[Call to Order]
[00:00:04]
>> CALL THIS MEETING OF THE LOCKHART INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER ON APRIL 7TH, 2025 AT 6:30 PM.
LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT A COURT OF BOARD MEMBERS IS PRESENT, THAT THIS MEETING HAS BEEN DULY CALLED AND THAT NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEANING ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 551.
LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT TRUSTEES RAYOS, LOCKHART, CHARLES, GUYTON, WRIGHT ARE PRESENT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 3, RECOGNITION.
[Recognition]
INTRODUCTION OF NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, MR. MILLER.>> THANK YOU PRESIDENT WRIGHT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT ESTRADA.
THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THIS TIME. WE DON'T HAVE OUR RISERS, BUT IF YOU ALL WOULD COME STAND IN FRONT OF OUR DISTRICT VALUES.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RECOGNITION BECAUSE LOCKHART INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE HIRING OF MR. MIKE MALDONADO AS THE DISTRICT'S NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, AND THAT WAS EFFECTIVE AS OF TODAY APRIL 7TH, 2025.
[APPLAUSE] COACH MALDONADO BRINGS A STRONG FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP, COACHING SUCCESS, AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO STUDENT ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT.
WITH MORE THAN A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS 4A, 5A, AND 6A PROGRAMS, HE HAS HELD LEADERSHIP ROLES INCLUDING DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH, ASSISTANT ATHLETIC COORDINATOR, AND ALL OF THOSE IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS AROUND CENTRAL TEXAS.
MOST RECENTLY, HE SERVED AS A DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR IN LEANDER ISD, HELPING HIS TEAM TO THE HIGHEST EVER DISTRICT FINISH FOR 5A DIVISION 1, AND A HISTORIC QUALIFICATION FOR THE STATE 7-ON-7 TOURNAMENT.
UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE DEFENSE ACHIEVED ITS BEST PERFORMANCE IN FIVE YEARS IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES WITH SEVERAL STUDENTS, ATHLETES EARNING ALL DISTRICT RECOGNITION.
BEYOND FOOTBALL, COACH MALDONADO HELPED LAUNCH LEANDER'S FIRST GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL TEAM, DEMONSTRATING HIS COMMITMENT TO EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS.
HIS WELL ROUNDED APPROACH TO ATHLETICS, PASSION FOR STUDENTS SUCCESS, AND DEDICATION TO BUILDING INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS HAS MADE A LASTING IMPACT AT EVERY CAMPUS HE'S SERVED.
COACH MALDONADO WAS A PROUD GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR, WHERE HE EARNED A DEGREE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES WITH CONCENTRATION IN HISTORY AND BUSINESS, STUDENT ATHLETE.
HE WAS A THREE-TIME CONFERENCE CHAMPION, TEAM CAPTAIN, AND EARNED FIRST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE, ALL REGION HONORS IN DEFENSIVE BACK.
PLEASE WELCOME COACH MIKE MALDONADO. YES.
>> I THREW THAT ON MR. MILLER.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING TONIGHT, BUT I FEEL COMPELLED TO.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
THERE WERE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO ON PAPER HAVE CREDENTIALS.
HE CERTAINLY HAS ALL THE CREDENTIALS, CERTAINLY MORE THAN QUALIFIED.
I WANT TO SPEAK FOR, WHY I WAS SO FIRED UP ABOUT COACH MALDONADO.
IN LOCKHART ID, WE KNOW WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE OF LEADERS, WE KNOW OUR DISTRICT VALUES.
THE MORE AND MORE I THOUGHT AND PRAYED ABOUT WHO WAS GOING TO BE IN THIS NEXT POSITION, THE MORE AND MORE I FELT CONFIDENT THAT COACH MALDONADO WAS THE PERSON.
WE LOOK AT HIS BELIEF AND HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR HIMSELF, AND FOR OTHERS, THEY ARE EXTREMELY HIGH AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT HE'S GOING TO UPHOLD THOSE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, NOT ONLY FOR HIS ATHLETES BUT FOR HIMSELF, FOR OUR COACHING STAFF FROM JUNIOR HIGH TO VARSITY, FROM BOYS TO GIRLS ATHLETICS.
I KNOW HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE HIGH EXPECTATIONS THAT WE ALL KNOW AND STRIVE TO LIVE BY.
HIS HEART FOR PEOPLE, OVER AND OVER WHAT I HEARD ABOUT COACH MALDONADO WERE STORIES ABOUT WHAT HE'S DONE FOR KIDS.
THE STORIES OF, THIS COACH WAS THERE, THIS COACH DID X, Y AND Z FOR ME.
HE'S ONE OF THOSE COACHES WHO KIDS ARE DRAWN TO.
THAT FIRED ME UP TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO KIDS WANT TO BE AROUND, WHO KIDS RESPECT, WHO KIDS ARE MOTIVATED BY.
HE CERTAINLY HAS THAT CHARACTERISTIC AND TRAIT.
THEN CERTAINLY LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS HIS COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE TO GET BETTER,
[00:05:05]
HIS COMMITMENT TO GROWING OTHER COACHES, HIS COMMITMENT TO UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL IN ALL OF OUR KIDS.HE DOES MORE THAN CHECK THOSE BOXES, AND I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD AND EXCITED TO HAVE HIM LEADING OUR BOYS AND GIRLS ATHLETIC PROGRAMS MOVING FORWARD.
WITH THAT, COACH MALDONADO AND HIS FAMILY ARE HERE.
LET'S GIVE THEM ONE BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE]
>> JUST FIRST OFF, I'M JUST SO APPRECIATIVE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WHEN MARK CALLED ME ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND SAID HE WAS THROWING THE CHIPS AND I ALMOST PASSED OUT.
WE WERE ACTUALLY PUTTING HER TO BED AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, SHELL SHOCKED.
I WAS JUST OVERWHELMED WITH EXCITEMENT AND JOY AND ALL THE EMOTIONS THAT CAME WITH IT.
JUST WANTED TO THANK MY WIFE OUT HERE PUBLICLY, STEPHANIE, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING FOR EMMELINE RIGHT NOW, DURING THIS CRAZY TRANSITION.
EMMELINE, THANK YOU FOR BEING A GREAT LITTLE GIRL.
BUT WHEN I TALKED TO DR. GAMALLIRO AND WE WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY ABOUT WHAT REALLY DROVE ME TO PURSUE THIS POSITION WAS THE WORD EXCELLENCE.
IT JUST KEPT POPPING UP AND ALL MY RESEARCH.
WE HAD A QUOTE FROM MY LINEBACKER COACH DURING A DEVOTION ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, SPOKE ON THIS DURING THE INTERVIEW AND I'LL REPEAT.
PERFECTION IS UNATTAINABLE, BUT IF YOU CHASE PERFECTION, YOU'LL CAPTURE EXCELLENCE.
THAT QUOTE HAS STUCK WITH ME SINCE MY JUNIOR IN COLLEGE AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S JUST DRIVEN ME.
WHEN I KEPT SEEING EXCELLENCE, I JUST FELT LIKE LOCKHART WAS ALIGNED WITH WHAT I WANT FOR KIDS, AND THAT'S JUST TO UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL, MAXIMIZE STUDENT ATHLETES POTENTIAL, JUST NOT ON THE FIELD, OFF THE FIELD, AND IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES.
WE TALKED ABOUT BUILDING THE PERFECT STUDENT ATHLETE OR BUILDING THE BEST STUDENT ATHLETE.
WE ALSO GOT TO BUILD THEM UP PERSONALLY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR GOAL AS THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT IS REALLY PUSHING THEM TO BE THEIR BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES ATHLETICALLY, ACADEMICALLY, BUT MOST OF ALL PERSONALLY.
WHEN THEY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE JUST LIKE I TOLD THE CRAZY LITTLE EIGHTH GRADE GIRLS TODAY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NEED NO MAN.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE STRONG, INDEPENDENT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE EQUIPPED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO STRIVE FOR.
I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TRUST IN YOUR STUDENTS, AND MOVING FORWARD JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. [APPLAUSE]
>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT ON THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS WITH MR. MALDONADO AND TO ME, HE WAS A CLEAR CUT CHOICE FOR LOCKHART, AND OUR SUPERINTENDENT MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.
[00:10:02]
>> I THINK MR. MILLER AND THE BOOSTER CLUB ARE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING AFTER THIS.
HE BROUGHT HIM A SPECIAL GIFT, I'M SURE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AS WELL.
MR. METZLER IS ON THE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
>> WE'RE ABOUT TO MOVE ON TO THE BUDGET. EVERYBODY IS HERE.
YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO STAY A COUPLE OF HOURS AND GO OVER THE BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 4,
[2025 TASB Pay and Stipend Report]
COMMUNICATION A 2025 TASB PAY AND STIPEND REPORT. MS. WEISER.>> GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD AND MR. ESTRADA.
THIS EVENING IS OUR FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR THE '25/'26 FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO KICK IT OFF BY GOING OVER OUR TASB PAY AND PAY SYSTEMS REVIEW.
WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR AT OUR MARCH BOARD MEETING, AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE MOVED IT TO THE FIRST WORKSHOP SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO DISCUSS ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN THE PAY SYSTEM REVIEW.
MR. ZACH HOBBS IS HERE FROM TASB.
WE PARTNER WITH THEM EACH YEAR TO COME IN AND THEY DO A FULL ANALYSIS OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
NOT JUST OUR PAY SCALES AND WHERE THEY LAND, BUT OUR ACTUAL EMPLOYEES AND WHERE THEY FALL WITHIN THOSE PAY SCALES. HE IS HERE.
YOU HAVE IN YOUR FIRST TAB THIS PRESENTATION SO THAT YOU CAN REFER DOWN TO IT, OR WRITE ANY NOTES THAT YOU MAY HAVE THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
>> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. I SEE THERE'S SOME NEW FACES ON THE BOARD.
I KNOW A COUPLE OF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS WITH ME BEFORE IN THE PAST.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH LOCKHART FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW AND HAVE BUILT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, MARK, NICOLE, AND THEIR TEAM, AND CHERISH THAT RELATIONSHIP.
THEY ARE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH WHAT WE DID IN THE REVIEW THIS YEAR, SHARE OUR FINDINGS, SHARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS ANYTHING IF NEEDED AND I KNOW NICOLE'S GOT BUDGET NUMBERS FOR YOU GUYS AFTERWARDS THAT WILL TIE INTO THIS.
I'LL JUST SAY STARTING OFF, THERE IS A LEGISLATIVE SESSION GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS A BILL OUT THERE FOR SOME INCREASES, AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT AND A LOT OF SPECULATION.
WHAT WE ARE GUIDING DISTRICTS ON RIGHT NOW IS DON'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO AT THE END.
I'M GOING TO START OFF JUST BY DISCUSSING THE PROCESS WE WENT THROUGH JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHAT WE DO EACH YEAR.
WE BEGIN WITH DATA COLLECTION AND A KICKOFF MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT.
WE TALK ABOUT CONCERNS THAT THEY'VE HAD WITH THE PAY PLAN THE PAST YEAR, ANY ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP, ANYTHING WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE COLLECT THE DATA SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE PAY DATA AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
ONCE WE GET THAT DATA IN, WE CONDUCT A MARKET PAY REVIEW.
WE RECOMMEND MARKET-BASED PAY SYSTEMS. THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE PAYING JOBS FOR THEIR VALUE OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE.
WE COMPARE JOBS IN LOCKHART ISD TO JOBS OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE USING DATA FROM OUR SALARY SURVEY.
WE CONDUCT A SALARY SURVEY EVERY FALL, AND WE HAVE GOOD PARTICIPATION FROM DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
WE SURVEY FOR ABOUT 165 JOBS, AND SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SURVEY DATA THAT WE CAN USE THERE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE MATCHING JOBS IN LOCKHART ISD WITH THE SAME JOBS OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE AND COMPARING THOSE PAY RATES.
[00:15:04]
WE USE THAT MARKET ANALYSIS TO BUILD MODELS FOR IMPROVEMENT.WE ADJUST PAY STRUCTURES AS NEEDED TO ADDRESS MARKET SHIFTS.
THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT EMPLOYEE PAY AND WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO EMPLOYEE PAY TO ADDRESS EITHER EXTERNAL INEQUITIES, SO INEQUITIES WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING HAPPEN WITH MARKET RATES OR ADDRESS AN INTERNAL INEQUITY, IF THERE'S ANY THAT ARISE.
>> JUST SOME PAY SYSTEM OBJECTIVES THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT AS ADMINISTRATORS IN A DISTRICT, BUT ALSO AS BOARD MEMBERS.
I MEAN IN NO CERTAIN ORDER, JUST GOING TO TALK THROUGH THESE FOUR.
THE FIRST ONE ON THE TOP LEFT IS RECRUITING EMPLOYEES.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT QUALITY EMPLOYEES WHEN YOU HAVE VACANCIES AND VACANCIES ARE GOING TO OCCUR.
THAT IS DONE BY OFFERING COMPETITIVE ENTRY RATES, AND THAT ALSO INVOLVES OFFERING COMPETITIVE RATES FOR EXPERIENCE THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE.
THAT'S ACCOMPLISHED BY HAVING COMPETITIVE STRUCTURES.
THAT'S WHY WE LOOK AT ADJUSTING YOUR STRUCTURES TO KEEP UP WITH MARKET RATES.
YOUR STRUCTURES DRIVE THE STARTING RATE FOR NEW HIRES.
THE STRUCTURES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE STAYING COMPETITIVE WITH MARKET RATES.
I'M GOING TO MOVE TO THE BOTTOM LEFT.
RETAINING EMPLOYEES IS ANOTHER OBJECTIVE.
YOU WANT TO RETAIN YOUR QUALITY EMPLOYEES.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME TURNOVER AND THAT'S NORMAL AND NATURAL, BUT YOU WANT TO TRY TO LIMIT THAT.
THAT IS DONE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAY, THE BEST WAY TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES WHEN WE'RE JUST DEALING WITH COMPENSATION IS GIVING REGULAR GENERAL PAY INCREASES.
TOO OFTEN, DISTRICTS WILL GO YEARS WITHOUT A PAY INCREASE AND THEN TRY TO PLAY CATCH UP.
THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN LEAD TO TURNOVER ISSUES.
WE SEE THAT STAFF ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY IF THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET REGULAR GENERAL PAY INCREASES.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT IMPACT THAT HERE IN A SECOND.
BUT THE THIRD OBJECTIVE ON THE TOP RIGHT IS PAYING FOR THE JOB VALUE.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE MARKET BASED PAY SYSTEM, WE WANT TO PAY JOBS FOR WHAT THEY'RE VALUED OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE.
THIS CAN PREVENT OVERPAYING OR UNDERPAYING FOR JOBS, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PUBLIC FUNDS, AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH LIMITED FUNDS.
YOU NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF FUNDS.
IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF FUNDS, IF YOU'RE UNDERPAYING, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TURNOVER ISSUES AND THAT'S COSTLY.
