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.”
Sounds to me like there needs to be a change made to the position of CFO. Is it not their responsibility to watch the financial bottom line to avoid a $4.5 million deficit? That just didn’t happen overnight! I’m glad to see Mr. Hafner calling the CFO out on the insurance coverage through TASB. Mr. Lasater’s claim that there was not enough time to go out for bids is hogwash- that’s his job to make sure that he submits requests for proposals to make sure the district is getting the best for its money.
Thank you Mr. Archer and Mr. Hafner for questioning the spending, and standing up for the taxpayers. As for the CFO of the district, I find your excuse to be poor. I guess that is why we are in so much debt.
It is nice to see school board members asking questions and voting no on some things that deserve to be questioned. This needs to happen much more. It is time that our elected officials stop accepting the status quo and start doing what they are elected to do.
It’s about time the school board gets questioned about the allocation of the tax payers money. Saying there isn’t enough time to put anything out for bid is a poor excuse. Maybe there there needs to be an audit performed and a closer look as to what is happening in the procurement department. Where is the transparency? Where is the public information that’s should be posted on the BISD website? Where is the check register? The public deserves to see where all our money goes! Who’s getting paid to do what and how much? How the heck did we get a $4.5 million deficit? If this were an investment firm taking care of my money and children I would have fired you!
Amen! Tired of the questionable spending. They want our trust now warn it. Show a ledger of your spending. City council to.