX, PREPARE EVERY STUDENT FOR SUCCESS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING PATHWAYS.
MAYBE HAVE A SPECIAL COUNSELOR OR TWO OR TEACHER, MENTOR, AVID TYPE PERSON AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL TO WORK WITH THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE CRACKS AND FIND A WAY THAT THEY NEED TO GET CCM READY.
AGAIN, I ALWAYS TALK TO THE STUDENTS.
NEXT ONE, PER HOUR STUDENT VOICES, TALK TO THE STUDENTS.
EXPAND CTE COURSES TO INCLUDE MORE POTENTIAL FOR EMPLOYMENT AFTER GRADUATION, COSMETOLOGY, BARBERY, REAL ESTATE.
I HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH THE CTE PEOPLE AND WE ARE LOOKING INTO THOSE ENDEAVORS.
EXPAND VOCATIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGH PAYING SKILLED TRADES, INCLUDING HVAC, ELECTRICIAN AND PLUMBING, I KEEP SAYING THIS.
I SEE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN INCREASING THE STUDENT INTEREST IN JOINING THE ARMED SERVICES. [LAUGHTER] I AGREE, WE ALWAYS NEED GOOD MEN AND WOMEN TO JOIN OUR ARMED SERVICES. I APPRECIATE THAT DR.
XIAO'S PUSH FOR STEM/STEAM EDUCATION, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT.
LOOK AT EXPANDING MIDDLE SCHOOL CTE CURRICULUM AND ALSO INCREASING ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION IN ADVANCED MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH.
ALL IN ALL, THOSE ARE GREAT IDEAS AND THE STAFF, WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO THOSE AS WE MEET TO DISCUSS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, MY TEAM AND I, FOR THE NEXT [INAUDIBLE] MONTHS MEET WITH ALL DEPARTMENTS TO REVIEW THEIR BUDGETS, AND WE'VE DONE WHAT, SIX SO FAR, I THINK? AND THEY'RE VERY PRODUCTIVE.
I GOT SOME GOOD NEWS THIS YEAR AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT PHASE OF THE BUDGET, BUT I'LL STOP HERE IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE RANKINGS OR ANY INITIATIVES THAT YOU ALL WANT TO DISCUSS.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU.
THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXERCISE THAT YOU HAD US DO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS USEFUL.
THERE BEING NO OTHER, WE'LL MOVE ON.
NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THE BUDGET TIMELINE, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE AT THE THIRTY THOUSAND FOOT LEVEL. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE PLENTY MORE MEETINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO
[00:20:06]
REFINE THE NUMBERS AND FOR YOU ALL TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND LIKE DR.PRESLEY SAID, I DON'T MIND QUESTIONS.
I THINK WHEN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE AS A GROUP, CAN ALL SPEAK TO OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET, AND SO QUESTIONS ARE WELCOMED. OUR NEXT MEETING WOULD BE ON MARCH 31ST, WHERE TASB WILL COME AND PRESENT THE COMPENSATION WORK THAT THEY COMPLETE FOR THE DISTRICT AND THEN, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE SEVERAL MEETINGS AFTER, THAT WITH THE FINAL MEETING WHERE WE WILL SHOW THE TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD BE ON MAY 17, AND THEN THERE'S A CHANCE FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE CHANGES TO THAT BUDGET SO WE CAN HAVE IT READY TO PUBLISH ON OUR WEBSITE BY JUNE 16 AND READY FOR ADOPTION--. I MEAN, JUNE 6 AND READY FOR ADOPTION ON JUNE 16, BUT THERE WAS LOTS OF WORK TO DO BEFORE WE GET THERE.
FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE LOOK AT AS WE TRY TO PROJECT VERY HIGH LEVEL NUMBERS.
OUR ESTIMATE LOOKS AT PROPERTY VALUES TO INCREASE BY 10 PERCENT.
THIS YEAR THEY INCREASED BY 14, BUT WE SETTLED ON 10 BECAUSE YOU NEVER WANT TO BE TOO AGGRESSIVE IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S ALWAYS EASIER TO ADD THAN TO TAKE AWAY.
OUR STATE FUNDING LEVELS WILL NOT CHANGE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S $6,160 PER CHILD.
PLUS, THE ADDITIONAL ONES, DEPENDING ON CTE, SPED, AND ALL THOSE OTHER DIFFERENT BREAKDOWNS, BUT THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS $6,160 DOLLARS.
YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT NUMBER BECAUSE ARE GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE GET TO THE LAST SHEET. WE WILL STILL BE CLASSIFIED AS A FAST GROWTH DISTRICT, AND IN THE SCENARIOS WE HAVE, THERE ARE ONLY TWO AND IT DOESN'T INVOLVE THE M&O BUDGET.
IT'S THE I&S BUDGET, AND WHEN WE GET BACK TO THAT PAGE, I'LL SHOW YOU ALL WHY WE HAVE TWO SCENARIOS ON THE I&S BUDGET.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, ONE HAS A TOTAL TAX RATE OF $1.0946 AND ONE HAS A $1.0796, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE IN A MOMENT.
OUR I&S RATE IS LOWERED BY 1.5 PENNIES IN SCENARIO TWO, AND THAT WILL COVER OUR DEBT PAYMENT FOR THE YEAR IN THE $6 MILLION DEFEASANCE PAYMENT, AS YOU ALL DONE THIS YEAR.
AND WE STILL HAVE THE FIVE GOLDEN PENNIES AND EACH PENNY IS VALUED AT $5.8 MILLION DOLLARS IN GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
AS FAR AS THE ENROLLMENT WORKING WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHER, THEY ARE PROJECTING ABOUT 800 KIDS IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAD IN THE SEPTEMBER COUNT.
BUT WITH ATTENDANCE AND THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS ARE FUNDED ON ADA AND NOT ENROLLMENT. SO WE BUILT A BUDGET BASED ON A 500 INCREASE IN ADA.
SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN, THAT'S THE CURRENT YEAR ADOPTED BUDGET AND THEN COLUMN ON THE RIGHT IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 22-23.
AND AT THE TOP, YOU CAN SEE A COMBINED TAX RATE OF $0.8546, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE $0.8936. WHY IS IT $0.8546? IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE IS A MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE AND BASED ON THE PROPERTY TAX VALUES IN OUR DISTRICT, THAT MAXIMUM RATE FOR NEXT YEAR IS $0.8046, AND IF YOU ADD THE FIVE GOLDEN PENNIES, YOU GET TO THE $0.8546.
THE CURRENT TAX COLLECTION NUMBER, AS I STATED BEFORE, IT'S A 10 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR WITH A 98 PERCENT COLLECTION RATE SHOULD GET US ABOUT $411 MILLION.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT OUR PRIOR YEAR TAX COLLECTIONS AND WE INCREASED THAT NUMBER BECAUSE BASED ON THE TREND, THE DATA THAT WE LOOKED AT, DATA DRIVEN DECISION, WE INCREASED IT TO A MILLION DOLLARS.
[INAUDIBLE] INTEREST STAYED THE SAME.
INVESTMENT INCOME STAYS THE SAME.
OUR OTHER LOCAL REVENUE, THIS IS PART OF THE GOOD NEWS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THERE'LL BE MORE A LITTLE LATER.
WHILE WE WAS GOING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE LAST TWO DAYS, WE HAVE FOUND $310,000 DOLLARS THAT WE CAN INCREASE THAT LINE BY, SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT AT THE NEXT RENDITION OF THIS SPREADSHEET.
THE STATE REVENUE, AS YOU CAN SEE, GROWS AND THAT'S A RESULT OF THE FORMULAS THAT WHEN YOU PUT ALL THESE NUMBERS INTO [INAUDIBLE] SPREADSHEET, IT SPITS OUT STUFF FOR YOU.
[00:25:01]
IT'S A LOT OF FORMULAS AND STUFF IN, BUT IT'S ALL BASED ON TAXES, COLLECTION RATES AND YOUR TAX RATE--. I MEAN, PROPERTY VALUE, COLLECTS, AND THEN YOUR TAX RATE, AND IT'LL PRINT OUT HOW MUCH REVENUE THAT YOU SHOULD RECEIVE FROM THE STATE.AND THIS YEAR IS PARTICULARLY AT $34 MILLION.
OUR SHARS NUMBER WENT DOWN SOME BASED ON PROJECTION.
WE GOT LOWER THAN THE $6,400 THIS YEAR, SO WE TOOK THE NUMBER DOWN.
FEDERAL REVENUE STAYS ABOUT THE SAME.
TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THAT'S THE PASS THROUGH, SO YOU'LL SEE THE SAME NUMBER DOWN IN EXPENSES. SO IT'S REALLY NOT A HIT TO THE BUDGET, BUT WE HAVE TO SHOW IT AS THE BUDGET.
SO THE REVENUE IN TOTAL, PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY LIKE $39.6 MILLION DOLLARS.
DON'T GET EXCITED. EXPENSE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU NUMBERS WHERE THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT AT A ONE PERCENT IS ABOUT $8 MILLION, TWO PERCENT--.
MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND A PERCENT RAISE, TWO PERCENT IS $10.8 AND THREE PERCENT IS $13.8.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO THREE, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF WORK BETWEEN STAFF AND THE BOARD AND MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS TO GET TO THE THREE.
THE MEDICAL INSURANCE DUE TO COVID, WE'VE HAD A HARD YEAR FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES AND YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE SELF-FUNDED.
THE LAST MEETING WE HAD THE--.
WITH OUR MEDICAL PROVIDER, I THINK IF I REMEMBER EDDIE, THE EIGHT PERCENT WAS MUCH HIGHER, BUT WE CAN'T GET TO THAT IN ONE YEAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ASSUME EIGHT PERCENT WITH THE DISTRICT COVERING FIVE AT $1.5 MILLION AND EMPLOYEES COVERING THREE PERCENT.
AND SHARED OPERATING CALLS FOR THE ALLOCATION TO FOOD SERVICES, IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'S IN THE RED.
[INAUDIBLE] PAY FOR INDIRECT COSTS, DEALING WITH RUNNING THE CAFETERIAS.
WE DID PUT A LINE IN THE BUDGET FOR RECAPTURE, SO WHEN YOU SEE IT, DON'T GET EXCITED.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, RECAPTURES JUST A SIMPLE CALCULATION.
YOU TAKE $6,160 TIMES YOUR NUMBER OF KIDS, THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY THE STATE SAYS YOU SHOULD HAVE, YOU COMPARE THAT TO YOUR TAX RATE THAT YOU TAKE IN, AND IF IT'S ABOVE THAT, YOU HAVE TO PAY RECAPTURE ON IT.
SIMPLY STATED. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE HAVING THE ESSER THREE MONEYS.
AS YOU ALL RECALL IT, IT WAS SPLIT FOR THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, SO THAT WAS STILL A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE ANOTHER STIPEND PAYMENT OF $500 OUT OF ESSER TO ALL EMPLOYEES, AND THE ADJUSTED I&S RATE WILL INCLUDE FOR THE PAYMENT AND THE DEFEASANCE PAYMENT OF $6 MILLION. SO LET'S LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS.
SALARIES AND BENEFITS, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, WE SORT OF ROLLED THESE NUMBERS FORWARD, AND LAST YEAR, WHEN I BROUGHT TO YOU THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE BUDGET, THE $10.2 MILLION DOLLARS DOWN IN HEALTH SERVICES WAS ALSO CALCULATED ACCOUNTED IN THE $371,000.
SO IF YOU SEE THAT $361,000, THAT IS THE REDUCTION OF THE 10 MILLION, THAT'S ALSO STILL DOWN IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND WE HAD A $700,000 INCREASE IN THE BUDGET FOR MEDICAL LAST YEAR. SO YOU ADD THAT TO THAT NUMBER TO GET THE STARTING NUMBER, SO JUST HOLD ON TO THAT THOUGHT, BUT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 1 PERCENT, 2 PERCENT OR THE 3 PERCENT.
THAT'S JUST WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THE RUN RATE ADJUSTMENT WE LEFT THE SAME TO RUN RATE IS POSITIONS THAT WE SHOULD ELIMINATE DUE TO ATTRITION.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A NEGATIVE NUMBER HERE, BUT IT'S A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
THE COMPENSATION CHANGES WILL BE ALL WITHIN THOSE PERCENTAGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN THE MOMENT. THE ESSER STAYED THE SAME.
[INAUDIBLE] THE SAME NUMBER FOR YOUR RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND THE MENTAL HEALTH NUMBER STAYS THE SAME. SO.
THAT TOTAL, THE $380,609, AS I SAID, DOES NOT INCLUDE--.
AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S A LOT LESS THAN THE $394,000.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ONE PERCENT, TWO PERCENT OR THREE PERCENT SALARY INCREASE.
THIS NUMBER IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF KIDS AT THE SCHOOL, AND WE HAVE LESS KIDS THAN WHAT THE 21-22 BUDGET WAS BUILT ON, SO THAT NUMBER DROPS.
THE DEPARTMENT'S, RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBER IS THE SAME.
WE LOOKED THROUGH, LIKE I SAID, MAYBE SIX OR SEVEN BUDGETS ALREADY, AND TO DATE, WE KNOW WE CAN REDUCE THAT NUMBER BY A MILLION DOLLARS, AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
OUR FOOD SERVICES TO INCREASE FOR OUR INDIRECT COSTS AND THE $250 IS SUPERINTENDENCE BUDGET, BUT THE BIG NUMBER IS THE RECAPTURE PAYMENT.