YOU'RE OVERPAYING, YOU'RE NOT SPENDING YOUR MONEY WISELY FOR THE PUBLIC.
WE HELP CONTROL THAT WITH OUR STRUCTURES.
WE HAVE MINIMUM VALUES AND MAXIMUM VALUES FOR JOBS, AND THAT HELPS CONTROL THAT PAY.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS CONTROLLING COST.
THIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT GIVING REGULAR GENERAL PAY INCREASES COST MONEY.
WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU LET YOUR BUDGET DRIVE THAT AND LET YOUR BUDGET DRIVE YOUR GENERAL PAY INCREASE AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WHILE IT MIGHT BE NICE TO GIVE LARGE PAY INCREASES EVERY YEAR, IF YOU CAN'T SUSTAIN IT, THEN YOU END UP HAVING TO REDUCE STAFF AND THAT MAY NOT BE THE BEST PATH.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
JUST LET YOUR BUDGET DRIVE YOUR PAY INCREASES AND OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
HERE'S A LIST OF THE MARKET DISTRICTS THAT WE USE IN OUR MARKET ANALYSIS.
WE LOOK AT THESE SAME DISTRICTS EVERY YEAR.
WE TRY TO KEEP CONSISTENCY HERE.
WE'VE GOT 12 DISTRICTS THAT WE LOOK AT AS PART OF OUR PEER GROUP.
ONE THING I'LL POINT OUT IS COMAL ISD IS THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN OUR SALARY SURVEY THIS YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S VOLUNTARY AND WE DON'T ALWAYS GET 100% PARTICIPATION.
COMAL DID NOT PARTICIPATE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE.
THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE TEACHER MARKET ANALYSIS, BUT THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED IN A NON TEACHER MARKET ANALYSIS.
BUT ALL THE OTHER 11 DISTRICTS ARE.
SOME OTHER MARKET SOURCES THAT WE USE.
WE WILL LOOK STATEWIDE DATA FOR DISTRICTS OF COMPARABLE SIZE TO LOCKHART ISD.
IN THIS CASE, WE ARE LOOKING BETWEEN 5,000-10,000 STUDENTS.
WE'LL DO THAT A LOT OF TIMES FOR DIRECTOR LEVEL AND ABOVE POSITIONS.
IT'S A BETTER REPRESENTATION OF THAT JOB, LOOKING AT DISTRICTS THAT ARE COMPARABLE IN SIZE VERSUS YOUR PEER GROUP WHERE YOU HAVE SOME LARGER DISTRICTS CAN SKEW THOSE RESULTS.
WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT'S A BETTER REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THAT JOB VALUE IS AND THAT THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
WE'LL PULL THAT DATA IN SOMETIMES AS WELL.
THEN WE ALSO USE NON SCHOOL DATA FOR THE AUSTIN METRO AREA FOR THESE TWO SOURCES, COMPANALYSTS AND PAYFACTORS.
WE HAVE ACCOUNTS WITH THEM AND SO WE CAN PULL DATA FOR JOBS THAT COMPETE OUT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND USE THAT DATA AS WELL.
[00:20:01]
THINK ABOUT JOBS IN THE BUSINESS OFFICE OR YOUR MAINTENANCE JOBS, SOME OF THOSE TYPE OF JOBS THAT CAN COMPETE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF YOUR TEACHERS.
THIS CAN BE INFORMATIONAL FOR YOU AND IT CAN ALSO TELL YOU WHO YOU'RE ATTRACTING TO THE DISTRICT OR MAYBE WHERE YOUR TURNOVER IS IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ANNUALLY.
JUST SOME THINGS TO POINT OUT HERE IS YOU ALL HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF TEACHERS IN THE 1-5 YEAR RANGE.
THAT IS THE LARGEST PIECE OF THE PIE THERE.
THEY'RE BROKEN UP ESSENTIALLY BY FIVE YEAR GROUPS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF I PUT ALL YOUR ZERO YEAR TEACHERS IN ONE BUCKET THERE AT THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER.
BUT THE LARGEST GROUP IS THE 1-5 YEARS.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF TEACHERS THAT ARE STILL FAIRLY NEW TO THE PROFESSION.
IF YOU CAN RETAIN THEM, THEY CAN GROW INTO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE HERE IN LOCKHART, BUT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME WORK TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEM.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR SALARIES ARE COMPETITIVE, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING OTHER THINGS WITHIN THE DISTRICT TOO TO HELP THEM ALONG.
BEYOND THAT GROUP, YOU HAVE A GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF STAFF OVERALL.
I JUST WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE LARGE NUMBER OF TEACHERS YOU HAVE IN THAT ONE TO FIVE YEAR RANGE.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THE TITLE ON THIS MARKET GRAPH.
IT SAYS '21 '22, AND I DID THIS FOR A REASON.
BACK IN '21 '22, THIS IS WHAT THE MARKET ANALYSIS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR TEACHERS.
LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT'S ON THIS GRAPH.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A FEW OF THESE.
THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS THE LOCAL MEDIAN SALARY.
THE ORANGE LINE REPRESENTS LOCKHART ISD SALARY.
THE LOCAL MARKET MEDIAN IS THE MEDIAN VALUE OF YOUR PEER GROUP.
THAT MEANS THAT HALF OF THOSE PEER DISTRICTS ARE PAYING ABOVE THAT BLUE LINE, THE OTHER HALF ARE PAYING BELOW THE BLUE LINE.
THAT'S THE MIDDLE OF THAT PEER GROUP.
ALL ARE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE PEER GROUP MEDIAN IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS ON ON THE SALARY SCHEDULE ROUGHLY FROM 0-10 YEARS, AND THEN YOU FALL A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BELOW BEYOND 10 YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT GAP GROW A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS WHERE SALARIES LOOKED IN '21 '22.
THE REASON I'M SHOWING THIS IS BECAUSE THE DISTRICT MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO START FOCUSING ON EXPERIENCED TEACHERS AND INCREASING SALARIES FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
IN THE NEXT YEAR IN '22 '23, HERE'S WHAT THE MARKET COMPARISON LOOKED LIKE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LOCKHART ISD SALARIES, THE ORANGE LINE, IS NOW ABOVE THE MARKET MEDIAN IN YEARS 10 AND BEYOND.
AGAIN, THE DISTRICT MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO TEACHER SALARIES, AND THEY STARTED AT YEAR 6 AND WENT ABOVE FROM THERE, AND IT PAID OFF.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SALARIES ARE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THAT RANGE IN '22 AND '23.
THEN '23 '24, THERE WERE SOME COMPARABLE ADJUSTMENTS AGAIN THAT YEAR, BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT GIVING MORE INCREASES TO MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, AND SO THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THE SALARY SCHEDULE IMPROVED FOR THOSE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS AGAIN IN '23 '24.
IN '24 '25, THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THIS IS WHAT THE CURRENT COMPARISON LOOKS LIKE.
STILL, WE'RE FALLING BELOW THE MARKET MEDIAN EARLY IN THE SCHEDULE, BUT WE'RE VERY COMPETITIVE LATER ON IN THE SCHEDULE.
THE NEXT SLIDE I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IS THE SAME YEAR '24 '25, BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ALL THE YEARS ON THE SCHEDULE.
WHEN WE DO OUR SALARY SURVEY, WE ONLY PULL THESE FIVE DATA POINTS 0, 05, 10, 15, AND 20.
THE REASON I WANT TO SHOW YOU ALL YEARS ON THIS NEXT SLIDE IS BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE WHERE LOCKHART REALLY STARTS TO RAMP UP THE SALARIES AT YEAR SIX.
THAT'S WHERE THE ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PAST.
THE SALARIES BEGIN TO INCREASE IN YEAR 6.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THIS GRAPH WHERE WE'RE SHOWING ALL YEARS FOR THE '24 '25 SALARIES.
AGAIN, JUST A BIG PICTURE THERE.
A FEW YEARS AGO, LOCKHART MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO IMPROVE SALARIES FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
THIS IS JUST THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE MARKET ANALYSIS FOR THIS YEAR FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.
THE TOP LINE SHOWS LOCKHART ISD SALARIES AT THOSE FIVE DATA POINTS THAT WE SURVEY FOR.
THE SECOND LINE SHOWS THE LOCAL MARKET MEDIAN.
THE THIRD LINE SHOWS THE PERCENT COMPARED TO MARKET.
IN YEAR 0 AND 5, LOCKHART ISD IS 5% BELOW MARKET MEDIAN, OR 95% OF MARKET, THEN BEGINNING IN YEAR 10, THERE 1% ABOVE, YEAR 15, THERE 2% ABOVE AND YEAR 20 THERE 4% ABOVE.
[00:25:01]
IT JUST SHOWS THE NUMBERS THERE OF HOW YOU COMPARE TO MARKET AND HOW THE SALARIES ARE MORE COMPETITIVE AS YOU GET LATER ON INTO THE SCHEDULE.THE BOTTOM LINE JUST SHOWS THE DOLLAR DIFFERENCE FROM THE MARKET MEDIAN.
THE REASON WE COMPARE TO MEDIAN IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT IF YOU'RE FAIRLY COMPETITIVE WITH MEDIAN OF YOUR PEER GROUP, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TYPICALLY LOSE TEACHERS TO OTHER DISTRICTS JUST FOR SALARY ISSUES.
WE SAY IF YOU CAN BE COMPETITIVE WITH YOUR MEDIAN OF YOUR PEER GROUP, YOU'RE USUALLY GOING TO BE OKAY FOR SALARIES.
THEY MAY LEAVE FOR SOME OTHER REASON, A PERSONAL REASON OR MAYBE IT'S NOT A GOOD FIT OR SOME OTHER REASON, BUT FOR SALARIES, IF YOU'RE COMPETITIVE WITH MEDIAN, YOU'RE USUALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE TURNOVER ISSUES THERE.
IF YOU THINK BACK TO THE TEACHER DEMOGRAPHICS, THERE'S A LOT OF TEACHERS THAT ARE IN THE 1-5 YEAR RANGE.
YOU'LL STILL HAVE A GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHERS WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND WE'VE MADE SOME CONCERTED EFFORTS TO IMPROVE SALARIES FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS OVER THE PAST YEARS.
SOME OTHER THINGS WE LOOK AT ARE JUST SOME COMMON TEACHING AREA STIPEND, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS SHOWING.
SOME OF THEM THAT WE SEE THAT ARE COMMON AMONG YOUR PEERS ARE A MASTER'S DEGREE STIPEND, STIPEND FOR SECONDARY MATH AND SECONDARY SCIENCE ASSIGNMENTS, STIPEND FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN TWO AREAS, A GENERAL RESOURCE AREA, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE AN INCLUSION SETTING OR A RESOURCE CLASSROOM, AND THEN A HIGH NEEDS AREA, WHICH WOULD BE A SELF CONTAINED UNIT.
THE STUDENTS THAT HAVE VERY HIGH NEEDS, THEY STAY IN THAT CLASSROOM ALL DAY LONG AND THEY NEED A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THOSE TEACHERS AND STAFF.
THEN BILINGUAL IS THE LAST ONE.
YOU CAN SEE LOCKHART ISD STIPENDS IN THAT SECOND COLUMN AND THE MEDIAN STIPEND VALUE IN THE THIRD, AND HOW MANY DISTRICTS ARE REPORTING PAYING THOSE STIPENDS.
I KNOW THAT LOCKHART HAS MADE SOME MOVEMENTS TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION STIPENDS AND THE BILINGUAL STIPENDS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO KEEP PACE WITH MARKET AND THEY HAVE DONE SO.
YOU GUYS ARE IN A GOOD PLACE IN THOSE AREAS.
WHAT I TYPICALLY TELL DISTRICTS ABOUT THE SECONDARY MATH AND SCIENCE AND GO REALLY FOR ALL OF THEM IS, LOOK AT YOUR TURNOVER DATA.
IF YOU'RE HAVING SOME TURNOVER ISSUES IN THIS AREA, THAT'S A PLACE TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING AS WELL TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS THERE.
HERE IS THE MARKET ANALYSIS FOR YOUR NON TEACHING PAY GROUPS.
I'VE BROKEN THEM OUT INTO SIX DIFFERENT PAY GROUPS.
THE TOP THREE ARE SALARY JOBS.
THOSE ARE EXEMPT POSITIONS, THEY'RE PAID AN ANNUAL SALARY, NO MATTER HOW MANY HOURS THEY WORK.
THE BOTTOM THREE ARE YOUR HOURLY POSITIONS.
THEY'RE PAID AN HOURLY RATE, AND THEY WILL RECEIVE OVERTIME IF THEY GO OVER 40 HOURS A WEEK OR COMPENSATORY TIME.
THE TOP THREE ARE SALARIED STAFF.
YOU CAN SEE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR DIRECTOR LEVEL POSITIONS HERE AT CENTRAL OFFICE AND ABOVE, IT COULD BE SOME ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AND THOSE TYPE OF JOBS.
THE DATA POINTS I WANT TO POINT OUT, THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE EMPLOYEE PAY TO MARKET.
ON AVERAGE, IF WE TAKE ALL THOSE JOBS THAT WE MATCHED IN THE MARKETPLACE, IN THIS CASE, THERE WERE 17, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN FAR AND COLUMN.
ON AVERAGE, THOSE 17 JOBS ARE PAID 7% BELOW MARKET MEDIAN VALUES.
THAT NEXT COLUMN, PAY GRADE MIDPOINT TO MARKET, THAT SHOWS HOW COMPETITIVE THE PAY STRUCTURE IS FOR THOSE JOBS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MIDPOINTS OF THOSE JOBS IN YOUR CURRENT PAY SYSTEM COMPARED TO MARKET RATES.
REMEMBER THAT PAY STRUCTURE DRIVES YOUR HIRING RATES.
THE MIDPOINTS FOR THOSE JOBS ARE 6% BELOW.
WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS IF THERE'S VACANCIES THERE, YOUR HIRING SALARIES FOR SOME OF THOSE JOBS ARE GOING TO BE FALLING BELOW MARKET RATES.
WE WANT TO TRY TO IMPROVE THOSE SUM OVER TIME.
THE NEXT GROUP IS CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION, THAT'S GOING TO BE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS ON THE CAMPUSES.
THEIR AVERAGE PAY TO MARKET IS 5% BELOW MARKET MEDIANS, AND THEIR MIDPOINTS, SO THEIR PAY STRUCTURE IS 3% BELOW MARKET.
A LITTLE BIT STRONGER THAN YOUR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION.
PROFESSIONAL STAFF, THAT'S GOING TO BE COUNSELORS, COORDINATORS, IT COULD BE SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF LIKE DIAGNOSTICIANS, SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.
PAY TO MARKET IS 4% BELOW OR 96%, AND PAY GRADE MIDPOINTS TO MARKET ARE ALSO 96%.
AGAIN, THE NEXT THREE ARE HOURLY STAFF.
THE FIRST ONE IS INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR CLASSROOM AIDS, BOTH GENERAL EDUCATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION AIDS.
PAY IS VERY STRONG FOR THIS GROUP.
