 Dr.
James Terry
Superintendent
Mesquite ISD
Mesquite ISD
has a long history of doing more with less and maximizing funds.
Our district has been praised for its fiscal responsibility
and prudent management of tax dollars. But no matter how skilled
we are at managing money, new requirements and standards, as well
as a changing student population, make it even more difficult to
meet these increasing demands with the funds we have available to
us.
Although our district
is not yet at the State’s $1.50 cap for
our Maintenance and Operations tax rate, we believe that local
taxpayers should not be unfairly burdened with higher taxes to
compensate for
a lack of funds from the State. Further, simply raising taxes will
not provide a solution. Because our district is property poor,
the value of our tax base does not allow us to generate much revenue
when raising taxes.
Like other school districts
in Texas, Mesquite ISD must address issues such as changing student
needs, a more rigorous accountability
system,
the federal No Child Left Behind initiative, a growing non-English
speaking population of students and rising operating costs. All
of these examples require more personnel to meet the needs; thus,
more
funding is required. All the while we must struggle to maintain
competitive salaries and affordable insurance benefits for our
employees so that
we can recruit and keep quality teachers for our students.
Each year, Mesquite ISD
faces tighter budgets and more financial demands. In the very near
future, these circumstances will make
it more difficult to maintain a quality teaching staff and
educational excellence. We have been highly recognized in Texas
for our rich
staff development program, but limited funds may force us to
reduce the enrichment offerings available to our employees.
Limited funds
may simply mean that we cannot afford to hire enough personnel
to
do the job of educating our children in accordance with the
state and federal standards. Our district may also have to make
cuts
in the maintenance of our 44 campuses and other facilities.
And co-curricular
activities, such as athletics and fine arts may also face cuts,
dramatically hindering our ability to develop the whole child.
Mesquite ISD has a great
partnership with parents and the community. Patrons are willing
to pay for a quality education for Mesquite’s
children. This is evidenced by the 81 percent approval rating in
the district’s last school bond election. Held in March 2003,
the $150 million bond issue was very positively received. Mesquite
ISD has never failed a bond election, and patrons are aware of the
praise the district has received for its fiscal responsibility and
good money management. According to one national bond rating company
(Fitch IBCA), “Mesquite ISD is known for having very strong
financial management, superior cash position and considerable planning
efforts … significant financial flexibility … and impressive
control of its fiscal operations.”
A school district only
has one chance to provide for a child’s
education. We take this task to heart and will do whatever it takes
to make a difference in our children’s lives. |