[00:30:05]
OUR PROPERTY VALUE IS GROWING AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THAT NUMBER DOWN IS WE GET MORE STUDENTS, SO.NOW, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT, BUT-- NEXT YEAR, THAT'S ALREADY SET.
WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT [LAUGHTER] BUDGET YEAR, BUT NEXT YEAR THAT'S ALREADY SET.
SO THAT'S OUR TOTAL EXPENSES AT $487,259 WITHOUT THE SALARY INCREASES.
FOR THE NEXT PAGE, YOU SEE THE TOTALS, TOTAL REVENUE OF $484,188, TOTAL EXPENSES $487,259, AT LEAST A $3 MILLION DEFICIT BUDGET, BUT IF YOU ADD IN, THE SALARY INCREASES AT ONE PERCENT, THAT WILL GROW TO $11 MILLION.
AT TWO PERCENT, THEY'LL GROW TO $13.8 MILLION AND THAT THREE PERCENT, IT'LL GROW TO $16.8.
BUT THAT IS ALL PRIOR TO US GETTING THROUGH ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS TO FIND WHERE THERE IS MONEY THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING, AND AS I SAID NOW, IF WE WERE TO DO NO SALARY INCREASES, WE WILL INCREASE REVENUE BY THREE HUNDRED SOME THOUSAND, WE WOULD TAKE A MILLION DOLLARS OUT OF THE LINES THAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN, OUR DEFICIT BUDGET WOULD BE BELOW $1.5 MILLION, WHICH IS A GREAT CHANGE FROM THE $22 MILLION THAT YOU ALL ADOPTED LAST YEAR.
AND NOW LET'S LOOK AT OUR I&S BUDGET, WHERE THERE'S A DUAL BUDGET PROPOSED.
ON THE FAR LEFT, YOU SEE THE 21-22 BUDGET WHERE WE PROJECTED $105 MILLION TO COME IN.
THE 22-23 BUDGET IS WITH LEAVING THE I&S TAX RATE THE SAME AT $0.24, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE WILL COLLECT $ 115.5 MILLION.
THE TOTAL PAYOUT FOR OUR PRINCIPAL INTEREST IN BONDS FOR NEXT YEAR IS THE $108,288, BUT THAT INCLUDES A SIX MILLION PAYOUT PAYMENT FOR DEFEASANCE, AND SO IF YOU LEAD A TAX RATE AT $0.24, YOU WILL LEAVE A BALANCE IN THE I&S BUDGET FUND BALANCE OF $ 7.251 MILLION, AND IF YOU LOWER IT TO JUST ONLY COVER THE PAYMENT AND DEFEASANCE, YOU CAN LOWER IT TO $ 0.225, BUT THAT WILL ONLY LEAVES YOU ABOUT $30,000 IN FUND BALANCE.
NOW I CAUTION YOU THAT IF YOU LOWER THE TAX RATE FOR I&S AND THEN YOU INTEND TO GO OUT FOR A BOND, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO DO A NO TAX INCREASE BOND.
YOU WILL HAVE TO INCREASE YOUR TAX RATE TO COVER THE PAYMENTS FOR YOUR NEW BOND, AND THAT'S JUST A WORD OF CAUTION.
MADAM CHAIR, MR. SUPERINTENDENT, THAT CONCLUDES THE BUDGET OUTLOOK, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
TRUSTEE WEIR. I FEEL KIND OF HONORED THAT I BEAT TRUSTEE VESSA [LAUGHTER] TO THE BUTTON.
I ACTUALLY JUST HAD A QUESTION ON SLIDE 31.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YES, I HOPE WE CAN GET TO A THREE PERCENT PAY INCREASE, BUT LOOKING AT THE MEDICAL INSURANCE INCREASE OF THREE PERCENT, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAY SCALE, WHERE A THREE PERCENT RAISE IS NOT WHAT IT IS FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP, TO ALSO THEN PAY THEIR THREE PERCENT INTO THEIR HEALTH CARE.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT A TOTAL WASH, BUT I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN THERE WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING A RAISE, BUT THEN THEY RAISE YOUR MEDICAL INSURANCE AND IT TOTALLY GOES AWAY.
SO I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY AWARE--.
I SEE SOME NODDING, SO I APPRECIATE.
I HOPE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD HOW THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING.
AND SO I JUST WANT US TO BE AWARE THAT NOT TO PULL THAT OUT FROM UNDER THEM.
I AGREE WITH YOU, IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO GET A THREE PERCENT PAY INCREASE AND YOUR MEDICAL INSURANCE JUMPS UP THREE PERCENT ALSO, AND THAT IS JUST ON THE BASIC PLAN, SO IF YOU'VE GOT FAMILY PLANNING, IT'D BE A LOT HIGHER.
RIGHT, AND SO THEN YOU'VE LOST MONEY-- EXACTLY. SO.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A BOARD DECISION.
YEAH. BUT WITH US BEING SELF-INSURED, [INAUDIBLE] JUST WANT TO PUT ALL CARDS ON THE TABLE, SO.
I WOULD ASK THEM AS WE MOVE INTO THOSE DISCUSSIONS, MAYBE WE HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CAN LOOK AT. YES.
AND I THINK [INAUDIBLE], DON'T WE HAVE A MEETING COMING UP? SO WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? RIGHT NOW FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS ZERO, RIGHT?
[00:35:04]
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY INTO THE--? WE COVER THE FULL COST OF THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS, NOT SO FOR THEIR DEPENDENTS, BUT WOULD THIS MEAN THAT THAT WOULD CHANGE? SO, IT DEPENDS.SO CURRENTLY, WE HAVE ZERO COST PLAN FOR TWO OF OUR PLANS FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY, AND WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE IS POTENTIALLY MAINTAINING A ZERO COST PLAN ON OUR HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN AND THEN HAVING A COST TO OUR PPO PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE.
BUT YES, WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY DISTRICTS IN THE AREA TO HAVE THAT ZERO COST EMPLOYEE ONLY PPO PLAN.
MOST OF THE DISTRICTS IN THE AREA THAT WE'VE SURVEYED HAVE A ZERO COST HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN, WHICH IS YOUR, YOU PAY YOUR DEDUCTIBLE UPFRONT, RIGHT? SO YES, THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS A CHANGE.
SO WHAT--? DO WE HAVE THE ESTIMATES ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST FOR US TO MAINTAIN THAT ZERO CONTRIBUTION PPO? SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO PREDICT THAT TRUSTEE VESSA BECAUSE LAST YEAR, AS DENNIS MENTIONED, WE HAD A VERY STRANGE YEAR LAST YEAR, OBVIOUSLY WITH COVID.
WE HAD A 16 PERCENT INCREASE IN OUR CLAIMS COST LAST YEAR, AND WE USUALLY TREND AT ABOUT FIVE PERCENT. SO HEALTH INSURANCE, WE ALL KNOW IT INCREASES EVERY YEAR.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A FIVE PERCENT AND WE HAVE, BEING SELF-FUNDED, WE USUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SURPLUS.
LAST YEAR WIPED IT OUT BECAUSE OF OUR 16 PERCENT INCREASE, SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO PREDICT. OUR MEETING THIS WEEK WITH OUR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR WILL GIVE US A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN ORDER TO BREAK EVEN OR REACH THAT BREAK EVEN POINT, BUT ONE THING TO NOTE IS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, ROUND ROCK ISD HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED A VERY HEALTHY DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND SO THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT 15-20 YEARS AGO WHERE WE HAD A VERY HEALTHY SURPLUS.
AND SO GIVEN THE RISING COSTS OF HEALTH INSURANCE, THE DISTRICT DIDN'T HAVE TO UPDATE THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION FOR YEARS AND YEARS, BUT BECAUSE OF YEARS LIKE LAST YEAR AND TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT, IT'S GRADUALLY EATEN INTO THAT SURPLUS.
SO NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE A ZERO BALANCE AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. NOW, HOW WE MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED YET, AND NO DECISION WILL BE MADE WITHOUT BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
SO WAS THAT YOUR REASON YOU HAD YOUR LIGHT ON TRUSTEE VESSA? HERE REAL QUICK TO SENSE.
WHEN YOU BRING US MORE HARD NUMBERS ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT AN OPTION IS FOR THE DISTRICT TO ABSORB THAT $900,000 BECAUSE AN INCREASE TO HEALTH BENEFITS AFFECTS THOSE MAKING LOWER WAGES MORE, AND SO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS OF A 2.5 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE, I MEAN, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, BUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THOSE MORE EQUITABLE ACROSS THE BOARD IN THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL? SO JUST KIND OF AS WE'RE LOOKING, I DON'T NEED EVEN A RESPONSE TO IT, BUT JUST HOW DO WE MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE FOR EVERYBODY AT EVERY PAY LEVEL? OK, WELL, LET ME DO MAKE A CLARIFYING STATEMENT.
IN THE ONE, THE TWO AND THE THREE, THOSE ARE FLAT LINE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER MARKET ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THAT.
SO MOST PEOPLE WILL GET ABOVE THE ONE OR THE TWO OR THREE WITH THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS.
YEAH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR SALARIES DISCUSSION IN A FEW WEEKS, SO.
ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEE VESSA, YOU HAD YOUR LIGHT ON FOR NEXT.
SO I JUST HAVE A FEW CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FIRST.
SO ON SLIDE THIRTY THREE, WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS A PROBLEM THIS LAST YEAR, THAT IT WAS DOUBLE COUNTED WITHIN THE BUDGET, SO THAT'S WITHDRAWN FROM THE SALARIES IN THE TOP NUMBER? OK. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THAT ONE.
ANOTHER QUICK QUESTION, ON OUR ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR WE SHOW A $22.9 BASICALLY, MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK OF THAT WILL BE REALIZED THIS YEAR? WELL, BASED ON THE LAST PROJECTION THAT I LOOKED AT BACK BEFORE CHRISTMAS IT HAD GOTTEN DOWN TO ABOUT 10, IT'S PROBABLY LOWER NOW.
AND THEY HAD ONE MORE CLARIFICATION QUESTION.
ACTUALLY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN CLARIFICATION, SO WE ANTICIPATE ENROLLING 800 MORE STUDENTS FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT OUR ATTENDANCE DECLINE, WHICH I MEAN I CAN UNDERSTAND DURING THE PANDEMIC WHY THAT HAPPENED, SO THE DEMOGRAPHER IS
[00:40:02]
ESTIMATING THAT ATTENDANCE WILL NOT INCREASE BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC WILL CONTINUE, WHICH WILL MEAN THAT THEY'RE STILL MISSING SCHOOL? THEY DON'T DO ATTENDANCE? SO HOW ARE WE MAKING THE DETERMINATION ON ATTENDANCE I MEAN, WHY DO WE FEEL LIKE OUR ATTENDANCE WON'T BACK BOUNCE BACK? THE ATTENDANCE IS ONLY PROJECTED TO GROW FIVE HUNDRED AND ENROLLMENT IS EIGHT HUNDRED.YEAH, BECAUSE WE ENROLLING EIGHT HUNDRED MORE STUDENTS, BUT BECAUSE OUR ATTENDANCE RATE IS LOWER, IT ONLY COUNTS TO BE FIVE HUNDRED.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION AND MAYBE THAT'S TO SOMEBODY.
DR. PRESLEY, WHY DO WE THINK THAT OUR ATTENDANCE WON'T BOUNCE BACK AS THE PANDEMIC? WELL, WE HOPE THAT IT WILL.
BUT MR. CUMMINGS IS TAKING A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH SO THAT THE NUMBERS WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE NOT INFLATED ANY KIND OF WAY.
THE, YOU KNOW, PRE-PANDEMIC OUR DEMOGRAPHER WAS INCREDIBLY ACCURATE.
SOME FOLKS WOULD ARGUE THAT, BUT THERE WERE YEARS WHEN WE HAD LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED KIDS.
WE WERE OFF LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED KIDS WITH FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND STUDENTS.
CLEARLY, THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT EVERYONE TO THEIR KNEES AND INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHERS THAT THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A MODEL FOR THIS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THEM PROJECTING OUR ENROLLMENT TO GROW BY EIGHT HUNDRED, I THINK WE JUST TOOK A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
SO IF WE HAVE EIGHT HUNDRED I HOPE WE HAVE TWO THOUSAND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT COULD HAPPEN AS WELL WITH THE RECRUITING EFFORTS AND THE THINGS THAT OUR CAMPUSES ARE DOING.
BUT THAT'S SO IT'S THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SCIENCE TO THAT.
BUT REALLY, WE TOOK KIND OF A MIDDLE NUMBER OF WE'RE SURE, WE'LL HAVE WE'RE FAIRLY SURE WE'LL HAVE THIS.
IF WE HAVE THAT, THAT'S ICING ON THE CAKE.
IF THAT HELPS, I DON'T KNOW. OK, SO THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IS KIND OF A BIGGER CONCEPT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK TO A THREE PERCENT PLUS SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH I'M I'M GLAD TO SAY, I'D LOVE TO SEE AN OVERALL LIKE INCREASE, MAYBE FOR THE NEXT MEETING LIKE AN INDIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.
WHAT IS OUR THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE GOING TO HAPPEN FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, JANITORIAL STAFF LIKE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT GROUPINGS LIKE WHAT ARE WE REALLY LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF AN ACTUAL MEETING? [INAUDIBLE] THEY WERE LIKE TASB.
THEY WILL HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND WHAT THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE FOR THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, I'M EXCITED THAT YOU'RE FINDING EFFICIENCIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS.
BUT I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST THIRTEEN FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS.
