IS 6:06 P.M.. WE HAVE A QUORUM AND THE MEETING HAS BEEN DULY POSTED.
[00:00:06]
GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING OF THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE.
TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE.
THE FOLLOWING TRUSTEES ARE EITHER PHYSICALLY PRESENT OR PARTICIPATING SIMULTANEOUSLY BY VIDEO CONFERENCE. A QUORUM OF THE BOARD IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THIS LOCATION. TRUSTEE FOR DISTRICT 1. LANCE CURRIE. DISTRICT 2 SARAH WEINBERG.
DISTRICT 3 DAN MICCICHE AND DISTRICT 4. PRISMA GARCIA.
DISTRICT 5. BYRON SANDERS. DISTRICT 6 JOYCE FOREMAN.
DISTRICT 7 BEN MACKEY. DISTRICT 9. ED TURNER.
THIS MEETING WILL BE AVAILABLE SIMULTANEOUSLY IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH AT DALLASISD.ORG.
ESTA REUNION ESTA DISPONIBLE EN INGLÉS Y EN ESPANOL EN DALLASISD.ORG.
IN ORDER FOR THE BOARD TO HOLD THIS MEETING IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER, I WANT TO LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN ORDERLY FASHION AND ASK THE PUBLIC TO ABIDE BY THE RULES OUTLINED IN BOARD POLICY. BE LOCAL PERTAINING TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. IT'S A CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR THE PERSON WITH INTENT TO PREVENT OR DISRUPT A LAWFUL MEETING, TO SUBSTANTIALLY OBSTRUCT OR INTERFERE WITH THE ORDINARY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING BY PHYSICAL ACTION OR VERBAL UTTERANCE, AND THEREBY CURTAIL THE EXERCISE OF OTHERS RIGHTS. SPEAKERS ARE CAUTIONED THAT WHAT THEY SAY COULD VIOLATE THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS UNDER THE LAW OF DEFAMATION OR INVASION OF PRIVACY. IF THEY'RE ENSURED THE LEGAL EFFECT OF THE REMARKS, THEY MAY WANT TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE. LEGAL ADVICE PRIOR TO THE UTTERANCE.
ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS, DISRUPTIVE OR FAILS TO ABIDE BY THESE RULES, THIS ASSEMBLY, WHILE ADDRESSING THE BOARD AND OR WHILE ATTENDING THIS MEETING, SHALL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. FAILURE TO LEAVE WHEN REQUESTED TO DO SO, MAY RESULT IN THE PERSON BEING ESCORTED FROM THE MEETING AND SUBJECT TO ARREST. TRUSTEES WILL NOW TURN TO AGENDA ITEM 2.02 RECOGNITION OF ELECTED AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
AND I SEE THE HONORABLE. THE HONORABLE YVONNE DAVIS IS HERE.
THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE, FOR BEING HERE. I SEE THE HONORABLE JUDGE JUAN HASSELL IS HERE.
THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR BEING HERE. WE ALSO SEE THE HONORABLE JUDGE BARBARA LYNN IS HERE.
THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR BEING HERE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED? YES. JUDGE ETTA MULLINS IS HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
JUDGE. I SEE YOU, YES. THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR BEING HERE.
BUT FOR THIS SPECIFIC HEARING, I WAS INFORMED THAT NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE, OF COURSE, HAVE THE 6:00 MEETING RIGHT AFTER THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
[5. DISCUSSION ITEM]
SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, ED RAMOS, SO THAT HE WILL TAKE US THROUGH THIS VERY BRIEF REQUIRED PUBLIC MEETING.AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 3 YEAR FORECAST, WE DO HAVE CHALLENGES AHEAD AS A DISTRICT.
WE ARE PROPOSING A $104 MILLION DEFICIT FOR THE 26-27 SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO RECEIVING A BASICALLY A A PROP C, AS A RESULT OF THE BOND THAT PASSED THIS ELECTION IN MAY. WE DO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF PROPOSITION C, WHICH DOES GIVE US AN INCREASE IN OUR FUND BALANCE. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR FUND BALANCE OF $624 MILLION, WE DO RECEIVE THAT BENEFIT.
