FBISD plans for 13-cent tax rate increase and Tax Ratification Election

The Fort Bend ISD administration has recommended a 13-cent tax rate increase and if the board adopts the new maintenance and operations tax rate of $1.17 and debt service tax rate of 28 cents per $100 property valuation, the district will have to call for a Tax Ratification election (TRE).



The current tax rate is $1.06 for maintenance and operations and 26 cents for debt service.



The district will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 3 in the Board Room of the Administration Building (16431 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land, 77479) to discuss the proposed tax rate for the 2019-20 school year.



Immediately following the public hearing, the Board of Trustees will convene in a special meeting to vote on the proposed tax rate.



Following the adoption of the tax rate, the school district will publish notice and hold another public meeting before the school district adopts a budget, which must be finalized by June 30 each year.



FBISD’s Chief Finance Officer Steve Bassett told the board that the state funding uncertainty and the need to fund the District’s continued priorities, which includes compensation increases for all staff members and support for all learners, make the tax rate increase and the Tax Ratification Election, inevitable.



Two of the pennies are dedicated to pay debt service for the 2018 bond that voters authorized in November 2018; The remaining 11 pennies provide funding for important board priorities that include teacher and staff raises, Tier 3 behavior support for our elementary schools (the most severe instances), special education, full-day Pre-K for eligible students, and enhancing the Gifted and Talented program.



The vast differences from FBISD to other districts is due to the funding formulas that are included in the bill, and the elimination of the Cost of Education Index, or CEI. Other factors include that not all districts are in recapture, and they have differing amounts of free and reduced participation.



“The best case scenario for FBISD is that we would not have to do a Tax Ratification Election, but based on what has been proposed thus far, we don’t think that is likely. We are anxiously awaiting additional information about the final language while also preparing to adopt a budget, which is statutorily required by June 30,” according to FBISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela.



“As it stands, PreK would be mandatory for eligible students. There is funding provided, but it is not fully funded, so we do not believe the proposed weights are adequate to meet the actual costs. Again, we are still waiting for final details.”



The current legislative session has created much uncertainty related to school funding, and the bill under consideration does not look promising for our financial future, Bassett told the board on May 13.



Based on the proposed funding formulas, Fort Bend ISD would not receive the windfall that some local districts could receive.



Out of about 1,000 school districts in the state, FBISD is one of 16 districts that would receive less funding, it is believed.



Calling a TRE provides maximum funding flexibility for the long-term, and also allows the district to finalize its budget that must be adopted in June -- in the midst of legislative uncertainty.



Depending on the final outcome of the legislation on school funding, the district may not take all the 11 cents in increased tax rate and may adopt a lesser rate.



While the final tax rate could be computed in August, the Tax Rate Election could be held in September.



Following the state leaders’ announcement outlining about $9 billion in additional funding to schools last week, the FBISD administration said: “We are appreciative of our lawmakers’ efforts to reform school finance, as Fort Bend ISD agrees that the current system is broken.



“We look forward to learning more about the final details of the plan announced Thursday, as we do not know how it affects FBISD’s financial forecast for 2019-20 and beyond.



“We continue to work with our Board and community to ensure that we are able to move forward with our District’s mission of inspiring and equipping all students to pursue a future beyond what they can imagine, adopting a budget as statutorily required by June 30.”



What would happen without a TRE, or if the TRE is not successful?



While teachers and librarians would get a mandatory pay increase (average 9.2% under proposed bill) for the 2019-20 year, other staff including nurses, counselors, classroom aides, etc. would be limited to an increase of 2%.



The District will not be able to provide any compensation adjustments, including teacher step increases, to teaching and non-teaching staff after 2019-20. The district did not give a general pay increase in 2018-19, and the competitive advantage and positioning of Fort Bend ISD as a leader in compensation compared to other area districts will continue to erode, directly impacting the quality of teachers in classrooms.



Consolidation of under-utilized campuses and programs will occur, and the District will need to delay the opening of new or remodeled campuses to reduce operating costs.



Student to teacher ratios will increase, effectively expanding class sizes.



The District will evaluate reductions in the number of contract-days for various job groups as identified for potential reduction in the 2018-19 budget process



The District will fill only the most critical non-campus positions that become vacant, which will negatively impact schools by reducing support in areas of curriculum development and discipline support.



Investments to intensify mental health support for students experiencing any emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders will not occur.



The District will not have funding to provide campuses support to address students in need of Tier 3 behavior intervention. There has been a dramatic increase in Tier 3 behaviors both in District and region wide. Intervention is essential to effective classroom management and of great concern to teachers and principals.



The District will dismantle the very successful Early Literacy Academy created to address literacy in the Willowridge feeder pattern and will not be able to expand the program to other feeder patterns.



The District will not have the funding to include recommendations submitted by the GT Parent Task Force.



The task force identified significant program impro-vements and investments necessary to provide appro-priate and effective services.



The District will not have funding to expand STEM offerings at secondary campuses or expand STEM outclass offerings at elementary schools.



A successful TRE will enable expansion of instructional coaches, from 26 campuses to District-wide coverage over 2 years. Instructional coaches provide support to teachers through Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, to plan and deliver high quality instruction. Without expansion of the instructional coach model, equitable access to curriculum is impacted.



Additional investments to strengthen safety and security in schools, including more elementary school officers and counselors, will be impacted.



The District will request waivers from the State in order to limit the rollout of mandatory full-day Pre-kindergarten until more state funding to cover the expenses is received.



Resources will be shifted to support the growing number of students requiring special education services. The number of SPED students has increased by 64% (from 5,000 to 8,200 students) from 2016-17 to 2018-19, and growth is expected to continue.