IF WE HAVE FUNDING, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH CORRECT.
AND IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, IT'S NOT GOING TO COME OUT TO THAT.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE BUDGET'S ONLY FORTY SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.
SO I MEAN, I JUST WANT US TO BE THINKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT ARE OUR FUNDING OPTIONS AND LIKE? THIS IS OPTION ONE TO GET THE MONEY.
THIS IS OPTION TWO TO GET THE MONEY.
AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, I MEAN, I HAVE IN MY HEAD WHAT I THINK THOSE OPTIONS ARE.
BUT I THINK HAVING IT OUTLINED FROM YOU ALL TO JUST KNOW LIKE HOW OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO COME UP WITH THIS MONEY TO GIVE THESE TYPES OF RAISES, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE? I MEAN, OUR INFLATION IS KILLING US AND EVEN INFLATION EATING INTO OUR DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, INTO OTHER EXPENSES, THAT'S HURTING US TOO.
SO JUST JUST GETTING SOME IDEAS OF WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE IN TERMS OF GENERATING REVENUE FOR NEXT YEAR? AND SO, I MEAN, GET OUR STUDENTS BACK.
THAT IS DEFINITELY A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE ONE.
BUT WHAT ARE ALL THE OPTIONS ON THE TABLE? AND BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE HAVE TO DO WITH THE BOARD.
YES, WITHOUT I MEAN, BEING IN FINANCE HERE IN TEXAS, THERE'S ONLY TO ME TWO OPTIONS.
YOU GET THE STUDENTS BACK OR YOU PAY FOR INCREASES ALL YOUR FUND BALANCE AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE WHEN YOU START MAKING DECISIONS TO PAY SALARY INCREASES OUT OF BALANCE THAT ROLLS EVERY YEAR.
IT'S NOT ONE TIME EXPENDITURES AND YOU WOULD EVENTUALLY EAT INTO YOUR FUND BALANCE UNLESS WE GET A CHANGE IN THAT BASIC PER PUPIL ALLOTMENT IN THE NEXT BIENNIUM.
SO WE'RE USING FIVE OF OUR GOLDEN PENNIES AND OUR GOLDEN PENNIES MEANS THAT THEY DON'T OR AREN'T SUBJECT TO RECAPTURE.
CORRECT. HOW MANY ARE OUT THERE? HOW MANY IN TOTAL COULD.
HOW MANY GOLDEN PENNIES EXIST FOR US? I MEAN, HOW CAN WE GO TO? I THINK STATE ALLOWS UP TO EIGHT.
I GOT TO REMEMBER WHAT THE RULES ARE TO GET MORE THAN FIVE.
[00:45:03]
WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION IN NOVEMBER TO OBTAIN THE FINAL THREE, AND THAT WOULD GENERATE ROUGHLY HOW MANY SO IT WOULD COVER THE COSTS OF BOTH OUR SALARY INCREASES AND MOST OF THE COST OF OUR BENEFITS. YES.TRUSTEE HARRISON. MY QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED.
THANKS I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, ONE OF THEM IS ON THE FAST GROWTH DISTRICT BECAUSE I RECALL THIS YEAR THERE WAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE CALCULATED BECAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY DECREASED OUR ENROLLMENT.
SO ARE WE FOR SURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST GROWTH ALLOTMENT? YES. AND HOW MUCH IS THAT? I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, BUT I'LL GET IT FOR YOU, BUT WE ARE DOING FAST GROWTH BY THE STATE. OK, I CAN ADD TO THAT.
SO THEY CHANGED IT LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO BECAUSE THEY SAW THAT THIS LIKE CUT OFF THING WAS VERY PROBLEMATIC IN TERMS OF BUDGETING. SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY MADE LIKE CATEGORIES.
SO IF YOU'RE SUPER FAST GROWTH, YOU GET MORE THAN SAY IF YOU'RE NOT QUITE AS SUPER FAST GROWTH. SO.
THAT, YOU GET DIFFERENT FUNDING.
BUT THAT WAS A CHANGE IN 1525, WHICH IS THE HB3 CLEANUP BILL, SO THAT IT WASN'T THIS STARK IF YOU MAKE IT, YOU GET THIS HUGE BUMP AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE.
OK, SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT WE'RE GETTING SINCE THAT HAS CHANGED. AND THEN I WAS ALSO WONDERING WHAT IS OUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCE LIKE OUR RAINY DAY FUND BALANCE? DO WE HAVE THAT PROJECTION? WE'VE RAN DEFICIT BUDGETS THE LAST TWO YEARS, IF NOT THREE.
IT HASN'T CHANGED SINCE THE AUDIT AND IT WENT TO ONE NINETY FIVE.
SO THIS IS THE QUESTION I ASKED DR.
ORTEX THIS BECAUSE THE NUMBER I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CALCULATE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ON A JUN IS WHEN WE END OUR FINANCIAL YEAR.
BUT I ACTUALLY LIKE TO LOOK BECAUSE LOTS OF DISTRICTS HAVE A LATER ONE AND OUR LOWEST FUND BALANCE IS USUALLY AROUND, I BELIEVE, NOVEMBER.
AND SO I ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER WHEN WE'RE AT OUR LOWEST FUND BALANCE BECAUSE THAT REALLY, TO ME IS YOUR RAINY DAY FUND.
I MEAN, THAT'S YOU WON'T DO CASH BALANCE.
YEAH, I WANT THE CASH BALANCE RIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO COVER UNTIL WE GET THE MONEY BACK FROM THE STATE. RIGHT, RIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING, YOU KNOW, HOW CLOSE WE'RE GETTING BECAUSE THAT REALLY IS OUR SAVINGS, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. SO THAT NUMBER IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT FOR THE PROJECTION FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH I GUESS WILL INCLUDE KIND OF PROJECTING WHAT OUR OUT OF THAT TWENTY TWO MILLION WHAT OUR DEFICITS ARE GOING TO BE THIS YEAR. THAT'S JUST A BIG NUMBER FOR ME TO WATCH.
YES, BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING PRETTY LOW LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK WE COULD TRY TO COVER THREE MONTHS OF EXPENSES.
YEAH, I CAN TELL YOU DOCTOR AUDIENCE NUMBERS OR STUCK IN MY HEAD, IT WAS SIXTY NINE MILLION, BUT THAT WAS BEFORE WE REALIZED A THIRTEEN MILLION DOLLAR, I BELIEVE WAS A THIRTEEN MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT LAST YEAR.
THAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE WE HAD THE SIXTEEN MILLION.
YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. WE ADDED WE ADDED ONTO IT WHEN WE GAVE THE STIPENDS THAT INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF RIGHT.
IT'S GETTING IT'S GETTING A LITTLE INTERESTING.
SO I JUST I NEED THAT NUMBER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WATCHING THAT.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY BECAUSE YOU SAID, I BELIEVE IT'S SLIDE 33 THAT THIS DRAFT BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE.
THOSE NUMBERS DO NOT INCLUDE A ONE PERCENT, TWO PERCENT OR THREE PERCENT.
THIS IS CORRECT. ZERO PERCENT CORRECT.
THIS IS JUST KEEPING EVERYBODY AT THE SAME.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE LET ME SCROLL THROUGH THIS, I'VE GOT.
I WAS WONDERING ON FOOD SERVICES, I HAD THE QUESTION OF YOU'RE PROJECTING THAT WE LOSE EVEN MORE MONEY, NO GAIN MONEY, WE GAIN MONEY.
YES, THAT'S BILLING THEM FOR THEIR INDIRECT COSTS THAT THE DISTRICT SUPPORTS THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THERE.
AND THEN I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THE RECAPTURE PAYMENT, JUST BECAUSE THAT IS SUCH A THAT'S A FORTY MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE.
IT JUST I MEAN, THAT NUMBER SEEMS A LITTLE OFF, BUT IS THAT JUST WHAT ONE HAS ADOPTED IS TOO LOW. COST PROJECTION HAS IT ABOUT THIRTY EIGHT.
[00:50:04]
SO THIS YEAR IS ACTUALLY LOW.THE ONE THAT'S ADOPTED IS LOW.
THE FOURTEEN, EIGHT, NINETY FIVE.
YES. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS THAT GOING TO BE? I THINK THE LAST WEEK WAS ABOUT THIRTY EIGHT.
THANK YOU. I DIDN'T CATCH THAT EITHER.
AND THAT INCREASE OUR DEFICIT FOR THIS YEAR, THEN IF OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT, IF THAT'S FACTORED IN RIGHT NOW.
BUT IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS I GAVE YOU IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, WE HAD TAKEN THAT NUMBER UP ALREADY AND OUR TAX COLLECTIONS WENT UP.
SO WE TOOK IN MORE REVENUE THAN WHAT THIS BUDGET WAS BUILT ON.
OK. SO I GUESS MAYBE CAN WE GET AN ACTUAL BUDGET? CAN CAN WE HAVE LIKE ANOTHER LINE BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS THE ADOPTED 2021-2022? MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER.
I MEAN, WE'RE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE, LIKE IN APRIL, I'M GOING TO BRING YOU ALL THE STATUS FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND THEN CAN YOU JUST GO IN A LITTLE BIT ON THE THIS IS THE INS BUDGET WITH THE TWO DIFFERENT TAX RATES? I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF YOU COULD GO A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLANATION ON WHY YOU'RE GIVING US THAT OPTION.
AND I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE BONDS AND GOING OUT FOR BONDS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT I MEAN, GETTING THAT DOWN TO THIRTY THOUSAND, THAT FUND BALANCE, THAT SEEMS REALLY LOW.
NEXT YEAR AND A SIX MILLION DEFACEMENT PAYMENT, THAT'S ALL THAT WILL COVER.
THAT'S WHY THAT OPTION'S THERE IN CASE THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD DECIDES TO DO AND WANT TO LOWER THE TAX RATE.
SO I GUESS I'M USED TO SEEING FUND BALANCES.
I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M THINKING THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IS JUST OKAY.
AMY IS GIVING ME THE LOOK LIKE, YEAH, IT'S REALLY LOW.
OK, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TO.
I WAS LIKE, IS THIS A RECOMMENDATION? NO.
NO, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. THAT'S NOT THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE FOR THE FUND FOR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. THAT'S JUST YOUR ONE YEAR REALIZATION.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY YOU WOULD CONTRIBUTE THIRTY THOUSAND TO THE EXISTING FUND BALANCE YEAR OVER YEAR, WHICH I DO REMEMBER WE TOOK.
DIDN'T WE TAKE WE TOOK THAT DOWN BY SIX MILLION THIS YEAR, RIGHT? SO IT'S WELL, WE ADOPTED A DEFICIT BUDGET OF TWO POINT FIVE, BUT INCLUDED THAT SIX MILLION PAYMENT, OK? SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR ME TO SEE, I'M REALLY ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE BOTTOM LINE OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LEFT OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT TOO LOW. YES, MA'AM.
MAKE SURE WE PUT THAT IN ON THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON ANY TRUSTEE TRUSTEE XIAO.
I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT.
I SEE THIS WHEN I SEE THIS BUDGET NUMBERS.
I JUST SEE A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE FOR MY MINDSET IS, WE NEED TO MAKE A BIGGER PART INSTEAD OF JUST CUTTING PIES FOR SPECIFIC PORTIONS.
THE BIGGEST REVENUE OF THE MAJORITY OF REVENUE COMING FROM THE TAX COLLECTION AND FROM THIS YEAR VERSUS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE BUDGET IS ONLY FOURTEEN TWENTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS INCREASE. IT'S SIX PERCENT.
SO CAN ONLY AFFORD US IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME, CAN ONLY AFFORD A SIX PERCENT INCREASE FOR SALARY SALARY FOR JUST SAY EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME.
OUR REVENUE IS NOT GOING TO COVER ANY INCREASES.
AND IN ADDITION, LOOK AT EXPENSES, THE RECAPTURE IS ANOTHER BIG, BIG ISSUE.
SO I JUST HAVE A COMMENT THAT.
I SEE. WE HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
I MEAN, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, DR.
XIAO, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE PUT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, INCREASING FUNDING AND EMPHASIS IN CERTAIN AREAS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO ACHIEVE.
AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE IN ONE WAY THAT WE HAVE THREE GOLDEN PENNIES LEFT.
THERE ARE MANY DISTRICTS AROUND US THAT DO NOT HAVE THAT OPTION.
OK, IF YOU'RE EANES, YOU'VE USED UP ALL YOUR PENNIES.
THEY HAVE NOTHING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW ON EARTH THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE A RAISE.
NO CLUE. THEY'VE USED THEM ALL.
IF YOU'RE HUTTO, YOU'VE USED UP EVERY PENNY YOU'VE GOT.
[00:55:02]
SO AS WE LOOK AROUND US, THERE ARE MANY.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN PRUDENT WITH OUR SPENDING AND WE HAVEN'T USED UP ALL OF OUR ABILITY TO TAX ACCORDING TO.
BECAUSE REALLY BEYOND THOSE EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES, I MEAN, MAYBE YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THERE'S MORE TAXING AUTHORITY BEYOND THE GOLDEN PENNIES, BUT THEN YOU START GETTING INTO HUGE RECAPTURE.
YES. AND SO IT BECOMES FOR A DISTRICT LIKE US, IT BECOMES IT'S NOT WORTH IT'S NOT WORTH, IT'S NOT WORTH IT. WE'RE NOT KEEPING ENOUGH MONEY.