THE DISTRICTS DONE A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THESE EMPLOYEES COMPETITIVE WITH MARKET OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THEIR STRUCTURES ARE ALSO IN A GOOD PLACE.
[00:30:02]
THEY'RE JUST 1% BELOW MARKET.THEN THE ADDITIONAL THING THAT WE LIKE TO LOOK AT WITH HOURLY STAFF IS THE STARTING RATES, SO YOUR PAY GRADE MINIMUM TO MARKET.
THIS IS LOOKING AT THE MINIMUM RATE FOR THOSE JOBS COMPARED TO THE MINIMUM RATES OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE.
YOUR MINIMUM RATES ARE FALLING A LITTLE BIT LOW AT 94%.
CLERICAL SUPPORT. THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR SECRETARIAL STAFF, FOR THE MOST PART.
THE MIDPOINTS ARE 95% OF MARKET, AND YOUR MINIMUM, YOUR STARTING RATES ARE 94% OF MARKET, AND WE MATCH 19 JOBS THERE.
THEN THE LAST GROUP IS YOUR AUXILIARY.
YOUR AUXILIARY GROUP IS GOING TO BE MAINTENANCE, CUSTODIAL, CHILD NUTRITION SERVICE, ALL OF THOSE TYPE OF POSITIONS.
WE MATCH 13 JOBS THERE, PAY IS 94% OF MARKET, MIDPOINTS TO MARKET ARE 93, AND YOUR MINIMUMS ARE 95% OF MARKET.
YOU CAN SEE THERE IS SOME WORK THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE DONE TO KEEP OUR RANGES COMPETITIVE WITH MARKET, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO FOCUS ON EACH YEAR.
THERE'S A BALANCE THERE OF ESCALATING THOSE TOO FAST.
YOU OUTPACE CURRENT PAY RATES, AND IT ALSO CAN GET COSTLY, BUT WE TRY TO INCREASE THOSE AS MUCH AS BUDGET WILL ALLOW EACH YEAR.
>> YES, SIR, IT DOES. IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF AND SO BUS DRIVERS WILL BE IN THERE.
HERE'S THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BROUGHT FORTH THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST, AND THIS IS A STANDARD RECOMMENDATION EVERY YEAR IS TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED PAY STRUCTURES AND ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES ARE PAID AT LEAST AT THE PROPOSED PAY MINIMUM.
WE ARE ADJUSTING THE STRUCTURES UP.
SOMETIMES THAT ENTAILS ADJUSTING A STRUCTURE BEYOND WHAT A CURRENT EMPLOYEE IS MAKING.
WE'D WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ADJUST THEM TO GET THEM WITHIN THE MINIMUM OF THE PAY RANGE.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO TRY TO MOVE YOUR STRUCTURES TO A MORE COMPETITIVE PLACE WITH MARKET RATES.
RECOMMENDATION 2 IS TO ADOPT A GENERAL PAY INCREASE TO MAINTAIN MARKET POSITION.
AGAIN, THIS WOULD HELP WITH RETENTION, GIVEN A GENERAL PAY INCREASE TO YOUR STAFF.
AGAIN, YOU WANT YOUR BUDGET TO DRIVE THIS.
I'VE PROVIDED FOUR MODELS TO ASSIST WITH YOUR BUDGET PLANNING.
FOR YOUR TEACHERS, THE GENERAL PAY INCREASE IS A PERCENT OF THE MARKET MEDIAN SALARY.
WE LOOK AT THE MARKET MEDIAN TEACHER SALARY.
WE GIVE A PERCENT OF THAT, AND EVERY TEACHER GETS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT INCREASE.
FOR YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS, THE GENERAL PAY INCREASE IS GIVEN AS A PERCENT OF THE EMPLOYEE'S PAY GRADE MIDPOINT.
THAT'S DOING THE SAME THING FOR BOTH STAFF.
THAT MIDPOINT IS REPRESENTING THE MARKET RATE FOR THOSE JOBS, AND THEN FOR THE TEACHERS, WE'RE GIVING A PERCENT OF THE MARKET RATE FOR TEACHERS.
I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE FOUR MODELS.
FOR MODEL 1 THIS IS A 2% GENERAL PAY INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT BRINGS YOUR TEACHER STARTING SALARY TO 54,500, SO WE'RE ADJUSTING THE TEACHER SCHEDULE, INCREASING THE STARTING SALARY.
EVERY CONTINUING TEACHER WOULD GET A $1,200 INCREASE.
THAT IS EQUAL TO 2% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN SALARY.
IT COMES OUT TO A 2.3% INCREASE ON SALARIES OVERALL FOR TEACHERS.
FOR YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS, THEY WOULD RECEIVE 2% OF THE PAY GRADE MIDPOINT.
AGAIN, MODEL 1, 2% ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL STAFF. GO AHEAD MARK.
>> YOU SAID 2% ACROSS THE BOARD.
IF I'M A TEACHER AND I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 28 YEARS, IS THAT ACCURATE?
>> YES. THEY WOULD GET THE $1,200 INCREASE UNDER THIS MODEL.
UNDER THIS MODEL, EVERY CONTINUING TEACHER GET $1,200 INCREASE.
>> $1,200, BUT MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY 2%.
CORRECT. THAT'S WHY THAT THIRD BULLET EQUAL TO AVERAGE OF 2.3% SALARY INCREASE.
FOR A TEACHER THAT IS PAID ABOVE THE MARKET MEDIAN SALARY, IT'S GOING TO BE LESS THAN 2% OF SALARY.
>> I ALWAYS JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WILL COME UP OFTEN.
>> YOU BET. THAT'S TRUE FOR THE NON-TEACHING PAY GROUPS TOO.
IF YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYEE IN A PAY GRADE, JUST USE AN EXAMPLE TO SAY YOUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS AT THE TOP OF THE PAY GRADE ABOVE MIDPOINT, AND THEY GET 2% OF THE MIDPOINT, THEY'RE GETTING LESS THAN 2% OF THEIR SALARY.
BUT IF THEY'RE BELOW THE MIDPOINT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET MORE THAN 2% OF THEIR SALARY.
IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE TEACHERS.
IF THEY'RE LOW ON THE SCHEDULE, IF THEY'RE BELOW WHAT THE MARKET MEDIAN SALARY IS, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO GET 2% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN SALARY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A LARGER PERCENT OF THEIR SALARY.
BUT IF THEY'RE ABOVE THAT MARKET MEDIAN SALARY, IF THEY'RE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHER,
[00:35:02]
THEY'RE GOING TO GET A SMALLER PERCENT OF THEIR SALARY.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYONE?
>> YEAH. ESSENTIALLY, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE MOVING EVERYONE UP BY THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
IF YOU GIVE A PERCENT OF SALARY, OVER TIME, YOU HAVE PAY SPREAD BECAUSE THOSE EMPLOYEES MORE EXPERIENCE CONTINUE TO GET BIGGER PAY INCREASES IN THESE DOWN HERE.
START OUT WITH PAY SPREAD LIKE THIS AND THEN TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, YOU HAVE PAY SPREAD LOOKS LIKE THIS, AND THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING THE SAME JOB.
IT'S MOVING THEIR PAY FURTHER AWAY FROM MARKET VALUE.
WE RECOMMEND MARKET BASED PAY SYSTEM, TRYING TO KEEP PAY AROUND THE MARKET VALUE, AND IT DOES.
IT PREVENTS THE OVERPAYMENT AND THE UNDERPAYMENT.
IT'S A GOOD THING TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR EXPERIENCED STAFF, ESPECIALLY TEACHERS THAT ARE USED TO SEEING THAT SALARY SCHEDULE AND ARE USED TO SEEING THE HIGH EXPERIENCED TEACHERS BEING PAID MORE AND THEY EXPECT THAT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.
NOW IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, MARK HARD ISD HAS GIVEN LARGER INCREASES TO THOSE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
THEY'VE GIVEN ADJUSTMENTS ABOVE JUST THE GENERAL PAY INCREASE FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME MODELS THAT DO THAT NEXT.
BUT MODEL 1 IS JUST A STRAIGHT 2% OF THE MARKET.
>> THIS IS ASSUMING THAT STATE GIVES NO PAY RAISES, THERE'S TALKING TO SENATE ABOUT GIVING SO MUCH THE TEACHERS, WOULD THIS BE IN ADDITION TO IT OR [OVERLAPPING].
>> ALL THIS RIGHT NOW IS JUST GIVING YOU GUYS SOME MODELS TO THINK ABOUT AND SOME COST ESTIMATES.
THIS WOULD BE ASSUMING THAT THE STATE DOES NOTHING.
THIS IS NOT ON TOP OF WHAT THE STATES DOING, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR DISTRICTS TO NOT ADOPT ANYTHING YET, BECAUSE IF THEY DO REQUIRE SOME INCREASES, IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR DISTRICTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT THEN ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW HOW THE STATE WORKS SOMETIMES AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS WORK VERY FAST.
WE MAY GET TO A POINT IN TIME WHERE THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO MAKE A DECISION.
WHAT OUR GUIDANCE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS IS IF YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION AND ADOPT A PAY INCREASE, ADOPT WHAT YOUR BUDGET WILL SUPPORT BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW AND GIVE A CAVEAT THAT SAYS, IF THERE ARE MANDATES FROM THE STATE, WE WILL COME BACK AND AMEND OUR BUDGET AND AMEND OUR SALARIES ACCORDINGLY, AND THEN YOU CAN DO THAT.
>> AGAIN, MODEL 1 IS 2% OF THE MARKET.
IT'S NOT 2% OF SALARY IT'S 2% OF THE MARKET.
NOW, THIS JUST GIVES YOU A VISUAL OF WHAT THAT DOES TO THE TEACHER SALARIES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DOTTED GREEN LINE IS THE INCREASE IN THE SALARIES FROM THE ORANGE LINE.
ESSENTIALLY, THAT THE LINE IS GOING TO MOVE UP ACROSS THE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR THE MOST PART. MODEL 2.
THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED.
THIS IS BRINGING BACK SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT THE DISTRICT HAS DONE IN THE PAST.
FOR TEACHERS, STAYING AT THE 54,500 STARTING SALARY JUST LIKE IN MODEL 1.
BUT THE SALARY INCREASE RANGES FROM $1,200 UP TO $2,000.
THAT'S 2% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN UP TO 3% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN.
ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE AND MAKE SURE I'M TELLING YOU THIS RIGHT.
STARTING AT YEAR 10 THE TEACHERS WOULD GO FROM A $1,200 INCREASE TO A $1,500 INCREASE.
THEN AT YEAR 15, IT WOULD BUMP UP TO $1,800 INCREASE.
AT YEAR 20 AND ABOVE, IT GETS UP TO ALMOST A $2,100 INCREASE.
IT'S RANGING FROM 1,200 TO AROUND 2,000 IN THAT RANGE FOR TEACHERS WITH HIGHER INCREASES FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS AND IT RAMPS UP AS YOU GO UP THE SCHEDULE.
IT COMES OUT TO A 2.7% INCREASE ON SALARIES. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
IT WAS 2.3% ON MODEL 1, IS 2.7% ON THIS ONE BECAUSE WE'RE GIVEN HIGHER INCREASES FOR YOUR MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
FOR YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS, WE WOULD STAY AT THE 2% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN.
[00:40:01]
THEN THIS JUST GIVES YOU A LITTLE VISUAL.YOU CAN'T SEE IT MUCH ON THE GRAPH, BUT THAT GREEN LINE IS MOVING FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ORANGE LINE AT 10 YEARS AND BEYOND, AND IT GETS FURTHER AWAY WHEN YOU GET UP THERE AT 20 WHERE THE INCREASES ARE MORE.
MODEL 3, THIS MOVES THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
INSTEAD OF 54,500, WE'RE MOVING UP TO 54,800.
THE INCREASES RANGE FROM $1,500 UP TO 2,400.
WE'RE STARTING AT A HIGHER FLOOR OF $1,500.
IT'S A 2.5% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN, AND IT ESCALATES UP TO 2,400 WITH MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
IT'S EQUAL TO 3% OF AN AVERAGE SALARY INCREASE FOR YOUR TEACHERS.
FOR YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS, IT WOULD BE 3% OF THE MIDPOINT.
TRYING TO GET YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS EQUITABLE WITH WHAT YOU'RE GIVING YOUR TEACHERS OVERALL.
THEN THIS JUST GIVES A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THAT.
AGAIN, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT I'M TRYING TO SHOW THAT THAT GREEN LINE IS GETTING FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ORANGE AS YOU GET FURTHER UP THE SCHEDULE.
MODEL 4, THIS IS THE LAST MODEL.
IT GETS YOUR STARTING TEACHER SALARY UP TO 55,100, SO WE'RE GETTING IT UP EVEN HIGHER AND THE INCREASES RANGE FROM 1,800, WHICH IS 3% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN UP TO 2,700, WHICH IS 4% OF THE MARKET MEDIAN.
AGAIN, THAT IS BASED ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, IT STARTS TO INCREASE BEGINNING AT YEAR 10 AND MOVING UP.
IT'S EQUAL TO 3.6% OF TEACHER SALARIES.
FOR YOUR OTHER PAY GROUPS, IT WOULD BE 3% OF THE PAY GRADE MIDPOINT.
IT'S A LOT OF MODELS TO THINK ABOUT.
WE WANTED TO GIVE SOME DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS WILL HAVE SOME BUDGET NUMBERS TO LOOK AT AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT GREEN LINE IS ESCALATING UP EVEN MORE.
HERE'S THE SUMMARY OF THE COST ESTIMATES.
I PUT THEM ALL ON ONE SLIDE JUST SEEING SEE THEM SIDE BY SIDE.
AGAIN, MODEL 1 IS THE 2% OF THE MARKET ACROSS THE BOARD.
MODEL 2 IS WHERE WE START AT 2%, BUT YOUR MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS START GETTING LARGER PAY INCREASES.
MODEL 3 IS WHERE WE START A LITTLE BIT HIGHER WITH YOUR TEACHERS.
IT STARTS AT ABOUT 2.5% AND RAMPS UP TO 3.5%.
YOUR NON-TEACHERS GET 3%, AND MODEL 4, IT STARTS EVEN HIGHER AT 3% AND RAMPS UP TO ABOUT 4% AND YOUR NON-TEACHERS GET 3%.
IT GOES FROM ABOUT $955,000 ON THE LOW END UP TO ALMOST 1.5 MILLION ON THE HIGH END.
ANY QUESTIONS? THAT WAS A LOT, I KNOW.
>> I GUESS [INAUDIBLE] PROBABLY RIGHT IN THE SAME SPOT RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS DECISION-MAKING, OR HAVE YOU HEARD ANYBODY SAY WHAT THEY MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT OR ANYTHING?
>> CORRECT. I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY DISTRICTS THAT HAVE MADE ANY DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.
ALL THE DISTRICTS WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE IN A HOLDING PATTERN.