WHEN YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO THE 2829 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR FUND BALANCE DOES DROP TO $472 MILLION.
AND SO THAT IS ASSUMING THAT WE DO MINIMAL CHANGES TO REDUCING OUR OVERALL EXPENDITURES.
SO THIS IS A WORST CASE SCENARIO. THE GOAL OF THE DISTRICT IS BY THE 28-29 SCHOOL YEAR.
[00:05:06]
BUT WE DO MAINTAIN OUR LOCAL 3 MONTHS OF FUND BALANCE POLICY, UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE POLICY.AND SO AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY GET TO A BALANCED BUDGET FOR THE 28-29 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SO THAT IS THE GOAL OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR THAT YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE FORECAST.
AND SO AGAIN, BY THE 2829 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR GOAL IS TO COME IN AT A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, AND THAT YOU'LL SEE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT OF $104 MILLION DEFICIT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, THE GOAL IS BY THE END OF THAT, THE SCHOOL YEAR TO COME IN BETTER THAN THAT $104 MILLION DEFICIT.
THIS BASICALLY SHOWS WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR FUND BALANCE.
WE DO RECEIVE AN INFLUX OF CASH CLOSE TO $100 MILLION.
YOU DO SEE OUR FUND BALANCE CONTINUE TO GO DOWN.
BUT EVEN THEN, WE ARE STILL IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR LOCAL FUND BALANCE POLICY.
AND SO AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO A BALANCED BUDGET BY THE 28-29 SCHOOL YEAR.
SEVERAL ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE 26-27 BUDGET. WE ARE PROJECTING A TAX RATE OF $99.3.
WE'RE PROJECTING A $73 MILLION THAT WE MUST SEND BACK TO THE STATE.
OUR STARTING TEACHER PAY. WE HAVE INVESTED IN OUR TEACHERS $68,000.
STARTING TEACHER PAY. MINIMUM HOURLY RATE. WE DID INCREASE THAT AS WELL $17.50.
AND SO AS A DISTRICT, WE DID INVEST IN A COMPENSATION PACKAGE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, $56 MILLION.
WE PROJECTED AN ENROLLMENT OF 132,533 STUDENTS.
AND OUR OVERALL TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH OF 4.75%.
THIS SHOWS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR $1.8 MILLION.
OUR OVERALL REVENUE ALSO DECREASED BY $55 MILLION.
THE BULK OF THAT DECREASE WAS IN STATE REVENUE.
WE DID LOSE A LARGE AMOUNT IN WHOLE HARMLESS REVENUE.
OUR LOCAL TAX COLLECTIONS DID INCREASE, BUT AGAIN, A LARGE DECREASE IN STATE REVENUE.
AND THEN WITH EXPENDITURES, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT AGAIN $73 MILLION.
BUT EVEN THEN, WE DO FACE CHALLENGES WITH A $104 MILLION DEFICIT PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND SO WITH THE STATE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING THE WAY IT CURRENTLY IS, EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM LOCAL TAXPAYERS, 11% COMING FROM THE STATE, WE ARE LIMITED IN THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE CAN COLLECT AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM LOCAL TAXPAYERS.
SO BASED ON THE FORMULA, ONCE WE COLLECT OVER WHAT THE FORMULA ALLOWS US TO COLLECT, WE MUST SEND THAT OVER COLLECTION BACK TO THE STATE AND WHAT'S CALLED RECAPTURE. AND SO NEXT YEAR, AGAIN, $73 MILLION IS WHAT WE PROJECT TO SEND BACK TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, BREAKING DOWN OUR $1.8 BILLION BUDGET INTO A $1 BILL.
JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET IS BASED ON PAYROLL.
AND SO $0.80 OF OUR DOLLAR IS IN PAYROLL COSTS, $0.12 IS IN CONTRACTED SERVICES, $0.06 IN SUPPLIES AND MATERIAL, $0.01 IN DEBT SERVICE AND $0.02 IN OPERATING COSTS.