THAT'S WHY FIGHTING AT THE LEGISLATURE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS SO INCREDIBLY CRITICAL BECAUSE OUR ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUE IS EXCEPTIONALLY LIMITED AND MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT ANYTHING WE TAKE IN, WE GET TO KEEP HERE.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS.
WE KEEP ONLY WHAT THEY SAY WE CAN KEEP, AND THEN THEY TAKE BACK EVERYTHING OUT ALL ABOVE THAT. AND SO WHEN WE'RE FACING INCREDIBLE INFLATION, DIFFICULTY RETAINING AND ATTRACTING WORK, OUR WORKFORCE INFLATION IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR EXPENSES.
MORE DEMANDS FOR OUR STUDENTS IN TERMS OF LEARNING LOSS AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS.
WE'RE JUST IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION IN SOME DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, GOT A LOT OF FEDERAL MONEY AND THEY'RE STILL LIVING OFF THAT.
BUT WE DIDN'T GET A WHOLE LOT OF FEDERAL MONEY.
YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FEDERAL MONEY AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT NEXT YEAR AND HOW THAT.
THE ESSER MONEY AND HOW IT WAS USED IN THE BUDGET FOR ROUND ROCK ISD PUT A HOLE IN YOUR BUDGET FOR THE 22-24 SCHOOL YEAR TO THE TUNE OF FOURTEEN MILLION BECAUSE WE MOVED EXISTING SALARIES TO ESSER.
NOW SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE NOT FILLED AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL EVER BE FILLED OR SO. SO THERE HAVE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE FOURTEEN MILLION.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO MOVE FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF EXPENDITURES BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND. SO ALLOTMENT NEXT SESSION, THAT WOULD REALLY JUST COVER THE HOLE THAT WE HAVE, YES, WE HAVE A FUNDING CLIFF. SO WE NEED A MASSIVE INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TO AFFORD THE CURRENT STAFF THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T GIVE US AN INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT LAST SESSION. SO WITHOUT ANY INCREASE, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT LAST SESSION IN LAST SESSION MEANS TWO YEARS IS NOT JUST ONE YEAR.
THAT MEANS THE LAST TIME THAT OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT WAS INCREASED WAS 2019.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN INCREASE SINCE 2019.
AND IF WE COMPOUNDED LIKE THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, THAT'S ACTUALLY MIGHT BE A GOOD THING TO SHOW IS LIKE, HOW MUCH IS THAT SIXTY ONE FORTY, RIGHT? SIXTY ONE SIXTY WORTH TODAY IN TODAY'S DOLLARS? AND WHAT WILL IT BE WORTH NEXT YEAR GIVEN THE TYPE OF INFLATION WE'RE SEEKING? THOSE ARE WE HAVE TO REALLY SHOW OUR COMMUNITY HOW OUR FUNDING IS BEING EATEN AWAY BY INFLATION AND THERE IS NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THEY DETERMINE OUR PER STUDENT FUNDING.
TRUSTEE BONE, THANK YOU, I DID HAVE ONE LAST.
I GUESS, A COMMENT TO THE REST OF THE TRUSTEES AND.
I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING AND I HEARD YOU GET OUR STUDENTS BACK AND THAT REALLY I WROTE THAT DOWN BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN ACTUALLY ALL SEVEN AGREE THAT WE WOULD WANT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BACK AND WE'RE STILL MISSING, WHAT, THREE THOUSAND PLUS STUDENTS THAT. THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, SO I KNOW WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CAMPAIGN KIND OF GOING ON OR YOU CAN CALL IT A CAMPAIGN TO GO AND SEE WHAT OUR TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO KEEP OUR TEACHERS, BUT I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN TO GET OUR STUDENTS BACK.
IF THAT WOULD ENJOY BROAD SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD OF.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST YEAR.
I KNOW WE KIND OF DID LIKE A COMMUNICATION TYPE OF CAMPAIGN, BUT FACING THIS KIND OF DEFICIT, AND IF THIS WOULD, YOU KNOW, IT NOT ONLY HELPS OUR DISTRICT, IT HELPS OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO GET THEM BACK.
SO MAYBE DR. PRESLEY, IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT POSSIBLY WHAT YOU HAVE, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THE INTERIM ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THE DISTRICT FOR A LONG
[01:00:01]
TIME AND WHAT AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN TO GET OUR STUDENTS BACK MIGHT LOOK LIKE.AND WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? NO, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE HAVE OUR CAMPUSES ARE CONTINUING TO WORK AND REACHING OUT TO FAMILIES THAT WERE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS WHO WERE ONCE THERE.
BUT NOW THEY'RE HOME SCHOOLING OR THEIR CHARTER SCHOOLING OR WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF OPTIONS TO GO, NOT CONTINUE TO KNOCK DOORS.
IT'S NOT LIKE THAT HASN'T BEEN HAPPENING.
AND I GUESS ONE OF THE ENCOURAGING THINGS FOR ME FROM OUR ENROLLMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR UNTIL NOW, WE'VE GAINED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE WITHDRAWALS AND STUDENTS WHO'VE ENROLLED, WE'VE GAINED TWELVE HUNDRED STUDENTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, JUST FROM AUGUST UNTIL NOW.
SO FOLKS ARE GRADUALLY COMING BACK WHEN THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
I'M HOPING THAT THE PANDEMIC IS BEHIND US FOR THE MOST PART AND BECAUSE FAMILIES HAVE ALL KINDS OF REASONS, AND I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING IS KIND OF DRILLING DOWN. IF YOU WITHDREW AND WENT TO HOME SCHOOL, WHAT WERE YOUR REASONS? WHAT CAN WE DO TO BRING YOU BACK? THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT OUR STAFF ARE ASKING FAMILIES WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US THAT STILL LIVE HERE. WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS BECAUSE OF THE WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT COLA TONIGHT, BUT A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE MOVED TO THE OUTLYING AREAS BECAUSE IT'S MORE AFFORDABLE. YOU KNOW, LET'S GO TO LIBERTY HILL, LET'S GO TO JERROLD WHEREVER IT MAY BE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR WITHDRAWAL DATA, THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE LEFT AND GONE TO ANOTHER DISTRICT, THEY'RE NOT USUALLY GOING TOWARDS TOWN, THEY'RE GOING OUT, YOU KNOW, TO MORE URBAN MORE RURAL AREAS.
SO BUT THE STUDENTS WHO STILL LIVE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY RECRUITING THEM BACK TO COME BACK. AND I THINK THAT AFTER WE GET THIS, ALL THE UNKNOWNS OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE GET THIS BEHIND US, YOU KNOW, TRENDING TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS.
THERE'S NOT USUALLY A LOT OF MOVEMENT THIS TIME OF YEAR UNTIL GRADUATION, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT OVER, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER, WE CAN RECRUIT KIDS AND GET THEM BACK IN. SO BUT AND I THINK I HONESTLY THINK AS A FORMER PRINCIPAL, THE MOST AUTHENTIC APPROACH TO THAT IS WHEN THE CAMPUS STAFF REACHES OUT.
BECAUSE IF I CALL A FAMILY AND SAY, HEY WHERE'D YOU GO? AND WHY DON'T YOU COME BACK THERE? LIKE, WHO ARE YOU? BUT IF A PRINCIPAL OR A FAVORITE TEACHER ON A CAMPUS OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT AND MR. COVINGTON'S HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCES IN HIS OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE HE'S WORKED, WHERE THEY'VE RECRUITED KIDS, NOT THROUGH A PANDEMIC, BUT BRINGING KIDS BACK FROM WHEN CHARTERS WERE AGGRESSIVELY RECRUITING KIDS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AND THEIR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING AFTER OUR KIDS AND THAT EXISTED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC IS JUST FOLKS LOOKED AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH. SO I'M ENCOURAGED.
I'M USUALLY OPTIMISTIC BY NATURE, BUT I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN A GROWTH IN OUR NUMBERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND I THINK ONCE OUR FAMILIES FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE COMING BACK AND THEY KNOW WE HAVE THE GREATEST PRODUCT IN CENTRAL TEXAS, THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK.
BUT THAT'S JUST ME BEING A CHEERLEADER FOR ROUND ROCK SO.
ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I THINK WE DO HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT.
WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF AND THE BEST STUDENTS.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, AS YOU'RE GOING OUT TO THESE DEPARTMENTS, I THINK MOST OF US HAVE PROBABLY WORKED IN COMPANIES WHERE THEY'VE HAD TO TIGHTEN THE BELT.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALL LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THESE HIGHS AND LOWS.
I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING WHAT INITIATIVES ARE BEING DONE OR WHAT QUESTIONS ARE BEING DONE BECAUSE I JUST I'M LOOKING AT MY TIME, YOU KNOW, IN COMPANIES.
AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS THEY WOULD COME TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU DECREASE YOUR BUDGET IN YOUR PART OF THE COMPANY? SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? ARE WE ASKING THAT OF OUR DIVISIONS? WHAT ARE WE DOING AS WE LOOK AHEAD IN THIS BUDGET? ARE WE GOING OUT AND ASKING EVERYBODY? I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THAT? AT THE CURRENT TIME, WE HAVE NOT INSTITUTED AN ACROSS THE BOARD REDUCTION FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS. I THINK WE HAVE A WE WILL GET MORE BANG IN DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
WE GO THROUGH EVERY LINE ITEM AND EVERY DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
LOOK AT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THEY HAVE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
LOOK WHAT THEY SPENT THE LAST THREE YEARS MAKE THAT DATA ANALYSIS AND THEN ASK, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY NEXT YEAR AND.
THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE EXERCISE KNOW THAT IF THERE IS NOT A PLAN FOR THOSE DOLLARS, WE REDUCE IT.
SO I GUESS, DR. PRESLEY, THIS MIGHT BE MORE TO YOU, BECAUSE I GUESS WHAT I'M MORE USED TO SEEING IS THAT, YOU KNOW? IT'S LIKE ANY TIME, RIGHT, IT'S LIKE, I MEAN, THAT'S HOW YOU RUN YOUR HOUSE IT'S LIKE, HEY, KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE SOMETHING ELSE OUT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR PRIORITIES ARE A LITTLE BIT CHANGING NEXT YEAR, WE WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO GIVE THE TEACHERS A RAISE. SO I'M JUST IS THIS COMING FROM THE TOP DOWN THAT, HEY, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAD THIS MONEY LAST YEAR, AND I GUESS I'M LOOKING FOR CREATIVE IDEAS BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE CUTTING STAFF. IT'S NOT LIKE CUTTING PROGRAMS. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU GO IN, YOU KNOW, YOU DO LIKE SIX SIGMA TYPE OF THINGS WHERE YOU GO IN AND SEE, CAN WE TRIM THINGS? WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GET A BETTER DEAL ON THINGS?
[01:05:02]
IS THERE ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING ON THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT? YEAH, I THINK MR. COVINGTON'S APPROACH IS THE INITIAL STEP.WE'VE HAD YEARS IN THE DISTRICT OVER THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS WHERE WE'VE DONE ACROSS THE BOARD TEN PERCENT.
EVERY DEPARTMENT REDUCED YOUR BUDGET BY TEN PERCENT, EIGHT PERCENT.
SO THAT MAY BE WHERE WE END UP, BUT I WANTED HIM TO GO THROUGH HIS ANALYSIS FIRST TO SEE WHAT WE'RE REALLY NEEDING AND USING AND BECAUSE SOME DEPARTMENTS MAY NEED MORE.
YOU KNOW, WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND WE'VE ADDED OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SO YOU DON'T WANT TO REDUCE THAT RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE WHERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS MAY, MAY BE ABLE TO DO WITH LESS.
SO I WANT TO SEE HIS INITIAL ANALYSIS AND THEN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND AT SOME POINT, IF WE SAY THERE'S AN ACROSS THE BOARD ON TOP OF EVERYTHING HE'S DONE, THERE'S ACROSS THE BOARD FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION OR TEN PERCENT, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
OK, YEAH. I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT I'M NOT I WASN'T SAYING ACROSS THE BOARD LOTS OF TIMES PEOPLE WOULD COME TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, HAVE YOU GUYS HAD CREATIVE IDEAS SO THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT CAN DECREASE YOUR DEPARTMENT BY TWENTY PERCENT SO SOMEBODY ELSE CAN? YEAH. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS.
BUT I MEAN, THE LION'S SHARE OF ALL OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMS AND THINGS SO MUCH AS WE ARE POSITIONS. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE ANALYSIS THAT TASB WOULD BRING IN TO US.
WELL, THEY'LL THEY'LL DO A MARKET ANALYSIS, BUT THEY ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE MAY BE OVERSTAFFED, UNDERSTAFFED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY TRADITIONALLY BRING THAT TO US AS WELL.
PRESLEY, BECAUSE I FIRST QUESTIONED TO MR. COVINGTON. WHAT PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET IS SALARIES? SALARIES WITHOUT BENEFITS OR JUST SALARIES? WELL, ALL OF THE HUMAN CAPITAL RELATED COSTS.
ABOUT EIGHTY EIGHT PERCENT. I'M SORRY? EIGHTY EIGHT PERCENT. EIGHTY EIGHT PERCENT.
YOU KNOW, AS HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS WERE CHARGED WITH PUTTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE RIGHT SKILLS.
AND IT'S AN ART, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALWAYS A SCIENCE.
I HAVEN'T MET ANYBODY, NOT AN EMPLOYEE, NOT A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, NOT AN ADMINISTRATOR, NOT A NEIGHBOR WHO DOESN'T WANT TO PAY MORE FOR OUR TEACHERS IN OUR STAFF.
