Public Hearing for Tax Rate, Budget Adoption
As the first day of school in the 2012-2013 school year comes to a close, the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees will hold a called meeting to hear the public’s opinion. They plan to adopt the proposed 2012-2013 budget and set the tax rate for the 2012-2013 school year. The meeting will include a public hearing and begins at 6:30 pm on Monday, August 27 in the Duncanville ISD Technology Center on 103 E. Wheatland Road. The meeting will open with a budget presentation, followed by consideration of questions from board members and the public.
Duncanville ISD is proposing a total tax rate of $1.43 per $100 valuation of property. The Maintenance and Operation tax rate is slated to remain at $1.04. The Interest & Sinking (Debt Service) rate will slightly increase from $.378 to $.390 due to an increase in the annual Debt Service payment. However, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Ronald Kuehler explains that most residents will actually see a drop in this year’s school taxes because of an overall decrease in the average taxable value of homes in the area. The proposed tax rate could mean a possible drop of more than $30 a year for the average property owner.
Duncanville ISD’s current indebtedness totals $152 million, and is rooted in the $166 million bond package approved by the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees and the community in October 2001. Those funds allowed the district to build two new elementary schools, complete renovation of all current school buildings, and implement a total redevelopment of the high school campus. This included a new academic wing and athletic arena. It also included technology upgrades in schools across the district.
At the August 27 meeting, the school board will consider adoption of the proposed 2012-2013 budget of $87.4 million dollars. This budget includes a 3 percent of midpoint staff pay raise approved by the Board last spring. Kuehler considers this raise a highlight of the proposed budget because it allows for more competitive staff recruiting. “In building the 2012-2013 budget, the process was challenging because of reduced funding from the state, while trying to maintain the same quality of education for our students. However, it was also very rewarding to include a pay increase for all staff as part of the budget. This means our district will be able to retain the talented educators we already have, as well as attract new highly-qualified staff.”
At the August 13 regular Board meeting, trustees approved changing the district’s fiscal year from September 1 to July 1. This move will align Duncanville ISD’s financial schedule with the fiscal year for federal funds, and will allow campuses and departments to review expected revenues and expenses during the summer before school starts.
