BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD HOLDS LENGTHY MEETING
An almost 2-hour meeting as trustees question every expenditure greeted the Brenham School Board Tuesday at their Noon Special meeting. The trustees are wary of spending any money with a $4.5 million deficit on the coming year budget. First, the trustees questioned items 2 and 3 of the consent agenda, which is made up of normally non-controversial items. Trustee Archer Archer questioned the Student Code of Conduct, then Trustee Kyle Hafner asked why the school District did not go out for bids on the Texas Association of School Boards insurance. Thad Lasater, Chief Financial Officer for the District, answered that there wasn’t enough time to go out for bids, that in his experience, they offered the lowest rates and that there is no guarantee that TASB insurance would come back if the school district dropped them. Hafner also questioned spending more money on a lower deductible. The item passed with Trustee Hafner voting no. Then Trustees Archer and Hafer questioned spending $155,000 on vent hoods for the Culinary Arts classrooms at the High School. The old residential hoods no longer meet code. Thad Lasater answered that the money was not coming from the General Fund, but from a bump in the West Texas Lands fund. Hafner countered that that is like taking money from one pocket and putting it in the other to make you think that you have more. The item passed with both Archer and Hafner voting no.
The School Board passed a proposed tax rate of .08 I & S and .6883 rate for M & O to make the total tax rate .7683. That compares to last years rate of .9346, but will still provide more money to the district due to increases in property values. The tax rate will be official with a vote from the School Board at their next meeting on Monday, August 21, at Brenham High School. The answer to the $4.5 million deficit would come from the Texas Legislature. The Texas Governor may call another Special Session in October.
In other action, the board approved:
- The proposed application for High School Equivalency program from the TEA.
- A bid for $46,000 for foundation repair at PRIDE Academy.
- The Agreement for the purchase of attendance credits (Option 3 Agreement)
- The adult meal pricing for the next school year.
- The 2023-2024 Student Code of Conduct.
The superintendent tabled until the next meeting the item that read “the resolution by the board providing for the defeasance and calling for the redemption certain currently outstanding obligations.”