SO I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT ENJOYS BROAD SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY AMONG THOSE, YOU KNOW, OF US WHO ARE PARENTS, YOU KNOW WHO HAVE CHILDREN HERE AND WHO OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE WATCHED A LEVEL OF EFFORT AND SACRIFICE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN RAISING CHILDREN FOR 20 YEARS, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN WHAT I'VE SEEN OUT OF THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S REMARKABLE AND I THINK THAT WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
THE QUESTION IS HOW, YOU KNOW AND TRUSTEE VESSA SPOKE TO THIS.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DRILL DOWN ON THAT TODAY, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS AND I SEE YOU NODDING.
DR. BONE AND I WERE IN GALVESTON LAST WEEK FOR FOUR DAYS AT THE TASB WINTER GOVERNANCE CAMP. IT WAS VERY EXCITING AND WE LEARNED A LOT AND WE MET SO MANY PEOPLE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ROLLING OUT SOME IDEAS OF OUR OWN ON SOME THINGS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MET SOMEBODY WHO INTRODUCED US TO TEN QUESTIONS THAT TASB RECOMMENDS THAT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ASK ABOUT FINANCE.
SO WHEN THIS MEETING ADJOURNS, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAYBE GO OVER THOSE WITH YOU.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR THEM TODAY.
BUT IF YOU COULD JUST LOOK AT IT, MAYBE GET BACK TO ME OR WHOEVER ELSE IS INTERESTED ON THE BOARD, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN STUDENTS LEAVE THE DISTRICT, IT HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS. I AM CURIOUS, AND I KNOW THIS ISN'T YOUR WHEELHOUSE, THE HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS AT THIS POINT IF SELF-FUNDING IS REALLY WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T EXPECT AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO CHALLENGING EVERY SINGLE STATUS QUO.
BECAUSE IF NOT NOW THAN NEVER AND IF WE REALLY WANT TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT STAFF SALARY INCREASES. I WOULD JUST I HOPE THAT THAT'S THINGS LIKE THESE ENORMOUS FINANCIAL OUTLAYS
[01:10:05]
THAT WERE THAT WERE IN, YOU KNOW TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS, IF THOSE CAN BE CHALLENGED, SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR DOING THAT.TRUSTEE VESSA TALKED ABOUT EANES AND HUTTO, YOU KNOW, EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS DIFFERENT AND THE TAX BASE IS DIFFERENT.
IN ROUND ROCK ISD, WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS TAX BASE.
I DID NOT LOOK AT THE CERTIFIED ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS MEETING, BUT WHEN WE APPROVED IT IN NOVEMBER, I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR TAX BASE IS OVER FORTY BILLION DOLLARS.
THAT IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND SO OUR CHARGE BASED ON YOUR ADVICE AND DR.
PRESLEYS' ADVICE IS TO BALANCE ALL OF THESE THINGS DECLINING STUDENT ENROLLMENT, THE TAX BASE, THE TAX RATE, THE PRIORITIES OF THE DISTRICT.
AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WEIGH IN ON THIS AND THEY COME TO THE MICROPHONE, THEY STOP ME AT H-E-B, THEY SEND US EMAILS, SO PLEASE KEEP THAT COMING.
I GUESS I'LL JUST END BY SAYING THAT PERSONALLY, THIS IS JUST ME PERSONALLY.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT OUR FISCAL CHALLENGES STEM FROM THE FACT THAT OUR HOMEOWNERS ARE TAXED TOO LITTLE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
WE HAVE MANY EMPLOYEES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO OWN HOMES IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
AND SO AGAIN, IT'S THAT BALANCE BETWEEN WANTING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK WOULD UNDERSTAND THESE PEOPLE ALSO OWN PROPERTY HERE.
AND SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE.
I PERSONALLY WOULD FAVOR LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES.
I PERSONALLY WOULD FAVOR SCRUTINIZING, YOU KNOW, BIG FINANCIAL EXPENDITURE, TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS. AND I HOPE THAT THOSE WILL, YOU KNOW, BE THE RESOURCE, THE PLACES WHERE EFFICIENCIES AND SAVINGS CAN BE FOUND SO THAT WE CAN ALL DO THE THIS BIG THING, MEANINGFUL SALARY INCREASES THAT I THINK WE ALL LIKE TO DO SO.
TO THAT NOTE, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU GUYS, ESPECIALLY TERRY, OVER THERE AND DAVID, I STUDY THE BUDGETS AND THE SPENDING.
I GO TO PEIMS AND I LOOK AT MANY, MANY DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE AND THEY ARE USING A LOT OF THEIR M&O TO COVER FACILITIES COSTS.
WE DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY IN THE AREA BY FAR IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING OUR FACILITIES AT THE LEAST, NO COST OF ANYBODY.
I MEAN, THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE FOUND EFFICIENCIES IN THIS DISTRICT.
WE HAVE FOUND EFFICIENCIES IN MAINTAINING OUR FACILITIES AT A HIGH LEVEL, AT A VERY LOW COST. AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS MAKING THAT HAPPEN. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT SO MUCH BECAUSE I GO IN PEIMS AND I LOOK AT EVERY DISTRICT AROUND US.
I LOOK AT COMPARABLE DISTRICTS AROUND THIS STATE.
I DO CHARTS LIKE SIDE BY SIDES THAT THEY HAVE THAT FEATURE IN PEIMS. AND WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT DISTRICT IT WE SPEND LESS PER STUDENT THAN ANYBODY IN THE AREA.
THE ONLY COMPARABLE DISTRICT IS LEANDER THAT THEY'RE WE ARE INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT. AND SO WHILE WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES, I DO NOT SEE US FINDING FOURTEEN MILLION IN EFFICIENCIES.
I DO NOT THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100 PERCENT THAT I DO NOT THINK OUR TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING TOO LITTLE.
I THINK THE STATE IS CONTRIBUTING TOO LITTLE TO OUR SCHOOLS.
THE STATE IS CONTRIBUTING TOO LITTLE.
THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE A YEAR BEFORE SESSION.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A FISCAL CLIFF COMING.
WE HAVE PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IF WE DO NOT GIVE A SUBSTANTIAL RAISE.
WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WAS ARGUING AT THE THIRD SPECIAL SESSION.
PLEASE, DEAR GOD, DON'T TAKE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO RAISE THE TAX RATE BECAUSE IF YOU DO THAT, WE HAVE NO OPTIONS.
THE THIRD SPECIAL SESSION THEY WERE PROPOSING TO SAY, YOU CANNOT INCREASE THE M&O TAX RATE AT ALL, THEY'RE FREEZING IT.
AND I'M LIKE, IF YOU DO THAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
[01:15:01]
WE HAVE. WE HAVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ISSUES.WE HAVE INCREDIBLE INFLATION ISSUES, AND THEN YOU SAY YOU FREEZE OUT, YOU DON'T GIVE US ANY MONEY, YOU HAD A SURPLUS AND YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T INVEST IT BACK IN SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DIDN'T. THEN THEN THEY WANT TO FREEZE OUR TAX RATE, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT ARE WE WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY HAVE TO CHANGE THE EDUCATION PARADIGM IN THE STATE? THIS IS NOT A LOCAL PROBLEM.
THIS IS NOT A ROUND ROCK ISD PROBLEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FROM ME AND YOU'RE LIKE ME AND YOU GREW UP IN ANOTHER STATE, I GREW UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
WELL, THEY FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED EDUCATION.
OK, HOW DID THEY FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE EDUCATION? THEY ELIMINATED COUNSELORS.
THEY ELIMINATED TONS OF ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. THERE'S LIKE NOTHING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THERE'S NO ATHLETIC PROGRAMS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THEY JUST CUT AND CUT FINE ARTS, CUT ANYTHING THEY POSSIBLY COULD.
I KNOW I GET I GET UPSET, BUT I KNOW.
LET ME. I DO HAVE A QUESTION, THOUGH.
SO I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT WHAT OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS DO WE HAVE.
WE STILL HAVE FEDERAL MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN UNUSED IN THIS AREA.
WE STILL HAVE MONEY THAT TEA HAS IN TERMS OF GRANTS THAT THEY'RE DOLING OUT.
WE STILL I KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF UNSPENT ESSER FUNDS BECAUSE THEY JUST GAVE US SOME UNSPENT CARES ACT MONEY.
SO HAVE WE BEEN LOOKING INTO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEDERAL FUNDS AND USING? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPLORE IN FUTURE MEETINGS OR TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT NOW? WE HAVE NOT LOOKED ONE OF THE DEFICIENCIES THAT I SEE IN THIS DISTRICT IS WE DON'T HAVE A GRANT WRITER.
A GRANT WRITER WILL PAY FOR ITSELF.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE DEPEND ON EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS TO GO SEARCHING FOR GRANTS OR GET NOTIFICATIONS FROM TEA OR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE A GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN WE START LOOKING INTO IT.
IF THERE'S ONE POSITION NOT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR THIS DISTRICT IS THAT WE ADD A GRANT WRITER, NOT SOMEONE TO JUST GO OUT AND RESEARCH THE GRANT, BUT HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE THE GRANT SO THAT WE WOULD WIN.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT ADDITION.
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GRANTS RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THIS FEDERAL MONEY OUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF GRANTS A TON TEA KEPT ALL THE TEN PERCENT TOLD BACK IN TEA.
THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT OUT, SO THEY HAD THEY'RE DOLING IT OUT WITH GRANTS.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THOSE GRANTS, WE DON'T.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET WHAT WE NEED OF THAT TEN PERCENT, THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT OUT.
THEY KEPT IT AT TEA AND MADE IT SO THAT YOU HAVE TO APPLY IT VIA GRANTS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE APPLYING FOR EVERY GRANT THAT WE ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT, THAT WE QUALIFY FOR THAT.
WE THINK WE CAN THOUGHTFULLY SPEND THE FUNDS.
THERE ARE GRANTS OUT THERE THAT HAVE VERY STRICT STIPULATIONS THAT MAY NOT HAVE APPLY TO US OR THE TIMELINES ARE TOO SHORT TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR US OR WE CAN'T WE CAN'T MAKE THE PURCHASES OR WE HAVEN'T ALREADY MADE PURCHASES THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THOSE TYPE OF GRANTS. BUT WE DO LOOK AND WE ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL GRANTS FOR OUR [INAUDIBLE].
WE'VE GOT SOME ARP GRANTS THERE AND ANOTHER HOMELESS GRANT.
SO WE ARE GETTING SOME OF THE FEDERAL FORMULA, ADDITIONAL GRANTS ON TOP OF OUR REGULAR FEDERAL GRANTS.
IF YOU HAVE GRANTS THAT LIKE HAD REALLY SHORT TIMELINES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WERE FROM TEA, I MEAN, THIS IS FEEDBACK WE CAN GIVE THROUGH OUR LEGISLATORS THAT IF TEA IS NOT UTILIZING THOSE DOLLARS THAT THEY ALLOCATED TO THEM IN A WAY THAT IS HELPFUL TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THAT'S FEEDBACK WE NEED TO GIVE THEM.
SO WE AND THERE'S ONE RIGHT NOW THAT WE QUALIFIED FOR.
IT'S A SCHOOL HEALTH SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT AND THE STIPULATIONS ON WHAT IT COULD BE SPENT FOR WERE VERY, VERY FINITE.
AND A LOT OF THOSE INITIATIVES THAT ARE COVERED BY THAT WE DID NOT EMPLOY IN THIS DISTRICT. THE TIMELINE FOR THAT WAS FROM MARCH OF LAST YEAR.
I'M SORRY, MAY OF LAST YEAR THROUGH MARCH 31ST.
THIS YEAR, WE GOT NOTICE OF IT LATE FALL, SO IT COVERED PRIOR PURCHASES AND ANY ADDITIONAL PURCHASES THROUGH MARCH 31ST.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN AS NEEDED IN THIS DISTRICT OR HAVE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE NOT PURSUED IN THIS DISTRICT.
[01:20:04]
WELL, ANY TYPE OF STUFF LIKE THAT THAT WE CAN PASS ALONG TO OUR LEGISLATORS FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM BECAUSE THE TIME CLOCK IS TICKING ON THIS MONEY.OK. IF THEY DON'T SPEND IT, THEY HAVE TO SEND IT BACK TO THE FED.
SO WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM FEEDBACK ON WHERE WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ESPECIALLY.
I MEAN, THERE ARE STIPULATIONS WITHIN THOSE FEDERAL, YOU KNOW, COVID RELIEF DOLLARS.
BUT WHERE CAN WE USE THIS MONEY TO RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC IN TERMS OF LEARNING, LOSS OR OTHER OTHER AREAS? BECAUSE THEY, LIKE I SAID, THE MONEY THAT TEA IS HOLDING ON TO IT WILL EXPIRE AND THEY WILL HAVE TO SEND IT BACK.
AND SO IF THEY'RE NOT GETTING GOOD FEEDBACK FROM US ABOUT WHERE WE COULD USE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE IT TO US TO SPEND, THEY WILL HAVE TO SEND IT BACK.
TRUSTEE VESSA I THINK THIS IS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND PERHAPS WE MAYBE COULD PREPARE FOR IT TO HAVE A BETTER, MORE INCLUSIVE DISCUSSION WITH EVERYBODY, IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO ADD TO A FUTURE BUDGET DISCUSSION.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY A GREAT IDEA.
AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.
