Bond Steering Committee Meeting The Marshall Independent School District (MISD) Bond Steering Committee (BSC) meeting was held Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at the MISD Administration Building in the Lecture Hall. Dr. Marc Smith, MISD Superintendent of Schools, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with a welcome and introductions. MISD staff members present were introduced as well as members of Huckabee, Inc., which conducted the facility study. Members of the Bond Steering Committee also introduced themselves around the table. Ned Dennis and Edwin Lee were chosen as co-chairmen of the committee. Taylor Helton was chosen as committee secretary. Members present included Marcial Avelar, Jim Bates, Tina Brown, Vernia Calhoun, Ned Dennis, Donna Dooley, Courtney Duncan, Bettye Fisher, Mitch Fleet, Christy Godwin, Taylor Helton, Sandra Herring, Keith Hill, Jennifer Jackson, Edwin Lee, Maricela Longoria, Leo Morris, Bryan Partee, Stephanie Phelps, Lenora Reed, James Reeves, James Runnels, Wes Smith, Hillard Strong, Lee Ann Thomas, Zephaniah Timmins, Tracy Varvel, Rene Vences, Jr., and Connie Ware. Dr. Smith provided an overview of MISD using snapshot data and recent accomplishments in the district. He explained that a Bond Steering Committee is a group of community members that come together to study facility needs of the school district and to recommend a package to the Board of Trustees to put before voters in a bond election. The purpose of the Bond Steering Committee will be to provide input which will reflect the larger community values, needs and desires in regards to MISD. Dr. Smith reviewed the mission of Marshall ISD, which is Focused on Success, Enriching Experiences, Making a World of Difference. He also reviewed the profile information of MISD, which includes 12 campuses with an enrollment of 5,541 students as of the district’s most recent snapshot data. Ethnic breakdown among MISD students is 38.7 percent African American; 31.6 percent Hispanic and 26.7 percent White. The district’s percentage of students who are Economically Disadvantaged, meaning eligible for free or reduced-lunch prices, is at 75.96 percent. The geographic size of MISD is 346 square miles, and the average home value within the school district is $74,486. Dr. Smith also shared with the committee his goals for the district since joining MISD as superintendent on May 1, 2012. Those goals are to stabilize the district and provide leadership; improve accountability ratings of the district; increase student performance; enhance academic programs and offerings; and demonstrate financial accountability and stewardship. Dr. Smith then gave a breakdown of the current Texas Education Agency Accountability Rating System. All district and schools in Texas receive one of two annual ratings: Met Standard, or Improvement Required. The ratings are based on four indexes: Student Achievement; Student Progress; Closing Performance Gaps; and Postsecondary Readiness. The TEA also awards academic distinctions based on campus performance in several academic areas. MISD has received a Met Standard rating as a district two straight years and also received 11 academic distinctions this past year, which was an increase of four over the previous year. Dr. Smith also informed the committee that MISD received a perfect score of Superior Achievement from the state’s financial accountability system, the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST). MISD also has received a Leadership Circle Gold Member Award from the Texas Comptroller for financial transparency, and that the only reason why the district has not received the new highest rating in this category – which is Platinum as of this year – is because it is based on debt management and MISD currently has no debt to manage. Matt Calvert, Executive Director of Finance for MISD, was then called on to give the committee an overview of school finance. Calvert explained that under Texas law a school district is defined as a Political Subdivision (Government Entity) that is established under government code. Therefore, school districts may levy M & O (Maintenance and Operations, for the daily needs of running a school district such as salaries, utilities, maintenance, supplies, etc.) tax rates within state guidelines set forth by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and may also hold elections to incur capital debt. Calvert said that Maintenance and Operations funding is provided in part by the state’s Foundation School Program, which pays money to school districts in Texas based on Average Daily Attendance, and the Available School Fund, which is money that is set aside by the state from current or annual revenues for support of the public school system. Calvert informed the committee that the bulk of M&O revenue for MISD, however, comes from local property taxes. For the last six years, MISD has adopted an M&O tax rate of $1.04 per $100 valuation of property. The M&O tax rate is levied by the Board of Trustees in August every year, with the fiscal year of the school district beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31. Calvert said the district adopted an M&O budget of $36,809,382 for the current school year. The three largest line items in the budget are Instruction ($21,163,411); Plant Maintenance ($3,530,891); and School Leadership ($2,942,192). Calvert then explained the purpose of a bond election for capital projects. Public schools rely on the support of local taxpayers to fund the construction and improvement of school facilities, in the same way homeowners borrow money in the form of a mortgage to finance the purchase of a home. A school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance the design, construction, expansion and renovation of schools. Bonds are approved by voters in a bond election and then sold to investors on the open market. Districts levy an Interest and Sinking (I&S) tax rate, separate from the M&O tax rate, which is solely for the purpose of paying off the debt. An annual I&S tax rate is adopted by the Board of Trustees in August and cannot be used for operations such as salaries, utilities, etc. Calvert then shared with committee members that MISD’s current tax rates are as follows: $1.04 for M&O, and $0.00 for I&S, or debt service. Therefore, the overall tax rate for Marshall ISD is $1.04 per $100 valuation. Calvert shared that the MISD tax rate in 2004-2005 was $1.50 per $100 valuation. The M&O was lowered to $1.37 in 2006-2007 before being lowered to $1.04 in 2007-2008. It has remained at that level every year since. Calvert provided a chart to compare area school district tax rates. Marshall ISD and Karnack ISD are the lowest in the area, both at $1.04. Andre Brackens of Huckabee, Inc., provided the committee with an executive summary of the facility assessment report which was done by an assessment team of 20 individuals from Oct. 8, 2014, to Nov. 14, 2014. Huckabee was appointed by MISD in September to provide Architectural and Bond Planning Services following a Request for Qualifications from the district in August. Brackens stated that 13 MISD facilities were included in the assessment: one Pre-K/Head Start building; six elementary schools; two middle schools; one junior high school; one high school; the DAEP facility and the Learning Resource Center facility. The complete facility assessment report, minus sensitive information regarding security issues and access points at MISD facilities, will be uploaded for viewing to the MISD website once the sensitive information has been redacted from the report. Dr. Smith then reminded committee members of upcoming meetings on Jan. 15, Jan. 22, Jan. 29, and Feb. 5. All of the meetings will be open to the public who are welcome to observe. Dr. Smith informed members that MISD will be providing a bus tour of facilities in the district for committee members and the public on Tuesday, Jan. 13, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Administration Building at 1305 E. Pinecrest Drive. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Submitted by: Taylor Helton, BSC Secretary David Weaver, MISD Public Relations/Communications Officer
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 23:15:14 +0000
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