Trustees adopt rate, budget

Albany ISD trustees passed a budget that is $755,000 short during a special early morning session on Aug. 31, meeting the required state deadline.

Total expenditures, not including food services, are projected at $6,046,955, while revenues are expected to reach $5,292,291.

The proposed tax rate of $1.04, the maximum allowed, was also approved.

Budget Points

The 2018-2019 budget includes a three percent raise for all employees who have served 20-plus years and are maxed out on the state or local scale, as well as a five percent increase for administrators.

Board president Betsy Parsons reminded the public that the district continues to deficit budget for the third straight year.

“In today’s climate of limited school financial assistance coming from the state, we have done everything we can to trim our budget,” said Parsons. “However, we are reaching the point where there will soon be nothing left to trim.”

Interim superintendent Doyleen Terrell said that being designated as a Chapter 41 school impacts the revenue portion of the state financial template.

“Until the legislature steps in to offer assistance to schools, the trend of deficit budgets will continue,” she said. “We must continue to be financially prudent and strive to make good spending decisions.”