I'VE PRESENTED RESULTS TO MANY DISTRICTS ALREADY, SO OF MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT CONSULTANTS, I GUESS, WORKING RIGHT NOW, AND WE TYPICALLY DO ABOUT 200 PROJECTS A YEAR.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A LOT OF DISTRICTS AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE IS PLANNING ON DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
>> WAS THERE ANYBODY BELOW US ON THE MARKING GRAPH? [OVERLAPPING].
>> YES. WE CAN BACK UP HERE AND LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
IF WE LOOK AT THIS ONE THAT SHOWS ALL YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY YEARS, YOU'RE PRETTY LOW IN THE GROUP, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME DISTRICTS BELOW YOU EVEN THE EARLY YEARS.
WHEN YOU GET UP THERE TO THE TOP, I COULD DOUBLE CHECK THIS BUT I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEHIND ONE OTHER DISTRICT TWO. IS IT TWO? THERE'S ANOTHER DISTRICT IN YOUR PEER GROUP THAT HAS A SIMILAR STRATEGY HERE.
THEY PAY VERY HIGH OR THEIR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, AND THEIR STARTING SALARY IS NOT VERY COMPETITIVE.
THAT DISTRICT TYPICALLY STAYS AT THE TOP OF THE PEER DISTRICTS IN YEARS 10 AND ABOVE.
[00:45:01]
>> I WILL SAY OUR CHALLENGE AND THING THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT YEARS 7, 8 ABOVE, THERE AREN'T VERY MANY DISTRICTS THAT PAY MORE THAN US.
THE CHALLENGES THE DISTRICT THAT IS PAYING MORE THAN US, THAT'S WHERE HUGE NUMBER OF OUR TEACHERS LIVE.
NOW, IF YOU WATCH THE NEWS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME FINANCIAL STRUGGLES IN THOSE DISTRICTS WHERE MASSIVE DEFICITS.
IN PARTICULAR, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE GIVEN A RAISE IN A YEAR OR TWO.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE WISE IS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO PUT OURSELF TO BE IN THAT SITUATION IN A COUPLE OF YEARS TO WHERE WE CAN'T AFFORD THE RAISES THAT WE'RE GIVEN.
I THINK THE BOARD HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF GETTING US HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AT YEARS SEVEN PLUS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO MONITOR.
REALLY IT'S FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE SEEKING TONIGHT IS THE STRATEGY THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS WORKED TO MAKE US VERY COMPETITIVE FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MODELS, AND THIS IS THE TIME TO WHERE WE JUST REALLY NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT FEEDBACK TO GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THIS PLAN OUT.
>> TO SUM THAT UP, I PULLED IT UP.
IF WE THREW ALL IN WITH THE 12 DISTRICTS AND MADE IT 13 DISTRICTS, ALL ARE AROUND 11TH AND 12TH AT YEAR ZERO AND FIVE, JUMP UP TO RANKING NUMBER 4 AT YEAR TEN, AND THEN YOU'RE RANKING NUMBER 3 AT 15 AND 20.
AS MARK WAS SAYING, THERE'S TWO ABOVE YOU AT YEAR 15 AND 20.
>> IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE THAT TEACHERS ARE AVOIDING LOCKHART IN THESE EARLY YEARS BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS SALARY DISCREPANCY OR ARE WE LOSING TEACHERS? WHEN THEY LEAVE AND SEPARATE, DO THEY SAY, WE'RE NOT PAID ENOUGH IN THESE FIRST FEW YEARS, I'M GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT?
>> I CAN SAY THIS IS A QUESTION THAT WE WANTED TO MONITOR IN TERMS OF NEW TEACHERS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OF OUR STUDENT TEACHERS, ANY OF OUR RESIDENT TEACHERS NOT STAYING WITH US.
THOSE ARE ALL TEACHERS WHO HAVE ZERO YEARS EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO MONITOR CLOSELY, AND IT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE.
IT ALSO HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE FOR TEACHERS WITH ZERO TO LIMITED YEARS EXPERIENCE AND APPLYING AS WELL.
>> TO THEM SALARY IS JUST ONE OF MANY FACTORS, CONSIDERING WHEN THEY GO TO [INAUDIBLE]
>> WE'RE STILL CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHERE IT'S NOT A MAJOR DISCREPANCY, LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN SOME DISTRICTS.
ALSO, WE HAVE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
WE HAVE A BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT OTHER DISTRICTS AREN'T ABLE TO COMPETE WITH, SO IT'S LARGER THAN JUST THAT ENTRY SALARY.
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE HERE.
MR. D, I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THIS IS YOUR TEACHER DEMOGRAPHICS BASED ON YOUR SALARY.
BUT THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT IS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPREAD AT STARTING SALARY AMONG YOUR PEER GROUP, THE LOWEST IS 53,265 AND THE HIGHEST IS 59,600.
THAT'S NOT A VERY BIG SPREAD, $6,000 ROUGHLY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'LL DOWN AT RANKING NUMBER 11, YOU'RE STILL NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM THE TOP BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPACT.
I THINK THAT TIES IN WHAT MARK SAYING IS, YOU'RE STILL IN THE MIX THERE EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PEER GROUP BECAUSE IT IS A VERY COMPETITIVE GROUP.
>> I THINK WE DO HAVE THINGS SUCH AS LION CARE VALUE ALL OF THIS.
>> I'M CURIOUS TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD ON, ARE WE AT A POINT TO WHERE WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS CURRENT STRATEGY? DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT MORE OF A MODEL 1 APPROACH OR MORE OF A MODEL 3, 4 APPROACH?
>> IS THE CURRENT MODEL WORKING FORCE, WOULD YOU SAY?
>> I CAN TELL YOU IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WE HAD A LOT OF OUR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS EXPRESS A LACK OF FEELING OF APPRECIATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR THEIR COMMITMENT,
[00:50:01]
FOR THEIR DEDICATION, FOR THE LONGEVITY IN THE DISTRICT.SINCE WE'VE CHANGED, OUR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS HAVE NOTICED AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED NEARLY AS MUCH.
>> I GUESS I'M ON THE SIDE WHERE I'M LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS AND THERE'S REALLY NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE, 100 BUCKS MORE A MONTH, IN SOME CASES.
I THINK FOR THE DISTRICT TO LOOK MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR THESE NEW TEACHERS JUST STARTING, WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT LOOKING AT MAYBE OPTION OR MODEL 2 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT HIGHER THAN MODEL 1.
>> THE INCENTIVIZING TEACHERS WITH KICKS IN AT 2:00.
>> MODEL 3. [OVERLAPPING] TWO, 3, AND 4.
IT GETS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER MODEL.
>> AS A FORMER LONG TERM EDUCATOR, I KNOW IT WOULD HAVE MEANT A LOT TO ME TO BE IN A SITUATION LIKE WE ARE NOW BECAUSE WHEN I WAS TEACHING, THERE WASN'T MUCH OF A SPREAD AND THE WHOLE THING WAS, WE NEED TO BRING MORE TEACHERS IN AND EQUIP THE TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE YOU'VE BUILT YOUR FAMILY HERE IN YOUR HOME HERE, BUT IF YOU COULD, YOU WOULD.
I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT IT RIGHT NOW [INAUDIBLE]
>> YEAH, THE SAME. I LIKE THE SAME MODEL.
CURRENT MODEL WE ARE IN NOW IT'S NOT WORKING. WE WOULD STAY WITH IT.
>> THANK YOU GUYS. I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME HERE AGAIN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
I KNOW THEY'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH ME AND I CAN RUN OTHER MODELS.
IF WE HEAR SOMETHING FROM THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE TEAM TO RUN YOU MORE MODELS IF [INAUDIBLE]
>> I WILL SAY I LIKE DOING IT AT THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP RATHER THAN THE REGULAR MEETING BECAUSE WHEN WE DO IT AT THE REGULAR MEETING, IT'S DOWN TOWARD THE END, AND THEN IT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS.
HERE YOU SEND IT WITH FRESH EYES.
FOR ME, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE INTERACTIVE ALWAYS DOING WORKSHOPS.
>> WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 4(B),
[2025-2026 Staffing and Budget Session]
2025, 2026 STAFFING AND BUDGET SESSION.>> GOOD EVENING. THIS IS OUR FIFTH YEAR TO DO THIS, AND I'M JUST AS EXCITED AS I WAS THE FIRST YEAR.
THIS IS THE AGENDA OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER.
WE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OF A SCHOOL FUNDING REFRESHER, WHERE WE GO OVER THE BUCKETS AND WE'LL LOOK AT 24 25, WHAT WE ADOPTED, WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE'LL TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY.
WE'LL LOOK AT REQUESTS FOR BEING FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO A MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION ABOUT LINE CARE FOR 25 26.
WE'LL TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT TAX RATES AND THEN WE'LL GO OVER THE BUDGET SUMMARY.
I WILL TRY TO GO THROUGH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS A VERY EXCITING BASKETBALL GAME ON IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> I WENT TO [INAUDIBLE] SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF.
I WILL STILL MOVE THROUGH IT AT A PACE.
PLEASE ASK ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WE CAN TALK ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT I FIRST WANT TO GO OVER IS JUST A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF SCHOOL FUNDING, SO WE JUST HAVE A REFRESHER ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
HOW DOES LOCKHART ISD RECEIVE FUNDS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS? I WAS, OH, MY GOODNESS IS THERE WE GO.
[LAUGHTER] THE BUCKET HERE AT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU IMAGINE GETS A BUCKET.
THE SIZE OF THAT BUCKET IS DETERMINED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THAT DISTRICT,
[00:55:03]
THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS, AND STILL IN TEXAS, WE ARE ONE OF FIVE STATES THAT THEIR ATTENDANCE OF THE STUDENTS DETERMINES THE SIZE OF THE BUCKET.EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT HAS A BUCKET, ALL DIFFERENT SIZES AND THAT THE TOTAL BUCKET REPRESENTS THE TOTAL COST TO EDUCATE ALL THE STUDENTS ATTENDING LOCKHART ISD.
I PUT TOTAL COST TO EDUCATE IN QUOTES, AND THE REASON WHY I DO THAT IS BECAUSE THE AMOUNT THAT IS DETERMINED AS THE TOTAL COST TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS DOES NOT COME FROM US AND OUR COMMUNITY AND WE FIND THE DEMAND AND THE NEEDS AND THE COST.
IT COMES FROM THE TEXT EDUCATION AGENCY AND THE AMOUNTS THAT THEY DECIDE IT WOULD COST US TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS.
THAT IS WHY I PUT IT IN QUOTES.
WE DON'T GET TO TELL THEM, THIS IS HOW MUCH IT COSTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS HOW BIG WE NEED OUR BUCKET TO BE.
I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WHAT FUNDS FILL THAT BUCKET UP ONCE THE SIZE OF THE BUCKET IS DETERMINED? RIGHT NOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SIZE OF OUR BUCKET, WHAT OUR BUCKET MIGHT BE FOR 25 26 BASED ON ALL THESE PROJECTIONS, AND WE WILL FIND OUT IN AUGUST OF 2026 WHAT THE ACTUAL SIZE OF OUR BUCKET WILL BE.
WHILE WE'LL ADOPT IN JUNE, WHAT WE PROJECT THE BUCKET TO BE WE'LL FIND OUT ONCE THAT CLOSE OF THE WHOLE YEAR IS EXACTLY HOW BIG OUR BUCKET IS, REALLY SEPTEMBER OF 2026.
WHAT FUNDS FILL UP THE BUCKET? AGAIN, THIS IS THE BUCKET REPRESENTING THE TOTAL COST TO EDUCATE.
AFTER OUR LOCAL TAX COLLECTION THROUGH OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION, THE STATE WILL COME IN AND FILL UP THE REST OF THE BUCKET ONCE, AND THAT'S WHY THEY SETTLE UP IN THE SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
IS THAT WE KNOW THEN WHAT OUR FINAL SIZE OF THE BUCKET WILL BE AT THAT POINT?
>> SEPTEMBER OF 2026 IS WHEN WE'LL GET OUR FINAL FILL OF WHAT THAT BUCKET SHOULD BE FOR THE YEAR.
ONCE IT'S OVER, ALL THE PENS DATA IS IN.
>> I'M CONFUSED. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT GETTING INFORMATION ON THE BUDGET UNTIL 2026, WHICH IS MORE THAN A YEAR AWAY.
>> WE START CREATING OUR BUDGET, EVERYTHING IS PROJECTION, AND THEN WHEN TA DETERMINES WHAT THE SIZE OF OUR BUCKET IS GOING TO BE BASED ON HOW OUR YEAR PLAYED OUT WITH OUR STUDENTS, OUR NUMBER OF STUDENTS, THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS, AND THEN THE ATTENDANCE OF THOSE STUDENTS, THEN THEY FINALIZE THE SIZE OF OUR BUCKET.
I JUST EMPHASIZE THAT IN THE SENSE THAT WE WE'RE.
>> WE HAVE HISTORICAL DATA, SO WE'RE TRYING TO FLY AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE.
>> BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WENT LAST YEAR, IT'S NOT HISTORICAL.
WE HAVE TO SAY THE RIGHT WORD.
>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT ONE? [LAUGHTER].
>> IT JUST CAME INTO MY HEAD BECAUSE SHE THREW ME OFF WHEN SHE SAID 26.
I'M, THAT'S IS A LONG TIME AWAY.
>> IT IS. HOW CAN LOCKHART ISD'S BUCKET GET BIGGER? OUR BUCKET CAN GET BIGGER THROUGH ENROLLMENT GROWTH AND WE ARE GROWING DISTRICT.
THAT IS ONE WAY THAT OUR BUCKET CAN GET BIGGER.
IT CAN GET BIGGER THROUGH A VATRE, WHICH OUR COMMUNITY DID PASS A VATRE IN NOVEMBER OF 2023.
IT CAN ALSO GET BIGGER THROUGH BETTER ATTENDANCE.
AS WE HAVE MORE ATTENDANCE COMING TO SCHOOL, THE BUCKET DOES GET BIGGER FROM THAT.
>> IS THERE ANY CHATTER ABOUT TEXAS FINALLY GOING TO ENROLLMENT AS OPPOSED TO ATTENDANCE?
>> NO. I HEARD MORE CHATTER IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION THAN I HAVE IN THIS SESSION ON ENROLLMENT BASED FUNDING.
>> REALLY, THE TALK HAS JUST BEEN ABOUT VOUCHERS AND THEN A SMALL INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, $200 IS ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE.
>> I KEEP SAYING OVER AND OVER THAT WE CAN'T BUDGET FOR ATTENDANCE.
WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR ENROLLMENT SO THAT WE DON'T SEE OURSELVES WITH ALL THESE KIDS AND NO FUNDS FOR THEM.
THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT YET, HAVE THEY?
>> NO, SIR. WE STAFF BY ENROLLMENT, AND WE'RE FUNDED BY ATTENDANCE.
THIS YEAR AS I'M WORKING THROUGH THE BUDGET, FOCUS ON OUR DISTRICT GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR, AS I'M HAVING BUDGET CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LEADERS AT THE DISTRICT,
[01:00:03]
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN ALIGN WITH OUR THREE DISTRICT GOALS.THE FIRST GOAL BEING TO CREATE INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR SUCCESS BEYOND GRADUATION.
