Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
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- Trustees of Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District got what may have been the surprise of their life last Thursday evening.
Lance Edwards, representing the district’s independent audit firm of Smith & Rives, PC, of Monahans, was present for the meeting to presnet and explain the results of their audit of the district for the school year ending August 31, 2009.
Edwards told trustees, “In our opinion, the financial statements referred to present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the government activities, the business-type activities, the aggregate discretely presented component units, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the district, as of August 31, 2009, and the respective changes in financial position and, where applicable, cash flows thereof for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.”
Edwards went on to say, “That means you have a clean audit report.”
He then noted, “2009 was a tough year for the district and the efforts of the administration and the board at curtailing costs is evident throughout the audit report.” He further noted, “With the decline in enrollment and the resulting decline in revenues, the district did remarkedly well. In fact, you did so well that you were able to put $305,423 additional money in your fund balance.”
The district general fund fund balance, at August 31, 2009 stands at $1,605,233. Edwards noted, “That is a nice fund balance, especially given all the things that made it a tough year.”
Supperintendent Guillermo Mancha, Jr. told trustees, “This is the result of a lot of hard work and penny pinching by our business office, the teaching staff, students and members of the community.”
Mancha went on to say, “The cuts we’ve made have been substantial but as we look ahead to the future, we can’t cut much more and still provide our students with a quality education.”
Board president Lisa Cottrell expressed her happiness with the audit report and was quick to pass out ‘kudos and accolades’ to board members, administrators, staff and faculty.
Trustees then proceeded to accept the audit report as presented by Edwards.
Trustees then proceeded to hear Business Manager Julie Uranga report on activities in her office which have impacted the budget this year.
Uranga reported that first off, the district had picked up an additional $19,000 in operating revenues. Additionally, she reported that the district had negotiated a new contract for state of the art copy machines on each campus and at the administration building that will save the district $700 per month.
After hearing her report, trustees approved of it as presented.
High School Counselor Sondra McCoy appeared before trustees to ask them to formally approve a grade conversion chart to convert alphabetical grades from El Paso Community College (EPCC) into numerical grades here in order to calculate grade point averages.
Formerly, El Paso Community College was providing the district with a numericly converted grade for Dual Credit courses being taken here on line with instructors from EPCC. Dual credit courses taken here and taught by local teachers already get the grade in a numeric score.
Trustees approved the conversion chart as presented by McCoy.
And, trustees approved the vendor for E Rate Year 13 as recommended by technology specialist Steven Urias. It will be the same vendor that has been doing the E Rate stuff for several years.
Superintendent Mancha presented board members with plaques of appreciation commemorating their efforts during the year. These were presented as a part of ‘Board Appreciation Month.’
After enjoying cake prepared for the occasion, trustees adjourned the session.
Our congressman will be here today
U.S. Representative Ciro Rodriguez announced last week that he would be holding mobile office hours in this region of his district.
Congressmann Rodriguez, or a representatvie of his office, will be here in Van Horn this morning between the hours of 10 a.m and 2 p.m
He will be meeting constituents at the Culberson County Courthouse.
Mitchell elected to Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation
Stephen L. Mitchell has been elected to membership in the fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows of the Foundation are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout the state of Texas. Election is a mark of distinction and recognition of Mr. Mitchell’s contributions to the legal profession.
Selection as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation is restricted to members of the State Bar of Texas. Each year one-third of one percent of State Bar members are invited to become Fellows. Once nominees are selected, they must be elected by the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Membership has grown from an initial 254 Charter Fellows in 1965 to more than 7,500 Fellows throughout Texas today.
The Texas Bar Foundation is the largest charitably-funded bar foundation in the country. Founded in 1965 by lawyers determined to assist the public and improve the profession of law, the Texas Bar Foundation has maintained its mission of using the financial contributions of its membership to build a strong justice system for all Texans. To date, the Texas Bar Foundation has distributed more than $11 million throughout Texas to assist nonprofit organizations with a wide range of justice-related programs and services. For more information, contact the Texas Bar Foundation at www.txbf.org.
Town gets $432,000 grant for home repairs
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and State Senator Carlos Uresti today announced a $432,000 award to the City of Van Horn to fund home repairs for low income homeowners, helping residents maintain homeownership while providing a shot in the arm to the local economy.
Van Horn officials anticipate the funds will help rehabilitate five homes owned and lived in by income eligible households.
“I am extremely pleased to know that some of my most vulnerable constituents will benefit from these important home repair funds,” said Senator Uresti in making the announcement. “Living in poor housing conditions can often lead to health and safety concerns, particularly for elderly persons and households with young children. Communities such as Van Horn often do not have the resources to help, and I encourage TDHCA to continue its commitment to Texas homeowners.”
“Repairing substandard housing is a critical mission of the Department, as it helps preserve homeownership and the health of rural communities,” said Michael Gerber, TDHCA Executive Director. “It also has the potential to generate numerous construction jobs and the payroll, taxes, and fees that can lead to further development at the local level. We are proud to help contribute to the revitalization of Van Horn and an improved quality of life for its residents.”
TDHCA awards home repair funds to qualifying applicants through the Department’s HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, which helps repair or replace homes owned and lived in by low income homeowners.
Assistance may include roof repair or replacement, as well as repairs to the electrical and plumbing systems. If a home has deteriorated to the point it no longer is cost effective to repair, it may be demolished and replaced either by a traditional “site built” home or a manufactured home.
Qualifying applicants include eligible cities and counties, public housing authorities, Community Housing Development Organizations and other nonprofit housing groups, and certain for-profit organizations which then work with eligible households at the local level.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is the funding source for the HOME Program. The program serves households earning no more than 80 percent of the area median family income, which for Van Horn and Culberson County equals an annual income of $36,500 for a family for four.