Rockwall, TX (July 17, 2024) – Board meeting summaries highlight different agenda items. Board meeting videos are available for viewing within 24-hours of the meeting at www.rockwallisd.com.
Board of Trustee Representative on Rockwall ISD School and Health Advisory Council and District School Safety Committee
The Board of Trustees is represented by a Trustee(s) nominated to serve on the Rockwall ISD School Health Advisory Council and the District School Safety Committee. The Board of Trustees appointed Trustee Dr. Bart Miller to the Rockwall ISD School Health Advisory Council and Trustee Grant DuBois to the District School Safety Committee.
Public Hearing to Discuss Financial Efficiency Audit
A public hearing was held in accordance with Texas Education Code, Section 11.184, which requires the Board of Trustees of a school district to conduct an efficiency audit before seeking voter approval to adopt a tax rate for the maintenance and operations (M&O) of the district. The statute defines an efficiency audit as an investigation of a school district’s operations to examine fiscal management, efficiency, and resource utilization. The efficiency audit is posted to the district website and can be viewed here.
Highlights of the audit include:
Discussion of Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE), Tax Rate Implications, and Priorities, Including Providing Competitive Compensation for Teachers and Staff, Staffing for Student Growth, and Funding for Safety Initiatives
At the core of school funding is the basic allotment – the per-student funding each district receives. Since 2019, the state has not increased the basic allotment, despite inflationary price increases of up to 20% on everything, including supplies, utilities, and other school operational expenses. In fact, the State’s own Legislative Budget Board (LBB) shows that funding has dropped by $590 per student over the past 10 years in inflation-adjusted dollars.
New state mandates, including House Bill 3, are exacerbating the problem, which requires school districts to have a commissioned peace officer at every campus absent extenuating circumstances. Although the Legislature increased the school safety allotment in 2023 by 28 cents per student and sent $15,000 to every campus to help districts comply with House Bill 3, that additional funding falls significantly short of the actual cost of providing enhanced security. In Rockwall ISD, this shortfall represents approximately 2.5 million dollars that the local taxpayers have to fund to comply with House Bill 3.
Further, in one of its own interim reports the State of Texas determined that it is currently underfunding school districts’ special education services by $2.3 billion. This increases the financial strain to districts that are already stretching their budgets to provide required services to students with disabilities and special needs.
The state asserts increased funding for education. However, this includes funding in response to student enrollment growth and to cover, albeit not entirely, new state-mandated items. The State also counts state funds used to pay down local property taxes as funds “used for education” – even though not a single dollar of these funds can be used for student learning and instruction. Lastly, this assertion includes temporary funding set to expire this fall and one-time investments in the Teacher Retirement System that do not impact the classroom. Put simply, there was no new funding to address teacher shortages, the special education funding shortfall, inflationary pressures, or underfunded mandates.
While funding has been frozen since 2019, Rockwall ISD remains one of the most financially efficient and academically highest-performing school districts in the state. However, due to the lack of funding, inflationary pressures, growing student population, and state-mandated expenditures, the district will struggle to maintain this high degree of excellence for the community.
One option available to the district is to propose a Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) to the community’s voters. If approved, this would allow the district to increase its tax rate – already the lowest tax rate of any surrounding or peer district – to access additional local tax dollars and increase state funding. With additional funding, the district would be able to address the needs of the growing district to maintain the high level of academic and programmatic excellence the community expects.
Contingent upon the successful passage of a potential VATRE, the trustees discussed setting priorities for the use of future funding, focusing on:
Competitive Pay: Retaining and Recruiting Quality Teachers & Staff
Competitive Pay: Staffing for Growth
Unfunded Mandates: Funding for Safety Requirements
The Board will discuss these priorities further and consider adoption at a future meeting. Adopting priorities signifies the Board’s commitment to allocating potential VATRE funding to these areas.
Approval and All Matters Incident and Related to the Issuance and Sale of Rockwall Independent School District Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds and Refunding Bonds, Series 2024, Including the Adoption of an Order Authorizing the Issuance of Such Bonds, Establishing Parameters for the Sale and Issuance of Such Bonds and Delegating Certain Matters to Authorized District Officials
The Board approved the sale of Rockwall Independent School District Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds and Refunding Bonds, Series 2024, Including the Adoption of an Order Authorizing the Issuance of Such Bonds, Establishing Parameters for the Sale and Issuance of Such Bonds and Delegating Certain Matters to Authorized District Officials. The funds from this bond sale were projected in the bond authorization from the 2021 Bond election approved by voters.
Approval of Board Policies
The Board of Trustees approved Policy Update 123 from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) regarding local policies. The Board also approved a revision to policy EIC(LOCAL).
Information about the 2024-2025 Student Handbook
District leadership presented information about the 2024-2025 Student Handbook. District and campus leadership have reviewed the 2024-2025 Student Handbook. As this is not a legislative year, there are no substantial changes to the Student Handbook.
Approval of 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct reflects board policy and has been reviewed by the Student Services Department along with campus and district administration for the 2024-2025 school year. As this is not a legislative year, there are no substantial changes to the Student Code of Conduct.
Approval of the Alternative Education Program Waiver (Optional Flexible School Day Program)
The Board approved the Optional Flexible School day Program application as required by the Texas Education Agency. The waiver allows the District to receive full-day funding for student enrollment in the Choice program at the Rockwall Quest Academy.
Press release submitted by Luci Mouton for Rockwall ISD, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Courtesy graphics.
Update from Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees July Meeting added by Melanie M on
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