by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
Photo Credit: Michael Robinson
The Uvalde CISD school district presented a proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year at a public hearing of the 2023-2024 Tax Rate and proposed district budget. Immediately following the public hearing the school board started its regular monthly board meeting where the board would ultimately approve the proposed budget.
According to the district, the proposed budget came in at a deficit of $1,606,583 which exceeds the previous 2022-2023 school year budget deficit of $966,548.
When asked by a an member of the audience about the donations and grants received following the May 24th Tragedy, Patterson explained that the vast amount of the donated money went towards the construction of the next school led by the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation and most donations and grants do not covered instructional costs and general costs of operations. He continued by saying most of the grants are restricted grants which can only be used for specific purposes.
According to Pamela Bendele, the Director, Financial Operations at UCISD, she stated that General Revenue is down nearly 4 million dollars citing the Texas State Legislature passage of the Homestead Exemption as the cause of the decrease.
Bendele also said that the District gets funded by the seat indicating daily student attendance.
According the Bill’s analysis by the Texas Senate Research Center dated 5-30-23, it states the following:
“This increase in the homestead exemption amount will provide a savings of $681 to a homeowner’s school tax at the statewide independent school district average tax rate of $1.136. Included in S.B. 1 is a hold harmless to school districts�the state will make up any formula funding deficit a school district might incur as a result of this exemption increase.
S.B. 1 also contains a provision to provide the full amount of the $40,000 homestead exemption increase to over-65/disabled exemption holders who did not receive the full benefit from S.J.R. 3 and S.B. 1 that was approved by voters in May 2022. Additionally, S.B. 1 contains language that if a legislature increases the homestead exemption, over-65/disabled exemption holders will automatically benefit from the increased exemption amount. This provision will eliminate the need to have a separate constitutional amendment every time the exemption amount is increased for over-65/disabled exemption holders.
S.B. 1 seeks to increase the homestead exemption amount to $100,000.”
2023-2024 Tax Rate
At Monday night’s School Board meeting, board members voted to adopt a tax rate of $0.263997.
77
