The Littlefield Independent School District’s Board of Trustees met in special session Thursday during lunch in the Board Room of the Administration Building to discuss a 13-item agenda.
The meeting was called to order at 12 p.m. by Board President Pat Demel and the invocation was given by Will Williams.
Item two on the agenda was a public hearing regarding the 20232024 Littlefield ISD Budget and Tax Rate. There was nobody present to comment during the public hearing, President Demel closed the public hearing.
There was also nobody present to speak during public forum. The minutes from the last meeting were moved from this agenda to the next meeting.
Item five was to deliberate and take possible action to adopt the 2023-2024 Littlefield ISD Budget.
“The budget I recommended back on August 15th, has not changed,” Superintendent Mike Read said. “The budget was built based on a .6787 cent tax rate, which can only be achieved by a unanimous vote of the board as required by new legislation. Another big change enacted with House Bill III is application of current year tax value. LISD properties increased 18.3-percent this year, which compressed our tax rate to .6287. We went out and got five pennies back in 2012 or 2013 and when you add those five golden pennies to the .6287, that brings us to the .6787.
He added, “With the bond being passed a year ago we’re going to add that .50 cents .6787, which will come out to an effective tax rate of $1.1787, is what we’re going to be recommending. All of our state revenue estimates are based on TEA Student ADA numbers. We’re building this year’s budget on an ADA (Average Daily Attendance) of 1,103 students, that is what we finished the school year with last year, that was our refined ADA. We are one of the few district around that are adopting a balanced budget and I attribute that to Mitch McNeese, Bev Boldes and Bryan Gregory, they’ve done a great job.”
The motion was made by Sal Acevedo and seconded by Lance Broadhurst to adopt the 2023-2024 Littlefield ISD Budget. The motion carried.
The next item of business was to deliberate and take possible action to set the 2023- 2024 Littlefield ISD Tax Rate.
“The 2023-2024 Tax Rate of .90 cents was created by adding the compressed rate of .8515 and the five golden pennies. That took all of the districts from a maximum M&O of a $1.50 back to $1.00, thus showing a total rate of $1.04/$100 valuation to the 2019-2020 school year. A unanimous vote will approve the 2023-2024 compressed rate of .6287 plus the five golden pennies to create a rate of .6787/ $100 valuation. With the passage of the bond, we will be adding .50 cents to our I&S (Interest and Synching), for a total tax rate of $1.1787.”
He added, “If a proposed tax rate exceeds the sum of the No New Revenue Maintenance and Operation tax rate and debt rate, at least 60-percent of the governing body, which is you all, must vote in favor of the ordinance, resolution or order by a record vote. A motion to adopt an ordinance, resolution or order setting a tax rate that exceeds the No New Revenue Tax Rate, must be made in the following form.”
Demel read, “The Tax Rate will effectively be raised by .5-percent and will raise taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home approximately $222.80.”
The motion was made by Gary Birkelbach and seconded by Acevedo to set the 2023-2024 Littlefield ISD Tax Rate. The motion carried.
Item seven on the agenda was to deliberate and take possible action to approve 2022- 2023 Budget Amendments.
Supt. Read and Boldes discussed the budget amendments with the board.
The motion to approve the 2022-2023 Budget Amendments was made by Williams and seconded by Birkelbach.
Bev Boldes presented the Financial and Investment Report.
The motion to approve the Financial and Investment Report was made by Williams and seconded by Acevedo. The motion carried.
There was no Trust Property Disposition to discuss.
Item 11 on the agenda was Personnel matters, which Supt. Read stated that Delight Davis submitted a resignation letter that she will be retiring at the end of the fall semester.
Supt. Read gave the Superintendent Report stating, “ The meeting was adjourned at 12:35 p.m.