Education
BY EDMOND ORTIZ & JARRETT WHITENER
Alamo Colleges District approves budget Alamo Colleges District trustees voted July 13 to approve a $528 million operational budget for fiscal year 2024-25, a document that includes a 3.5% pay raise for all employees. Zooming in ACD’s new budget includes $5 million for the district’s AlamoPromise program, which helps graduating Bexar County high school seniors to pursue higher education by covering students’ tuition and fees. This level of assistance is offered to such students after financial aid awards are applied for up to three years, or until the comple- tion of an associate degree or academic certifi- cate, whichever comes first. ACD officials said the AlamoPromise program is available to students graduating from Bexar County public school districts as well as charter, private and home schools.
Judson ISD to update campus fencing Fifteen Judson ISD campuses will receive perimeter fencing to heighten campus security. The board of trustees on July 18 approved the selection of general contracting services for the second phase of the district-wide perimeter fencing and gates project. The overview The first phase of the project broke ground in February, which included fencing upgrades to five campuses. Funds for the project are allocated from the safety and security bond passed by vot- ers in 2022. The Judson High School project is funded through 2017 bond funds. According to documents submitted by district staff, the project cost is around $1.6 million for all 15 campuses.
Budget breakdown
$30.3 million for student-focused strategies $11.9 million market rate adjustment for employees
$528M operational budget
SOURCE: ALAMO COLLEGES DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The new budget also includes $22 million for the district’s AlamoBooks+ program, which widens student access to textbooks and other materials needed to support their collegiate journey, ACD officials said. Additionally, the new budget contains $1.3 mil- lion for the AlamoU initiative, which introduces bachelor’s degree programs in specific career fields, such as nursing, operations management, cybersecurity and cloud computing. District officials said students interested in pursuing AlamoU bachelor’s programs will expe- rience a seamless, cost-efficient transition into a four-year degree with no credit loss.
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