LISD hoping to up pay next year
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

In a discussion of the current and upcoming Louise ISD budgets, trustees found out they're pretty much on target for this year, but rising utility rates and unavoidable election costs may mean dipping into the district's savings.

Superintendent Andy Peters told trustees last week the district was on-track to keep within its current $4.2 million budget, although they might need to spend up to $100,000 more to keep the state happy. The Texas Education Association has created "ideal" percentages of budget that should be spent on particular areas, and schools that vary much from that can find their state funding penalized.

For the coming year, Peters said he expects little change in revenue. He hopes the district can offer something in the range of $1,000 teacher raises, and staff salary increases of 5 percent to midpoint up to $1,000.

"We don't have to match El Campo, we don't even have to match East Bernard, but we have to stay close" in salaries, Peters said.

He also asked trustees to pay coaches for an additional 5 days, which takes them to 202 work days per year, 15 more than regular teachers. This was requested because with early football training and play-offs, coaches work more days than regular teachers. Trustees agreed to do this 6-1 with Board Member Jay Heard voting against.

Peters said the cost of these increases would be about $90,000 per year, but $30,000 of that is paid for by grants.

"It can be done, but it will be tight," he said.

While fuel costs this year will probably fit into the current budget, that figure will have to increase next year.

Utilities came in over-budget this year, and Peters said "it's not a pretty picture." He expects the district will be short $44,000, mostly for electricity, for this year's budget. Next year, expects the utility budget will need an additional $75,000 more for utilities and fuel.

Combined with the $60,000 in non-grant funds needed for possible pay raises, Peters told the board the cost next year would at least $134,000 more than in this year's budget, without the cost of next year's election.

"We'll have tight budgets this year and next year," he said, adding he believes Texas school districts will all be dipping into their fund balances in the next few years, due to the legislature's latest attempt to create equitable school financing.

Until the legislature's next meeting, in 2009, "there's going to be some bankrupt districts," Peter said.

"It has to change," he told the board.

But Peters said the district's savings account - its "fund balance" - stands at 45 percent of annual operating costs, a significantly high figure in comparison to other districts.

"We worked real hard to build that," Trustee Mark Wendel said.