GISD Board Approves Budget, Tax Rate

The first GISD school board meeting of the new school year was held on Monday, Aug. 26 at the GHS Conference Room, and all the board members brought their A-game, asking questions about property tax value impact and the proposed budget before approving it.
Cody Harvey from Region XII shared forecasted budget shortcomings for FY 25, based on a decrease in revenue last school year beyond their control.
Harvey explained that discordance between the Limestone County Appraisal District (LCAD) property values and state comptroller valuations (which are provided months after the budget has been established) create gaps that cost the district.
Last year, the 250 million dollar gap between LCAD valuations and State Comptroller valuations equated to significant lost revenue for the district.
Harvey stated that he expects something of a repeat performance this year; though he can’t be sure what values the Comptroller's Office will assign the properties in the county in January, early indicators point to a similarly sized gap this school year.
“Luckily you guys passed the VATRE last November, which offset some of that loss,” Harvey said. “By getting those three extra ‘golden pennies’ in November, which the state gives a pretty generous yield on, what could have been a big boost to the school’s overall revenue was kind of offset, unfortunately, by the bidding of the Comptroller.”
“Which begs the question, why even have a local CAD if the State Comptroller is going to control what those values will be anyway,” quipped Board VP Jim Longbotham.
Much discussion followed, with board members asking what could be done, only to realize that while the district is being heavily impacted by this process, they have little to no control over the outcome. Beyond protesting the appraised value at the local level (which the district did last year) and petitioning at the state level (which the district also did), there is nothing the district can really do.
Superintendent Anthony Figueroa proposed a possible workaround/creative solution for Harvey to investigate.
Moving onto the budget presentation, Figueroa summarized the three accounts that weigh most heavily into the total budget: the general fund (M&O), child nutrition/cafeteria, and debt services (I&S).
He explained the formula-driven revenue system which consists of three drivers: Average Daily Attendance (ADA), property values, and tax effort.
Figueroa highlighted the big ticket items anticipated in the year ahead that the board will consider in future meetings, including several facilities projects that will need attention and funding. Facilities Director Jackie Anclet provided context for each listed expenditure flagged “facilities”; including the replacement of the HVAC system at Groesbeck Middle School, which was struck by lightning and no longer functions properly.
Though the purchase must wait until Sept. 1 when the new fiscal year begins, the board approved the HVAC expenditure so the building can be cooled more effectively ASAP.
The board held a brief public hearing regarding the budget and proposed tax rate for 2024-2025, but no one voiced concerns or raised questions. As such, the board approved the budget as presented. Next, they adopted the tax rate, with Figueroa explaining the rate was even lower than last year due to a tax compression of three cents. The adopted tax rate came to $0.94 per $100 valuation.
GHS Principal and Assistant Principal, Dr. Keith Parker and Mrs. Holly Black provided the board with feedback regarding the preferred day for graduation, having proposed the ceremony be held on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at the end of May.
Parker shared the pros and cons for each day, having spoken with students, staff, community members, and fellow administrators to make the selection that best serves the majority. Friday, May 23 was the recommendation, though some discussion about other districts in the area using the same date ensued, which can be difficult for those with relatives or family friends in neighboring districts. Board members were surprised that Thursday wasn’t the more popular option, to kickstart a longer weekend. Ultimately, the fireworks on Friday night were a big winning factor.
For the Student Recognition portion of the meeting, Lyric Hargrove and Blake Collier shared insights and details about their experience in attending the prestigious American Legion Boys State during the summer break.
(Cade Duncan was not in attendance for the meeting but also represented GHS at Boys State.)
“It was very beneficial to see how a government works, both at a local level and up to a state level,” said Collier. “It’s not as simple as you might think, and there are many complexities- voting, listening to speeches and what people have to say, trying to discern between two pretty good candidates. There are a lot of hoops and rings that you have to jump through to get a whole government started and working together.”
Hargrove noted that beyond the resources they were provided to aid in resume creation and scholarship and college applications, the connections they made with like-minded peers allow for continued friendships and collaborations.
In other business, the board:

• Approved the consent agenda;
• Approved the agreement for the purchase of attendance credit (an annual recurrence);
• Approved the second reading of TASB policy update 123;
• Approved board policy CDA (Local) for other revenues/investments; and
• Approved the district resolution adopting the investment policy.

Figueroa encouraged all to visit the GISD website to access details on upcoming events and praised the cafeteria food under the district’s new Food Service Management Company, Taher. He has already seen increased participation and is excited about what the future holds.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 16 at the GHS Conference Room at 6 pm.