TWO, THAT EVERY CAMPUS WILL HAVE AN A RATING BY 2028 THROUGH EXEMPLARY TEACHING AND STUDENTS THAT ARE LEARNING, AND THREE THAT WE WILL CULTIVATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES CHOOSE LOCKHART INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
EMPHASIZING THESE GOALS AND KEEPING THEM IN THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MIND AS WE ARE MAKING OUR DECISIONS FOR NEXT YEAR ARE WIDELY IMPORTANT.
NUMBER 3 IS ONE THAT WILL REALLY COME UP A LOT TONIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THE BIGGEST PORTION OF OUR BUDGET IS OUR STAFF.
WE'LL TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT POINTING TO GOAL NUMBER 3.
WE ARE IN THE 89TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
EVERY ODD YEAR, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THAT CAN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY DISRUPT THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT IT CAN ADD A LAYER OR TWO OR 10 TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WE ARE SEEING WHAT THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO DO TWO YEARS AGO.
THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FINANCIALLY TO INCREASE WHAT DID HAPPEN WAS A LARGE COMPRESSION OF THE TAX RATE AND A HIGHER HOMES EXEMPTION.
THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT OF THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
THIS YEAR, THERE'S A LOT MORE TALKS ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO FOR INCREASING PUBLIC EDUCATION.
RIGHT NOW, HOUSE BILL 2 IS ALL THE THOUGHTS, ALL OF THE TALK.
I WANTED TO JUST GO OVER HOUSE BILL 2, WHAT IS IN THERE AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR A LOCKHART ISD.
IT IS A $200 BASIC ALLOTMENT INCREASE, WHICH COMES TO ABOUT 1.2 MILLION WITH OUR CURRENT ADA THAT WE HAVE AT LOCKHART ISD.
THERE IS AN INCREASE TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION, DYSLEXIA AND STATE COMP.
ED ALLOTMENTS IN THE WEIGHTS, MAKING THOSE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
THERE'S A NEW ALLOTMENT, WHICH IS A FINE ART ALLOTMENT.
HIGH SCHOOL ADVISING PROGRAM ALLOTMENT IS NEW AND INCREASE TO THE CCMR BONUS OUTCOMES.
I BELIEVE IT'S CURRENTLY 2,000 AND THE INCREASES TO 4,000. THEY WOULD DOUBLE IT.
A 5% INCREASE PER MILE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ALLOTMENT, BUT ONLY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION ONLY, NOT ALL OF THE FLEET, JUST A SPECIAL EDUCATION FLEET.
THEN TIED TO THAT IS THAT WHATEVER OUR INCREASE ENDS UP BEING, 40% OF IT HAS TO GO TO TEACHER RATES.
TEN PERCENT OF IT HAS TO GO TO THE REST, OR THERE'S SOME PERCENTAGES IN THERE, BUT THERE ARE SOME CAVEATS IN THERE IN THIS HOUSE BILL.
ALL IN ALL, WE HAVE A POTENTIAL OF TWO MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF NEW FUNDS FOR LOCKHART ISD IF HOUSE BILL 2 DOES MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITH ALL OF THESE ITEMS IN IT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON AT THIS POINT.
IT'S HARD TO REALLY TELL, BUT I DO THINK IT IS GOING TO HAVE SOME TRACTION.
I DO THINK IT'S GOING TO KEEP MOVING.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU WANT TO ADD?
>> YES. GOING OVER TO THE SENATE SIDE, THEIR BILL DIDN'T HAVE MUCH FUNDING.
IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT COMES BACK FROM THE SENATE COMMITTEE, BUT WE'RE FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY.
>> I WAS READING, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WHAT MR. ESTRADA SAID IN HIS BRIEFING, BUT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING CHANGING THE WAY THE VALUE OF THE GOLDEN PENNY AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
>> YES. THAT IS HERE TO [OVERLAPPING].
>> IT IS. IT'S IN THE VALUE OF THE GOLDEN PENNY.
I COULD ADD THIS TO THE LIST TO SAY THERE'S ONE AND THERE IS AN INCREASE TO THE VALUE OF THE GOLDEN PENNY THAT WE ARE ALREADY GOING TO SEE IN '25, '26 THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE LAW.
WHAT THEY DO IS THEY JUST THEY CHANGE THE WEIGHT OF IT.
IT DOES HELP US BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL EIGHT OF OUR GOLDEN PENNIES, WHICH IS UNIQUE FOR A LAW CARD.
FOR ANY OTHER DISTRICT. NOT EVERYBODY HAS EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES LIKE. THAT'S PART OF IT.
THAT'S WHY THE $200 BASIC ALLOTMENT INCREASE FOR US IS
[01:05:03]
AROUND $1.2 MILLION WITH OUR CURRENT ADA, AND THE OTHER $800,000 IS FROM THE LITTLE ALLOTMENTS HERE AND THERE, THE WEIGHTS CHANGING IN CERTAIN AREAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL GOLDEN PENNIES, YOU DO GET TO SEE THE IMPACT OF THOSE WEIGHTS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT DON'T.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH HB2, AND HOPEFULLY IN ONE MONTH FROM NOW, I HAVE AN UPDATE [NOISE] FOR YOU.
JUST REALLY FAST, THE '24,'25 BUDGET, WE DID LOOK AT IT IN FEBRUARY.
WE ADOPTED A BALANCED BUDGET OF $67.7 MILLION IN REVENUE AND $67.7 MILLION DOLLAR IN EXPENDITURES, 72% OF OUR BUDGET IS OUR PAYROLL.
BUT WE DO CONTRACT OUT OUR TRANSPORTATION AND CUSTODIAL SERVICES.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW THAT AS IF IT WERE PAYROLL AND JUST SHOWING THAT OUR EXPENDITURE BUDGET IS 80% OF PAYROLL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE PART OF OUR BUDGET IS FOCUSING ON OUR STAFF, OUR RACE, OUR BENEFITS BECAUSE IT IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET.
AS WE'RE GOING INTO THE YEAR AND WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT JUST NOW ABOUT THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE SIZE OF OUR BUCKET, SO WE START PROJECTING THINGS BASED ON HISTORY.
THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT ARE PROPERTY VALUES, I HAVE AN EXTREMELY PRE-LIMINARY VALUE OF A 13% INCREASE FOR TAX YEAR 2025.
BUT JUST AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUCKET, BASED ON WHAT WE BRING IN TAXES, THEY FILL UP THE REST.
WHILE THE PROPERTY VALUE IS BALANCED WITH THE STATE VALUE, IS VALUABLE TO US BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL GOLDEN PENNIES.
WE'LL GET PRELIMINARY NUMBERS AT THE END OF APRIL FROM THE COUNTY.
[NOISE] WE'LL BASE A BUDGET ON OUR LOCAL COLLECTION AND STATE VALUES.
WE ALSO BASE IT ON ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS AND THEN ATTENDANCE IS PRETTY MUCH STAYING STEADY.
WE'RE NOT, I DON'T THINK WE'LL DO THE SAME THIS YEAR FOR ATTENDANCE.
I WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY.
IN A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL BECAUSE DON'T THINK THAT THE STATE DOES NOT RECONCILE THEIR PORTION OF THE BUCKET THAT THEY PUT ON TOP OF OUR LOCAL TAX COLLECTION.
I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE HAVE FACED STATE PROPERTY VALUE ASSIGNMENT IN THE PAST.
AGAIN, THIS IS OUR BUCKET, THE TOTAL COST REPRESENTS THE TOTAL BUCKET, I'M SORRY, REPRESENTS THE TOTAL COSTS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS.
THEN WE FILL THAT BUCKET UP WITH LOCAL TAX COLLECTION, AND THEN THE STATE COMES IN AND FILLS IN THE REST WITH OUR STATE REVENUE.
>> EARLIER, YOU'RE SAYING THERE WAS 2% FEDERAL, DID YOU JUST GO OVER THAT OR.
>> WE DO HAVE A VERY SMALL PORTION IN FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE GET, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR SHARS REVENUE THAT WE GET THROUGH OUR SHARS PROGRAM AND REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
THEN WE GET INDIRECT COST ON ALL OF OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, WHICH IS AGAIN, ANOTHER SMALL PERCENTAGE.
>> IF WE LOSE THAT, WILL THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
>> IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT NOT IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH.
WE JUST DID OUR SHARS COST REPORT.
IT WAS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, APRIL 1ST, AND WE JUST DID IT.
I SEE THE PROJECTION OF OUR REIMBURSEMENT AND WILL BE OKAY.
IT WAS THIS YEAR THAT WE GOT HIT HARD WITH THE SHARS AUDIT THAT WAS GOING ON.
>> ARE YOU REFERRING TO SHARS IN PARTICULAR OR JUST IF WE WERE TO LOSE ALL FEDERAL MONEY?
>> IF WE WERE TO LOSE ALL FEDERAL MONEY?
>> I'M SORRY. I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT BECAUSE I TOOK IT THROUGH.
THAT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY IMPACT US SIGNIFICANTLY.
I ALSO WE'LL TELL YOU THAT THE 2% THAT YOU SAW ON THAT PIE DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR FEDERAL FUNDS.
IT INCLUDES OUR FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE GET INTO OUR GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET.
OUR FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE THROUGH IDA B AND OUR TITLE ONE PROGRAM,
[01:10:02]
AND THEN EVEN OUR SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATE. THEY'RE TOTALLY SEPARATE.WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE IMPACTED IF THERE WAS A CHANGE TO THAT FUNDING.
I DO NOT THINK WE WILL HAVE ANY CHANGES IN '25 '26 AT ALL OR EVEN HONESTLY IN '26 '27.
BUT AS I HAVE SOME INFORMATION, I CAN BRING THAT.
I CAN BRING IT TO THE NEXT WORKSHOP ACTUALLY SO YOU CAN SEE.
>> NOT AT THIS POINT, MR. WRIGHT, THE CONCERN RIGHT NOW, GOING TO IS QUITE FRANKLY IS THE TARIFFS AND THE COST OF GOODS.
THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONCERNED AS OF RIGHT NOW IS THE COST OF GOODS IS GOING TO RISE FOR OUR NUTRITION PROGRAM AS IT DOES EVERY YEAR, BUT MORE SIGNIFICANT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN RECENT EVENTS.
>> AS WE MOVE BACK THROUGH JUST TALKING ABOUT THE ANNUAL PROPERTY VALUE STUDY.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE WELL, NOT EVEN A LARGE PORTION, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE ANY PORTION OF THE BUCKET FILLED UP FROM THE STATE, THEY DO, DO A RECONCILIATION TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE IN LINE AND WE'RE WE'RE COLLECTING ENOUGH FUNDS TO FILL UP OUR PORTION OF THE BUCKET.
WHAT THEY DO IS THEY COMPARE OUR LOCAL TAX ROLL WITH STATE PROPERTY VALUES AND OUR ANNUAL PROPERTY VALUE STUDY.
THIS AGAIN, ENSURES THAT OUR COUNTY APPRAISERS ARE TAXING ACCORDING TO PROPERTY VALUES THAT ARE WITHIN RANGE OF STATE VALUES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN IS FAIR AND TRUE TO THEM.
THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY IS RELEASED EVERY YEAR AT THE END OF JANUARY BY THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE.
THEY RELEASE IT ON JANUARY 31ST, AND WE GOT THAT RELEASE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THE LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES MUST BE WITHIN 90% OF THE STATE PROPERTY VALUE IN ORDER TO PASS THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY.
IF A LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES ARE LOWER THAN 90%, THE DISTRICT GOES INTO GRACE, AND THEN THAT GRACE PERIOD IS THREE YEARS.
THE VALUES COULD BE OUT OF RANGE FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE THE DISTRICT IS ASSIGNED STATE PROPERTY VALUES.
LOCKHART ISD WENT OUT OF GRACE AFTER THREE FAILED PROPERTY VALUE STUDIES IN TAX YEAR 2020.
WE FOUND THIS OUT IN JANUARY OF 2021.
[LAUGHTER] WE WERE ASSIGNED STATE PROPERTY VALUES THAT YEAR.
ONCE A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS OUT OF GRACE, THERE HAS TO BE TWO PAST PROPERTY VALUE STUDIES IN A ROW BEFORE THE DISTRICT CAN GAIN BACK ANY TYPE OF GRACE PERIOD.
THE GRACE PERIOD MAY NOT TECHNICALLY BE THREE GRACE YEARS, BUT WE CAN GAIN BACK A GRACE PERIOD.
LOCKHART ISDS VALUES PASSED IN 2021, THERE WAS A HUGE INCREASE IN THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VALUES, IF YOU REMEMBER, AND NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT IN 2022, WE WOULD FAIL.
HOWEVER, THAT PROPERTY VALUE STUDY DID FAIL.
WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN, THE COUNTY VALUES FAILED AGAINST THE STATE VALUES.
THEN IN 2023, THE COUNTY VALUES PASSED, AND THEN AGAIN IN 2024, THE COUNTY VALUES PASSED.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE.
BUT THIS IS BACK FROM 2022 WHEN THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY DID NOT PASS.
WHAT WE LOOK AT IS WE LOOK AT THIS FIRST COLUMN, WHICH IS OUR LOCAL TAX ROLL VALUE AND THEY COMPARE IT TO THE STATE VALUE, AND THAT'S THE RED BOX.
THEN IN THE FAR COLUMN WHERE WE CAN SEE WHAT OUR ASSIGNMENT WAS, AND THAT FAR COLUMN MATCHES THE STATE COLUMN.
THEY'RE SAYING THAT YOUR PROPERTY VALUES WERE $2.8 BILLION IN TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $3.1 BILLION BASED ON THEIR BASED ON THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE FURTHER STATE VALUES.
THIS HERE IS ME PULLING OUT THE AREAS, THE CATEGORIES OF PROPERTIES THAT REALLY ARE ARE LOOKED AT.
[01:15:05]
IN THIS YEAR, THIS NON-AG LAND IMPROVEMENTS WAS AT ONLY 81% OF THE STATE VALUE.THAT WAS NOT THE MAIN REASON, IT WAS THE REASON WHY THIS PROPERTY STUDY VALUE FOR THE YEAR.
WHILE OUR RESIDENTIAL LOOKED GREAT, THAT NON AG LAND WAS WAY OFF, AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER STARTED COMING IN AND BUYING AG LAND AT A HIGH AMOUNT COMPARED TO WHAT IT HAD BEEN VALUED THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
WITH IT BEING SO FAR OFF, WE DEFINITELY DID NOT THINK THAT WE WOULD COME BACK FROM THAT WITH THE DEVELOPERS CONTINUING TO COME IN.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THE STATE LOOKS AT YOUR VALUE, WE COLLECTED ON $2.8 BILLION WORTH OF VALUE.
THAT'S WHAT WE COLLECTED ON TO FILL UP OUR BUCKET.
