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No comments made at CISD budget hearing
By Brad Meyer
Administrators, board members and educators assembled Tuesday night to answer questions at the first of two public hearings on the Conroe Independent School District’s 2008-09 budget – but they never had a chance.
Not a single question was asked and no issues were raised at the public hearing at the Deane L. Sadler Administration building in Conroe. The final public hearing on the proposed $312 million budget, which includes a 3-cent tax rate increase, will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting where officials hope to formally adopt the tax rate and budget.
“We feel good about the budget,” said Dan Cox, CISD chief financial officer. “The information has been readily available to the public for months, and the response has been favorable.”
Kathy Clark, CISD communications director, said the district has made a point of publishing budget information since the process began in February.
“It’s a very transparent process,” she said. “The details have been reviewed at meetings and posted on the website. We have encouraged public input throughout the process.”
The proposed increase would raise the tax rate from $1.24 to $1.27 per $100 property valuation. Included is a 1-cent increase in the maintenance and operation tax rate that qualifies the district for additional state funding. The “enriched penny” will generate $1.8 million in local taxes and $1.1 million in supplementary funding from the state – a total of $2.9 million.
The debt service tax will increase from 21 cents to 23 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed 3-cent increase in the 2008-09 tax rate is 49 cents lower than the 2005-06 tax rate of $1.76.
If approved, the CISD property tax on a $100,000 home with a homestead exemption would increase from $1,054 to $1,079.50.
The $312 million budget total, a 6.25 percent increase over the 2007-08 school year, provides $8.2 million in salary increases – including a $1,710 across-the-board raise for all teachers. The starting teacher salary is now $43,000.
The 2007-08 tax rate of $1.24 at CISD was lower than other districts of similar size. The rate at Katy ISD was $1.527; Spring ISD was $1.44; Cy-Fair ISD was $1.324; Humble ISD was $1.31; and Klein ISD was $1.26.
While Cox is pleased with CISD’s ability to control costs and keep the tax rate increase minimal, he acknowledged the district faces financial challenges in the future.
“The state funding system for school districts doesn’t address inflationary expenses,” he said. “The cost of utilities and fuel are necessities we can’t control but have a major impact on operational expenses.”
Officials anticipate adoption of the budget and tax rate at the regularly scheduled CISD board meeting at 7 p.m., which is after the public hearing. For information about the proposed budget and tax rate, visit www.cisd.net.
At a glance
A final public hearing on the 2008-09 Conroe Independent School District budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at the CISD Administration Building, located at 3205 W. Davis. Officials anticipate adoption of the budget and tax rate at the regularly scheduled CISD board meeting, which will follow the public hearing and starts at 7 p.m. For information about the proposed budget and tax rate, visit www.cisd.net.
Not a single question was asked and no issues were raised at the public hearing at the Deane L. Sadler Administration building in Conroe. The final public hearing on the proposed $312 million budget, which includes a 3-cent tax rate increase, will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting where officials hope to formally adopt the tax rate and budget.
“We feel good about the budget,” said Dan Cox, CISD chief financial officer. “The information has been readily available to the public for months, and the response has been favorable.”
Kathy Clark, CISD communications director, said the district has made a point of publishing budget information since the process began in February.
“It’s a very transparent process,” she said. “The details have been reviewed at meetings and posted on the website. We have encouraged public input throughout the process.”
The proposed increase would raise the tax rate from $1.24 to $1.27 per $100 property valuation. Included is a 1-cent increase in the maintenance and operation tax rate that qualifies the district for additional state funding. The “enriched penny” will generate $1.8 million in local taxes and $1.1 million in supplementary funding from the state – a total of $2.9 million.
The debt service tax will increase from 21 cents to 23 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed 3-cent increase in the 2008-09 tax rate is 49 cents lower than the 2005-06 tax rate of $1.76.
If approved, the CISD property tax on a $100,000 home with a homestead exemption would increase from $1,054 to $1,079.50.
The $312 million budget total, a 6.25 percent increase over the 2007-08 school year, provides $8.2 million in salary increases – including a $1,710 across-the-board raise for all teachers. The starting teacher salary is now $43,000.
The 2007-08 tax rate of $1.24 at CISD was lower than other districts of similar size. The rate at Katy ISD was $1.527; Spring ISD was $1.44; Cy-Fair ISD was $1.324; Humble ISD was $1.31; and Klein ISD was $1.26.
While Cox is pleased with CISD’s ability to control costs and keep the tax rate increase minimal, he acknowledged the district faces financial challenges in the future.
“The state funding system for school districts doesn’t address inflationary expenses,” he said. “The cost of utilities and fuel are necessities we can’t control but have a major impact on operational expenses.”
Officials anticipate adoption of the budget and tax rate at the regularly scheduled CISD board meeting at 7 p.m., which is after the public hearing. For information about the proposed budget and tax rate, visit www.cisd.net.
At a glance
A final public hearing on the 2008-09 Conroe Independent School District budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at the CISD Administration Building, located at 3205 W. Davis. Officials anticipate adoption of the budget and tax rate at the regularly scheduled CISD board meeting, which will follow the public hearing and starts at 7 p.m. For information about the proposed budget and tax rate, visit www.cisd.net.
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