BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD GETS UPDATES ON BUDGET & SAFETY
The Brenham School Board got an update on the 2022-2023 budget and compensation numbers at their noon meeting today (Monday). District Chief Financial Officer Thad Lasater presented to the board his best estimates for income and expenses for the next school year. The good news is that his calculations include salaries for all employees will receive a mid-point increase of 5 %. That pushes the starting teacher salary to $50,000 for next year. The bad news is the property values in the county are expected to increase an average of 13.9 percent. He calculated at 59.5 percent increase in property values over the past 7 years. Lasater presented the board with 2 different calculations, one for a conservative student count, and the other for a higher student count. The conservative student count would require the use of $750,000 of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund or ESSER fund, awarded to the district by congress in 2020. Lasater said he would continue to update the board as the numbers become more firm through the summer.
The board also received a safety and security update from Jamie Woodall, Director of Health & Safety for the district. She reviewed for the board all safety considerations, not just an active shooter, as seen in Uvalde. Board President Natalie Lange stated that the goal of the board should be having an armed security guard at every campus. Woodall explained the decision by the district to go with paid SRO’s on the High School and Jr. High campuses:
She also touched on the door barricades for the district. Currently, there are door locks in the district, but they are different if the door swings inward or outward. They also are not attached to the doors, so they can go missing. Woodall said she is looking at a door lock that is attached to the floor, and could be used no matter which way the door swings. She said the manufacturer had some questions about being able to produce the locks in time for the fall.
In other action, the board approved a one-time payment of $500 to each non-administrative staff member who has their ESL certificate. The stipend is designed to reward those teachers who have put in the extra time to get ESL certified and well as recognizing those who already have the certification.