THE STATE BASICALLY SAYS WITH THAT FAILED PROPERTY VALUE, YOU SHOULD HAVE COLLECTED AN ADDITIONAL $3.1 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE IF YOUR VALUE WOULD HAVE BEEN $3.1 BILLION VERSUS THE $2.8 BILLION THAT IT WAS.
THEY REDUCED THEIR PORTION OF THE STATE REVENUE WHEN THAT HAPPENS, AND WE HAD A REVENUE REDUCTION THAT YEAR OF $3.1 MILLION ON THE STATE SIDE DUE TO THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY.
I JUST WANT TO AND THEN IN 2024, THIS IS OUR VALUES NOW.
ALL OF THE CATEGORIES LOOK GREAT.
WE DID RECEIVE TWO YEARS IN A ROW OF PAST PROPERTY VALUE STUDY, AND ALL OF THOSE RATIOS COMPARED TO THE STATE ARE LOOKING REALLY, REALLY STRONG, WHICH I WANTED TO EXPLAIN IT ALL TO YOU BECAUSE WE'RE NOT OUT OF BECAUSE WE HAVE STATE REVENUE WERE A CHAPTER 42 DISTRICT, WE ARE GOING TO ALWAYS HAVE THIS HERE, AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO LET US FORGET THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TWO PAST YEARS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY YEAR AS WE'RE PREPARING FOR OUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE HOW WE SHOULD LOOK AT WHAT OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING TO BE FOR COLLECTION PURPOSES, WHICH WOULD BE WHAT OUR TOTAL BUCKET IS GOING TO BE.
I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH THESE RATIOS THAT THE COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT HAS MADE A LOT OF EFFORT TO REALLY MATCH THOSE VALUES WITH THE STATE.
I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN BUDGET AS LOCAL REVENUE, LOCAL VALUES FOR NEXT YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPERTY VALUE STUDY? I KNOW WE'VE GONE OVER IT A LOT, BUT IT CAN BE SO COMPLICATED THAT I WANTED TO GO OVER IT AGAIN.
>> ALPINE, THEY'VE BEEN ON IT FOR TWO [OVERLAPPING]
I'VE BOTH BEEN ON IT FOR 10 YEARS.
>> TEN YEARS. NO END IN SIGHT FOR THAT UNFORTUNATELY.
HOPEFULLY, THIS IS AN AREA THAT THEY WILL MAYBE MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON IN THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT NOT AT THIS TIME THAT I'VE HEARD.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. WHEN WE'RE CREATING THE BUDGET, WE ALWAYS REALLY WANT TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE WANT TO ASK OURSELVES IS DOES THIS ALIGN WITH OUR DISTRICT, THE THREE DISTRICT GOALS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE BEGINNING? WE ASKS, IS THERE SOMETHING NEW THAT WE CAN DO THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE? IS THERE A PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAVE THAT IS SHOWING RESULTS THAT'S PROVING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE OR GROW OUR INVESTMENT IN THAT AREA? WE'LL LOOK AT ALL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET AND WHAT WE'VE DONE.
HOW DOES THIS NEW OR OLD PROGRAMMING BUDGET REQUEST IMPACT 1.5? IS THERE DATA TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM THAT EITHER IS BEING REQUESTED OR IS BEING INVESTED IN FURTHER? THEN WE ALWAYS WANT TO AVOID, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY.
I KEEP THAT ON THERE SO THAT WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EVALUATING EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING, EVEN IF IT'S A $100 SUBSCRIPTION FOR SOMETHING ALL THE WAY UP, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DONE IT EVERY YEAR, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY $1,000, LET'S LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT POINTS BACK TO ALL OF THESE THINGS,
[01:20:03]
SPECIFICALLY, OUR DISTRICT GOALS AND OUR 1.5.>> LOOKING AT OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS BIG AS FAR AS JUST LIKE WE LOOK AT OUR PROPERTY VALUE STUDY TO PROJECT OUR REVENUES FOR NEXT YEAR.
ENROLLMENT DOES HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR REVENUE, AND SO WE LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY WHEN WE'RE COMING UP WITH WHAT DO WE PROJECT ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE THINK ARE GOING TO COME IN.
IT'S RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON, THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR US TO LOOK AT AS FAR AS LOOKING AT WHAT OUR DEMOGRAPHER HAS.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT TO POINT OUT WHERE WE ARE VERSUS WHERE WE WERE.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, THIS WAS THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
IN THE FALL OF 2023, WE HAD 6,619 STUDENTS AT THAT TIME AND AT THE SAME TIME, LAST YEAR, WE WERE SITTING AND LOOKING, THESE ARE THE PROJECTIONS FOR '24, '25, WITH A LOW PROJECTION OF 6,713, A MID PROJECTION OF 6,845 AND A HIGH PROJECTION OF 6,942.
THE CURRENT DISTRICT ENROLLMENT AT THAT TIME WAS 6,715 STUDENTS.
AT THAT TIME, WE WENT WITH A PROJECTION OF 06,845 STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR THE '24 - '25 BUDGET.
WE ALREADY HAD EXCEEDED THAT AT THAT TIME IN APRIL OF '24, ONE YEAR AGO.
WE HAD ALREADY EXCEEDED THE LOW PROJECTION FOR FISCAL YEAR '25.
I'M SORRY. YES, FISCAL YEAR '25, FALL OF 2024.
THAT'S WHY WE WENT WITH THE MODERATE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S, OUR ENROLLMENT ON OCTOBER SNAPSHOT THIS YEAR WAS 6,768, AND THE PROJECTION FOR NEXT YEAR LOW IS 6,874.
WE USUALLY GO WITH THE MODERATE.
OUR CURRENT DISTRICT ENROLLMENT IS 6,716 STUDENTS.
I AM COMFORTABLE WITH GOING WITH 6,874 THE LOW PROJECTION FOR NEXT YEAR.
BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR WITH ENROLLMENT FROM FALL TO NOW.
THEN ALSO, THIS IS STILL A LARGE INCREASE IN STUDENT.
IT'S ABOUT A 2% ENROLLMENT INCREASE.
WITH ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON AND THEN WITH VOUCHERS BEING ON THE TABLE, I JUST WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING WITH THE 6,874, WHICH IS STILL OVER 160 STUDENT OR SO INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT.
>> THE 6,768 IN 2024, WAS THAT THE LOW OR THE MEDIAN?
>> AT THE TIME, THE PROJECTION WAS 6,845 AS THE MEDIAN, AND THEN WE ENDED UP HAVING 6,768, SO WE WERE UNDER THE MEDIAN, BUT WE WERE ABOVE THE LOW.
>> YES. WE WERE IN BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTIONS OF THOSE. YOU'RE WELCOME.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFFING FOR BORCHERT LOOP AS WE OPEN OUR NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE IN JUST A FEW MONTHS.
THERE ARE SEVEN CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
THIS IS A NET. WHILE THERE'S GOING TO BE 21 CLASSROOM TEACHERS AT BORCHERT LOOP ELEMENTARY, THE NET OF ALL THE REZONING AND THE STUDENTS BEING DISTRIBUTED FROM FIVE ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES TO SIX ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES IS A NET OF SEVEN ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
ONE RTI STATE COMP ED POSITION.
ONE LIBRARIAN AND ONE PEA THAT WE HAVEN'T ALREADY TAKEN. WE HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL.
WE BROUGHT A FEW ITEMS BACK IN FEBRUARY OF LEVER LEADERS AND A FEW THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO PLAN FOR THE POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
[01:25:01]
THESE ARE WHAT WE'RE BRINGING THIS EVENING.THEN WE ARE EVALUATING INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT MUCH LIKE WE DID WITH TEACHERS WITH THE REDISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME WITH INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS, AND THEN NEXT TIME WE'LL BRING THAT AND THEN WE'LL BRING THE SPECIAL ED STAFF AS WELL.
THE NON INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF AT BORCHERT LOOP.
WE HAD A PRINCIPAL FOR BORCHERT LOOP THIS YEAR, BUT NOT FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
I HAVE TO BRING THE REST OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT POSITION, AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, THE REST OF THE 226 ADMIN ASSISTANT THAT STARTED LATE THIS YEAR AS WELL TO HELP WITH THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS AND THEN THE 197.
226 DAYS ADMIN ASSISTANT, AND THEN A 197 DAY ADMIN ASSISTANT, AND THEN A KID CLUB SITE MANAGER.
THOSE ARE THE NON INSTRUCTIONAL STAFFING THAT WE'RE ALSO BRINGING THIS EVENING JUST FOR BORCHERT LOOP.
FOR '25 - '26, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BRING A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST BACK TO THE BUDGET WITH THE INTENTION TO HIRE THAT POSITION STARTING NOW.
OUR TOTAL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFFING AT BORCHERT LOOP IS 635,000.
OUR TOTAL NON INSTRUCTIONAL STAFFING IS 215,000 WITH A PROPOSED OF 915,000 IN NEW STAFF FOR NEXT YEAR.
>> GOOD QUESTION. ALL GOOD QUESTIONS.
THE NURSE, I WILL BRING BACK NEXT MONTH AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT POSITION AND WHAT TYPE OF NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE FOR THE STUDENTS AT THAT CAMPUS.
THE CUSTODIAL POSITIONS ARE ON THE NON PAYROLL SIDE, AND THE CONSTABLE, I'M SORRY, BOTH ARE ON THE NON PAYROLL SIDE.
THERE'S NOT A STAFFING POSITION PER SE, BUT IT WILL STILL COME TO Y'ALL, BUT IT'LL BE IN THE NON PAYROLL PORTION OF THE BUDGET, WHICH WE JUST ADOPT THAT AT THE END, BUT I HAVE IT INCLUDED ALREADY, BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS. THIS IS A PLAN FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SAFETY.
WE HAVE CALDWELL COUNTY CONSTABLES ON EVERY ELEMENTARY CAMPUS.
WE HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR A THREE YEAR PLAN AND THEN A PLAN BEYOND THAT TO BRING THEIR PAY UP.
IN '25 - '26, WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THEM BY 17% TO $27 AN HOUR.
THIS IS AT A COST OF ABOUT $44,000 TO THE BUDGET.
THEN AGAIN, IN '26 - '27, AN 11% INCREASE TO $30 AN HOUR FOR A COST OF 33,000, AND THEN IN '27 - '28, A 10% INCREASE TO $33 AN HOUR.
THEN IN ALL THE YEARS FOLLOWING THAT, THE INTENTION WOULD BE THAT THE CONSTABLES WOULD GET THE SAME PERCENTAGE RAISE AS THE STAFF.
IF WE GIVE A 2% RAISE, THEY WOULD ALSO GET A 2% RAISE.
IF WE GIVE A 3% RAISE, THEY WOULD GIVE A 3% RAISE, AND SO ON. THIS IS JUST THE PLAN.
>> THE BOARD MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THE CONSTABLES PRECINCT FOUR, PRECINCT ONE, THEY REQUESTED A MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEY HAD SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE PAY THEY WERE MAKING AT THAT TIME.
THIS FORMULA HERE COMES FROM [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE HAD WITH THEM.
MR. ESTRADA'S IDEA TO CATCH THEM UP SO THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THEY'RE MAKING.
>> YEAH. WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, IT REALLY STEMS FROM THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON EVERY CAMPUS.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT TA HAS SINCE MANDATED, AND LOCKHART PD DIDN'T HAVE THE MANPOWER, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE TO BUILD UP TO THAT.
WE TRIED THIS MODEL, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL IS WORKING.
IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE PAY, WE WANTED TO TRY A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE.
QUITE FRANKLY, THE CONSTABLES WERE ASKING FOR EVEN MORE IN ONE YEAR AND THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY WORKABLE.
WE BRAINSTORMED AND WANTED TO MAP OUT A PATHWAY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE DO WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS WITH PAY, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE YEAR TO DO SO.
THEY AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE A VERY GOOD PATHWAY TO MEET THEIR NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE CONSTABLES AT ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.
[01:30:02]
AS MS. WEISER POINTED OUT, ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO THAT $33 AN HOUR AT THAT POINT, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO THE MARKET.THEN WE WOULD JUST BE AT WHATEVER RAISE WE GIVE EVERYONE ELSE, THEY WOULD GET THE SAME RAISE BECAUSE WE'VE CAUGHT UP TO THE MARKET AT THAT POINT.
>> WHEN THE SCHOOL GEAR IS NOT IN SESSION, WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
>> WE ONLY PAY THEM FOR DAYS THAT THEY WORK ON OUR CAMPUS, AND WE ACTUALLY REIMBURSE THE COUNTY, SO THEY WORK AND WE PAY THEM AN HOURLY RATE FOR THE DAYS THAT THEY WORK FOR US.
THEN WE RECEIVE A BILL FROM THE COUNTY AND WE PAY THAT INVOICE.
>> THEIR OTHER BENEFITS COME FROM THE COUNTY?
>> NO, SIR. THESE ARE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WITHOUT THIS SERVICE THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A NEED FOR THIS MANY CONSTABLES, SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY.
NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT MOST OF THEM.
THIS IS TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> THEY'RE VIEWED AS COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
>> TECHNICALLY, THEY ARE, BUT IF WE WEREN'T DOING THIS PROGRAM, THEY WOULDN'T BE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY EITHER BECAUSE THE WORK'S NOT THERE.
>> WHEN WAS THIS PLAN CREATED SENIOR HERE?
>> IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS NOW, I THINK.
MR. CUNHA IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR.
>> YES, SIR. THIS PLAN WITH BRINGING A CONSTABLE PROGRAM, ACTUALLY, JUST IN OUR MEETING THE OTHER DAY, I SHARED WITH THE GROUP AND APPLAUDING MR. ESTRADA BECAUSE MR. ESTRADA HAD THIS PLAN TO BRING BEFORE HB3 CAME INTO EFFECT.
THIS WAS JUST RIGHT AT THE AFTERMATH OF [INAUDIBLE].
MR. ESTRADA WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD SOMEBODY AT EACH OF OUR CAMPUSES, AND THAT'S WHEN WE BEGAN THAT PROGRAM.
WE STARTED THE PROGRAM AND IT JUST CONTINUED TO EVOLVE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM.
IT MAKES OUR STUDENTS FEEL SAFE.
THEY'RE REALLY ENGAGED WITH OUR CONSTABLES AND IT MAKES OUR STAFF FEEL SAFE.
IT'S JUST BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL THUS FAR.
>> I GOT TO BE MORE CLEAR OF MY QUESTIONS.
WHEN WAS THIS THREE YEAR PLAN TO INCREASE PAY CREATED?
>> THIS IS A PROPOSAL THAT WE HAD JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.
>> I DO AGREE WITH MR. CUNHA, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
I KNOW PICKING UP MY SON AT BLUEBONNET, THEY'RE ALL HANDS ON AND HELPING OUT THE STAFF AND ESPECIALLY HELP THE PARENTS AS WELL, THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
>> YES, SIR. WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONSTABLES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, AND THE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO RETAIN THEM SO THAT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF CONTINUE TO FEEL SAFE.
