CS trustees discuss tax hike, budget and renew Coulson's contract

  • Posted: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 7:00 a.m.
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Eagle Staff Report
A 4.8-cent increase is likely for College Station school district taxpayers after officials said Tuesday that the final $41.7 million of a $144.2 million bond package will be sold in September.
That means the total tax rate is expected to be $1.35 per $100 property valuation. The hike will wrap up paying for the 2009 bond package, which was passed with 70 approval by voters. This is .0009 cents lower than estimated two years ago, officials said.
No action was taken by trustees Tuesday, but district spokesman Chuck Glenewinkel said the board anticipates voting on the sale of the bonds at a July meeting.
Glenewinkel listed the following other updates from the meeting:
• The board heard an update on the 2011-12 budget from Glynn Walker, deputy superintendent for human resources and business services. With the current funding plan making its way through the state legislature, College Station is projected to receive about 6 percent less per student for 2011-12, which translates to an estimated $4.46 million less than the district would have under the 2010-11 funding system.
• CSISD has reduced its spending for 2011-12 by more than $2.7 million — mostly through personnel attrition and reassignment. In all, 65 professional and paraprofessional staff reassignments have been made. Reductions in central office, athletics and operations budgets also were implemented.  
• The district will draw from its $29 million-plus fund balance (savings account) to cover the remaining deficit.
• No action was taken on this item as the board is scheduled to adopt the 2011-12 budget in August.
• Along with the budget update, the board discussed potential salary and benefit increases for district employees. Salary increases were not recommended  to the board, but because of escalating insurance costs, the board discussed the merits of a $38 per month increase in health insurance contributions, but no action was taken. The most common plan for employee-only insurance is increasing $38 per month. The increase is estimated to add about $570,000 to the budget for 2011-2012.
• Employees received the higher of a $350 or a 1 percent salary increase to off-set rising health care costs last year. Even with last year’s modest increase and the benefit increase discussed for this year, many employees will have less “take-home” pay than two years ago. The budget will be adopted August.
Glenewinkel said the board unanimously voted to approve the following new Career and Technology Education (CATE) courses for the 2012-13 school year: Advanced Architectural Design, Practicum in Architectural Design, Building Technology, Advanced Building Technology Practicum in Construction, Culinary Arts, Practicum in Culinary Arts and Practicum in Education and Training.  
He said the courses were selected with the assistance of an advisory committee, which included representatives from the business community, parents, students and district staff.
Go to the following web page to see which courses will be offered at each high school beginning 2012-13, as well as the applicable CATE transfer guidelines: www.csisd.org/pages/ts_zones.html
After meeting in executive session, the school board took the following action:
• Renewed Superintendent Eddie Coulson’s contract by one year. He will not receive a pay hike because of the funding cuts.
• Voted unanimously for Valerie Jochen to become president of the board, Paul Dorsett to be vice president and Jeff Harris to be secretary. 

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