TRUSTEE XIAO. SO ACTUALLY, I JUST WANT TO ECHO TRUSTEE VESSA WHAT VESSA SAYS ONE THING IS WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT AND FIND ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF REVENUES, GRANTS AND STUFF. THE OTHER PART IS LOOKING AT KIND OF USING THE [INAUDIBLE] MONEY FOR M&O, FOR EXAMPLE, BUYING A GOOD QUALITY AIR CONDITIONING THAT COST LESS TO MAINTAIN THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WE SHOULD LOOK TO MORE AND MORE ON THOSE THINGS BECAUSE WE NEED THE MONEY ON FOR TO PAY IT FOR SALARY.
AND THE THIRD THING IS, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY ON THE M&O SIDE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF M&O MONEY IS FOR SALARIES, EIGHTY EIGHT PERCENT WHAT EFFICIENCY WE ARE LOOKING FOR. I DON'T KNOW.
MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO, BUT I SEE OUR OPTION IS KIND OF LIMITED IN THIS IN THIS SITUATION.
ONE THING I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IS FOR THE EXPENSE SHEET.
SO THERE'S A THERE'S THE SALARY AND A BENEFIT PART.
THEY ALSO THE DEPARTMENT'S ALLOCATION THE DEPARTMENT DOES THAT.
THE ALLOCATION ALSO HAS SOME PERSONNEL SALARIES AND STUFF, AND THAT IS ALL EXPENDITURES.
OK. WE HAVE LIKE OVERTIME COSTS, BUT NOT STRAIGHT BASE SALARY.
OK, SO FORTY EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS AND A LOT OF THAT THEY DO ALLOCATE OUT TO SCHOOLS.
A LOT OF THAT GOES OUT TO SCHOOLS.
OK. AND ONE FINAL COMMENT I HAVE IS.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S.
I JUST HEAR A LOGICAL ARGUMENT DURING A BOARD MEETING, FOR ONE THING, BY TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS THAT THEY ARE HOMEOWNER TOO THEY DON'T WANT TO INCREASE TAXPAYERS PAYING MORE TAXES. SO I GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
SO TODAY I ASK EACH INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE TO PAY TEN DOLLARS, INCLUDING MYSELF, BUT THE SEVENTY DOLLARS GOES TO BUY A GIFT FOR ME.
I'M GOING TO PAY THE TEN DOLLARS.
OF COURSE I DO. TRUSTEE HARRISON.
THANK YOU, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO ADD, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND, COMPREHENSIVE FIRST LOOK.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS RIGHT IN, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A PRIMARY IMPORTANCE BECAUSE EDUCATORS ARE MAKING DECISIONS FOR WHAT THEY'LL DO FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
I REALLY JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT.
SO IF WE DIDN'T SOLVE THAT ISSUE TODAY, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T CARE.
IT'S BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG PROCESS THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE.
SO THANK YOU FOR JUST THIS CLARITY AND THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE FEEDBACK SO GRACIOUSLY. DR.
PRESLEY, I DID HAVE A QUESTION AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
MAYBE IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR AND A HALF AND WE DID THIS.
DID WE LOOK AT INSURANCE AND APPROVE INSURANCE LAST YEAR? WHAT MEETING DOES THAT HAPPEN IN? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE IT IS IN THE SCHEDULE DO YOU KNOW, IN THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE THE INSURANCE OR THE BENEFITS DISCUSSION.
IT WAS PART OF THE BUDGET ADOPTION WHEN YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT WHEN YOU ALL LOOKED AT THE BUDGETS THROUGH THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND BOARD MEETINGS.
WE DID INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTES TO THE INSURANCE THIS YEAR.
I THINK IN THE PAST TRUSTEE HARRISON, WE DID WE DID HAVE THE INSURANCE, SOMEBODY CAME AND SPOKE TO US, BUT IT WAS THE PREVIOUS BOARD.
THAT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE REPRESENTATIVE COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT
[01:25:04]
OPTIONS. SO OK, I SEE.I REMEMBER THAT SITTING AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER BUT NOT SITTING FROM HERE.
SO DO WE HAVE THAT OPTION? AND ARE WE ON A TIMELINE WHERE WE COULD HEAR ABOUT OTHER BENEFITS OPTIONS? WE CAN LIKE WE'RE MEETING WITH THEM TOMORROW.
WE CAN ASK IF THEY CAN JOIN ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE CALENDAR TO PRESENT THE BENEFITS BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU ALL IN THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
OK, I TRUST YOUR EXPERTISE AND IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE MOVE THE WAY WE MOVE OR WHY WE HAVE OR WHAT OUR FUTURE OPTIONS ARE.
SO THANK YOU. ARE YOU? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE TOTALLY FLIPPING FROM SELF-INSURED TO GOING TO AN OUTSIDE OR JUST WHATEVER OPTIONS EXIST? I'M TALKING ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE THAT ARE THAT EXISTS LIKE, THIS IS NOT MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE.
SO I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT WE ARE NOT DOING WHAT THE BEST THING IS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF WHAT ALL OUR OPTIONS ARE.
THE VENDOR WILL ONLY SPEAK FOR US THAN SELF-INSURED, BUT WE WOULD DO THE RESEARCH IF WE FLIP IT TO WHERE, LIKE WE JOINED THE STATE'S INSURANCE.
THANKS A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND I'LL KIND OF GO OFF WHAT TRUSTEE HARRISON WAS TALKING ABOUT, I THINK I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE PROBABLY LIKE A FIVE YEAR OF COMPENSATION, INCLUDING AND SO WHEN I SAY COMPENSATION, IT'S THE WHOLE PACKAGE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT TRUSTEE HARRISON WAS GETTING AT.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL THE MEDICAL OR ANY OTHER BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO SEE A FIVE YEAR OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SPEAKER COME TONIGHT AND TALK ABOUT THE EA TWOS AND THREES LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME REAL NUMBERS IN OUR DISTRICT OF SALARIES SPEAKERS] FIVE YEARS IN THE PAST.
FIVE YEARS IN THE PAST, KIND OF OVER THE FIVE YEARS WHAT THEIR COMPENSATION HAS BEEN BECAUSE IT'S HARD WHEN YOU JUST, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY, IF YOU TOLD ME THEY MAKE FIFTEEN DOLLARS AN HOUR, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THEN YOU SAY, OH, WELL, TEN DOLLARS AN HOUR GOES TO THEIR MEDICAL INSURANCE.
I MEAN, LAST YEAR, TWO DOLLARS AN HOUR WENT TO THEIR MEDICAL INSURANCE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT TRUSTEE WEIR WAS GETTING AT.
SO FOR ME, I NEED TO SEE THE TAKE HOME PAY WHAT I CALL TAKE HOME PAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE FIVE YEAR TAKE-HOME PAY FOR AND MAYBE YOU CAN DO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ONLY DO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, JUST SINGLE AND ALSO FAMILY, SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO THAT WHERE WE TOOK OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEE AND SAW WHAT HAPPENS TO DEREK. AND I CAN'T DO THE TAKE HOME PAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TAX IS OFF WITH THE W-2 AND [INAUDIBLE], RIGHT? BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEIR NET INCOME WAS, RIGHT? YEAH. WITHOUT THE WITHOUT THEIR TAXES, BECAUSE MORE THAN LIKELY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THEY ARE MAKING TAKING HOME LESS NOW THAN THEY DID FIVE YEARS AGO.
RIGHT. I THINK IT WOULD JUST FOR ME, I'M SEEING LOTS OF HEADS NOD.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE SUPER BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BENEFITS, IT'LL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR COMMUNITY IS.
BUT I THINK FOR ME ALSO, I THINK THE COST OF LIVING HAS TO GO INTO THAT, AND I THINK TASB DOES A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
BUT I FORGET HOW LOCAL TASB GETS.
I DON'T KNOW. DO YOU KNOW HOW LOCAL? I THINK THEY DO, BECAUSE THEY COMPARE US TO LEANDER AND HUTTO AND DO THEY DO COST? DO THEY DO COST OF LIVING, THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A CRAZY KIND OF SORT OF.
SO THEY DO LOOK AT THE MARKET AND COST THE LIVING AS A FACTOR IN THEIR ANALYSIS, FOR SURE. AND THEY COMPARE US TO PEER DISTRICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE MAY NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE DIGGING ON THE COST OF LIVING, ESPECIALLY HOW THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH INFLATION COSTS AND THINGS RIGHT? SOME RECENT ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT ROUND ROCK IS NOW 105 PERCENT WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO THE STATE. SO AND THAT CONTINUES TO INCREASE YEAR UPON YEAR.
SO I THINK THAT'S FAIR MINIMUM.
WE'LL TAKE THAT. YEAH, AWESOME.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING FAIR FOR OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE THEM.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE NUMBERS.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE I HAD IS IT GOES BACK TO TRUSTEE VESSA TALKED ABOUT FACILITIES LAST YEAR WE OPENED REDBUD AND I BELIEVE THIS YEAR DR.
PRESLEY, WE'RE OPENING CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.
YEAH. AND SO IS THAT IN THIS BUDGET? AND IS THERE OTHER FACILITIES THAT ARE OPENING THAT MAYBE I'M NOT THINKING OF? THERE AREN'T ADDITIONAL FACILITIES OTHER THAN THE SWIM PRACTICE FACILITY, AND THAT WILL INVOLVE SOME STAFFING, BUT IT'S VERY MINIMAL.
THERE WILL BE A MAINTENANCE PERSON THERE WHO RUNS THE FACILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER IS OK.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODELS AS FAR AS MANAGING THE FACILITY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH BETTY JO AT THE AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER BECAUSE SHE'S SHE'S IN CHARGE OF NOT ONLY THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT MCNEIL, BUT ALSO THE OTHER AUDITORIUMS AS FAR AS SCHEDULING, BECAUSE WE THINK MOVING FORWARD WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS, CLUBS, SWIMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT'LL WANT TO USE THAT FACILITY.
AND SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY MANAGING THE CALENDAR AND COORDINATING WHO COMES IN AND OUT. SO BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT A STAFFING MODEL FOR THAT.
YEAH. AND BECAUSE SINCE I WAS ON THE BOND COMMITTEE, I MEAN, THERE WERE ESTIMATES OF LIKE
[01:30:05]
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF CHEMICALS.I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MAINTENANCE.
SO I KIND OF WONDER NOW THAT WE'RE HERE AND OPENING IT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT COST IS A YEAR? IS THAT IN OR IS THIS IN THE BUDGET? IS THIS? TRUSTEE BONE LET ME LET ME EXPAND ON SOME OF THE FACTUAL PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION.
WE ARE OPENING SOME ADDITIONAL FACILITIES, SUCH AS THE SCIENCE WING AT MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS THE BLACK BOX MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE ARE OPENING A FACILITY AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. THE CLASSROOM EDITION THERE AT THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL, AS WELL.
AS THE AQUATIC CENTER IN REGARDS TO THE COST OF THE OPERATION OF THE AQUATIC CENTER.
RECALL THAT THERE IS SOME VERY, VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY EQUIPMENT IN THAT IN THAT FACILITY.
AND SO AS TRUSTEE XIAO WAS WAS TALKING.
ARE WE LOOKING AT SYSTEMS THAT ARE FRUITFUL IN THE COST OF OPERATION? THE REALITY IS THAT THE AQUATIC CENTER WILL BE AND IS THE ONLY FACILITY IN K-12 IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT HAS A CHP SYSTEM, WHICH STANDS FOR COMBINED HEAT POWER PRODUCTION.
AND SO AS WE HEAT THE WATER THAT WILL CREATE A TURBINE EFFECT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE OUR OWN POWER SO THAT WE WILL OPERATE THAT FACILITY VERY, VERY LOW COST, VERY, VERY LOW COST.
AND IF WE FOUND INCENTIVES TO BE ABLE TO PUT PV OR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS ON THE SOUTH SLOPE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE THAT FACILITY FOR NET ZERO.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME VERY INNOVATIVE POINTS OF VIEW IN THAT FACILITY.
SO WE DON'T EXPECT MUCH AT ALL IN REGARDS TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT FACILITY.
BESIDES WHAT DR. PRESLEY JUST MENTIONED, THE STAFFING WILL OBVIOUSLY BE DIFFERENT AND THAT THERE WILL BE SOME FTES FOR THAT FACILITY.
YEAH. AND I ALONG WITH WHAT TERRY'S SAYING WHEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, I KNEW WE WERE OPENING OTHER FACILITIES, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF.
SO THE SWIM FACILITY IS THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL UNITS TO RUN SO.
SO THOSE MONEY INTO THE SHEET IS ON A CAMPUS COMES THE LIBRARY ALLOCATION.
YES, THERE WILL BE IN THAT NUMBER.
OK. I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, THAT WAS ACTUALLY I WAS GLAD THAT TERRY ADDED THOSE FACILITIES AND THANK YOU FOR TELLING US ABOUT THE AQUATICS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ALL OF THAT EQUIPMENT. I REMEMBER THAT, BUT I HADN'T HEARD THAT SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TERRY'S TOO TECHNICAL FOR ME, BUT I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THAT.
TRUSTEE WESTON. SO MR. [INAUDIBLE] ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU.
JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST TOLD US, IS THE AQUATIC FACILITY A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE TO BE LEED CERTIFIED IN ANY CAPACITY? HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO THAT? WE DON'T HAVE ANY LEED CERTIFIED FACILITIES IN ROUND ROCK ISD, RIGHT? WE HAVE NO CERTIFIED FACILITIES.
WE HAVE FACILITIES THAT CAN BE CERTIFIED, AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SUCCESS HIGH SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED TO BE A LEED FACILITY, BUT IT WAS NEVER FINANCED THROUGH LEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PLAQUE ON THE WALL.
