SCHOOL BOARD SETS PROPOSED TAX RATE
The Brenham School Board reviewed the district budget and set the proposed tax rate at their noon meeting today (Monday). The total budget has a one percent increase over last year bringing it to $40,651,000. Most of the increase is due to the proposed 3 percent increase in pay to district teachers and personnel. BISD Director of Business and Finance Kim (Horne) Weatherby explains:
The proposed tax rate for the district will remain the same at $1.135 per $100 valuation. A small adjustment has been made between the maintenance and operations portion and the debt service portion of the tax, but the total tax rate will remain the same as last year. Washington County Tax Appraiser Willy Dilworth has reported that property values are up 1.6 percent in the county over last year. The average residence in the county has a taxable value of $147,000. The proposed tax rate will mean the average homeowner will owe $107 more in school taxes this year. A public meeting has been set to hear comments on the proposed budget and tax rate. The meeting will be Monday, August 15th at 5:30pm at Brenham High School.
In other action, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Jamey Johnson briefed the board on a pilot program that will begin with the third grade this year. The program is for gifted and talented students and is called Gateway. It is designed augment the current program called CSI that is housed at Alton Elementary. With the Gateway program, a small group of gifted and talented students will be taught in a separate classroom and receive personalized instruction designed around their interests. Currently there are 17 students identified as gifted and talented who will be entering the 3rd grade at BISD. A parent meeting will be held tonight (Monday) at 6:30pm at the Alton Elementary Library to gauge interest in the program.