After considerable public debate, Austin ISD trustees voted Monday night to adopt an FY11 budget with no tax rate increase for maintenance and operations. As they did last year, trustees voted to dip into fund balance to cover a budget deficit. This year’s deficit was $6.3 million, or about 1% of the total budget, and comparable to last year’s deficit.
The board did approve a tax increase of 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed value tax to cover district debt payments on previously approved bonds. The 2.5-cent tax increase does not require voter approval, according to district officials.
After the budget and tax rate vote, several trustees acknowledged that tough budget choices are in their future:
Trustee Robert Schneider, asking for continued discussion on comments by [Superintendent Meria] Carstarphen about needing further cutting and work on the budget in the coming year, said, “I’m glad we ended up in this place versus some of the other places we ended up at, but I also want to make sure we don’t make some of the same mistakes again next year.”
If federal stimulus money–EduJobs–comes to Texas, Carstarphen said she would consider using that money for one-time stipends to district employees. However, she did not commit to do this.
The Austin Chamber continues to be enthusiastic about Austin ISD’s work to accomplish the goals in its strategic plan. That plan calls for 90 percent of the Class of 2014 (today’s rising ninth graders) to graduate, 77 percent of the Class of 2014 to enroll in postsecondary education, and more than 90 percent of students enrolled in the district for at least three years to be on grade level by 2015.
The Chamber looks forward to continuing to support Austin ISD trustees as they make more of the hard decisions necessary for Austin ISD to reach its goals.
Please join the Chamber in thanking Austin ISD administration and trustees for their continued leadership in reshaping AISD to accomplish its strategic plan. Thank you also to Austin Chamber Education/Talent Development chair Gene Austin, vCFO CEO Ellen Wood, Higginbotham & Associates President Curtis Page, and the Austin Asian American, Capital City African American and Hispanic chambers of commerce for their support of the accomplishment of Austin ISD’s strategic plan. Austin Area Research Organization, Downtown Austin Alliance and long-time business leader (and Austin ISD elementary school namesake) John Blazier also played key roles.
