August 7, 2018
Texas

Revenue cut: School board assessing options

Karen Gleason | Del Rio News-Herald | delrionewsherald.com

The local school board discussed how to shave more than $600,000 from the district’s annual budget after an appraisal of a Val Verde County wind farm was reduced.

The San Felipe-Del Rio CISD Board of Trustees is considering ways to adjust its budget for the 2018-2019 school year, after the Val Verde County Appraisal District’s appraisal review board lowered the appraisal of a wind farm in central Val Verde County.

The board has not made any final decisions regarding the 2018-2019 budget.

Board members discussed ways to reduce the budget, including the possibility of eliminating open administrative positions, elementary teaching positions and reducing department travel budgets to accommodate the $660,000 anticipated budget reduction during a July 31 special called meeting.

“We have ideas in regard to what we feel is important,” said Board of Trustees President Raymond Meza. “The unforeseen decrease in funding kind of upsets everything. There’s going to be some negotiating.”

Superintendent Dr. Carlos Rios said the district had anticipated the additional funding for about two years.

Meza and other board members expressed concern regarding eliminating elementary teachers, saying administrative positions need to be examined with a fine tooth comb as well.

“If we reduce the number of teachers, then central office has to do the same,” Meza said. “I feel there some areas in administration seems to be top heavy.”

The board held a budget workshop Monday night and will continue to examine the budget during upcoming meetings. The board will meet on Aug. 20 for their regular monthly meeting and again on Aug. 27 for a budget workshop.

Members of the Val Verde County Appraisal District Board of Directors agreed to appeal the appraisal review board’s decision through a lawsuit to be filed in state district court.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/08/07/revenue-cut-school-board-assessing-options/