BRENHAM ISD EXPECTING TO FINISH CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR WITH LOWER DEFICIT

  

Brenham ISD trustees on Monday reviewed the district’s current financial condition and received an update on how administrators are planning for the new school year ahead.

Chief Financial Officer Darrell St. Clair said the district still has July and August tax collections to receive, along with an outstanding payment of about $3.6 million from the Texas Education Agency that should come in the last week of August.

St. Clair said based on the efforts of the district throughout the year to cut costs, he expects it will close out the year with a lower deficit than originally budgeted for.  The initial budget was approved with a $4.5 million deficit, but his conservative estimate is that the actual deficit will end up between $1 million and $1.5 million less.

Discussion then moved into a budget workshop for the 2024-25 school year, where finding ways to save will continue to be a priority.  Communications Director Brooke Trahan said according to the Education Service Center Region 6, 80 percent of public school districts are announcing a deficit budget due to a lack of increased funding from the state.

Heading into 2024-25, Trahan said the district has absorbed 39 full-time equivalent positions – which include teacher, paraprofessional and administrative staff positions – at a rough savings of $3.6 million in salary.  

In addition, Trahan said the district currently expects to save $337,860 in operating budget reductions, but it is still working with departments and campuses to see where else they can shave costs. 

Some ways the district is working to reduce expenses include utilizing volunteers for duties and support where possible, reviewing and increasing student-to-teacher ratios, moving all summer activities to the high school campus, and emphasizing and maximizing attendance through additional training and incentives. 

Also on Monday, trustees approved an increase in the district’s contribution toward employee medical insurance, from $325 per month to $375 per month.  The cost of the increase will be approximately $331,000 in total for the next school year.  St. Clair said the district will not be able to approve pay increases for the upcoming year, but this should increase the district’s contribution enough to ensure that, at least at the employee level, there will be little to no additional out-of-pocket expense for health insurance.

In other business, the board approved the hiring of Will Corn as a new assistant principal at Brenham Junior High School and selected Frontline Medicaid Billing for Medicaid billing services.  The annual fee for Frontline is $22,930, with a one-time implementation fee of roughly $17,000.