Monday's Internet Edition, October 13, 2008.
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| New faces at CCAISD.... At Eagle Elementary are (L to R) Ernesto Hernandez (Medic), Celise McVay (2nd Grade), Felicitas Hernandez (1st Grade), Shryl Calahan (3rd Grade), and Michelle Villanueva (Special Ed Aide). Not pictured is Janet Sparks (Reading Interventionist). |
- Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District trustees met Monday evening for yet another marathon session. This one lasted for 5 and a half hours.
Right off the bat, they held a public hearing on the proposed 2007-2008 fiscal budget which will take effect on September 1st.
Trustees noted that the proposed budget is about $339,508 less than the budget approved for last year. They also noted that the district put nearly $192,000 in the fund balance last year and that there is no projection as to how much will go into fund balance this year.
However, if you compare expenditures this year with revenues, it looks like they’ll surely be putting more into the fund balance this year.
Superintendent Anne Pemberton reported that the decreased budget figures are the result of the district’s decreased Refined Average Daily Attendance, down from 55.25 last year to 519.557 this year. That results in less money from the state.
She further noted that a portion of that can be made up by increasing the tax rate, since the state payments to the district are based on the amount of tax effort made by the district.
She concluded her comments by stating that the proposed budget needs the proposed $1.21771 tax rate ($1.17 for maintenance and operation and .04771 for interest and sinking). If that tax rate is not approved by voters, then trustees will have to amend the budget by either cutting $463,747 from it or taking the money from the fund balance.
After discussion, trustees approved the proposed budget document and then proceeded to recommend the $1.21771 tax rate. That rate represents an increase of such proportion that voters of the district will be called on to approve it.
Trustees then ordered the rollback election to be held on November 6th.
Following a 2 and a half hour behind closed doors session, trustees reconvened in open session to hear Superintendent Anne Pemberton recommend, based on the District’s Site Based Committees recommendation, three folks to be hired as high school principal in order of preference.
Trustees refused to act on the recommendation, leaving the high school without a principal. No reason was offered for rejecting one of the recommended applicants.
Trustees did accept the resignation of Business Manager Angelica Robledo to be effective on October 5th. Robledo, in her resignation letter, said that she wanted to help the district through the transition period and that is why she was resigning in October instead of sooner.
No mention was made of the district’s search for a replacement.
And, trustees did accept the resignation of Ruben Robledo as a trustee and president of the board. Robledo has relocated away from the district. In his letter, he thanked the district for giving him the opportunity of service and wished the district well in the days ahead.
No mention of a replacement for him was made and trustees did not reorganize the board.
With regard to other matters considered by trustees, the following actions were taken:
* They denied a request for waiver of penalty and interest on taxes owed by a Hudspeth County property owner.
* They extended the bond financed Repair and Renovation Project time line to November 18th to give the contractor time to find a certified roofer to complete the project.
* Trustees accepted a renewal proposal on property and casualty insurance coverage for the district. The total proposal this year for the coverage is about $50,000. It was a renewal for the final year of a three year proposal. The insurance broker is Rogers and Belding of El Paso.
* Trustees approved a change in the approved bus routes so that the new route can be submitted to the state.
* They okayed a change in the extracurricular travel policy to bring it into compliance with newer homeland security requirements.
* They talked about the Facilities Committee Finalized List and the fact that the staff had reviewed it to bring it current.
* They talked about salary schedules, step programs and benchmark reports from area school districts.
* They discussed changes to the Student and Employee Handbooks.
* They talked about district and campus performance objectives and plans. Took no action as they are still being finalized.
* Noted that the Texas Educator Excellence Awards grant submissions for each campus are due by September 6th. They agreed to alter the disbursement plan for each campus to reflect the plan submitted and approved by the state last year for the Elementary School.
* Following discussion, they approved the district’s Student Code of Conduct, noting that each student should receive a copy of the document.
* They approved naming trustee Joe Morales to a vacant seat on the Culberson County Appraisal District’s board of directors.
* They approved the reimbursement of fees, tuition and books for students enrolled in Odessa College courses this year provided the student receives a passing grade.
* They tabled approval of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) recommended changes to the district’s graduation policy to give Superintendent Pemberton and Attorney Steve Mitchell time to review them.
* And, they did okay the recommended policy changes to the district’s religious expression policy as recommended by TASB.