AND LOOKING AT THAT DOLLAR IN ANOTHER FORMAT, THE MAJORITY OF OUR COSTS $0.55, ARE IN INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS, $0.04 IN TRANSPORTATION, $0.02 IN TECHNOLOGY, $0.03 IN SAFETY COUNSELING, $0.05.
$0.04 IN RECAPTURE. SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
WHEN WE BREAK IT DOWN INTO $1 BILL, THIS IS A LEGAL WAY.
[00:10:02]
WE MUST SHOW OUR BUDGET. ADOPTING IT FROM MAY TO MAY.AND SO THIS NUMBER IS A LITTLE MISLEADING BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, WHEN WE ADOPTED OUR BUDGET MAY OF LAST YEAR, THAT WAS STILL WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE AT THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND SO WE CAME BACK AND HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN SEPTEMBER.
AND SO THIS NUMBER, YOU SEE IN THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR, TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF $1.8 BILLION BY SEPTEMBER, THAT INCREASED TO $1.9 BILLION, AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT WERE IN TEACHER AND STAFF IN PAY INCREASES.
AND SO THE REST OF THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WE WERE VERY LIMITED IN HOW WE COULD USE THOSE FUNDS.
AND SO OUR COMMUNITY WAS ALLOWED US OR OUR COMMUNITY PASSED A RECORD BOND OF $6.2 BILLION.
AND SO THAT IS HUGE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF DALLAS.
IT'S HUGE FOR DALLAS ISD. IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO TRANSFORM THIS DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, WE ARE LIMITED IN HOW WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS 100% OF THOSE $6.2 BILLION STAY IN DALLAS ISD.
BUT WITH THE WAY SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES ARE STRUCTURED, WE CANNOT INTERMINGLE THOSE TWO FUNDS.
AND SO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUCKET IS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
AND THAT THAT IS WHAT TAKES WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN A SCHOOL DISTRICT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.
THAT IS WHAT WE USE TO PAY SALARIES AND JUST OVERALL OPERATIONS ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THAT SIDE OF THE BUCKET IS WHERE WE FACE THAT $104 MILLION DEFICIT.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE ARE RECEIVING $6.2 BILLION OVER A PERIOD OF 8 TO 10 YEARS FROM THE BOND, WE CANNOT USE ANY OF THAT MONEY FOR TEACHER PAY RAISES TO RUN THE DISTRICT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.
AND SO WE WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE FUNDS SEPARATELY.
AND SO WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACING CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEY'RE FACING THOSE CHALLENGES. ON THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE BUCKET.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE 2 BUCKETS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING, WITH OUR OVERALL TAX RATE, WE CONTINUE TO REDUCE OUR TAX RATE YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO EVERY YEAR, BECAUSE OF TAX RATE COMPRESSION, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER OUR TOTAL TAX RATE YEAR OVER YEAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE INCREASING THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE OF THE TAX RATE BY A PENNY NEXT YEAR.
AND WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST 3 AREAS, IF IN OUR FUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS COMPARED TO WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN THESE DEPARTMENTS, THESE AREAS, THERE IS A FUNDING GAP. AND SO WE SPEND AN ADDITIONAL 30 MILLION, 55 MILLION, $42 MILLION IN THESE AREAS. AND SO TOTAL $127 MILLION IS WHAT DALLAS ISD SPENDS ABOVE WHAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO IN JUST THESE THREE AREAS THERE IS A FUNDING GAP OF $127.6 MILLION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT CONTINUES TO GO UP YEAR OVER YEAR, $73 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, OVER 100 MILLION IS WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING.
AND THEN WE FACE INFLATIONARY COSTS EVERY YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR, WE FACE INFLATION, OUR FOOD SERVICE FUND THAT IS A SELF-SUSTAINING PROGRAM. THE MAJORITY OF THAT REVENUE COMES FROM REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM. AND SO THAT PROGRAM WILL RUN $119.8 MILLION.