IF WE EVER MAKE IT TO THE TO THE EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL ON THAT CAMPUS, THAT CAMPUS ALL ALL FACILITIES ON THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUSES ARE LEED SILVER, AND SO THAT FACILITY IS DESIGNED TO BE SILVER.
WE HAVE FOUND THAT PURSUING A LEED CERTIFICATION IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN JUST DESIGNING A VERY EFFICIENT FACILITY.
DO YOU THINK THE AQUATIC CENTER WOULD QUALIFY IF THAT ROUTE WAS PURSUED? WE WILL WIN NUMEROUS ENERGY AWARDS IN THAT FACILITY.
THANK YOU. I ALSO WANTED TO ASK THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT GRANT WRITERS.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD A GRANT WRITER? DO YOU KNOW DR. PRESLEY? THREE YEARS AGO.
HAS THERE BEEN A BARRIER FOR THAT OR? NO THE LAST GRANT WRITER WE HAD WAS DR.
AMY GROSSO, AND SHE'S NOT A GRANT WRITER BY TRADE, BUT HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND SO SHE WAS HIRED IN THAT POSITION.
AND THEN SHE TRANSITIONED TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH LEAD POSITION AND WE DIDN'T REPLACE IT.
BUT WE BUT WE PROBABLY, AS MR. COVINGTON SAID, COULD RECLAIM SOME OR COULD GAIN SOME GROUND TO PAY FOR THE POSITION.
IF WE HAD A REALLY GOOD GRANT WRITER.
SO THAT MAY BE A POSITION WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED TONIGHT ABOUT SUBSTITUTE PAY, AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO THAT'S IS THAT LUMPED IN WITH SALARIES OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT, I GUESS.
HOW DOES BECAUSE THIS WAS SUCH AN ISSUE, AN INTENSE ISSUE THAT AFFECTED OUR STUDENTS, IT AFFECTED OUR TEACHERS? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT THAT? DO WE NEED? DOES THIS BOARD NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT OR?
[01:35:02]
WELL, NO. WE'VE WORKED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE AND RAISE THE PAY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I'LL LET MR. COVINGTON TALK ABOUT THE BUDGETING OF SUBSTITUTES AND HOW THAT WORKS.BUT WE ARE LOOKING INTO OUR SELF-PAY AND.
YEAH. I MEAN, DON'T TAKE DON'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME BRAND, SIR. NO, WE'VE MADE A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS THIS YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS WITH OUR ESSER FUNDS LIKE WE'VE WE PROVIDED INCENTIVES TO GUEST EDUCATORS WHEN THEY WORK MORE.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAD TRUSTEE WESTON.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GUEST EDUCATORS.
WE HAVE TWELVE HUNDRED IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THEY DON'T ALL WORK, YOU KNOW? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WAS WE RAISED THE BASE RATE AND WE DID THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
BUT WE ALSO THINK THAT CREATING INCENTIVES FOR GUEST EDUCATORS TO WORK MORE AND GO TO SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES WHERE THE FILL RATES AREN'T QUITE WHERE THEY WHERE THEY NEED TO BE MIGHT BE MORE OF A TARGETED APPROACH TO THAT.
I MEAN, DR. BONE AND I, WE TOURED SEVERAL CAMPUSES AND THAT WAS A THEME AMONG THE PRINCIPALS WAS THE GUEST EDUCATORS.
SO I MEAN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
WE ARE WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT GUEST EDUCATORS AND IT'S PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN HR TO REALLY FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
I MEAN, THERE'S DEFINITELY THE BOTTOM LINE AND YOU DRIVE ACROSS TOWN.
AND WITH DR. PRESLEY MENTIONED THE GAS PRICES, THE COST OF LIVING, IT IS IT'S DIFFICULT.
OUR BASE RATE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IS VERY COMPETITIVE TO THE LOCAL AREA, BUT IT'S MAYBE NOT A BITE THAT SO THERE'S DIFFERENT PIECES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
I'VE EVEN HEARD A LOT OF CRITICISM ABOUT OUR SYSTEM THAT IT'S NOT USER FRIENDLY AND THAT OFTEN PEOPLE ARE DETERRED.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, I'VE NOT TRIED TO USE IT, BUT HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? WE'VE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE FEEDBACK AND THE INDIVIDUAL CASES AS WELL.
WE JUST ACTUALLY WE DID A GUEST EDUCATOR SURVEY VERY RECENTLY TO ASK, ASK FOR FEEDBACK ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THEM TO WORK MORE.
SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO GET THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AND PUT IT OUT IN A BOARD UPDATE.
IF YOU'D LIKE IF YOU WANT TO, I'M NOT EVEN REALLY ASKING FOR THAT.
I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE THAT WAS A REALLY HOT AND INTENSE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT I BELIEVE THAT IT HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON STUDENTS.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE IT'S TOP OF MIND FOR YOU.
DR. PRESLEY, DO WE HAVE ANY TEACHERS THAT OWN HOMES IN ROUND ROCK ISD? OR ANY EMPLOYEES? YES, I OWN HOME, DR.
IN THE ROUND ROCK IN A ROUND ROCK ZIP CODE.
AND LIKE FORTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR OTHER STAFF, NON-TEACHING STAFF LIVE LIVE IN A ROUND ROCK ZIP CODE. THAT'S VERY RUDIMENTARY ANALYSIS, TRUSTEE WESTON, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES COST OF LIVING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE SEE NOW AN EXIT SURVEY DATA FOR PEOPLE LEAVING.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF COST OF LIVING.
SO. OH, SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE DATA THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO LEAVE OWNING HOMES IN ROUND ROCK ISD AND THE AND THE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN.
I SEE YOU NODDING THAT THAT BRINGS THAT MOTIVATES SOME OF THE MOVEMENT.
I COULDN'T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS OF THAT.
WE SEE EXIT SURVEY THAT TALKS ABOUT THINGS LIKE SALARY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY, VERY MUCH ANECDOTAL.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA TO SUPPORT THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY I THINK WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAVE IS WHERE THEY RESIDE, WHETHER THEY'RE RENTING OR OWNING A HOME, I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU SAID THAT YOU NOTICED A DECREASE.
YOU SEE A DECREASE IN THE DATA.
NO, MA'AM. I'M SORRY IF I MISREPRESENTED THAT.
NO, JUST WE RAN SOME DATA RECENTLY TO SEE WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES LIVE.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA OVER TIME.
THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE DID RECENTLY TO KIND OF TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE IN THE AREA AND THEN ALSO JUST SOME OTHER ANALYSIS. OH, SO YOU SAID YOU'VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW CAN YOU BETTER SUPPORT EMPLOYEES THAT LIVE IN THE AREA? I APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. WE'VE GOT THAT DATA OVER PAST YEARS AS WELL TO FIND OUT WHERE OUR TEACHERS, WHERE OUR STAFF LIVES.
SO WE'VE GATHERED THAT IN THE PAST.
SO EMPLOYEES WHO OWN HOMES IN ROUND ROCK ISD, ARE THEY EXEMPT FROM PAYING PROPERTY TAXES? NO. NO, SO THEY ACTUALLY ARE IMPACTED? YEAH, THEY ARE.
YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY LOGICAL, I THINK.
SO IN REGARDING TO I WANT TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THE GRANTS ISSUE, I MET SOME STUDENTS, SOME TEACHERS ISD TEACHERS.
THEY THE GRANT ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF GRANT OUT THERE, BUT IT'S ALL VOLUNTARILY JUST [INAUDIBLE] TO WRITE THE GRANT AND GET THE MONEY, BUT THERE'S NO INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO GET THE MONEY. THOSE MONEY ARE SMALL IN A GRAND SCALE, BUT THE MONEY ANYWAY, RIGHT?
[01:40:02]
SO I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A SYSTEM THAT REALLY INCENTIVIZE TEACHERS TO APPLY FOR GRANT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.ANOTHER THING IS THERE'S OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY HAVE THE EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION, RIGHT? THEY HAVE DONATIONS AND THEY BASICALLY BUY OUT SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL OR STATE MONEY LIKE OUR PROGRAM, WHATEVER STUFF.
SO I'M THINKING WHETHER WE COULD POSSIBLY LOOK INTO THAT AVENUE, THAT [INAUDIBLE] TEACHER POSITION, MAYBE THE CTE PROGRAM, JUST ASK FOR BUSINESS LIKE DONATIONS FOR SPECIFIC TEACHER POSITIONS THAT BENEFIT FOR THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRY, JUST LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO GET AS MUCH AS MUCH AS MONEY AS POSSIBLE.
MAYBE IT'S SMALL MONEY POCKET CHANGE, BUT IT'S STILL MONEY WISE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER COMMENT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.
I WILL SAY WHEN THE WHEN WE WHEN AMY WAS THE GRANT WRITER, SHE DID DO OUTREACH TO CAMPUSES AND HOLD TRAINING SESSIONS ON HOW TO WRITE GRANTS AND HOW TO LOOK FOR GRANTS WITH THE STAFF THERE.
BUT AGAIN, WITH HER POSITION VACATED, THAT THAT'S JUST PURELY VOLUNTARY IS EXTRA STUFF FOR TEACHERS TO DO.
CORRECT? NOT BENEFIT TEACHERS THEMSELVES.
CORRECT. AND THEN REGARDING SUBSTITUTING SOME OF OUR STAFF WITH DONATED STAFF OR GRANTS FOR THAT, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CTE BECAUSE WE HAVE SPENDING REQUIREMENTS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE, AND WE HAVE SOMETIMES STRUGGLED TO MEET THAT DUE TO VACANCIES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
AND SO WE WOULDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT THAT GROUP NECESSARILY TO OUTSOURCE IF WE STILL HAVE THE STUDENTS AND ARE GROWING THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT'LL HURT US ON THE FINANCE SIDE.
TRUSTEE VESSA, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT BEFORE I GO INTO MY QUESTION.
YEAH, THEY TRIED TO OUTLAW THAT LAST SESSION.
THEY TRIED TO PASS A LAW THAT SAID YOU COULDN'T FUND POSITIONS FROM YOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION OR PTA.
AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT THE LEGISLATURE FEELS IS NOT A GOOD PRACTICE, BUT I DEFINITELY SEE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE I SAID BEFORE, EANES DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS IN TERMS OF REVENUE GENERATION, SO THEY HAVE TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN. BUT THERE IS SOME MONEY ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE NOT UTILIZING, AND I'D LIKE IN TERMS OF WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT OUR COMPENSATION PACKAGES, OUR PLAN FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
AND BECAUSE THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO COMPENSATE OUR STAFF, MAINLY OUR TEACHERS. DO ANYBODY ELSE QUALIFY OTHER THAN TEACHERS? IT'S JUST TEACHERS, RIGHT FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
WE CURRENT SORRY, CURRENTLY, OUR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS QUALIFIED WITH ABOUT TWENTY ONE WHO ARE RECEIVING AND BUT THERE'S A BROADER PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON APPLYING FOR.
SADLY, I WAS REALLY SAD ABOUT THAT, BUT JUST, I THINK, BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND FUTURE MEETINGS OF WHAT IS TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS? HOW DO WE GET THERE? I MEAN, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A BOARD UPDATE ON IT.
I KNOW IT'S A GRUELING PROCESS.
THANKFULLY, DR. AZAIEZ ACTUALLY HAS A BACKGROUND, AND HE IMPLEMENTED IT IN DONNA.
HE WAS IN THE SECOND COHORT I BELIEVE, COHORT B.
BUT, IT IS AN OPTION FOR INCREASING OUR COMPENSATION FOR, ESPECIALLY OUR MOST TALENTED TEACHERS WE WANT TO KEEP HERE.
SO A FUTURE PRESENTATION ON THAT IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES TOO, BECAUSE AS OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT, I KNOW IT'S NOT WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES.
THE LAST UPDATE WE GOT IS LAST YEAR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THIS APRIL, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS WHAT'S THE UPDATE? SO WE DO OUR DATA COLLECTION IN 23-24.
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DATES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, TRUSTEE XIAO, BUT I BELIEVE OUR APPLICATION, WE SUBMIT THAT IN NOVEMBER IN THE FALL AND WE SUBMIT OUR INTENT IN NOVEMBER, AND THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL OF 2023.
SO THEN WE START COLLECTING OUR DATA IN 23-24 AND ANY TEACHERS IN THE PROGRAM WOULD RECEIVE COMPENSATION IN 24-25.
[01:45:03]
AND I WILL CONFIRM THOSE DATES, AND IF ANY OF THOSE NEED TO BE CHANGED, I'LL SEND THAT OUT AND AN UPDATE FOR YOU.I DO NOT SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON.
I ONLY HAD ONE KIND OF SEPARATE QUESTION.
AND REALLY NOT EVEN A QUESTION, BUT MAYBE JUST SOMETHING TO ADDRESS, AND IT PROBABLY IS BETTER SUITED TO DR.
BUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BUDGET IS TEN MILLION TWO ZERO FIVE.
PRETTY SURE IT WAS 2019 WHERE WE PULLED THAT OUT FROM OUR BUDGET AND STARTED [INAUDIBLE] IT. WE SPENT TEN MILLION ALL THREE YEARS.
SO YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, BUT LOOKING AT IT LONG TERM, YOU KNOW? WHAT'S OUR PLAN WITH THAT? ARE WE GROWING THAT DEPARTMENT? IT SEEMS LIKE IT SEEMS ODD THAT IT HASN'T REALLY GROWN BY MUCH.
