Richardson | July 2023

CITY & SCHOOLS

News from Richardson, Richardson ISD, Plano ISD & North Texas Municipal Water District

Richardson City Council meets Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 6 p.m. Due to a re at City Hall, council meetings have been temporarily relocated to the Richardson Police Department at 600 N. Greenville Ave. www.cor.net Richardson ISD board of trustees meets Aug. 10 and 24 at 6 p.m. at the RISD Administration Building, 400 S. Greenville Ave, Richardson. The meetings are streamed live online at www.risd.org. MEETINGS WE COVER million, including the $252.9 million recapture payment. The board also held a public hearing to discuss the district’s proposed tax rate, which is set to decrease for the fth consecutive year. The proposed rate of $1.21685 per $100 valuation is a decrease from the FY 2022-23 rate of $1.25975 per $100 valuation. The tax rate is set for adoption in August. HIGHLIGHTS RICHARDSON Ocials with the city began replacing playground equipment at Breckinridge Park on July 10 and expect to continue through Oct. 31, according to documents led with the state. The renovations are expected to cost $886,939, and new features include a concrete walkway surrounding the park, a water fountain and additional seating. The new equipment includes swing sets, a rope-pull play structure and a We-Go Round. Funding for the park renovations were included in the 2021 bond program, which was approved by nearly 75% of Richardson voters and supplied $3 million to renovate nine neighborhood parks, including the new playground at Breckinridge park. PLANO ISD District ocials adopted the budget for scal year 2023-23, which includes a projected $24 million shortfall. District ocials expect to operate on a shortfall of $24 million, largely due to a rising recapture payment. Revenues are expected to be $754.1 million, while expenses are set at $777.2

Richardson ISD adopts $407M budget for FY 202324

BY CECILIA LENZEN

does include increases for teacher compensation and incentives. New teachers will be paid a starting salary of $60,000, and teachers that ll critical district needs will be paid stipends of up to $6,000, depending on their role.

Get involved: The RISD board of trustees also voted to create a com- munity budget steering committee, which will assist district ocials in prioritizing resources and guiding decisions for FY 2024-25 budget planning.

RISD to expand locked cellphone program RICHARDSON ISD The board of trustees voted in June to adopt a $407.7 million budget for scal year 2023-24, which includes a shortfall of nearly $15 million. That is the fourth consecutive shortfall budget adopted by RISD, according to the district’s website. The details: The new budget includes a $14.8 million shortfall that will be funded through the one-time use of the district’s fund balance, which is used when property tax collections and state funding are not enough to cover operating costs. Despite the shortfall, the budget

BUDGET BY THE NUMBERS Richardson ISD's budget for scal year 2023-24 will include a one-time use of the district’s fund balance to cover the shortfall.

$407.7M budget

$60K starting salary for teachers

$14.8M shortfall

$6K stipend for critically needed teachers

SOURCE: RICHARDSON ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Wholesale rate increase proposed by water district

BY CECILIA LENZEN

RICHARDSON ISD O cials announced plans to expand a pilot program restricting cellphone use at more schools in the district. A pilot program tested at Forest Meadow Junior High School during the 2022-23 school year prohibited cellphone use on campus. Students were required to put their phones in magnetic locked bags made by the company Yondr throughout the day. What’s happening: For the 2023-24 school year, the program will be expanded to Lake Highlands High, Lake Highlands Junior High, Apollo Junior High and Liberty Junior High schools.

BY CONNOR PITTMAN

NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT Proposed rate hikes from the North Texas Municipal Water District could see member cities’ wholesale rates for treated water increase by 11% to $3.77 per 1,000 gallons. The overview: The water district will nalize its rates Oct. 1. Richardson City Council was also briefed on a proposed 7% increase to wastewater rates to $2.75 per 1,000 gallons for the regional system and an 8% increase to $1.89 per 1,000 gallons for wastewater

Richardson is a NTMWD member city. (Community Impact sta)

rates for services from the Upper East Fork Interceptor. City ocials said they didn’t know how the proposed changes would aect residents’ water bills. The backstory: Richardson has seen its annual minimum alloca- tion decrease by about 500 million gallons from scal year 2020-21 to this scal year, leading to $1.47 million in savings.

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