THEN OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, WHICH IS WHAT IT TAKES FOR US TO PAY OUR MORTGAGE PAYMENT.
IN ESSENCE, WHEN WE SELL OUR BONDS, 498.5 MILLION IS WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT DOES INCLUDE THE $0.01 INCREASE ON THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE.
AND SO OVER THE YEARS, WE CONTINUE TO FIND EFFICIENCIES IN THE DISTRICT.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO REDUCE OVERALL EXPENDITURES.
AND SO OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, WE HAVE REDUCED CENTRAL OFFICE POSITIONS BY OVER 250 POSITIONS.
[00:15:03]
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO. IN THE NEXT 2 YEARS, LOOK FOR EFFICIENCIES AS A DISTRICT, REDUCE OVERALL EXPENDITURES SO THAT WE CAN COME IN UNDER WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.NEXT YEAR, AGAIN, WE'RE PROJECTING $104 MILLION DEFICIT.
OUR GOAL IS TO COME IN BETTER THAN THAT BY THE END OF NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THEN FINALLY, JUST TO SUMMARIZE OUR 26-27 BUDGET, WE ARE FACING $104 MILLION DEFICIT.
WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE PAYROLL COSTS FOR NEXT YEAR BY $36 MILLION.
WE INVESTED $56.4 MILLION IN OUR EMPLOYEES STATE REVENUE.
WE ARE FACING A DECREASE IN STATE REVENUE OF $86 MILLION.
AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE CONTRACTED SERVICES BY $6.8 MILLION.
OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT INCREASED $11 MILLION TO $73 MILLION.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU DO SEE AREAS THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN AS A DISTRICT.
EXPANDED LEARNING TIME, DISTRICT SCHOOL INITIATIVES, CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY, EARLY COLLEGE CCMR AND THEN OUR EARLY LEARNING PRE-K, UNIVERSAL SCREENING. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO WITH THAT TRUSTEES QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION.
EVERYBODY HATES TO SEE THE RED. AND, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FAIR TO, TO CONTEXTUALIZE JUST HOW WE GOT HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S EASY FOR THE NARRATIVE TO BE LIKE, WOW, SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL, RIGHT? I'M JUST GOING TO ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO HEAR HOW WE GOT HERE.
SO PLEASE EXPLAIN RECAPTURE. WE'RE USED TO HEARING IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IF YOU CAN, FOR THE AVERAGE JOE, SOMEBODY JUST MOVED TO THE TO DALLAS AND THEY'RE INTERESTED EXPLAIN RECAPTURE FOR ME.
THE OVERFLOW IS WHAT'S CALLED RECAPTURE. AND SO THE AMOUNT OF OVERFLOW IS WHAT WE HAVE TO SEND BACK TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH IS CALLED RECAPTURE. AND SO THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL TAXES THAT WE COLLECT, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO KEEP ALL OF THAT REVENUE.
SO AT LEAST THE IDEA BEHIND WHEN IT'S WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ME THE ORIGIN YEAR, BUT IF YOU KNOW IT, GREAT. WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED, DALLAS ISD WAS NOT A RECAPTURE PAYING.
THAT'S CORRECT. SCHOOL DISTRICT. RIGHT. SO WHEN WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, THE IDEA BEHIND WHY THEY CALL IT ROBIN HOOD IS BECAUSE THERE WERE WEALTHIER DISTRICTS. AND THE WAY THAT THEY MEASURED THAT WAS THEY LOOKED AT THE PROPERTY VALUE.
SO DISTRICTS THAT HAD A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY PAY INTO ESSENTIALLY A POT THAT COULD THEN BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE POORER DISTRICTS OR THE DISTRICTS THAT HAD LOW INCOME, PRIMARILY DEMOGRAPHICS, RIGHT.
THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND IT. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, EVERYBODY'S PROPERTY VALUE IN TEXAS KEPT GOING UP.