I MEAN, IF IT'S GROWN AT ALL, IT'S BEEN BY LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SO RIGHT THAT LION COVERS ONLY THE SALARIES FOR THE PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO IT SHOULD HAVE GROWN BY THE AT LEAST THE ONE PERCENT THAT YOU ALL APPROVE LAST YEAR.
WELL, IT'S BEEN TEM MILLION, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LAST THREE DIGITS HAVE BEEN, BUT IT'S BEEN TEN MILLION SINCE 2019, SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S WHEN IT'S GONE UP, I'D HAVE TO GO LOOK HISTORICALLY ON IT, MAYBE IF THAT'S SOMETHING I DON'T EVEN NEED IT TO BE.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN A BOARD UPDATE, BUT ARE WE SUFFICIENTLY STAFFED FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES? I MEAN, I'M NOT NOT EVEN ASKING FOR AN ANSWER TONIGHT, JUST IT'S COME UP LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN TEN MILLION FOR THREE YEARS AROUND ISH.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW SINCE I SEE NO MORE LIGHTS.
WE HAD A LOT OF INITIATIVES BY DIFFERENT TRUSTEES REQUESTING THINGS, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE NEED TO GET BEHIND THESE INITIATIVES, SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM AND IF I MISSED ANYTHING, LET ME KNOW.
TRIED TO TAKE REALLY GOOD NOTES.
TRUSTEE WESTON TALKED ABOUT A LONG STUDY ON UNFILLED POSITIONS WAS ACTUALLY I HAD THAT WRITTEN DOWN, BUT SHE GOT TO IT BEFORE ME.
SO I'M PUT IN WESTON AND FELLER TALKING ABOUT EFFICIENCIES OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE GONE UNFILLED. I THINK THAT'S I SUMMARIZED IT CORRECTLY TRUSTEE WESTON.
LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET AND UNFILLED POSITIONS, MAYBE YOU DIDN'T.
YOU'RE KIND OF GIVING ME THAT LOOK, BUT I WROTE YOUR NAME NEXT TO IT BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD IT ON MY PAPER, BUT I'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT ONE.
I'D LIKE A KIND OF INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN UNFILLED HISTORICALLY, AND WE STILL LEAVE THEM IN OUR BUDGET.
AND NOW THAT WE HAVE LESS STUDENTS, DO WE HAVE? I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SUGGESTING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, LET STAFF GO, BUT THROUGH NATURAL ATTRITION, SHOULD OUR STAFFING LEVELS BE GOING DOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE UNFILLED POSITIONS, DON'T KNOW. TRUSTEE VESSA TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLE TAX INCREASE AND THE THREE EXTRA PENNIES UNDERSTANDING THAT PROCESS.
AS A BOARD, I'M NOT EVEN SAYING LIKE NOW, IS ANYBODY IN FAVOR OF IT OR NOT IN FAVOR OF IT, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT PROCESS, WHEN WOULD WE HAVE TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THAT IF WE DID? JUST UNDERSTANDING IT? TRUSTEE BONE TALKED ABOUT A CAMPAIGN TO BRING STUDENTS BACK.
DR PRESLEY MAY HAVE ADDRESSED IT, BUT ALSO DR.
BONE TALKED ABOUT PLAN TO REDUCE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.
TRUSTEE WESTON HAD A SELF-FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE ALONG WITH TRUSTEE HARRISON, AN INSURANCE PRESENTATION.
CAN I INTERRUPT FOR CLARITY? QUESTIONS AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY ANYBODY THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY OPPOSED TO ANY OF THESE INITIATIVES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A BOARD ARE UNITED AND DIRECTIVES THAT WE'RE GIVING THE ADMINISTRATION.
TRUSTEE BONE TALKED ABOUT A FIVE YEAR HISTORICAL STUDY ON THE COMPENSATION PLANS AND THEIR IMPACT OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, NET WHATEVER, AND THEN TRUSTEE VESSA WITH THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT PRESENTATION.
SO THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF WROTE DOWN AS WELL WE WERE ALL DISCUSSING.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE AN OPPOSITION TO ANY OF THESE AS A TRUSTEE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS? YOU DO WANT TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE THESE WERE ALL LIKE INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES THAT CAME OUT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE COMPENSATION STUDY.
I KNOW DR. AZAIEZ HAD STARTED A STUDY ON EA PAY.
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? AND DOES THAT LUMP INTO COMPENSATION, LIKE, HAS THAT STOPPED, WILL THAT CONTINUE?
[01:50:02]
SO ON MARCH THE 31ST IN OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP, TASB WILL BE HERE AND THEY'LL BE PRESENTING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.AND ONE OF THOSE INCLUDES A DEEP DIVE INTO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT COMPENSATION. OKAY, THANK YOU.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY LIGHTS? TRUSTEE XIAO. CAN I ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE HOW TO BRING STUDENTS BACK ON THIS ITEM? I WOULD LIKE THE ADMISSION TO LOOKING INTO REALLY THE THREAT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE LONG RUN. RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MORE CHARTER SCHOOLS OPEN IN THIS AREA.
IDEA BASIS THEY TARGET STUDENT POPULATIONS.
I KNOW FAMILY JUST MOVING TO THOSE CHARTER SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY ARE TARGETED.
HOW DO YOU COUNTER TARGETED THOSE POPULATIONS? THAT'S IMPORTANT [INAUDIBLE] I WOULD LIKE THE DISTRICT TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS.
I'M BEHIND ALL OF THE INITIATIVES, MY ONLY THOUGHT WAS.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT MORE BURDEN ON THE STAFF, BUT IF WE'RE DOING ALL THESE EXTRA THINGS, I DON'T KNOW, JUST LET'S KIND OF BE CAREFUL ABOUT ADDING THEM TO MEETINGS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND WE'RE GOING AND MAKING DECISIONS AT ONE A.M.
I WOULD RATHER ESPECIALLY LIKE WITH THE BENEFITS AND THE HEALTH INSURANCE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DETAIL THAT WE DO THAT AT A REASONABLE HOUR AND A REASONABLE DAY WHEN MAYBE NOT EVEN ON A BACK TO BACK MEETING WHEN WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TIME TO SLEEP AND BE ABLE TO PROCESS.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHY I WANTED TO GO THROUGH THIS LIST BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF INITIATIVES. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF STAFF HAS THE MANPOWER TO PRODUCE ALL OF THIS STUFF.
AND THAT'S WHY, AS I'M TAKING NOTES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF IS ABLE TO DO THIS. TRUSTEE WESTON.
I'M SORRY. OH SORRY. GO AHEAD, DR.
PRESLEY. NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, CAPTURING ALL THIS, I'M RUNNING PRETTY FAST, BUT SOMETIMES I CAN'T READ MY OWN WRITING.
IF YOU CAN SEND TO PATTY, WHAT YOU'RE CAPTURING, I'VE GOT MOST OF IT HERE.
AND THEN SHE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE FULL BOARD.
AND THEN IF THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL START TO LOOK AT THIS, YOU'LL SEE OTHER THINGS TOO AND OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
AND IF YOU CAN SEND QUESTIONS TO PATTY IN THAT WAY, EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT EVERYBODY IS ASKING AND WE CAN RESPOND.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS MAYBE NOT, MAYBE WON'T MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN A BOARD PRESENTATION, BUT SOME INFORMATION WE CAN SEND OUT IN ADVANCE.
SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY TASKS WITH REGARD TO HEALTH INSURANCE.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO SEE IF THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, SCRUTINIZING LONGEVITY OR WHAT DO YOU CALL LEGACY PROGRAMS. SO I DON'T I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF ANY WORK PRODUCT OR MEETING, I GUESS.
IF ANOTHER TRUSTEE WANTS TO DO THAT AND TO TRUSTEE WEIR'S POINT, IF IT CAN BE DONE, YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S NOT THE 26TH ITEM IN A REGULAR BOARD MEETING, I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT THAT, BUT I'M NOT PERSONALLY ASKING FOR THAT.
GIVEN THAT OUR ENROLLMENT IS THE DRIVER OF OUR REVENUE.
I THINK THAT IT'S AND I THINK IT'S DIRECTLY RELATED TO STUDENT OUTCOMES IS, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO BRING BACK.
AND IF THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT IN A CAMPAIGN, MAYBE CAMPAIGNS' NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT THOSE EFFORTS, I WOULD SUPPORT SOMETHING ON THAT AND.
AND THEN THE ONE ON THE FIVE YEAR COMPENSATION STRATEGY.
DOES THAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, SIR.
DO YOU THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THAT DATA? IS IT JUST PUTTING IT TOGETHER TO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, DR.
BONE, ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY LIKE, MAYBE IF I'M A TEN YEAR TEACHER FIVE YEARS AGO AND I'M A TEN YEAR TEACHER TODAY, AM I BETTER OFF THAN I WAS FIVE YEARS AGO? OR YOU KIND OF WANTING THAT STORY? NO I'M ACTUALLY WANTING A STORY OF A FIVE YEAR TEACHER THAT'S NOW A TEN YEAR TEACHER, SO I'M ACTUALLY WANTING REAL LIFE LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WENT FIVE YEARS AGO, NOW I'M A TEN YEAR TEACHER. YOU KNOW, I WAS A SEVEN YEAR TEACHER.
NOW I'M A TWELVE YEAR TEACHER. I KIND OF WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ASSISTANTS I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SEE AND SOME OF THE ADMIN KIND OF FROM BOTTOM ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP BECAUSE THOSE KIND OF TRENDS AND IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TAKE HOME PAY WITHOUT THE TAXES.
THAT'S REALLY THE STORY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE THAT'S THEIR MONEY.
YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE. AND WE CAN'T CONTROL THE TAXES YOU PAY, BUT WE CAN CONTROL ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FEES THAT THEY PAY.
I MEAN, THERE'S ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
WELL, IT MIGHT MAKE IT MORE MEANINGFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IS IT STILL AN
[01:55:03]
ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO WORK? AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE DRAWN OUT OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT LOOKING AT A FIVE YEAR WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN PFLUGERVILLE OR HUTTO MOVING FROM THERE TO ROUND ROCK, ROUND ROCK ACTUALLY HAS A HIGHER COST OF LIVING THAN HUTTO OR PFLUGERVILLE.AND SO WE NEED TO SEE THAT I THINK AS A BOARD AND UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF US WOULD ALSO WANT OUR STAFF AND OUR TEACHERS TO ACTUALLY LIVE IN OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO A POINT OF PRIDE.
SO, YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT SO I CAN GET BEHIND THAT INITIATIVE.
AND I THINK THAT TRUSTEE VESSA IDEA ABOUT GETTING INFORMATION TO THE BOARD ON THE TIA, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY WOULD COME TO A SPECIAL MEETING ON THAT, BUT I WOULD.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE I NEED ANY ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, BOARD TIME ON THE GOLDEN PENNIES.
I THINK THAT'S INFORMATION IS OUT THERE, AVAILABLE.
AND THEN I DON'T NEED ANYTHING ON.
I DON'T NEED ANY WORK, PRODUCT OR BOARD MEETING TIME SPENT ON UNFILLED POSITIONS.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU BRING UP VALID POINTS, TRUSTEE FELLER.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I WOULD I WOULD ATTEND, BUT I'M NOT NECESSARILY ASKING FOR.
YEAH AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY OF THIS TO BE A SEPARATE MEETING ON ANY OF IT.
IT'S JUST THINGS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO EITHER BOARD UPDATES OR INCORPORATED INTO A FUTURE MEETING.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT OUR CALENDAR AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BUDGET MEETINGS COMING UP.
AND SO JUST IF IT MAKES SENSE TO FILL IT IN THERE OR I'M ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF PUT IT IN A BOARD UPDATE AND THEN IF WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN LIKE, WE REALLY NEED THE KNOWLEDGE BASE TO UNDERSTAND THIS STUFF AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SPELLED OUT IN A, YOU KNOW, HOUR LONG PART OF A MEETING.
YEAH, I AGREE IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT IS A HUGE PASSION OF MINE.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AN HOUR LONG MEETING.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE A HIGH LEVEL PRESENTATION AND I CAN HAVE AN HOUR LONG MEETING WITH STAFF OFFLINE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW THE DEPTHS OF, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO KNOW THAT.
BUT I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO REALLY BE VERY EFFECTIVE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IF I DON'T KNOW MORE ABOUT TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO ME AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO TEACHER INCENTIVE IN EVERY SESSION, SO BE QUIET ABOUT TEACHER STAFF RAISES. WE TOOK CARE OF THAT IN 2019, AND I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE, WHAT THE PROCESS IS SO THAT I CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE AT THE LEGISLATURE.
OK. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON, I'M GOING TO SEND THIS INFORMATION TO PATTY, AND PATTY WILL COORDINATE RESPONSES WITH TRUSTEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR CLOSING DR.
PRESLEY? NO, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME.
AND YOU KNOW, THE I THINK WE'LL GET THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECES OF OUR BUDGET IN SOON AND WE'LL GET MORE CLARITY WHEN OUR ASSUMPTIONS BECOME TRUE OR NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.
SO JUST THANKS FOR EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
AND I WANT TO ALSO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO STAFF.
EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE READY AND WILLING TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
EVEN FOURTH BUDGET CYCLE STILL LEARNING STUFF, STILL STILL DIGESTING.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE QUESTIONS AND RESOURCES THAT ALL OF YOU ALL OFFER.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, IT IS 7:28 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.