BRENHAM ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES GET UPDATE ON HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION

  

An update regarding preliminary homestead tax exemption legislation will be one of the topics up for the discussion during the meeting of the Brenham ISD Board of Trustees Monday.

Chief Appraiser Willy Dillworth gave an update on Senate Bill 1. The bill provides $400 million to offset some of the costs of that expanded tax exemption. The state contribution rate increases from 6.4% to 6.8% for FY 2014 and FY 2015. This bill removed 69 million dollars in value off of the tax folls

The amount being saved would only be about $113 dollars.

Washington County, the cities of Burton and Brenham, the Brenham and Burton school districts, and the Oak Hill water district will see their total property rolls increase.

Dillworth noted that there are $3,150 persons over 65 who have their taxes frozen, and 47 person listed as disabled, and their rates will need to be recalculated and refrozen.

These persons will not have to reapply for the exemption. Some, who have had their taxes frozen since 2007, when their was a 50 cent loss on the tax rate, will experience a second freezing of their rate.

The Board also accepted a donation to the District from the Washington County Wildlife Society and the Lone Star Water Forum in the amount of $2500.

Senate Bill 1 will be voted on in November, and, if not approved, the Tax Office will send all Brenham ISD residents with Homestead Exemptions, a bill for $113.

The preliminary 2015 STAAR/EOC test results were presented to the Board.

Bonnie Brinkmeyer addressed the Board by noting that although some of the scores available were good, others needed attention, noting that the third grade reading scores, the only ones available at this time, were much better, with 84% of all students passing the reading portion.

The chart also notes that 86% of all Hispanic students passed the reading portion, 68% of African American students passed reading and 93% of White students passing reading.

Brinkmeyer also noted that this year’s third grade students far outdid the fourth grade, despite this year being the first year the third grade has been tested.

For middle school students, 80% of all students passed reading. Broken down, 76% of Hispanic students passed reading, 59% of African American students passed reading and 91% of White students passed.

For Junior High students, 71% of all students passed the reading part of the exam. Broken down, 64% of Hispanic students passed, 56% of African American students passed reading, and 83% of White students passed the reading portion.

The math scores will not be available until late summer.

The Board also heard a presentation from High School band director Eric Rettig on plans to have a hard surface marching band practice field built, with money to be raised by the Brenham Band Parents.

Rettig noted that almost all the schools in the area have built hard surface marching fields, and noted that some of the downfalls of using a grass field including having to redraw the lines on the field often and dealing with mud after heavy rains.

There were also safety issues mentioned, such as dealing with dips in the field.

The hard surface could also be used as a parking lot.

The board approved the Band Parents request to begin fund raising for the effort.