AND SO NOW A LOT OF THE LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ALL OF THE LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS NOW, AS OPPOSED TO RECEIVING MONEY, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO EDUCATE A LOWER INCOME DEMOGRAPHIC, TYPICALLY OURS IS OVERWHELMINGLY LOW INCOME. EVEN THOSE DISTRICTS NOW ARE PAYING INTO ROBIN HOOD AND NOT RECEIVING FROM ROBIN HOOD.
THAT'S CORRECT. IN SPITE OF LOWER INCOME, STUDENTS PER CAPITA, ON AVERAGE REQUIRE MORE MONEY TO EDUCATE BECAUSE OF ALL THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THE UNIQUE THINGS THAT THAT THEY REQUIRE.
[00:20:03]
LEGISLATURE HAD NOT GOTTEN A RAISE PER CAPITA PER PUPIL SINCE BEFORE 2019, SINCE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.CORRECT. AND I JUST THINK ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE EVERYTHING HAS GOTTEN SINCE THEN, RIGHT? EVERYBODY KNOWS LIFE IN 2026 COST VERY DIFFERENT THAN LIFE IN 2019.
AND BEFORE WE HAD NOT GOTTEN A RAISE. AND I THINK WE ASKED FOR A RAISE COLLECTIVELY.
AND WHAT WE GOT WAS THE STATE WILL SAY A RECORD INVESTMENT IN IN EDUCATION.
HOWEVER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHAT I'M SEEING IS AFTER THAT RECORD INVESTMENT, WHICH WAS ABOUT WE WERE ASKING FOR SOMETHING TOWARD THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OF MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL $1,000 PLUS PER CHILD 1300.
WE GOT THE NET EFFECT OF ABOUT $55. THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN WE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY FOR TEACHER RAISES.
RIGHT. BUT IN SPITE OF WHAT WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN AN INVESTMENT TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT, THAT MEASLY AMOUNT, PLUS NOW SOMETHING CALLED HOLD HARMLESS HAS CREATED A NET EFFECT OF US HAVING DECREASED REVENUE AFTER WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET WAS AN INCREASE.
CORRECT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOLD HARMLESS REALLY QUICKLY.
SO HOLD. HOLD. HARMLESS WAS MEANT TO NOT PUNISH DISTRICTS FOR HAVING TO LOWER OUR TAX RATE.
SO LET'S SAY OUR CALCULATION WAS WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE AN ESTIMATED $53 $30 MILLION.
THAT AMOUNT MID-YEAR. THE METHODOLOGY AND CALCULATING THAT REVENUE WAS CHANGED.
AND SO NOW WE'RE ESTIMATED TO RECEIVE LESS THAN 23 MILLION.
SO THAT AMOUNT WAS BASICALLY CUT IN HALF. WE'VE LEARNED THAT THE REASON IS AS YOU EARN MORE TIA MONEY, THAT AMOUNT IS NETTED AGAINST YOUR HOLD HARMLESS.
SO THE BETTER YOU ARE AT EARNING TIA MONEY, THEN THE LESS HOLD HARMLESS THAT YOU RECEIVE.
BASICALLY WIPES OUT THE INCREASE IN REVENUE THAT THE LEGISLATORS THOUGHT THEY WERE GIVING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, RIGHT? SO UNINTENTIONALLY, INTENTIONALLY, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
CORRECT. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THIS. AND I'LL AND I'LL YIELD MY, EXCUSE ME, YIELD MY TIME.
WHEN WE SAY THE TAXES, THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE PAY.
WHERE DO THOSE GO WHEN SOMEBODY'S LOOKING AT THEIR TAX BILL AND IT SAYS DALLAS ISD ON THERE.
SO WE WE COLLECT THOSE FUNDS, AND THEN SOME OF THAT MONEY MUST GO BACK TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
RIGHT? SO IF I'M TRACKING, THE UNITED STATES IS EXPERIENCING LOWER STUDENT POPULATIONS BECAUSE OF BIRTH RATES.
