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Serving Our Students | | |
The members of the Board of Trustees of SBISD are committed to serving the children and citizens of our school district.
We strive to provide a high quality public education which meets the needs of our community.
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News from the SBISD Board |
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Board Meeting Highlights
May 21, 2012
To view the Board Meeting agenda, please visit:
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicAgenda.aspx?ak=101920&mk=50051799
The Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees approved a 2 percent salary increase for district employees as a part of the Fiscal Year 2013 proposed budget that was approved during a regular monthly meeting held on May 21. This salary increase will take effect in conjunction with an employee's new contract year.
In a separate, history-making action, Trustees voted 6-0 to authorize the renaming of the SBISD Administration Building in honor of Wayne Schaper Sr., a long-serving Trustee, district administrator, math teacher, Memorial High School principal, and coach.
In other meeting highlights, a dedicated employee and special volunteer were honored, as were dozens of high school athletes who qualified for state UIL competition and high school students who earned recognition through Houston Community College's Early College Program.
Two middle school students and a science teacher who will travel to the Black Sea later this summer as part of the Chevron Houston-supported Jason Argonaut program were also recognized, as were district elementary teachers who traveled to Florida recently as part of the curriculum-based Clearwater Marine Aquarium Project, also funded by Chevron Houston. |
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Special Presentations
Named as SBISD's May Employee of the Month is Guusje Moore, librarian for 21 years at Housman Elementary. Librarian Moore, who will retire soon, is especially well known for her ability to innovate. Her Thursday evening open library programs have attracted hundreds of students and families for nearly 14 years.
View our Employee of the Month Video here
May's Volunteer of the Month is Emily Van Buren, or "Miss V" as many know her. As the volunteer coordinator for the Collegiate Challenge program at Stratford High School, Emily is a "super mentor" who is determined to get juniors and seniors all headed in the best direction possible after high school.
View our Volunteer of the Month Video here
The Chevron Houston-funded Jason Project recently named eighth-graders Fredy Corrales of Landrum Middle and Allison Eggert of Memorial Middle as seaworthy project "Argonauts" along with Northbrook Middle science teacher Sheena Guevara. In August, the three will explore the Black Sea aboard the E/V Nautilus research ship with international scientists. Their sea studies will also be shared with other middle and high school students through the National Geographic-sponsored Jason Project.
In separate but related news, 14 district elementary science teachers traveled to Clearwater, Fla., in recent weeks as part of an elementary-focused curriculum learning project in marine biology, also funded by Chevron Houston. They visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium there.
Read our News Release here
SBISD has a strong history of excellence in student athletics. This year, 86 high school student athletes and team members advanced to UIL state-level competition in 19-5A Division play at Memorial High or 17-4A Division play at Northbrook, Spring Woods and Stratford high schools. The students and their families were honored in a special Recognition of Student Athletes event. Read more here
For three years, SBISD has partnered with Houston Community College (HCC) Spring Branch to increase opportunities for high school students to earn college-level credit at HCC Spring Branch. HCC President Zachary Hodges, Ed.D., presented certificates of achievement to this year's Early College Program students who attained a 3.5 or higher GPA in their program courses. Read more here |
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District Building Renaming
Trustees voted 6-0 to authorize the renaming of the SBISD Administration Building in honor of Wayne Schaper Sr., a long-serving Trustee, district administrator, math teacher, Memorial High School principal and coach.
The Board action to approve renaming of the building at 955 Campbell Road came as a surprise to the longtime Trustee and his immediate family. They learned about the renaming plans only in the final hours before Board action occurred.
Board President Susan Kellner said that Trustees and Superintendent of Schools Duncan F. Klussmann, Ed.D., began talking about what the Board could do to honor Mr. Schaper and his incredible commitment last year when his combined service as an employee and then as a Trustee reached the 50-year mark. He has served 10 years as a district Trustee, in addition to his many years as a district employee and administrator. Read more here |
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New Adopted Budget & Salary Increase
Next, Trustees approved a 2 percent salary increase for district employees as a part of the Fiscal Year 2013 proposed budget, which was also approved after a second public hearing. The salary increase takes effect in conjunction with an employee's new contract year.
The Board of Trustees has made this commitment to SBISD employees despite the very tough financial situation resulting from inadequate funding for public education by the State of Texas. SBISD leadership and Trustees have remained focused on providing salaries and benefits to maintain a competitive position for recruiting and retaining quality staff, and to ensure that all our students are prepared for post-secondary success.
Approval for the salary increase followed a second public hearing on the proposed budget, which preserves student programs and services while remaining focused on financial and programming priorities in the district's new Five Year Educational Plan.
Total expenditures for the year ahead are expected to decrease about 1 percent, or $2.6 million. About $10 million will be used from the district fund balance to meet anticipated budget needs. This is less than the maximum amount in the district's two-year budget plan which allowed for the use of up to $20 million in fund balance.
The adopted budget is based on the current tax rate of $1.3945, with no change or increase in that rate. The current tax rate results from a General Fund tax rate of $1.09, plus the Debt Service rate of $0.3045. By law, Debt Service funds cannot be used to support district general operations including salaries.
SBISD's revenue has decreased about $14.2 million since Fiscal Year 2011, while enrollment has increased by 1,133 students. District property values and related local tax revenue are expected to increase about 2 percent, but overall revenue is expected to decrease due to reductions in state education aid and funding formulas. |
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In other action, the Board of Trustees...
* Heard quarterly investment and energy reports
* Conducted a first reading of TASB Policy Update 93
* Approved Consent Agenda action items and routine contract awards |
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