>> ONE LAST QUESTION. WILL ANYTHING HAVE TO BE, I GUESS, PUT INTO DIFFERENT SLOTS IN ORDER TO GET THIS PAY INCREASED?
>> I HAVE INCLUDED IT IN THE BUDGET ALREADY IN OUR CONTRACTED SERVICES, I'VE ALREADY INCLUDED AN INCREASE IN THERE.
WHEN I GET TO THE SUMMARY, I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE EVERYTHING HAS INCREASED FOR THINGS THAT WE'VE PUT IN FOR ANY TYPE OF PROPOSAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> MR. CHARLES, TO BE SPECIFIC IT WAS ON MONDAY THE 31ST, LAST WEEK.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT SOME CHANGES TO ADDITIONAL STAFFING, AND THEN THIS IS WHILE THEY ARE NOT OUR EMPLOYEES, AND IT IS IN CONTRACTED SERVICES, WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROPOSAL FOR THE CHANGE TO OUR CONSTABLES.
NOW I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR BENEFITS THAT WE OFFER OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE OFFER THIS WIDE RANGE OF BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES VOLUNTARY BENEFITS THAT THEY CAN GET, AND WE ARE OUT TO MARKET RIGHT NOW, AND I BELIEVE ALL OF THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST THAT WE CAN OFFER TO OUR EMPLOYEES ON VOLUNTARY BENEFITS THAT THEY MAY WANT.
HOWEVER, WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU MORE DETAILED ABOUT IS OUR LINE CARE BECAUSE OUR MEDICAL PLAN IS A BIG PORTION OF OUR COMPENSATION PACKAGE THAT WE HAVE FOR EMPLOYEES, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES FOR '25 - '26,
[01:35:05]
BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO REALLY SHOW YOU WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING, WHAT THEY HAVE AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT LION CARE.I CAME TO Y'ALL A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AT A BOARD MEETING AND TALKED TO YOU ABOUT LION CARE IN THE STATE OF LION CARE.
WE WENT OUT AND WE DID A CAMPUS TOUR OF THE CURRENT STATE OF LION CARE.
WE HAD A REALLY GREAT TIME DOING IT.
WE TALKED TO A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE TOLD THEM AND THAT WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM IS THAT WE LOVE LION CARE AND WE LOVE THE HEALTH CARE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING THROUGH LION CARE.
THAT WAS GOING OUT TO THE CAMPUSES.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY EMPHASIZED THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR PRESENTATIONS.
LION CARE IS HAVING MORE COSTS THAN WHAT THE PREMIUMS ARE FUNDING.
THE PLAN IS CURRENTLY NOT BALANCED.
THIS IS DUE TO RISING COSTS AND INFLATION.
IT'S ALSO DUE BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY COST INCREASE FOR THE EMPLOYEES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS FOR PREMIUMS, CO-PAYS, DEDUCTIBLES, ETC.
I SAY THREE YEARS, BUT THE PLAN HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR ABOUT 2.5 YEARS.
THAT'S HOW LONG WE'VE HAD LION CARE.
>> IN YOUR DISCUSSION WITH ALL THE CAMPUSES, YOU PLAY [INAUDIBLE]?
>> HOW DID THEY REACT TO THAT?
>> THIS IS THE EXACT SLIDE ACTUALLY THAT I SHARED.
I SHARED MORE SLIDES THAN THIS ONE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL THE EXACT VERBIAGE THAT WE WERE TELLING THE STAFF.
>> I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT WAS NEGATIVE.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED.
I THINK COSTS OF EVERYTHING HAVE GONE UP EVERYWHERE.
THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY NO JAWS ON THE GROUND OR IN SHOCK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> 100%. YES, BECAUSE I USED THOSE EXACT WORDS.
[LAUGHTER] IT WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND NOT INCREASING THE COST WHEN THE COSTS ARE INCREASING IS JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE.
WE SHOWED THEM A LOT OF THINGS AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A FEW MORE SLIDES OF WHAT WE DID SHOW THEM.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE, BUT THIS IS JUST A QUICK DETAIL OF WHAT I GET FROM OUR PLAN ADMINISTRATORS TO HELP US LOOK AT WHERE LION CARE IS.
THE RED LINE REPRESENTS THE COSTS THAT ARE GOING OUT AND THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS THE REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IN FEBRUARY, OUR COSTS, YOU CAN SEE, I CAME IN JANUARY, AND THIS IS WHERE IT WAS, AND THEN IN FEBRUARY, OUR COST REALLY WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
>> ARE YOU SAYING YOU DID THAT?
>> NO. WE GOT A REIMBURSEMENT, WE GOT A PHARMACY REBATE.
SO NO, I DIDN'T DO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT DID HAPPEN RIGHT LITERALLY THE NEXT DAY I THINK AFTER OUR BOARD MEETING, I GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PHARMACY REBATE THAT WE GOT.
WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO WATCH THAT, BUT THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE WERE HAVING THIS.
WHEN WE WENT OUT TO THE CAMPUSES, WE FOLLOWED IT UP, WE ENDED WITH A THOUGHT EXCHANGE, AND WE HAD 355 PARTICIPANTS, WHICH IS ALMOST 50%, SO WE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT PARTICIPATED, 219 THOUGHTS AND ALMOST FOR HUNDRED RATINGS ON THOSE THOUGHTS.
I ONLY HAVE THE TOP 10 THOUGHTS HERE, I HAVE READ ALL 219 THOUGHTS MORE THAN ONCE AND HAVE TAKEN ALL OF THEM VERY SERIOUSLY AS WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT'S TO BE DONE FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THE TOP 10 THOUGHTS.
THE TOP THOUGHT WAS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE AN INFOGRAPHIC ABOUT REDIMD POSTED AT EACH CAMPUS, SO WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE OUT AT THE CAMPUS.
NANCY MADE SEVERAL FOR EACH CAMPUS AND WENT OUT AND WAS HANGING THEM AT EACH CAMPUS.
LIKE I SAID, WE TOOK EVERY THOUGHT AND WE'RE TAKING THEM VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> WHAT IS REDIMD LIKE A VIDEO CONFERENCE OR SOMETHING?
>> YES. REDIMD IS IS OUR TELEHEALTH.
THE WAY THAT REDIMD WORKS IS WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH THE ANALYSIS
[01:40:03]
OF GOING THROUGH THE PLAN AND WHAT THE USAGE IS IS THAT WE'RE USING AS A GROUP, URGENT CARES OR ERS FOR THINGS THAT WE COULD JUST CALL REDIMD FOR.WE REALLY TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT WHEN WE WENT OUT TO CAMPUSES AND REALLY EDUCATED THEM ON REDIMD.
THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHT EXCHANGE ABOUT REDIMD, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK.
BUT WE DID WANT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WHEN WE THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE WAS THAT WE'RE PAYING $50 TO GO TO AN URGENT CARE FOR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JUST CALL REDIMD FOR AND IT'S FREE.
WE PAY A FIXED COST PER EMPLOYEE EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
IF AN EMPLOYEE USES IT 10 TIMES IN ONE MONTH, IT IS THE SAME COST VERSUS ZERO TIMES, VERSUS GOING TO A URGENT CARE AND IT COSTING ABOUT $700 FOR A STREP TEST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> LIKE YOU SAID, I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS SOUNDS LIKE PEOPLE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON HOW TO USE IT AND FEEL COMFORTABLE.
THAT IS A HUGE GOAL OF OURS IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND A ONE STOP SHOP FOR INFORMATION.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN NOW, PEOPLE ARE STILL LEARNING HOW TO USE IT.
THEN WE HAVE NEW EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMING IN THAT HAVE NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF PLAN BEFORE.
THEN EVEN TELEHEALTH IS FAIRLY NEW.
THAT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT I WAS GIVING WHEN I'VE USED TELEHEALTH IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE WE'VE HAD REDIMD HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE REMINDER OF MICHELLE WILEY, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COME TO MY MIND, BECAUSE TELEHEALTH IS STILL A FAIRLY NEW IDEA AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEW.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS ON EVERYONE'S MIND.
THE GOAL IS TO REALLY EDUCATE THEM ON HOW THEY CAN UTILIZE THE PLAN EFFICIENTLY.
>> HOW DO THE NEW EMPLOYEES GET EDUCATED ON IT?
>> WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT IS 100% DEDICATED TO BENEFITS, AND I BELIEVE DO THEY DO IT AT NEW EMPLOYER NANCY COMES? YEAH, NANCY COMES AND TEACHES THEM.
NEW EMPLOYER ORIENTATION CAN BE A LOT AND THIS HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN ALSO CAN BE A LOT, AND IF YOU DON'T GO FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOT.
WE ARE GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING MUCH MORE ON EDUCATING AND GOING OUT TO THE CAMPUSES AND TEACHING THEM ABOUT THE PLAN, AND JUST REMINDING THEM ABOUT THE PLAN MORE AND MORE.
>> QUESTION. [NOISE] YOU SAID TELEHELP?
>> IS THAT THE SAME AS REDIMD.
>> THEY ARE THE SAME, TELEHEALTH.
>> IF USE THEM INTERCHANGEABLY, THEN I GET CONFUSED.
>> I DON'T HAVE THIS INSURANCE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
>> REDIMD IS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES OUR TELEHEALTH SERVICES, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE A ONLINE ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE.
YOU CAN FACETIME BASICALLY AND SEE A DOCTOR.
>> THE ONES THAT DO USE IT, THEY HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT?
>> NO. IN FACT, I HAD A TON OF PEOPLE AS WE WENT OUT THAT WERE SHOCKED THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T USING IT BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY TO USE.
>> YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOUSE AT ALL.
ONE TEACHER EVEN SAID THAT SHE USED IT IN THE CARPOOL LINE FOR PINK EYE.
THEY'RE USING IT AND YOU CAN USE IT CONVENIENTLY.
WE HAD ACTUALLY HAD A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK ON IT.
>> JUST NEED TO HIT THAT HARDER.
>> DEFINITELY. WE'RE EDUCATING ABOUT THAT.
BASICALLY, WHAT I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, THESE ARE THE TOP 10 THOUGHTS, BUT LIKE THIS VERY TOP ONE, WHICH IS THOUGHT NUMBER 6, I'M WILLING TO DO THESE EASY BUT NECESSARY THINGS TO KEEP OUR COSTS DOWN.
A LOT OF THE THOUGHTS WERE LIKE THAT.
LET'S KEEP IT IS THE NUMBER 10 THOUGHT.
I WANT TO KEEP IT IS THE NUMBER 3 THOUGHT.
LION CARE IS WAY BETTER THAN TRS HEALTHCARE, IT SAVES ME MONEY.
I ACTUALLY DID NOT REALIZE THAT THAT ONE WAS IN NUMBER 5 AS I'M READING IT HERE.
A LOT OF THE THOUGHTS WERE A LOT LIKE THIS.
THEY ALL HAD A DESIRE TO KEEP THE PLAN, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLAN, AND UTILIZE THE PLAN TO HELP IT.
[01:45:04]
THIS IS A REFRESHER.AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I BROUGHT THIS TO YOU BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN IN THE PLAN ABOUT A YEAR-AND-A-HALF, AND WE WERE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE PLAN.
OUR EMPLOYEES WERE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE PLAN.
WE WERE SEEING THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE NEED TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN.
WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ALREADY LAST YEAR.
WHAT THIS SHOWS IS WHAT THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION IS EVERY MONTH.
THIS IS THE BENEFIT THAT WE PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES EACH MONTH TO RECEIVE THEIR HEALTH PLAN.
THEN THE EMPLOYEES WOULD PUT IN A PREMIUM, AND THEN THERE'S DEDUCTIBLES OUT OF POCKET MAXES AND SO MUCH MORE THAT GO WITH THE PLAN, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET PRETTY DETAILED HERE THIS EVENING, BUT JUST PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY.
BUT AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I BROUGHT THIS JUST TO SHOW WHERE WE FELL WITHIN THAT EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION OF $396 PER MONTH THAT WE PAY PER EMPLOYEE THAT'S ON THE PLAN.
WE HAVE 739 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON THE PLAN.
AGAIN, THIS IS A BENEFIT THAT THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVE.
AT THE TIME, WHEN I SHOWED THIS AND WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS DID, THE AVERAGE WAS $427 THAT DISTRICTS WERE PUTTING IN A MONTH, AND WE WERE AT 396.
WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, MOVING UP TO THE AVERAGE OF 427 AS WE WERE STILL LEARNING ABOUT HOW THE EMPLOYEES WERE UTILIZING LION CARE AND LEARNING WHAT THE COST OF LION CARE WAS GOING TO BE.
THIS IS THE NEW CONTRIBUTION SURVEY FOR ALL OF OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS, AND EVEN WITH THAT EFFORT, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK THERE AT 396 AND NOW WE'RE EVEN WITH THAT EFFORT AT 427, AND I DON'T SAY THAT FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN JUST SHOWING THAT WE KNOW THAT THE PLAN IS NOT IN BALANCE, BUT WE'RE NOT IN MARKET.
WE'RE NOT PAYING MARKET PRICE FOR IT, BASICALLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT IS IN THE EMPLOYEE ONLY COLUMN.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE A RANGE $0-$568 PER MONTH THAT THE EMPLOYEE PAYS FOR AN EMPLOYEE ONLY PREMIUM ON THEIR INSURANCE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THEY OFFER MULTIPLE TYPES OF PLANS.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE ZERO DOLLAR PLAN FOR MOST OF THE PLANS IS LIKE A BASIC HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN.
YOU NEED TO PAY CASH YOU PAY CASH WHEN YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR UNTIL YOU HIT YOUR HIGH DEDUCTIBLE, WHICH COULD BE 5,000, 10,000, 08,000, DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT PLAN IS.
ANOTHER THING I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT SEGUIN ISD LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IS THE ONLY DISTRICT APART FROM AUSTIN ISD AS WELL THAT DID NOT INCREASE THEIR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION.
THEIR LOWEST EMPLOYEE ONLY PLAN IS EIGHT DOLLARS A MONTH THAT THE EMPLOYEES PAY FOR THAT PLAN OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECKS MONTHLY.
WHILE THEY DIDN'T GO UP ON THEIR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION, THEIR EMPLOYEE ONLY CONTRIBUTION IS $58 FOR THE LOWEST HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN.
I DON'T POINT THAT OUT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SEGUIN OTHER THAN JUST TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS WHAT THE MARKET IS LOOKING LIKE.
I'M JUST WANTING TO POINT OUT WHERE EVERYTHING IS AS WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
BEFORE I GO INTO EVEN MORE DETAIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> KEPT EVERYTHING THE SAME AND COST THEM, AND YOU DON'T ASK EMPLOYEES.
WHAT WOULD THAT 427 HAVE TO BE FROM DISTRICT SIDE?
>> PROBABLY 600, MAYBE 650, EVEN HONESTLY.
>> IT'S HARD TO KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A YEAR WHERE OUR PENDULUM COULD SWING BACK IN THE SENSE OF THE NEED MIGHT JUST LEVEL BACK OUT.
