LOTS OF QUESTIONS AT BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

  

A lot of questions and few answers was the theme of the Brenham School Board meeting Monday at noon.  One way the School Board is looking to get answers is through a demographic study of the community.  The board is looking at holding a bond election for a new Junior High campus and needs to know what the projected student counts will be in the future.  There are many new housing developments going up around the city, but it is unknown how many of those homes will have students in Brenham ISD schools.  The board approved the ranking of bids and the superintendent to execute a contract for demographic services.

Dyann White, Chief Tax Appriser for the district, told the board she expects the property values is the area to go up by 5 ½ to 7 percent this year.  That would mean the board would need to issue a lower rate.  Director of Business & Finance, Kim Weatherby, said she is expecting the board to issue a 4 cent lower tax rate.  She also is recommending that the board issue a 4% midpoint raise for the coming school year instead of a flat across the board raise.  That despite one of her charts showing a drop in average experience of teachers from 20 years in 2016 to just 10 years in 2020.  A midpoint raise increases the starting salary for an incoming teacher more than it does for one with many years of experience.

The board is also looking at a drop in average daily attendance for students.  The ADA in 2018-2019, the last pre-COVID year was 4666.  The projected ADA for the coming school year is 4525.  That would mean a drop in state and federal money to the school district.  Traditionally, the school district has seen a slight increase in ADA each year, but that was before COVID.  Superintendent Dr. Tylor Chaplin explains: