001$38,000 is what we pay for the four students to attend that school. Item eight, items for action. A, board of trustees. One, consider approval of San Marcus Dist's uh mission statement and commitment. Item A2, consider approval of statutory resolution relating to Senate Bill 11 on daily prayer time. And this is where we HR needs your guidance. on what it is the proposal you want us to put forth if you want to still take script notes so that we're not violating any vote but we do have to have a resolution before March that's adopted by this board one way or the other >> are we providing feedback for that right now >> um I guess my interpretation and I would love to hear uh insight and feedback from my colleagues is it's my understanding as a
002school district we already do a moment silence when we do the pledges and then addition to that we allow religious organizations extracurriculars to meet also before and after school. So I do not personally support building in time for prayer during the academic school day. >> I agree. Miss Munoz is taking notes of >> I don't have a different opinion. I mean it it wouldn't want to dis anywhere we put it it's going to be a problem. Um and we already provide that time so there's not a need. >> I would agree with my colleagues that this is there's already time that's allotted and adding it would be a disruption. So, I don't I wouldn't agree to move forward with that. >> Okay. I think we have guidance on how we need to create the policy
003>> and we'll um Juan Cruz's office sent us and so did TASBY some literature. So, we'll make sure that we um let TASBY know our direction and then have that in your board book for review. >> Miss Holy. >> Yes. Just as an addendum to that, if when staff brings this to us in the form of whatever resolution we have to vote on, if you could include information of, again, I can think of a number of instances where I've seen uh students with faculty sponsors participating in some type of spiritual organized activity, which I'm in in support of. I'm trying to think of the one where they meet at the flag pole. >> Meet at the meet at the pole. >> Yeah. And so if you can bring those examples to us just so that
004as we discuss this resolution in its entirety, we can kind of unpack once again that we do offer numerous opportunities for our students to exercise their religious beliefs. >> Wonderful. Thank you. I think it would also be helpful within the resolution to talk about the fact that not only that these exist, but that there is no coordinated time across the district or even a campus where it wouldn't be disruptive to either class time or athletics in the morning or after school that we there's not a good time that wouldn't be disruptive to thing. >> All right. All right. Item 8, A3, consider approval of recommended policy language DGA local and FNA local to implement the daily period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts which we just discussed. Item 8B, elections.
005One, consider contract with Hayes County for the purpose of election services. Item B2, consider resolution to participate in joint election to be held on May 2nd, 2026. Item B3, consider contract with Caldwell County for the purpose of election services and joint election. Item B4, consider contract with Guadalupe County for the purpose of election services. Item 8 C operations consider approval of the purchase of 10 buses from Longhorn Bus Sales, Rush Bus Sales, and Thomas Bus Sales Texas um for the amount listed through the use of 2023 supplemental bond funds and authorized superintendent or his designate to execute the contract. So, I believe this was put back on because you tabled it. Maybe if that language could be changed up >> maybe if that language could be changed in 8 C to of up to 10
006buses and then for up to 1.81 that would give us a little more flexibility to get something approved. >> Got it. Miss Hollyy, I had a question on the order of election and and the contract with Hayes County. Just to show consistency, even though I'm no longer the District 1 trustee, um I was just curious if we get information on what the cost would be to have an east side polling location at the Broadway office, which has historically been a polling location. This could all very well be a moot point. If three people file, we have three open seats, etc. But again, I would like to have that information at the upcoming board meeting. Thank you. >> Item nine, close session is authorized by Texas Government Code section 551.071, 551.072, 551.076, and 551.087. Uh a
007deliberation regarding safety, security, including safety personnel systems, intruder audit reports, infrastructure, andor devices. And we'll need to add the item that you and I talked about. And item 10, the board will reconvene in open session to take action if necessary on items disclosed. Um, and that is all administration has. Madam President, >> thank you. The board members have any items? >> Go ahead, Mr. Eric. >> Uh, thank you, President Hollyy. I am a glutton for punishment. So, I would like the board at our February meeting to revisit the request from the city of San Marcus to uh wave our drainage fees that are levied by uh the city. And I can provide supplemental documentation in the form of that letter that we sent last year. I think there's been some changes on city council and
008within city leadership. So, I want to take another whack at it, see if we can get that $400,000. >> Okay. We'll add that as item four under items for action. Anything else? Anybody else? Seeing none, we will return to the regular agenda and go directly into the budget workshop. >> I'm presenting. >> We do request that the board approve two waiver days for low attendance. from last week. We had one day was for Buoie actually that was on Friday, January 23rd. They had an electrical power outage problem that resulted in their attendance being 66% and then we had one on the day that we had the 2-hour delay for a couple of schools that were below the 10% lower than it was the previous year on that same day. So, we'll be asking you all
009to approve the waiver so that we can submit that to the TEA. We'll put we will list that on the agenda item. >> All right. Okay. Let's move forward with the budget agenda. >> Okay. Good afternoon, uh, board of trustes and Dr. Cardona. Uh, we wanted to take, uh, some time to just touch on the process for the budget workshop. Um we've provided copies for each of you as well as um we have it um posted as well on the screen and we wanted to begin just uh to give a clarification on how we receive and expend funds throughout the district. Uh the goal here is just to give some context to our current status and help us when developing the budget for the 2627 school year. Uh so if you kind of look at
010the the graphic on page two, uh three main buckets. Um obviously the the local funds, state funding, and federal funding. Uh our local funds do come from taxes and tax levies. Uh currently receive tax levies from the 2023 bond as well as our Vader in which we elected to use uh the remaining two golden pennies. Uh we also receive our local property taxes. Um but these are factored into the state funding formulas and they help us to determine how much money we're going to receive from local taxpayers and then consequently how much we will uh receive in additional state aid. Uh generally the more funding we we uh have from from taxes leads to less funding from the state. Uh the state funding and I know the question was asked last time about uh revenue.
011It is a a complicated process and has several factors. Um but I I think to to simplify it, if we just look at um some basic aotments, we um we have the per pupil basic all aotment. That's $6,215. Um that was a change from from previous from House Bill 2. Um and the remaining tier one and tier 2 funds are dispersed into what um we call the foundation school program, FSP, and the available school funds, which are ASF. Uh the FSP is Texas's primary school finance system and that's what balances the state and local funds and it helps us to provide uh equitable educational funding based on student attendance and district property wealth. Uh the available school fund is additional funding that's uh distributed on a per student basis and that's some funding that comes
012from uh things like the lottery. These uh two sources of funding um consider factors um which mainly involve total enrollment um enrollment in special programs and then our average uh daily attendance. Uh and then lastly we have our federal funding uh those support programs such as our child nutrition and head start. Um, and then we also have uh several sources of federal uh revenue, mainly our title uh funds and our idea uh B funds. Uh as well as several other grants that we have applied and were awarded. Uh now while the federal funds um are specific awarded amounts, uh state funding doesn't exactly work that way. It's um a prediction based throughout the year um that uses both current data and previous year data. So that funding is driven um by our average daily attendance,
013our weighted daily attendance and then our um property values throughout the district. Uh so looking at at the expenditures um you know we have several programs that exist in our in our um district that um our funds are directed to. Um we previously discussed that the personnel costs um account for a little over 85% of our entire budget. Um, so that means that we have to use the 15 uh% um to account for all these other items. Um, but I just wanted to point out there there are other um costs within personnel that account for that 85% and we've listed them there just so that you have an understanding of some of those additional personnel costs. Um now the additional 15 um% uh mainly goes to our operation and maintenance and uh that accounts for
014both a variety of programs that are listed uh here as well as the budgets that we have to allocate to the campus and the departments and it just overall means we have to be very strategic in our in our approach to expending our funds. Um so we wanted to provide that bit of context moving forward. >> Okay. So the second slide here is um uh re um what I provided uh last month and really what I wanted you to see here on these last two columns is uh how much has changed from one month to the next month. Um we've been uh working really closely um with um Mo Casey and with um Omar which was out of region 13 and they have these complicated um systems um Excel spreadsheets that try to duplicate what
015the summary of finance has and summary of finance is ultimately what funds us. So they they do have very complex um um mechanisms in there. So we as we try to um continue to do estimates, you can see here that from January and up through last week when we receive some additional fund uh runs um there was some changes uh in our uh tax rates based on the comprollers numbers um based on the uh exemptions that were brought through for your homestead, your disability, and you're over 65. 5. So that made some changes. So if you can see here on that second arrow at the bottom, um our revenue looks like it's going down. So I had originally had 91 million and now we're at 89. However, again, remember we're funded on ADA. So um
016depending if our ADA goes back up, you know, we it's it's like a a scale. If one funding bucket goes down, the other funding bucket comes in. and then, you know, tries to fill that bucket for us. So, if our uh tax collections are going down, then the state will come in later and refill what needs to be filled. The problem with that is is they usually don't do that until September during settle. So, we'll receive that additional funding at that time. So, that's one thing that I wanted you to uh be aware of. Uh because this could be changed again next month as we get additional uh ADA numbers in. So, it's just going to be a constant swing. Uh, another thing on that first uh, arrow there on expenditures on compensations. I'm really
017going through there pulling our contracts, everything that we have in our system right now and try to come up with a really good estimate on how much we would end the year in compensation. And I mean, it looks like we're really doing well. We we are coming below of what we had originally budgeted for compensation. So I feel like at the end of the year we we will be at a better space in compensation lower than what we had originally budgeted for. Also on your other operating expenditures there the 16 million um that's a little bit harder to estimate because there are things that come into play that we just don't know. Maybe there's a repair that has to be done uh an emergency. um you know, I don't know, internet might go out or
018we might need to buy something a big ticket item. So, that's hard to uh know where we're actually going to lie at. However, previous years we've never spent every single penny of it. So, I do feel that we'll get some savings there as well. So that being said, um we had talked prior um at the beginning of the year when we received the TRA funding for our teachers. Uh and we did talk about what do we want to do uh or can we do something for all of our other staff members. So this is one option. We thought of a one-time $1,000 payment for all employees that did not receive the TRA. So remember, TRA employees received either 2500 or a,000 depending on their years of experience. So currently we're looking at 742 people that