WE HAVE THINGS THAT ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. NOW THAT DIDN'T USED TO BE AS EXPENSIVE.
AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED FROM OUR STATE, IN A STATE WHERE THERE WAS A BUDGET SURPLUS, AGAIN, THE INVESTMENT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MADE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION LEFT US AND MAYBE SOME OTHER LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN A PRETTY TOUGH SPOT.
I SAY ALL OF THAT BECAUSE AS WE LOOK AT THIS BUDGET, WE GOT TO HOLD THINGS AS TRUE ONE.
THE DISTRICT HAS HAD SOME PHENOMENAL SUCCESS, AND WE'RE STILL ON THE WAY UP.
AND SOME OF THE EARLY TEST SCORES BACK. YOU KNOW, THEY GOT TO GO DO ALL OF THE FACTORING AND FIGURING, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER STRONG YEAR IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE FINDING FROM THE STATE.
AND SO WHAT WE WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHILE WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HERE TODAY, I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WE NEED HELP FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THIS IS AN UNSUSTAINABLE PATHWAY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND WE THREW SOMETHING ON TOP OF THE HEAPING FLAME THAT NOW SAYS, YOU CAN TAKE MONEY OUT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUT IT DIRECTLY INTO PRIVATE EDUCATION IN THE FORM OF AN ESA, OR SOME PEOPLE KNOW IT AS VOUCHERS.
THAT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY FOR ANYBODY TO HAVE A PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IN ANY STATE.
AND SO THE HELP THAT WE NEED IS ACTUALLY FROM THE COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION TO HELP US MAKE THE CASE FOR OUR LEGISLATORS TO SEE THAT WE NEED MORE RELIEF. AND THAT CAN COME IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WE NEED THE HELP.
[00:25:01]
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE CURRIE. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE SANDERS, I WANT TO FOLLOW ON SOME OF THAT SAME DISCUSSION.AND ALSO I'M GOING TO BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WAY IN WHICH IT ACTUALLY AFFECTS TAXPAYERS. FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS TAKE A LOOK AT SLIDE 11, IF YOU COULD, WHICH IS THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS OUR TAX RATE, WHERE IT'S GOING TO END UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PASSED THE SECOND LARGEST BOND IN THE HISTORY OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN THIS PAST MONTH.
SO INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU TO THE VOTERS FOR THAT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE PASSED THAT WITH OVER 70% OF THE VOTE ON EVERY SINGLE PROPOSITION, WHICH SPEAKS VOLUMES TO HOW MUCH OUR COMMUNITY HAS STARTED TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD IN DALLAS ISD, THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF THE MANY CHAMPIONS IN THIS ROOM, BOTH ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS AND THE GREATER SUPERINTENDENT IN THE COUNTRY.
AND SO INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU TO THAT. BUT DESPITE ALL OF THAT, DESPITE PASSING A $6.2 BILLION BOND, AGAIN, THE LARGEST BOND, SECOND LARGEST BOND IN THE HISTORY OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, OUR TAX RATE NEXT YEAR WILL GO DOWN.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO HEAR THAT WE SAID THAT WOULD HAPPEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN, OR THOSE OF US WHO ARE ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN SCHOOLS WHILE REDUCING. WHILE THE OVERALL TAX RATE FOR HOMEOWNERS IN DALLAS WILL GO DOWN. THAT'S WONDERFUL. I WANT TO NOW GO BACK TO SLIDE 6 AND CONTINUE TO, TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE ITEMS TRUSTEE SANDERS WAS TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE COMMENTS I GET A LOT FROM VOTERS AND CONSTITUENTS IS, WAIT A MINUTE, MY PROPERTY TAXES KEEP GOING UP EVERY YEAR.
WHY IS IT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY? SCHOOL DISTRICT? WHY DO YOU NOT HAVE ENOUGH? AND I THINK I THINK WE NEED TO DO AS MANY TIMES AS OFTEN AS WE CAN TRY TO HELP EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM AND WHERE IT GOES.
