Latest news with #BISD
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD nears completion of 2025-26 budget
May 23—Just as the House and Senate were reaching a deal on an $8.5 billion funding package for Texas public schools, the Brownsville Independent School District was moving forward on next year's budget. Legislative leaders in Austin announced the deal on Thursday amid an ongoing battle over school finance. It appeared to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers, which had been divided by the House's aim to bump up the basic per-student allotment and the desire in the Senate to prioritize teacher pay raises. Legislative leaders said the package in House Bill 2 represents a historic investment in public schools, although advocates say such an effort is long overdue and comes as school districts across the state are facing budget shortfalls brought on by six years of doing nothing to increase the basic per-student allotment, which has remained at $6,160 since 2019. Meanwhile, Brownsville ISD has been working right along on its 2025-2026 budget, which must be enacted by July 1, the start of the district's fiscal year. BISD is the largest district in the Edinburg-based Region One Education Service Center that stretches from Laredo to Brownsville. Its budget of nearly $579 million is larger than the city of Brownsville or Cameron County. Even as it consolidates schools and grows smaller because of changing demographics and a falling birth rate, it is still the largest employer south of San Antonio. But its schools and facilities have long-standing maintenance and modernization needs. Earlier this year, BISD tried to float a $350 million bond issue for just that purpose, but a divided Board of Trustees couldn't reach agreement on how to include a desired performing arts center, what schools to upgrade and other issues. House Bill 2 takes a different approach to the basic per-student allotment, which districts traditionally have used to pay for a range of other needs, including insurance, maintenance and instructional materials. Rather than raising the amount beyond the $55 proposed by the Senate, the deal would set aside $1.3 billion for a fund to cover some fixed costs, lawmakers said — essentially providing a different way to give districts the spending flexibility they had hoped for. BISD Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez said the state missed the mark. "While we appreciate the state's efforts to allocate additional funding, we remain concerned that the amount provided still falls short of what is truly needed," Chavez said in a statement to The Brownsville Herald. "Since the last legislative session, funding levels have not kept pace with the growing demands on public education. As a result, most districts—including BISD—continue to experience significant budget shortfalls. This ongoing gap makes it increasingly difficult to meet educational needs and places added financial strain on our local communities," the statement read. "BISD requires additional funding to properly maintain facilities, expand educational programs, and offer competitive salaries to attract and retain quality staff. At this time, the district is also uncertain about the financial impact that enrollment shifts and the implementation of school vouchers may have on our budget moving forward," Chavez added. In a statement to the Texas Tribune announcing the compromise, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said the deal "reflects constructive input from both chambers and parties, and a shared commitment to delivering historic school funding and teacher pay raises." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Republican Senate leader, called it "the most effective school finance bill in Texas history." At BISD's most recent budget committee meeting on Tuesday, members went over substitute teacher pay, nurses pay and other costs. In a presentation by Human Resources Director Linda Gallegos, it emerged that Brownsville substitute pay falls in the middle of the pack among similar-sized districts in Region One. In 2024-2025, the daily rate for certified substitutes ranged from a high of $185 at La Joya and Mission, to $180 at Donna, PSJA and Weslaco, $165 at Edinburg, $150 in Brownsville, $140 at Los Fresnos and Point Isabel, $135 at Harlingen and San Benito, $130 at Laredo United and $125 at McAllen. Administration substitutes earn $210 per day at Weslaco and $160 at Brownsville, the only two districts with that category. BISD has more than 800 active substitute teachers. Mondays and Fridays are the most-utilized days, with an average of 517 and 577, respectively. Tuesdays at 503, Wednesdays at 495 and Thursdays at 508, are right behind. Committee member Minerva Pena urged the administration to try to raise BISD rates so that it attracts the best talent. Nurses fall under professional instructional support and their pay is at 98% of market value, according to a study by the Texas Association of School Boards and Gallegos' presentation. BISD has one more budget workshop on June 9 before a June 26 special called Board of Trustees meeting to adopt the budget. The board is to adopt the district's tax rate at its Sept. 2 meeting. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD goes from A to B+ in TEA ratings
