BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTS BUDGET & TAX RATE
The Brenham School Board on Monday unanimously adopted a balanced budget and set the tax rate for the 2024-25 school year.
The budget comes out to $56,658,379 in expenditures, a reduction of $4,234,869 from the current year. The tax rate is $0.7469 per $100 valuation, consisting of $0.6669 for maintenance and operations (M&O) and $0.08 for interest and sinking (I&S). The tax rate is lower than the previous rate of $0.7693 per $100, which had the same I&S rate but a higher M&O portion at $0.6893.
Superintendent Clay Gillentine said this budget was very challenging to finalize, and while Brenham ISD was able to avoid having to adopt a deficit budget, the same cannot be said for many other districts around the state.
A presentation from Chief Financial Officer Darryl St. Clair and Chief Communications and Engagement Officer Brooke Trahan illustrated to trustees and the public the difficulties in crafting this budget. The presentation noted continued price increases for supplies, insurance, utilities and other school operating expenses, all while the state’s allotment per student has remained the same since 2019.
Trahan also stated that when property tax revenue increases due to rising local property values, the state does not increase per-student funding, instead lowering its percentage of total school funding.
The district is budgeting for enrollment of 4,773 students and an average daily attendance (ADA) of 4,500 students. ADA is what drives state funding, so a higher ADA leads to more state aid.
Of the $4.23 million in budget cuts, approximately $2.49 million of that comes from full-time equivalent position reductions. Trahan said roughly 45 positions are impacted, including 25 teachers, 10 administrators, five paraprofessionals and five maintenance/custodial positions.
Board Vice President Jared Krenek asked if this current path is sustainable, should the state not contribute more funding. Gillentine replied that this budget leaves very little wiggle room, so if major equipment goes out or an emergency occurs, the district may have to dip into its fund balance.
Board President Natalie Lange acknowledged that teachers in the current environment are “completely drowning” and that everyone is “overworked” from all of the district’s position absorptions. She said it is “not fair” for them to have to work as hard as they do without a raise for two years, and that it “makes no sense” that Texas has one of the best economies in the world but is among the lowest of any state in funding for students.
Trustee Tommie Sullivan said campus leaders and administrators deserve recognition for keeping teachers motivated. He said the district has to do something for the teachers whenever the chance comes, because “we can’t keep going this way.”
Trustee Bonnie Brinkmeyer said it hurts to know that students do not have the same space or quality time with their instructors due to the larger class sizes. She said she hopes relief will come soon, but encouraged the public to contact lawmakers and remind them that there are teachers and families who are affected negatively by all of this.
The public hearing prior to adoption of the budget and tax rate had no comments, but during the public comment period at the start of the regular meeting, several citizens commended the administration and staff for their work on the budget.
Click here to view the budget presentation from Monday's meeting.
A “balanced budget” at massive expense to teachers, students, and facilities. Congratulations to all who raised cane about the deficit without a remote understanding about the context of the deficit or even a layman’s understanding of education policy. Everyone slapping the board and the supt on the back, please realize that you are co-signing increased class sizes (which will result in worse scores that you also don’t understand) as well as the continuation of pathetic salaries. I hope you don’t gloat to the teachers in your life.
And teachers go another year without a raise. The good veterans either retire or leave and aren’t replaced…unless it’s by another central office instructional position that wasn’t needed.
Nope. Ridiculous. This is backlash to the community for not adopting the proposed bond in 2022. Nothing more than childish retaliation. Now our kids will suffer for their antics. Nothing more than a “hold my beer” moment by the board.
So no more hot checks. Wow was that so hard? You have to live within your means and had to cut a few jobs. Hard times don’t last but hard people do. Glad the new people to the board has done some real good. The others who complained about the budget would you like cheese with your whine?