019um did not receive an increase of that 25 or 5,000. So with $1,000, about $742,000. And this next screen just kind of puts that number into that compensation. And again, these are the estimates that we have right now. So, we could lend there. We, you know, the bottom line could still change depending on uh other factors as we get more information into the templates. So, that's all I have on that. And then we have um Mr. Sandival is going to talk a little bit about bond funds. But before before we leave this topic policy, >> um the the estimate ending is year 2526. >> That that's what we're in, right? >> Yes. >> So So you're still talking about changes to the budget. We approved before >> the current budget. Yes. >> Okay. So we
020we're not yet getting numbers on 26 27th. >> Not yet. Not yet. Um, we do have a timeline here at the end of the presentation where we're cuz we're starting those conversations for the current year. Um, and those will be more directed towards the next coming year >> cuz I I mean, at least from where I sit, I can't we already approved this budget. I mean, what it is is what it is. I'm worried about what next year is going to look like and how early we're planning for that. I think that's why we're having these conversations so that when we get ready to start approving increases, that's when it this comes into play. We we see where we are now and we can start looking towards next spring and what you know what it's
021costing us. So that's why we're having these conversations so that when we approve our budget, we're reasonable in our increases or expenditures because compensation is the majority of it. So I think we're being forewarned that this is where we are, right? >> And then we need to look at it for next year. Although as much as all of us want to give raises and and increases, we still have to keep in mind what's happening currently 25 26. >> Uh thank you, President Holy. And if one of my colleagues wants to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I recall when we approved this budget 2526, there was a lot of conversation around uh trying to get the commissioner of education to redo the hold harmless for us and the five other school districts and
022also revisiting this current budget to per staff's recommendation today is to consider that one-time payout. I do even with that information in hand I I do find it personally confusing and and it's my fault no one else is that the expectation is is we're talking about 26 27 but also trying to settle up on some previously mentioned hypothetical commitments of 25 26 and so using that as like a reference point for me I do I I am supportive of of the one-time payout. I I know HR was reviewing I know I'd asked at our last meeting um to see what we are in relation to our neighboring school districts. Obviously, we need to stay competitive when it comes to teachers and making sure we retain those employees. I know several who have moved to Hayes
023Kal dripping in the last several years and I know it is it is it's in direct correlation to pay or lack thereof and that's like a responsibility of mine to try and stay competitive within the parameters of my of of our budget and so I guess if staff is looking for direction I am interested in moving forward with the onetime payout although we have not settled the issue with hold harmless at tea a I I just got to move forward, right? Like I had frustrations that we waited this long hoping that they were going to figure it out and fix it for us and and here we are and I understand why the prerogative of the board was to wait and see, but here we are and no new information, right? So if staff is
024looking for I guess direction from us today, count put me put my little chip in the like I want to see the onetime payout. I do have I guess some questions regarding the supplemental bond budget before, but I guess I have questions about 2526. Mr. Sandaval, are there maintenance and operational things that are happening where like we're replacing HVAC equipment with general fund this year? like are we like how how do you make a distinction of like I'm going to replace this AC using general fund dollars or or do you not do that or or what is that philosophy? >> We haven't done that. What happens if something goes down then that does come from general funds but we don't have a plan in place to replace any any Hback using general funds or I
025mean you can yeah you can see the supplemental list right there. We have a couple of campuses on there because we know that's a need. Most of our work orders are generated from those three campuses when it comes to HVAC. So, >> okay. >> There's nothing in the general funds or has been since I've I've been in the city. >> Okay. I was just curious about that. So, like for this past year, nothing has broken down. No ACs have needed replacing or >> there certainly has, but we have uh >> So, what do I guess what do you do in that instance? >> We take it from general funds. >> Okay. >> For the repair. >> Okay. And then is there a way to provide that number for like 25 26 of how much of
026general fund you've had to use for these like catastrophic breakdowns where I mean I've been at elementary schools after the kids get out of recess and like god help you if you don't have an AC working right. Um and so I I was just curious like do we have those kind of dollar amounts of what that looks like when general maintenance or replacement things come up. >> We can get that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, I just want to clarify a couple things. Can you go back to the previous slide, please? Um, so one, the teacher pay increases from the state. There's no expectation that there will be another increase that we like another $5,000 next year. >> Yes, there should be another round, one more year that I know of. Yes. an additional
027increase or just the funding for the just funding for >> I just want to make sure that that like in May the state is not going to give 5-year teachers another $5,000. No, but they will give us >> another year of funding to pay for the one from last year, right? But there's nothing for next year. Okay. >> Um then I want to make sure that when we do the budget workshop in March that we have the next year's projections, whatever they are. even if they're estimates, I want to make sure that we're looking at that in tandem. Um, and then if I'm understanding what you're saying correctly, if we get the hold harmless next year, if the TA commissioner revisits it in May because he thinks it counts for next year, not this year,
028and then would give it to us in September, that would be about $2 million. Correct. >> For this year would have been 2.8. 8 for next year 4 something. >> So in September we could have a 4 something added to our 2627 budget if he >> if he does what he says he's that he's that >> we've been told should happen and that he said he would do. >> Yes. He has made comments about settling up now initially September of October of last year. Now he's going to settle up this year in September of October of next year. >> Okay. And then my other thing I thought that I heard you say is that given that the estimate changed because of our tax issues between last month and this month that come September when they
029do a settle we should be back to the original revenue of 92. >> So right no. So those were these numbers that tea received are the uh values from the comproller. So once we get our preliminary and our certified values, they go to the comp controller and because of that house bill with the exemptions of the 140 and the 65. Um they have re recalculated those numbers, sent them to tea. So now they plug those numbers into the to the formulas. So it decreased our uh funding. So that's not going to change until next year when we get certified certified values for the current year. Then it'll change again. What I was saying is we could receive additional funding based on ADA. So your ADA is going to affect also the numbers which if we
030continue to have a higher ADA, we will get uh additional funding uh through the through the rest of the school year. >> Right? Because our budget was estimated on the ADA. >> Yes. >> Right. So, so we should >> get a little bump. Yes. >> Get a little bump and it should go back so that the deficit >> I would say. Yeah. We We're probably going to get close to that 91 if not 91. We We should get really close to that. >> So, we should still be looking at about a million dollar deficit, not the 2.6. And then it's a million dollar deficit. And then assuming that everything else holds the same next year, we'll probably be in around the same ballpark. And if we get the hold harmless back, then the million dollar
031deficit turns into a almost $4 million >> surplus, right? >> Yes. >> Am I doing the math right? >> If it all works the way that it should work and there's nothing else crazy that happens, right? >> Okay. So, that is where I hope we end up, right? I think if we ended up in that place, that would be great for us and it would be a significant um departure from where we were this time last year and give us a lot more leeway and opportunities. So, with that said, I am probably going to come down on the side right now of not doing any in any mid-year increases, even though I know that's something that we had talked about and probably um when we get to reconciling the next year's budget, not do big
032increases until we know that we actually have the money. That's just where I'm thinking that I'm going. So, my colleagues know. Um any other questions? I just wanted to clarify for myself. So we build we built the 2526 budget. We passed it in June. It starts in July, but we based that on tax revenue from 2025 and then the situation changed and that I mean that's how we always have to do it. But that's where this loss of funding is coming from because of that homestead exemption. Okay. >> Correct. >> Okay. So uh briefly I think one somebody had requested that in this workshop we also provide you an update on the bond funds. So the items on the left is the estimated budget for the 2023 bond. The text pool account is the money
033that we have to spend and then each of the projects are listed with the remaining balances as of January 9th. We did account for $4.7 million in arbitrage that we're holding back. So, we're looking um as of January 9th of a surplus of about $15 million from the 2023 bond after all the projects that we've committed to are complete. Now, this numbers also includes um the construction projects, Mendes, the high school, the natator, the middle school. It also includes contingencies. It includes miscellaneous dollar amounts that we that we allocate for things that come up. And then also FFN, uh your furniturees, fixtures, and equipment. So if if we do a good job, then we we probably could have addition to the 15 million, a little bit more than that. The items on the right are
034just very preliminary supplemental bond projects, working with principles, working with cabinet, working with others. Uh we've identified projects around the district that um that we'd like to identify or that we'd like to eventually address. Um the buses. I've got additional information that I'm probably going to present at the regular board meeting on the buses. I know doc um um Anthony Shields, director of transportation last week or last school school board meeting talked about the three-point harnesses. Uh but we have additional information that y'all need to consider because that is an agenda item that y'all would need to vote on. Uh but it is allocating um with the with the supplemental bond funds to purchase 20 buses. Um the playground PIP just an explanation that PIP just means poor in place. So basically it's looking at
035all of our elementary school playgrounds that currently do not have turf uh which uh really our ADA students struggle uh to use those playgrounds. So that's uh repairing those or or adding PIP surface to u to all of our elementary school playgrounds that do not have it. Uh we'll make a comment about Buoy. Uh you can see a $700,000 price tag on Buoie. That is just an estimate. At this point, we do not have an issue with the foundation at Buoie. We have an issue with all of the soil that's in and around Buoie. We've got sidewalks that are cracking. We have um uh ramps leading into the building that are that are dropping. So, we've worked with the architect. We work with the civil engineer to try to to get that resolved. Any questions?
036Like I said, this is preliminary and I would like to get further down with Mendes and the high school projects uh so we can understand in case anything comes up there. Uh so I I would probably project that in April or May we would bring these list to you with like we did in 2017 we had some recommendations uh from our part on priorities and then leave it up to y'all to tell us what what you want to do with those excess funds. Mcclin. >> So, philosophically, I think this money should go back to the taxpayers. Um because we said we're going to do this with your bond money. They paid money. We had a lot of extra. It isn't really our money. But setting aside that philosophical concern because I may be the only
037one with that concern. Um, is there a deadline for when this can be spent? Like, can we just keep their money? Um, until an HVAC breaks um like or does it have to be spent by a certain date? >> It doesn't have to be sent by by a certain date, but the longer that you keep it, the more arbitrage that accumulates. So, right now, we're at what? 4 million. >> 4.7 million. >> Yes. So the longer you keep that interest money, you'll have to pay that back. >> That's what we pay back, >> the interest that we earn. >> Yeah. If we don't spend it all in in a reasonable amount of time because what they don't want is districts to get bond funds and then sit on it and accumulate all this interest, they
038want some of that money back. So you do have there's not a set limit, but it's like a percentage that you have to spend within a certain amount of time. um or then we have to pay that back or charge back. >> Well, if this ever comes to us as an action item, if I could see that percent by date chart view, that would help me because I would we always have unexpected things come up. This is very nice um to have um for those unexpected things if we're not going to pay it back to the taxpayer. And um and I so I I don't want to like spend it all in a moment like and be reaching for some things that maybe aren't necessary and then later we're having to spend general fund money
039to do something we we could have paid for out of this. >> Okay, >> Mr. Adam. >> Uh thank you, President Holly. There's a number of comments I want to make, so bear with me as I kind of jump around here just to understand the spreadsheet that I'm looking at. So the original niatorum budget of what we approved after value engineering a lot of that out was 13.7 million. Correct. >> No, >> that was the original budget. >> No, the the original budget for the natatorium was like 15.8 or 16.4 working off of memory right now. That's that was the balance at that time. That was what was left in the project at that time. So we still have $1,800 to spend on the natorium. >> Okay. Okay. So, we're not like way under budget
040going to roll over a bunch of money. That's just what's left in the account to spend. >> That's what we're projecting. >> That's needed. Okay. >> Well, then disregard all of that line of thought process. I agree with Mr. Mclofflin. Um I think once upon a time when we did this during the last bond process, we had a pretty large chunk of change left over and we did stuff at the CDC. We did stuff at at a number of campuses, I guess. For me, like the carpet in the counseling suite at San Marcus High School, even though it's $11,000, like unless there's some type of like black mold under that carpet or something that is like impacting the health and wellness of of students, I'm going to have to say like that's going to be
041like something that that we defer, right? If Hracks are breaking down and like it's really hot or really cold inside of an elementary school, I I I want to fix that. And so, President Hollyy, I don't know what the prerogative of of the board is or or you independently, but I would really much like to have like a workshop around supplemental bond funds and understanding what these projects are and how time-sensitive they are just because like it's it's a lot of money and like Mr. Mclofflin said, it was tasked with doing one thing and now we're asking to do it with another. So, I just want to have some more information on on each of these items. >> Miss Candy, did you have >> Yes. Uh, mine's just a question. Is this in order of
042importance? Is this prioritized on this list right now? >> No, not at all. It's very, like I said, it's very preliminary and we would expect that in April or May, we would come back and just give you our recommendations. >> You know, it's it's our it's it's my responsibility to bring you all of the needs in the district, right? It's y'all's responsibility to tell us where to spend it. So that's that's what we're doing. That's what we did in 2017 bond. So we're going to follow that unless we're directed otherwise. >> I would like to see kind of along these same lines if we're going to be spending this on something we didn't ask for. I'd like to see the prioritization and some rationale for each one of those things. >> Can you >> I
043just wanted to go back to >> microphone. I just wanted to go back to talking about that interest that we earned. How firm are there? Is there any appeals? Is there any way to get part of the interest earned or it just has to be sent to them? They see it and they have to have it. Well, it just depends on um so current so currently right now. So, for instance, um we just did um an arbitrage uh calculation what last week or something. Um, and so right now it's calculated at about $4 million. However, if we went next month and spent every dime, then we wouldn't have to pay that upper charge back. >> So, it just it just depends on how long you're keeping hold of that interest in a bank and that
044you're just, you know, accumulating those fundings. >> So, there's a time limit. >> Yes. But I can't tell you exactly what the time limit it is because it depends on how much the money is and how much you're um getting in interest. So it it is a another calculation that has to be done to determine exactly how much you could keep or how much you would have to pay back. >> Denise, can you explain to the public who is being paid back? Who's the who? The state. >> So we would have to pay back the We would have to pay back the state. >> So the state takes the money. It doesn't go back to the taxpayers. >> No. which is a question that I have. So, if we decided not to spend this $15
045million surplus and return it to the taxpayers, how would that work? >> I don't think that we can give it. The only way that we could do that really is to have to pay down. Yeah, we'd have to do it. >> But didn't they change the diffusence laws? >> They they did. They did. So, I know it's I don't know if the um limit or the expiration already changed on that, but it is pretty soon where you're it's going to be harder to do that. >> Find out about that. And I agree with I'd like to see the same chart that Mr. McClos would like to see about the priorities and um and also or the priorities that Miss Kaine identified and then how the interest repayments work. Um, but I also will say that
046I don't have an appetite for going out for another bond anytime soon unless there's really extenduating circumstances. I don't have an appetite for taking out the copper pennies, which we got a presentation on um, at all. Um, so I feel like we did this bond in good faith and as long as the projects are necessary and that they relate back to the original bond that we went out for, then I would be fine with looking at them in in a priority. But I want to make sure that they do tie back to the bond that we set back set out right appropriately. Um, just because I don't think that we're going to be going out for more funding. Um, so we should use this in the best way that we can. Mr. Ardondo, >> uh,
047thank you, Miss Hollyy. Although I disagree with with a couple of those statements. I I will say I guess I have additional questions and again in whatever format this information can be presented. I would appreciate it. I guess I'd want to understand also like the 2.1 million in technology like is that to replace Chromebooks? Is that internet infrastructure? And I don't need that information right now. Now, I would really like to see like an enumerated list to understand that better. And the only reason why I say that and not to get into too of the like weeds and minutia of the selling of bonds, I know we sell bonds at different times. They have a length on in which we accumulate interest in debt. And so, I guess my concern is am I using like
048a 30-year bond, which is like for an elementary school cuz that's the life of the campus. Am I using those kinds of bond indebtedness dollars to buy Chromebooks or internet technology, right? Like, is the debt that I pay on it going to be longer than the life of the technology that I'm purchasing? And again, I don't need to like unpack all of that and look through all the layers of that onion right now. But as I look at some of these priority bond projects, I guess what information would empower me is like the stuff that we're using for buses, the debt that we that we're paying on that is going to last the life of the bus, right? Or the debt that we are paying on the technology is not going to outlast the life
049of said technology that we buy. So when this list comes back to us as we're working through that, if you can show me that I'm not essentially going to be paying on my credit card for 10 years for like a pizza that I'm ordering tonight for dinner, like that's going to help me make ultimately make that decision. Right. So >> thank you. In regard to the natiatorum budget, you know, from the onset, it was, you know, alarming to us to have to build this budget in a budget crisis. But, um, we've leaned on three school districts, EN, Alamo Heights, and Southwest ISD. EN has, you know, one high school town. Alamo Heights one, and Southwest has two. Um, Denise has provided a really good framework for Nan and I to start building this budget. But
050as we're talking to these um to these nitorium directors and athletic directors at these schools that the niatorum if if in this on that slide if you start from top to bottom if you prioritize the high margin opportunities in an editorium it'll pay for itself and then some. Obviously it's going to take us some time to get it to that to that point but um in one a to two is where you're going to make your money. And I'll just use one example of one of those niatoriums last year established obviously gross $912,000 and the expense was $495,000. So there was a $400,000 profit and it's in the club. I mean I you know I've lived in the volleyball club world. y'all do some baseball, basketball, those um those people get rich off clubs and
051um we got to get a swim club in that n auditorium and then the events that that swim club uh brings in is where the big piece of your revenue is. There's others which I think are great community relations cuz I keep I keep getting told we're going to do swimming lessons that those are all great and they're going to be good for our community but they're pennies on a dollar to pay for the operation of that nitorium. Um, and a good snapshot of what uh these clubs and these events do. This weekend we hosted a 7 on seven tournament, no electricity, just grass, uh, with a group called Premier Events USA. They showed up with a check for $10,000 that Bernie gets. And then our athletes, not Bernie, our our school district gets, but
052Crystal is the one that picked it up. Um, and our booster clubs made $7,000. So, there was about after we pay our custodian, there was a $15,000 gain to our school district just in one Saturday on grass. So, uh, when you turn that into swimming events and swim clubs and and then reaching out to our our community and and working with the uh, San Marcus Activity Center and physical therapies, uh, it will end up paying for itself, but that's where our thoughts are. Uh, we're moving that direction. It's not going to pay for itself immediately, but I think over, you know, about a 3year period, we should that thing should be paying for itself. >> Okay. And uh last meeting we had uh it was requested about a just some kind of timeline. So, we
053wanted to provide you um just as we're going through our budget planning season. Um kind of here's are some big items that we're we're looking at. Um obviously we passed January, February, uh as important for us as the the uh transfer window is going to close, um we'll be able to finalize those enrollment numbers and that allows both um business finance and HR to kind of begin um making progress with uh projections for um for the coming year. um in which case on in March we will be able to provide um and sit down with campuses and talk about budget allocations and staffing allocations and um obviously get some feedback from those teams as to um what their needs are. And then hopefully we can take that information, put it all together and then in
054April um we're looking at uh getting some kind of salary schedule and compensation plan over to the board um for some initial feedback. Uh, April is also an important time because that's when we will get our preliminary CAD values. Um, so we'll have a much better idea of the the revenue that's coming in um from from our our property taxes and and then in May when we move forward um that's where we'll be able to provide you I think a more approximate um updated revenue projection and then we will have a finalized based on board feedback um compensation and budget plan uh hopefully um for you guys to approve and that will allow us in June to begin moving forward. forward uh where we transfer into our new system and then we do uh we
055do receive that or have that budget and we just begin planning for the 26 27th school year. So, we wanted to provide that to you just so you understand um some of the the big things that we're looking at. >> I think we'll need to add to the April um meeting the review of the supplemental bond projects so that if we decide to move forward with any of those, they could get started over the summer. >> Okay, >> Mr. Ardondo. >> Uh thank you. Thank you, President Hollyy. I think I have a a question for our human resources department just as they have to shuffle their stuff. I guess I had a question specifically more at the middle school and high school level. What threshold has to be met for a class to make? Like
056hypothetically, I'm just going to make up a class like underwater basket weaving, right? Like is it six students? Is it eight students? Is it 15? At what point does like an extracurricular reach the threshold in which we're like we are going to allocate an FTE their work time as a contracted employee to then make said extracurricular or even like academic class. Is there a threshold for that or how does that work? Um, so our process last year that we worked really closely with our academics team, um, and with all of the secondary principles was having a case load of 145 to 155 per sections and then with all of their enrollment. Um, and that made a class. Um, and so that FTE would have a whole case load. Um, right now I know our counseling
057team is looking at course tallies. um those went out last week and coming out and still um returning. So we will have a a meeting with our academics teams and we will ask okay what are your course tallies look like? Um how many sections will that create and does that provide an FTE? Um we wouldn't want to have a full FTE and and not have a case load of at least um the six courses with planning periods that they would teach. >> Okay. And pardon because obviously you're like not speaking my language so I'm trying to like keep up with you, right? But it's fine. It's not your fault. It's mine. >> So I guess what I'm trying to understand is like every section of a course or every extracurricular, it's not just based on
058that one class. It's based on like whether or not that FTE can have like 144 kids across their schedule. Is that correct? >> Um yes. We try to um staff according um to those formulas and um ensure that their certifications they can pick up those course loads and um most teachers have their certification and then um they teach an extracurricular. So we try to staff according to that formula >> and I guess this isn't just for extracurriculars. I guess let me like broaden the scope of my question. So, like if I were going to ask for like a census on enrollment of like each class offered at San Marcus High School, there wouldn't be any classes that have like six kids in them in any given period. >> So, we would not staff that way.
059>> Okay? >> No. When we give our staffing allocation to the principal, um it is with a case load of 145 to 155. >> But that's not 155 kids in one class. It's across like a section of classes. >> All their sections. So, but I guess what I'm asking for is like in a specific period, >> there wouldn't ever be an instance in which there's like six kids or eight kids or 10 kids and we say like that builds a class for that one period. I get that. Correct. >> When we do like averages and divide by the number of sections, it gets you like 144. >> Um, no, we do not staff that way to have six kids in a class. >> Okay. But you but we we like we do have these one-offs
060like AP Music Theory. they'll have one or two kids, but they're stacked on classes, you know, like for your AP courses generally like 15 kids, but you your art for art five, AP art portfolio, they're they're stacked with the so it is possible you would see AP music theory one kid, but that kid's built >> in a class with other kids. >> Correct. >> So, I mean, I would be very interested in I guess like seeing that information as well. Well, I don't I guess I'm just like fishing for efficiency, right? And historically and as a board member who has I think voted for every budget the last 11 years I've been up here. >> Um we have been very generous with building classes, building extracurriculars. If any student had any kind of bunny trail
061they wanted to chase down for some type of enrichment, we've said like, "Hey, fund it. Put the staff member there." And I I think that's great. and and I would want to continue that. But if I am now deferring pay increases for staff another year, then like the gravy train is over, right? So even like I want to look at efficiencies within extracurriculars, within academic programming, like if so I I'd be interested in having that information as well. Right. Um so just to to close out um we wanted to ask if there were any um agenda items that we needed to get added uh for our February board meeting or there were any specific priority areas that you would like us to begin uh focusing on as we u move forward with our planning. Um,
062and I guess to even be more specific, uh, with this the the one-time option here, if this is something that you would even like us to put, um, on the board agenda for February or or not. >> Personally, I'm not interested in reviewing it in February, but I don't know where my colleagues are. >> We we know about it, so we have a means to put it on the agenda through the board president. and two people or three people want to see it. I I don't think I need it to come from the administration. >> And I'm sorry, what is the specific ask again? Just budget related agenda items. >> If there was anything more specific, we just want to make sure as we're we're working on building our budget and and the staffing. I
