EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Katy ISD, Lamar CISD, Harris County & Texas
QUOTE OF NOTE
Katy ISD trustees approve Nov. 8 tax rate election
KATY ISD In the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, Katy ISD received an A rating, or a 91 out of 100. The results, released Aug. 15, show the district stayed on par with its A score from the 2018-19 school year, the last time the TEA issued these ratings due to the coronavirus pandemic. The district earned a B, or 89 of 100, in the Student Achievement metric; a B, or 89 of 100, in School Progress; and an A, or 96 of 100, in Closing the Gaps, according to the TEA. HARRIS COUNTY The Harris County Safe School Commission submitted action items for schools, first responders and the county to bolster school safety during the Aug. 23 Commissioners Court. The court approved extending the commission’s term for one year to track progress and directed the county’s Office of County Administration and Office of Management and Budget to later report the budget impacts of the recommendations. The commission’s main priorities were maintaining facilities, increasing communication, standardizing emergency training, resource availability and accountability. They also proposed hiring an incident coordinator to complete the commission’s recommendations. The Katy ISD board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. Sept. 26 at 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy. 281-396-6000 • www.katyisd.org MEETINGS WE COVER “THIS IS THE ONLY MECHANISM THAT WE CAN REALLY DO TO CONTROL REVENUE.” CHRISTOPHER SMITH, KATY ISD CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER, ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE ELECTION
BY KELLY SCHAFLER
deficit, KISD Chief Finance Officer Christopher Smith said. District staff said the deficit is due to pay raises trustees approved May 26, but Smith said the raises were necessary to keep up with rising inflation and retain staff. “This deficit I don’t like, but ... our staff needed it, and that’s what put us in that position,” he said at the meeting. In an interview, Smith said the district will offset this deficit by managing expenses throughout the year and underspending on budget items where possible. Trustees also unanimously approved holding a voter-ap- proval tax rate election Nov. 8—revenue from which the district will use to further increase staff compensation. The election is proposing a FY 2022-23 property tax rate of $1.3517 per $100 valuation, which is the same as the FY 2021-22 tax rate. It would bring in roughly $23.6 million more in local revenue in FY 2022-23, Smith said. Without the election, KISD would have a rate of $1.3048 per $100 property valuation—a $0.0469 reduction from last year. “This is the only mechanism that we can really do to control revenue,” Smith said.
KATY ISD With a tax rate election Nov. 8, Katy ISD intends to up the district’s teacher and staff compensation. KISD also faces a $18 million budget shortfall district staff said is in part due to raises passed in May. The KISD board of trustees unanimously approved the district’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget at the Aug. 22 board meeting, which included an expected $18.01 million TAX RATE ELECTION DETAILS The Katy ISD board of trustees approved a voter-approval tax rate election for Nov. 8. Voters will have the opportunity to approve a property tax rate that will:
Maintain a tax rate of $1.3517 per $100 valuation versus a $0.0469 reduction Increase teacher, staff salaries
Add $23.6 million in local revenue in fiscal year 2022-23 Up the average tax bill by $150 annually
SOURCE: KATY ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
70% of Texas teachers consider quitting
Board OKs bond package for ballot
BY HANNAH NORTON
SURVEY SAYS… A survey of 688 Texas educators found many are at risk of leaving the profession due to workload and compensation concerns. 70% OF TEACHERS were “seriously considering” quitting after the 2021-22 school year. 11.5% OF TEACHERS left their jobs at Texas public schools before the 2021-22 school year. SOURCES: TEXAS STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER Agency. That is the highest attrition rate since the 2007-08 school year, when the TEA began collecting annual data.
TEXAS More Texas teachers are considering leaving the field than any time in the last 42 years, according to the Texas State Teachers Association. At the end of the 2021-22 school year, 70% of teachers were “seriously considering” quitting their jobs, per TSTA survey results. Teachers are still feeling pandemic stress, but reports showed salaries and pressure from parents and state officials contributed. Roughly 11.5% of teachers left their jobs at Texas public schools before the 2021-22 school year, per a report from the Texas Education
BY ASIA ARMOUR
LAMAR CISD Trustees approved a $1.72 billion bond package during Lamar CISD’s Aug. 22 board meeting that voters will decide on Nov. 8. The bond proposes completing the remaining 2020 bond projects as well as building new campuses, expand- ing and renovating existing space, and upgrading safety and security. The bond will appear as five items with voters approving or denying each proposition separately. It would increase LCISD’s interest and sinking tax rate from $0.37 in fiscal year 2021-22 to $0.47 in FY 2022-23.
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KATY EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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