 Humble
ISD: Education at the Tax Rate Cap
Bonnie Longnion
School Board Member, Humble ISD
This is the third year that Humble ISD has experienced being at the
tax rate cap. Likewise, it is the third year the district has operated
under a revenue-neutral budget while expenditures continue to increase
primarily due to rapid student growth. For every increase we have
realized in local property values and property tax yield, we have
lost the equivalent amount in state funding. (for every increase
we realized in local property values and property tax yield, we
have lost the equivalent in state funding), but expenditure rising
situation, primarily due to fast student enrollment growth.
We take pride in the
district’s accomplishments, as do the
parents and community members who rightfully settle for nothing
less than high quality. To that end, we embrace the increase in expectations
and standards for student performance from the state. However,
we
are troubled over how we can ultimately survive without more state
funding.
Over the past two years, we have cut our operating budget by $7,156,959
by eliminating administrative, teaching, and support staff positions;
exhausting all external grant possibilities; and cutting back
training and supply budgets. This has resulted in increased class
size in
our middle, and high schools, an inability to be as administratively
responsive as we should be to our parents, community members
and employees. We
have also tried to further our efficiencies as a school district
through energy conservation efforts; outsourcing some support services;
and joining in consortiums of school districts, primarily through
our Region IV Education Service Center, for staff development,
purchasing, and other needed services. Our general administrative
costs have
been reduced to 3.3 percent of our budget. And, after factoring
out all salaries; benefits; and fixed costs of utilities, insurance,
and the like, there is only 6.4 percent of our total budget remaining
for “discretionary” spending on school supplies, reference
materials, training and other like areas.
The children we serve
are increasingly diverse in their educational needs. They require
more and more special programming and highly
skilled staff than ever before. Their education and future will
determine our state’s economic development for decades to come. They
are our state’s greatest potential asset. Our best financial
investment in their education now will result in significant financial
returns to our state’s economy in the future. |
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