May 1—Brownsville ISD received a high B in the long awaited 2022-2023 Texas Education Agency school rankings, on-par with districts of similar size in the Rio Grande Valley. The Texas Education Agency released long-awaited grades for districts and schools on Thursday, the first time in five years the rankings have been released after several districts sued the state to challenge the ratings standards. The 15th Court of Appeals cleared Commissioner Mike Morath to release the results for 2022-2023, but the ratings for 2023-2024 are still tied up in a lawsuit. BISD received a B rating of 87, among the highest grade for districts in the Edinburg-based Region One Educational Service Center, which stretches from Laredo to Brownsville. A district needed a 90 rating to earn an A, according to the TEA. Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez expressed pride in BISD's teachers, principals and students, even though the district's rating went from A to B+. "I'm certainly very proud of our teachers and our principals. I know they also received help and guidance from the central office, the curriculum and instruction folks, and so I'm very proud of our district for the result we got for our student testing," he said. Although schools sometimes come in for criticism for doing too much testing, Chavez said testing done during the year helps teachers and principals tell whether students are learning in preparation for STAAR testing in the spring. Other Valley districts that received an 87 rating included McAllen, Los Fresnos, and Raymondville. Sharyland got an 89 and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo received an 86, while the South Texas Independent School District got the Valley's only A rating at 94. Weslaco received an 83, while the Point Isabel Independent School District received an 81. San Benito CISD got a C grade of 76. La Joya ISD got an 84. Chavez said the STAAR test that students have been taking in recent weeks is the seventh version of state standardized testing that TEA has conducted since he became an educator in the 1980s. Among BISD's seven high schools, Veterans Memorial, Pace, Hanna and Brownsville Early College High School received A ratings. Porter, Lopez and Rivera received Bs. Among middle schools, Besteiro, Faulk, Oliveira, Perkins, Stell and Vela received Bs. Lucio, Manzano and Stillman got an A, while Garcia got a C. Elementary schools receiving an A were Benavides, Breeden, Brite, Burns, Gonzalez, Hudson, Ortiz, Palm Grove, Paredes, Pullam and Vermillion Road. Elementary schools receiving a B were Aiken, Champion, Cromack-Casteneda, Del Castillo-Morningside, El Jardin, Garden Park, Garza at Southmost Elementary, Keller, Martin, Pena, Perez, Russell, Sharp, Villa Nueva and Yturria. Elementary schools receiving a C included Egly, Putegnat, and Skinner. Canales Elementary received a D. ------ RELATED READING: Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD event stresses locally grown, cooked from scratch meals
Apr. 9—The Food and Nutrition Services department at Brownsville ISD showcased its scratch cooking initiative on Tuesday during an annual food show at which locally sourced menu items received good reviews from students at a select group of schools. BISD has been cooking more school meals from scratch ever since receiving a grant from the Colorado-based Chef Ann Foundation in 2023. The FNS Food Show is an annual event usually held at the Brownsville Event Center at which vendors showcase non-locally sourced menu options that generally are not cooked from scratch. This year, BISD held the event at the smaller CAB Cafeteria at 708 Palm Blvd. Shakera Raygoza, of Terra Preta Farms in Edinburg and Isiah Chavez of the BISD FNS department, were serving chicken pozole as students passed by in a serving line that went from farm to farm. "A lot of them are really interested," Raygoza said. "We present it in a way that they know. They go, 'oh pozole. This is what my grandma makes. And then you incorporate some fresh cabbage that's organically grown from our farm and they're very open to trying the vegetables in something that they already eat." OBST Family Farm in Alamo served watermelon slices. The Hour Farm in Weslaco and Rio Fresh Inc. in San Juan also were represented. Jackie Cruz, the director of Food and Nutrition Services, said the department decided to feature local growers who contribute to the scratch cooking initiative, rather than the manufacturers of ready-to-heat products usually featured at the show. She said because of the Chef Ann grant BISD is transitioning to more fresh-cooked items and sourcing food from local growers. After students passed through the serving line, they headed across the street to the BISD Wellness Gym, where various physical fitness activities were being offered. Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez said activities on both sides of the street were intended to promote healthy living and lifestyles. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD has until Aug. 15 to appoint temporary trustee
Mar. 17—Now that a May 3 election is off the table, the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees has until Aug. 15 to appoint a temporary trustee to fill the seat held by former board president Erasmo Castro Jr., who died Feb. 15 of pancreatic cancer. Under state law, that person will serve until the next regularly scheduled BISD election, which is in November 2026. Sections 11.59 and 11.60 of the Texas Education Code require the board to fill the vacancy within 180 days, either by election or appointment, according to the Texas Secretary of State's Office website. By a 4-3 vote on Friday the board decided not to call an election for May 3, the only remaining date on the state's election calendar that falls within the 180-day window. The next date, Nov. 4, falls outside the 180-day window, meaning that whoever is appointed will serve until BISD's next regularly scheduled election Board President Daniella Lopez Valdez said 26 people, "many of them very qualified," submitted applications for the position. All but one of the applicants remain under consideration for the position after Brownsville attorney John Shergold withdrew his name during the public comments period of Friday's meeting "I changed my mind. I'm going to take the high road. I'm going to ask that the board do the same and let the taxpayers and the parents and the teachers and the people that live within the BISD district vote who they want to sit on that seat up there. That's what a democracy is. That's what should happen," Shergold said from the lectern in the BISD boardroom. "Therefore, I will not seek, nor will I accept a nomination or appointment to your board. Please remove my name," Shergold added. Monday morning, Lopez Valdez said the board will now have the remainder of the time before Aug. 15 to decide the path forward to make the appointment "The goal of the board always is to build consensus for the best outcome of he district, for the good of the students," she said. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD trustees reject $350 million bond election on split vote
