As you know, our district facilitates questions concerning rumors in the community. Recently, there have been questions about administrative costs, last year’s stimulus funds, budget cuts, our financial status with the State and being a recapture district. Below is a brief list of the facts regarding these questions:
Administrative costs – Based upon the AEIS data from the Texas Education Agency, LISD’s total expenditures for administrative costs is 2.9 percent. Our administrative cost to instructional budget ratio is 6 percent. The state allows districts, with 10,000 or more students, to have an administrative to instructional cost ratio of up to 11 percent. Please note we opened four facilities this school year, Career Center East, Hebron Ninth-Grade Center, Lewisville Elementary as well as a new and expanded DeLay Middle School.
Stimulus funds – Last school year, the district received $120 per student. The state mandated a portion of the $120 go toward raises for teachers, librarians, counselors, speech pathologists and nurses. The district expanded this five-employee group to six by adding diagnosticians. Out of the $120, $80 was used for the raises for these six employee groups. The Board approved to use the outstanding funds to provide raises for remaining staff.
Budget Cuts – Last school year, the district cut $19 million by reducing staff through attrition, implementing a hiring freeze except for teaching positions, reducing campus and administrative operational budgets, reducing the substitute budget and adjusting school start times for the 2010-11 school year which saved transportation costs.
LISD Owes the State Money – Annually, the state makes enrollment projections for all Texas public school districts. The projections are either too high or low. For the past few years, the state’s projections for LISD have been high. Therefore, LISD reserves the additional funds sent by the state and earns interest off these funds. Subsequently, the state adjusts future payments to recoup the over-payment. The outcome is a net increase for the district since we have earned interest on the reserved funds.
LISD is a Recapture District – Recapture, or Robin Hood, districts are those that fall under the provisions of Chapter 41 of the Education Code. The provisions of Chapter 41 require districts that have property wealth in excess of $319,500 per student in weighted average daily attendance to shed wealth. Generally, LISD does not actually send money to the sate or another district. Instead, the state just reduces its aid to the district accordingly.
We are proud to be a Texas Education Agency “Recognized” district with 38 schools rated “Exemplary” and 20 “Recognized” campuses. This is due to more than 6,000 individuals who put student success first every day.
Throughout the year, I encourage you to visit the district “Rumor Watch” webpage at www.lisd.net/communications/rumors. For additional questions, please contact the Office of Public Information at 469-948-8152 or send an e-mail to Public Information Officer Karen Permetti at [email protected].
Dr. Jerry W. Roy, Superintendent of Schools
Lewisville ISD
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