AND SO I'LL START WITH THIS. AM I CORRECT THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE ARE ALLOWED TO SPEND PER STUDENT IS EFFECTIVELY CAPPED BY A FORMULA AT THE STATE. IT'S EITHER CALLED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT. THERE ARE SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT CAN GO INTO THAT. BUT EFFECTIVELY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE RAISE IN TAXES, WE HAVE A CEILING ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND PER STUDENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO WHEN WE CONTINUE TO RAISE DOLLARS IN TAXES, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE OUR TAX RATE HAS GONE UP, WE'VE JUST SEEN IT'S GONE DOWN. BUT WHEN PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, UNLESS WE COLLECT MORE AND MORE AND ONE OF MY VOTERS GOES, WHY IS IT THAT WE AREN'T? WHY IS IT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEED MORE MONEY? WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEND ANY OF THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE COLLECT AND THE INCREASED REVENUE FROM HIGHER PROPERTY VALUES IN DALLAS ISD, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO THAT DELTA, THAT DIFFERENCE THAT ENDS UP ULTIMATELY GOING BACK TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO WE MAY REMEMBER FROM THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE WAS A LOT OF TOUTING, A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE VERY LARGE SURPLUS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS HAD, AND THEY GET TO HAVE AN ENTIRE SESSION IN 2025 TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY? AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE SOME OF IT BACK IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO AND SAY, PLEASE, CAN WE HAVE SOME OF IT BACK? AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME IF THAT'S A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY MY CHARACTERIZATION. AND SO TO THEN HEAR ALL OF THAT AND THEN TO FIND OUT, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS WHOLE HARLEM AND THIS, THAT'S A NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU JUST SHARED WITH THE BOARD THAT WE DID NOT KNOW, WHICH IS TIA FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, THAT'S THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
THAT IS THE DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE STATE TO PROMOTE ONE OF THE SIGNATURE FLAGSHIP THINGS THAT WE DO HERE IN DALLAS ISD, WHICH IS THAT WE COMPENSATE TEACHERS BASED ON THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.
AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF INCREDIBLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE QUALITY OF OUR TEACHERS AND THE RESULTS THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF THAT. AND THE STATE OF TEXAS LIKED US DOING THAT SO MUCH THAT THEY BUILT AN ENTIRE FUNDING MODEL AROUND TRYING TO ENCOURAGE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DO WHAT WE PIONEERED.
AND YET FOR THAT TO BE THE THING THAT ACTUALLY ENDS UP TAKING AWAY FUNDING FROM US SUCH THAT OUT OF THE, THE TOUTED $8.5 BILLION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING THAT WAS PASSED IN THE LAST SESSION, DALLAS ISD WILL EFFECTIVELY GET 0.
IS SHOCKING TO ME SITTING IN THIS CHAIR. AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S HERE TO WRITE ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S HERE TO GO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT BUT WE NEED TO BE SHOUTING FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS THAT WHAT THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY DOING IS TAKING TAXPAYER DOLLARS DESIGNED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, USING THEM FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
AND THEN WHEN WE SAY, CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SOME BACK? THEY SAY SURE. AND THEN THEY SAY, OH WAIT, NEVER MIND, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THE THING THAT WE ASKED YOU TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR MONEY AWAY. THAT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
[00:30:02]
SAVINGS THAT YOU HAVE. WE DO NEED TO RIGHT SIZE THE DISTRICT.WE DO HAVE LESS STUDENTS THAN WE DID BEFORE. WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND OUR YOU KNOW, AT LEAST CERTAINLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, READY AND WILLING TO HAVE THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE. BUT BOY, THEY'RE MAKING IT A LOT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TRUSTEES. FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT? OKAY. SEEING NONE. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. TRUSTEES. WE'LL TURN TO AGENDA ITEM 6.
THE TIME IS 6:37 P.M. AND THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS ADJOURNED.
TRUSTEES, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR SEATS, BECAUSE WE'LL BEGIN THE NIGHT MEETING HERE
MOMENTARILY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.