Feb. 14—A divided Brownsville ISD Board of Trustees defeated a proposed $350 million bond election on a split 3-3 vote on Thursday, failing to meet a state deadline to place the proposal before the voters. Board President Erasmo Castro was not present and did not participate virtually, as he had at earlier Facilities Committee meetings leading up to Thursday's vote. Castro reportedly is battling pancreatic cancer. The bond proposal the board failed to approve was option three among four presented to the Facilities Committee at those meetings. Approval would have resulted in a $350 million bond proposal to voters that set aside $25 million for a new Career and Technical Education center, prioritized the 42 most-urgent roofing and HVAC projects across the district totaling $263 million, and separately proposed a $62 million Performing Arts Center. BISD last year sold the former Cummings Middle School, now the district's CTE campus, to the city of Brownsville for $16 million to expand the Gladys Porter Zoo. The money is invested and BISD must move CTE operations elsewhere within five years. A Performing Arts Center has long been a district priority. Board Vice President Daniella Lopez Valdez and Trustees Jessica G. Gonzalez and Denise Garza voted for the proposal, with Trustees Carlos Elizondo, Frank Ortiz and Minerva M. Pena against. A simple majority was required for approval. Feb. 14 was the state deadline to call an election in May. The board can still call a bond election for November or for May 2026, but calling the election now, should voters have approved the proposal, would have allowed BISD enact a budget on June 30 with its bond debt, or I&S tax rate, unchanged at 24 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation, and still issue $350 million in bonded debt with voter approval, Chief Financial Officer Alejandro Cespedes has said. With the bond neither proposed nor approved, the maximum I&S tax rate BISD can enact for the 2025-26 fiscal year will be 13 cents, a decrease. For the past two years, BISD has paid down its bonded debt through defeasance resolutions, saving the district $1.5 million in bond interest and placing it in an advantageous position to call a bond election. Because of the defeasance payments, BISD must make bond payments for 2025 totaling just $39.68 million, a relatively small amount compared to other districts. Cespedes told the Facilities Committee on Monday that BISD has the lowest bonded debt among all districts in the Edinburg-based Region One Educational Service Center. Some districts of about BISD's size in San Antonio have bonded debt into the billions of dollars, he said, citing a state bond review board website. If BISD proposes a bond election in November or May 2026, one key calculation will be the fact that one cent in I&S tax levy produces $14.5 million in tax revenue, Cespedes has said. There is wide agreement that BISD facilities need roofing and HVAC upgrades. Air conditioning problems have been a recurring problem at several schools. Under the leadership of Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez, the BISD Board of Trustees established a Citizens Facilities Committee in November, which then conducted walk-through assessments of all district facilities. The committee, which numbered more than 100 members, issued its final report on Jan. 27, which recommended proposing a $350 million bond for roofing and HVAC improvements across BISD, and with a new CTE center as priority one. "Ultimately, we voted against putting roofs and HVACs for our children," Lopez Valdez said after Thursday's meeting, characterizing failure bring the bond proposal before the voters as a lost opportunity. "We unfortunately won't be able to maximize the debt that we have now. It'll be a smaller amount, but we can go back and work the numbers and try again in November. It won't be taking full advantage because this was a unique opportunity. ...We'll never get the $350 (million) but maybe we can go for 200. I feel that we should try again," she said. "It was a golden opportunity where all the stars aligned for us to be able to do this while not placing the burden of a tax increase on our community, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where the citizens proposed what needed to be done. It was hours and hours of work that was done and was unfortunately voted against for, in my opinion, no reason. I think it's important to commend the citizens committee because they worked all of this, they went to all the schools" and proposed what needs to be done. Pena said she never got adequate answers as to where the $350 million was going to be spent and that she voted her conscience. "It was $350 million and you're not going to have enough? That's very hard for me to comprehend because of the prices that are being charged. Why are we allowing them to charge us $3.5 million dollars for a small school that doesn't even have a large roof? ...I'm getting thousands of calls and I don't get answers and because I don't get answers, I'm saying let's go back and do it properly. ...I wasn't comfortable voting for it," she said. Featured Local Savings
