Brownwood ISD board of trustees were briefed Monday about the 2013/2014 school year budget and are expecting tax rates to remain virtually unchanged while planning several district improvements and employees pay raises.
The proposed tax rate for next year that will be posted for public notice will be $1.04 per $100 property valuation for maintenance and operations and $0.2647/$100 for interest and sinking. While the maintenance and operations rate will be unchanged from last year, the interest and sinking rate will be an increase of only $0.0031. That increase will cover their debt payment for the year that is projected to be $3,110,038 which is just slightly higher than last year.
Deputy Superintendent Kevin Gabaree said that after the 2013/2014 school year, bonds issued in 1998 will be paid off and only the 2005 bond payments will remain. This could shave off up to $0.05 from the interest and sinking rate for subsequent years.
The proposed 2013/2014 BISD budget is projected to be $24,257,894. Last year’s budget presented challenges to the district after implementing pay raises and approving a deficit budget, but things will change this year thanks to some additional expected state funding.
“We will provide you with a balanced budget, we will provide you the very slight tax increase that we had to do to make our payment and we will provide, we feel, a healthy pay raise for our employees,” Gabaree said.
In addition to pay raises, Gabaree said last month that the budget he will present to the board will include the purchase of a new bus, a new ag vehicle, band supply upgrades, new teacher laptops and new campus security equipment.
The BISD board of trustees will discuss the budget in detail in a workshop on August 19th and will approve the budget for 2013/2014 on August 26th.
Other matters addressed by BISD School Board Monday night:
*Trustees approved the 2013-2014 professional development appraisal calendar
*Trustees approved the new school year’s code of conduct
*Trustees approved Texas Mutual through Porter Insurance to carry the district’s workers comp insurance. The in-network annual price will be $77,191 with an expected dividend payment to be made back to the district at the end of the term.
*Trustees amended the TexPool authorized representative to the district.
*Trustees approved the board operating procedures.
