CISD School Board to discuss tax rate and budget for upcoming year

By Editor | August 26, 2020 |

By Kaitlyn Willis/The Red River Sun—

CHILDRESS- The Childress Independent School District board is expected to approve the tax rate, the 2020-2021 budget and amend the current budget during a special called meeting at 12:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31.

Superintendent Carl Taylor, during the board’s Aug. 17 meeting, proposed a balanced budget that includes a tax rate of .9664 per $100 valuation, which is lower than the current year’s rate of .97 per $100 valuation.

The total budget represents a 4.4-percent reduction over last year’s budget. The district is able to reduce the tax rate because property values have gone up, which gives the district the ability to raise the same amount of funds on a lower tax rate, he said.

The district’s revenue comes from property values, average daily attendance and taxes collected, Taylor said. However, administrators do not know yet what the exact attendance will be this year, so they base the budget off of last year’s attendance. Taylor said school administrators will look at attendance numbers after six weeks to determine if the budget is on target. The district will continue to evaluate attendance every six weeks and adjust the budget accordingly.

The average daily attendance is about 1,000 students, Taylor said.

Looking back at the first week of school, Taylor said it was a good start to the year.

“The teachers are working hard, and the kids are doing what they are asked and wearing their masks. They are doing everything we ask of them,” Taylor said. “I am proud of our teachers and kids. It was a really good week.”

As the second week starts, Taylor said about 110 students are on attending online, which equates to about 10 percent of the student population.

Taylor also said the district is in the process of purchasing new laptops for teachers and iPads and Chromebooks for students.

Using federal dollars provided through the CARES act to help with the purchases, the school is able to replace old laptops for the teachers, provide iPads for kindergarten through second graders and Chromebooks for third through 12 graders.

Process buying traches new laptops computeers and chrome books so every student kids have one ot take home i

Big technology order for teaches and kids..

k-2 – have ipad and 3-12 chromebooks.

Cares money gov provided to help pay for the technology…

Good start—7 days and had a great sart.. smooth.. kid cooperative. Teachers working hard.. kids ding what asked.. wear mask.. do everhtig we ask them to do.. it eadyy was a great start…

Proud of our teachers and kids.. it was a rally good week.

Final board meeting on the 31^st.. at 12:30o – approve the tax rate, approve the new budeget and ament the old budet..

May last 20 minues.. public hearing was held August 17th.. no one showed up.. discussed bdget on the broad sense.. line item.. questos.. not manay there…not new to them..

Budget -p down 4.4 percent frm last year’s budget.. notice..one of the reasons had people retie.. top of pay scale and new hires .. did not cut anything.. on reenue side.. based on pop cvalues, aerdage daily attenace and tax collectis.. reveue is an estimate.. until know how mahy kids have for year, estimate.. not know what average dialy attendance..

Usually use previous years attendane.. each 6 weeks adjust based on previus 6 weeks…

110 kids virtual out of about 1,000 so 10 percent..

Last meeting of fiscal year… Sept. 1.. then on a schedule 2ns Monday of eery month..