063know we've heard a lot of of the feedback that you've received already. Um but there was anything specific that was missed that we want to make sure that we pay attention to and try and bring back to the board uh for future budget. I I do have an item again and just because this was based on conversation that we had earlier this year, I would like an up or down vote on the onetime payment to staff. Again, that commitment on postponing was we're going to revisit this in the spring. We're in the spring and although numbers haven't changed, it's still pretty static to the information we had then. And the rationale was like, let's wait and see. We've waited, we've saw, we've seen, and so now let's go on the record. Let's vote it up
064or down. And yeah, so >> if you if you want it voted down, we could put it on February. But to me, it's changed because we lost 1.9 million. And so they're saying, "Oh, that may come back. That number is changing. I might have an appetite to support the proposal once that money comes back, but if you make me vote now, I can't vote for it." >> Yeah. No, I understand. And I guess that's as being have been here when we delayed it again, like if we vote to vote it down cuz there's no new money, we've actually lost money. then I understand that rationale too. >> Why don't we put it on in March? Then at least it sounded like we might have some clarity. You'll still get your vote. I mean, I'll be
065the second for your agenda item. I just think if we put it on in two weeks, we just know how it's going to go. >> I mean, do we think from staff that there will be additional information for that vote? And I mean, again, this was something that we had committed to revisiting in the spring. Again, I don't think the information has been positive, but then again, I just want to go to stack and say, "Hey, like there there was a decision to take no action or we just don't have the money or whatever that looks like cuz I can like anecdotally provide my interpretation of what happened. But again, I'm just one board member. So, >> in March, um by the March board meeting, we will have completed, correct me if I'm wrong, the
066fourth um six weeks. So, we would be able to do an additional revenue projection run and provide um an updated number um to show if that's moved in any direction. Then I can wait till March then for that vote. >> It's just mainly that big gap. You know, it's gone from 919 in revenue to 891. So, that's a $2.8 million drop. We're not closing that with ADA. We're going to have to get back something from the what the state is is harming us with when we were supposed to be held harmless really to make that number go. But okay, March, if he >> Well, and I guess my philosophy or my understanding was even back in the fall was this was always going to be a withdrawal from fund balance that money was never going
067to materialize. And I think that has proven to that point and and I agree. I don't think we're going to make it up with ADA or some recalculation. I'm just trying to do something. So anyway, >> also, aren't we hoping on a ADA increase that we talked about in the budget? >> If our ADA goes up, we get a little extra money and that might fill the gap a little bit. >> So I Mr. >> All right. if you haven't addressed. >> Um the only question that um Denise and I wanted to start planning for March is if there um was any priorities or perspective as far as compensation increases if you wanted us to maybe just have a 1% um that we work with our uh third party vendor to start preparing cuz that's
068when we would show you our market analysis analysis um in the March workshop. I mean, I'm happy to see things if my colleagues would like to see them. But like I said, personally, where I am is I need to know that we are getting the money from the state before I commit any more money. And if we do get the money that we should be getting, then I'm interested in doing as sizable of increase as possible. But until then, I'd be sort of holding the line on keeping the benefits in place. Um, but not expending funds that we don't know that we are going to have yet cuz I don't want to go through any more uh cutbacks. Yeah. And I I guess from my perspective, I would like this revenue nailed down more. I
069mean, it's our it's our budget. It's our money, but I've gotten not really faulting anyone individually. I know sometimes it sounds like I am when I say things like this, but I'm not. But as a policy maker, I get a different view on revenue every month. And if it were if that was designed to confuse me and make it hard for me to make decisions, it'd be very effective. I don't think it's by design. I think it's accidental, but it still means we can't make the best decisions for our staff or we make promises we don't cash later or commitments that we might do something that we don't cash later because it's always a moving target. I just can't. Maybe that's the environment you're in, but I would like to find some way out of
070that environment. Like for instance, we knew that there were um increases in the homestead exemption and 65year-old caps. like we should have been able to calculate what impact that was going to have for us before we were told it by haze cap by the tax assessor. You know, I I think like and I know that's what you're using Casey for. I don't want to tell y'all how to get your information, but I just need better, more accurate and consistent information on revenues to do anything. And and I'm sure y'all are trying, but that's me expressing my frustration. I have one specific thing, though. Um I I think that after last year's experience where we had to we didn't do a reduction enforcement we did eliminate some positions um and this and the administration and the
071board wasn't a part I was part of the very tail end of that but work very hard to get that done u but it has created a a sense of um temporariness and among uh some of our faculty like well will my position be here next year because they just went through that experience of finding out in June okay I'm good so I think I saw the staffing levels would be finalized in April. To me, that's that's if that could be any earlier, that'd be great because then people know, they might not know, am I going to get $1,000 raise, but they'll know, oh, I'm going to have a position to return to. And I think the sooner we can communicate that to our faculty, the fairer it is to them. >> Um, just an
072update on that, we will have allocations to our principles before spring break. So, >> Okay, good. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you all very much. Is there if there's nothing else, is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion made a seconded. All in favor, please raise your hand. >> Thanks everybody and thanks for all of your good work during all of this cold weather. We appreciate it.