More ECISD taxes

Your school taxes are going up. In fact, the average Ector County homeowner is looking at giving ECISD almost $65 more per year.

With Ray Beaty opposing, ECISD trustees voted to approve a maintenance and operations tax rate of $1.04 per $100 valuation, an increase over $1.03 last year.

The increase gives the district an additional $1.2 million in revenue, which is needed to cover current operations, adjust salary schedule and meet increasing costs in utilities, gas and construction, said Tonya Tillman, Ector County Independent School District assistant superintendent for finance operations.

Keeping the figure close to $1.04005, the district's rollback rate and maximum it's allowed to tax, will also maximize state funding, Tillman said.

Tuesday night, trustees voted 6-1 to adopt a maintenance and operation tax rate of $1.04, but also voted 6-1 to adopt an interest  and sinking fund tax rate of $0.0886 - for bonded debt payments. Therefore, the total ECISD tax rate for 2008-'09 is $1.1286 per $100 valuation. The average tax payer will see an increase of $64.46 in property taxes, ECISD communication director Mike Adkins said.

Once the district's $227 million budget was certified July 25 by the Ector County Appraisal District, Tillman said it was determined ECISD had an additional $400,000 in taxable funds than when the preliminary budget was approved July 14. The additional revenue will go toward teacher salaries, bringing the district's starting salary to $40,700, or $200 more than originally planned.

Still, Chuck Isner, Texas State Teachers Association and National Education Association local chapter president, told the board he would like to see district salaries competitive with districts across the state, not just West Texas.

"Teachers are hurting in this economy, and just like everybody else, they need some incentives," said Isner, the only person to address the board during the public hearing.

While Isner said ECISD was keeping too much in its reserve fund, Board President Carol Gregg said it was doing what it had to do.

"A district has a lot of rainy days," she said. "You have a lot of unexpected experiences that you just never know (about). As long as we can be competitive with the rest of our area, I feel like we're doing the best we can."

The board also approved a debt service rate of $0.0886, an increase over $0.0820 in 2007.

While other taxing entities have used rising property values to lower tax rates, Tillman said ECISD was in a different situation.

"Because the school district received a reduction in state funding, we do not have access to all the increases in revenue," she said.

WHAT'D THEY DO?

Tuesday night, ECISD trustees approved:

>> A 2008-'09 budget of $227,302,942.

>> Giving teachers, nurses and librarians a $1,200 raise plus their step ($500) - this increases the salary for a starting teacher to $40,700.

>> Clerical, teacher aides and auxiliary will receive a 6 percent increase - minimum pay is $7.74 per hour.

>> Professional pay grades including instructional and business operations will receive a 3 percent increase.

>> The midpoints of the salary ranges also increased 2 percent.

>> Substitutes non-degreed get $70 a day; degreed $80; long-term $90; certified $105 for first 90 days then daily rate of a beginning teacher.

>> A one-time gas allowance of $250 for teacher aides, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers

>> A perfect attendance incentive - $1,000 for individuals in the classroom more than 50 percent of the day and the teacher of record.

WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET?

>> 3 percent increase for ECISD instructional professionals.

>> 6 percent for clerical staff, teacher aides and auxiliary personnel. The minimum wage for the district is proposed at $7.74 an hour for these positions.

>> Substitute pay would increase with nondegreed subs receiving $70 a day, degreed substitutes earning $80 and certified or retired subs getting $105 for the first 90 days and then receiving the daily rate of a beginning teacher at about $200 a day. Certified teachers were receiving $75 a day during the 2007-'08 school year. Long-term substitutes would remain at $90 a day.