[01:50:02]
WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A YEAR OF SOME HIGH HEALTH NEED, AND THEN THE PENDULUM MIGHT SWING BACK ONE YEAR.YEAH, IF WE HAD ANOTHER YEAR LIKE WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, WE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE IT BY $200 AND PROBABLY MAKE SOME CHANGES WITHIN THE PLAN THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
AS WE ARE COMPARING OUR COST FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND FOR THE DISTRICT ON THE PLAN, I REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT THE DIFFERENCE THAT LION CARE HAS BEFORE WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE PLANS BECAUSE THERE REALLY TRULY IS A DIFFERENCE.
KPP FREE IS OFFERED IN OUR PLAN.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NO OTHER PLAN IN ANY DISTRICT THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY FIND.
KPP FREE IS AN ENHANCED BENEFIT WHERE IF A DOCTOR WERE TO TELL YOU, MY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR YOU TO GET A HIP REPLACEMENT.
IN ANY OTHER HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN ANYWHERE, THEY'RE GOING TO PAY THEIR OUT OF POCKET MAX, THEY'RE GOING TO HIT THEIR DEDUCTIBLE.
IT'S GOING TO BE VERY COSTLY TO THE EMPLOYEE TO GET THIS TYPE OF SURGERY.
IF THEY GO THROUGH KPP FREE AND THEY USE A KPP FREE PROVIDER FOR THAT SURGERY, IT IS ZERO COST TO THE EMPLOYEE.
THERE IS NO $5,000 OUT OF POCKET MAX OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
OR A 1,500 OR $2,500 DEDUCTIBLE.
THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF KPP FREE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, I'LL GIVE A PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF MY OWN.
MY SON HAS TO HAVE AN ECHO EKG EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
WHEN WE WERE ON A FULLY INSURED PLAN, IT COST ME MY FULL OUT OF POCKET MAX TO BE ABLE TO GET HIM AN ECO FIVE GRAND.
I DIDN'T GET HIM AN ECHO THAT HE NEEDED ONE YEAR BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD IT.
IT'S FREE ON LION CARE BECAUSE KPP FREE HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH THESE SCREENING.
JUST LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HGB PHARMACEUTICAL, WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH AN IMAGING CENTER.
>> WITH THAT, IT MIGHT TAKE AN EXTRA PHONE CALL OR TWO OR THREE, BUT THEY CAN GET THEIR ECHO EKG FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO A PLACE THAT IS A KPP-FREE PROVIDER.
THIS IS A HUGE ENHANCED BENEFIT THAT NO PLAN HAS ANYWHERE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PART OF THE LION CARE DIFFERENCE IS THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THESE TYPES OF IMAGING CENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THIS WHERE WE CAN GET ZERO COST.
DOES THE EMPLOYEE HAVE TO MAKE AN EXTRA STEP SOMETIMES? YES. BUT IT'S FREE FOR THEM AND MORE AVAILABLE.
I CALL THAT WHEN YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GET AN ECHO EKG FOR YOUR SON BECAUSE YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT.
THAT IS A BARRIER TO HEALTH CARE AND THIS BREAKS THAT DOWN.
WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, SO IT'S CHEAPER TO GET A HIP REPLACEMENT ON A FULLY INSURED PLAN IS ABOUT $90,000, AND KPP FREE IS 21,000.
THAT'S HOW THE PLAN IS ABLE TO DO IT.
WE ALSO HAVE ZERO-COST ENDOCRINOLOGY.
THROUGH COMPLETE MEDICINE, IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, IF YOU HAVE A THYROID DISEASE, PCOS, HONESTLY, THE LIST, THERE'S SEVERAL MORE.
BUT IF YOU HAVE AN ENDOCRINE NEED, WE HAVE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST THAT IS FREE.
YOU'RE NOT PAYING EVEN A CO-PAY.
IT IS TOTALLY FREE, AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ENHANCED BENEFIT THAT LION CARE OFFERS.
WE DO NOT REQUIRE A PRIMARY CARE REFERRAL TO GO TO A SPECIALIST.
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST,
[01:55:03]
ON ANY OTHER TYPE OF HEALTHCARE PLAN, YOU HAVE TO GO SEE YOUR PRIMARY CARE FIRST, PAY A CO-PAY THERE.WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN GET A SPECIALIST, PAY A CO-PAY AT THE SPECIALIST.
THROUGH LION CARE, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST, YOU JUST GO TO ONE.
YOU DON'T NEED A PRIMARY CARE REFERRAL TO GO.
WE HAVE A PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER THAT WORKS FOR US, BOTH THE MEMBER AND THE DISTRICT.
THEY ARE CALLING MEMBERS AND HELPING THEM LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS IF IT COULD SAVE THEM MONEY OR THE DISTRICT MONEY.
WE HAVE A GREAT PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER.
WE ALSO HAVE OUT-OF-NETWORK COVERAGE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER PLANS, WE SEE ALL OVER THEIR PLAN, NO OUT OF NETWORK, NO OUT OF NETWORK, NO OUT OF NETWORK, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT WITH OUR PLAN.
THE KEMPTON GROUP WILL NEGOTIATE WITH THAT OUT-OF-NETWORK PHYSICIAN AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY BECOME NETWORKED BY DOING THAT.
I REALLY WANTED TO GO OVER THOSE DIFFERENCES THAT THIS TYPE OF PLAN BRINGS TO OUR STAFF THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE AS WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE. THIS IS WHY I PRINTED THIS OUT.
RIGHT HERE IS JUST PREMIUMS. I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE LION CARE, WHEN WE PAY ALL OF OUR FITS, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE BUCKETS.
I DID THIS OUT AT THE CAMPUS, TOO, BUT I DIDN'T PROVIDE A VISUAL, I JUST TALKED ABOUT IT, IS THAT ALL OF THE PREMIUMS MONTHLY THAT GO INTO THE LION CARE BUCKET, GO IN FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE, THE DISTRICT PAYS A MONTHLY PREMIUM FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT IS ON THE PLAN, AND THEN TWO EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE DEPENDENTS HAVE A PREMIUM THAT THEY PAY FOR EITHER CHILDREN, FOR THEIR SPOUSE, OR FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
THOSE PREMIUMS GO INTO THAT BUCKET AND THEN THAT BUCKET IS USED TO PAY EVERYTHING, EVERY PHYSICIAN, EVERY PHARMACY, EVERY LAB, EVERYTHING.
THE PREMIUMS GO INTO THE BUCKET AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE PAY FOR THE PLAN.
WHAT THIS IS IS WE WENT AND WE PULLED ALL OF THE PLANS THAT WERE COMPARABLE TO LION CARE, WHICH IS HARD TO DO BECAUSE NO PLAN HAS THE ENHANCED BENEFITS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST A REGULAR, FULLY INSURED PLAN, AND WE PULLED WHAT WAS THE MONTHLY PREMIUM FOR THE PLAN THAT COULD BE MOST COMPARABLE TO LION CARE, AND WE TOOK THE AVERAGE.
THESE ARE ALL OF THE DISTRICTS AROUND US.
IT'S THE SAME DISTRICTS THAT WERE ON THE SURVEY FROM BEFORE.
THIS IS JUST IN THE MORE DETAILS OF ALL OF THE PREMIUMS.
>> WHICH COLUMN DO YOU THINK OUR STAFF ARE UNDER MAJORITY? EMPLOYEE PLUS CHILDREN OR EMPLOYEE PLUS FAMILY?
>> WE ACTUALLY DO NOT HAVE THAT MANY STAFF MEMBERS ON EMPLOYEE PLUS FAMILY.
WE HAVE A LOT ON EMPLOYEE PLUS CHILDREN, AND IT IS A HIGH-COST AREA FOR US.
OUR CHILDREN DEPENDENCE IS A HIGH COST AREA FOR US.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT.
WHAT I DID WAS WE TOOK YES, SIR.
>> IS THAT FOR ONE CHILD UP TO ANY NUMBER OF CHILDREN?
>> ONE CHILD. TEN CHILDREN OR MORE.
TEN WASN'T A MAX. THAT WAS JUST AN EXAMPLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY THAT HAVE MANY [LAUGHTER]..
THE AVERAGE THAT AN EMPLOYEE, THIS FIRST COLUMN, PAY OUT OF THEIR MONTHLY PAYCHECK IS $64 A MONTH.
THE AVERAGE THAT THEY PAY FOR A SPOUSE PLAN IS $879, AND OUR EMPLOYEES PAY 691.
THE AVERAGE FOR AN EMPLOYEE PLUS CHILDREN IS 451.
OUR EMPLOYEES PAY 302, AND THEN FOR THE FAMILY IS AVERAGE IS 1,216, WE PAY 886.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PLUS FAMILY?
>> THE CHILDREN IS JUST THE CHILDREN, AND THEN THE FAMILY IS YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SPOUSE.
>> EXACTLY. YOU CAN HAVE JUST YOUR SPOUSE, YOU CAN HAVE JUST YOUR CHILDREN, OR YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SPOUSE AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN.
[02:00:01]
>> HAVE YOU FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE GO WITH THE CHILDREN? I KNOW WHEN MY WIFE WAS AT TEXAS STATE, SHE TOOK THE CHILDREN ON HER'S BECAUSE AT THAT TIME WE WERE UNDER TRS AND IT WAS A LOT CHEAPER FOR HER TO DO IT THAN IT WAS FOR ME.
I COULD SEE SOMEBODY DOING THE EMPLOYEE CHILDREN AND THEN HAVING THEIR SPOUSE BE COVERED AT THEIR JOB.
>> ON ANOTHER. YES, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.
>> MY WIFE AND I DO THAT UP AT THE STATE.
I COVER OUR CHILDREN AND SHE COVERS HERSELF.
>> WE DO HAVE THAT. WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT.
BUT THIS IS TO SHOW IN ALL THE AREAS HOW FAR AWAY FROM THE MARKET WE ARE, AND JUST POINTS TO WHY WE'RE NOT BALANCED.
THESE AGAIN, ARE JUST THE PREMIUMS THAT EMPLOYEES PAY EACH MONTH OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECK IN ORDER TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WHICH I DIDN'T POINT THIS OUT ON THE OTHER ONE, ALMOST EVERYBODY IS ON TRS-ACTIVE CARE.
ALMOST EVERYBODY APART FROM SOME PLANS THAT ARE ON A BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, MOST OF THEM ARE TRS-ACTIVE CARE.
>> I THINK, TOO, THIS DATA SHOWS US, IN MY OPINION, LET'S TRY TO MAKE THIS WORK BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING AND THERE'S SOME BETTER OPTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT THE BENEFITS ARE ACTUALLY BETTER.
LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE A BALANCE, GET CLOSER TO THAT.
>> YEAH BECAUSE HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP TO.
I PROMISE YOU, THE SAME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING, EXCEPT AT TRS, THEY'RE NOT IN CONTROL.
THEY DON'T GET TO PICK THEIR PREMIUMS AT ALL.
I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY WILL GO UP 25% AT TRS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE WILL DO TO BALANCE SOME OF THAT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AT LEAST A 25% INCREASE.
>> WE CAN JUMP BACK TO TRS. WHAT IF WE WENT IN THIS DIRECTION?
>> LAST SESSION, LEGISLATURE PUT A LOT OF THE COVID MONEY INTO THIS AND ALSO RAINY DAY MONEY TO OFFSET IT.
I IMAGINE THEY MIGHT DO THAT AGAIN, BUT WE DON'T BENEFIT FROM THAT.
>> BUT JUST EVEN OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE ON TRS-ACTIVE CARE, IT'S $77 A MONTH THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING FOR TRS-ACTIVE CARE, THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING, AND THEY'RE PAYING IN 445 A MONTH.
THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BE SAID THERE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PREMIUMS, THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AND THIS IS JUST EMPLOYEE-ONLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY WITH DEPENDENCE.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ALL OF THESE DECISIONS RIGHT TODAY.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
THIS IS JUST WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
I SAID WHAT THE AVERAGE WAS, WHICH WAS 427.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE AVERAGE, WE WOULD CONTRIBUTE 225,000 MORE TO THE LION CARE PLAN, WHICH IS $25 MORE A MONTH TOWARD EMPLOYEES ON THEIR PREMIUMS.
>> I'M CURIOUS NOW, HAVING MR. HOBBS HERE, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THIS DATA AND TAKE OUT $131 A MONTH OR $77 A MONTH AND ANALYZE THAT, WHAT THAT PAY RATE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE AND WHERE WE WOULD FALL. THAT'S COMING OUT OF THERE.
>> I'M CURIOUS IF YOU COULD RUN AN ANALYSIS AT LEAST MAYBE FOR THE COUPLE OF DISTRICTS THAT WERE REALLY COMPETITIVE.
>> WE CAN BRING THAT NEXT TIME TOO.
WE GO AT $77 A MONTH, IT'S $924 A YEAR.
IF WE'RE $1,000 BEHIND, WE'RE REALLY NOT, OR THE SAME.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A HEALTH PLAN THAT HAS ALL THESE ENHANCED BENEFITS AND THE BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE THAT ARE DOWN.
THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION FOR EMPLOYEE-ONLY PLAN IS $64.
[02:05:05]
IF EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTED $25 A MONTH AT LOCKHART ISD, IT WOULD ADD $225,000 TO THE PLAN.IF THEY CONTRIBUTED $35 A MONTH, THERE WOULD BE 315,000 TO THE PLAN.
IF THEY CONTRIBUTED $50 THE MONTH, IT WOULD BE 450,000 TO THE PLAN.
LET ME ALSO JUST SAY, YOU SAID EARLIER, WHAT WOULD IT NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE PLAN? I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT FROM A TWO-MILLION MARK, BASICALLY.
WE NEED $2 MILLION TO BALANCE THE PLAN.
IF WE INCREASE OUR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION BY 225 AND WE INCREASE BY $25, LAST YEAR, WE PUT IN 27 OR 31 RATHER THIS YEAR WE PUT IN 25, AND THE EMPLOYEES PUT IN 50, WE WOULD STILL ONLY BE AT 700,000.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE WOULD STILL BE BEHIND THE MARKET BECAUSE THE AVERAGE RIGHT NOW IS $64 THAT EMPLOYEES ARE PAYING A MONTH FOR EMPLOYEE-ONLY HEALTHCARE, AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE WHAT CONVERSATIONS THEY'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW ABOUT HAVING TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE.
WELL, THEY CAN'T HAVE THEM BECAUSE TRS DECIDES FOR THEM.
THE OTHER AREA THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IS THE CO-PAYS.
THIS AGAIN IS THE SAME GROUP OF DISTRICTS.
THE AVERAGE PRIMARY CARE CO-PAY IN GOING TO THE DOCTOR IS $21.
WE'RE UNDER MARKET THERE, BUT NOT BY TOO MUCH.
THE SPECIALIST CO-PAY IS $60, AND OUR AVERAGE IS 15.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY OFF, AND THEN OUR URGENT CARE IS REALLY RIGHT ON AT $50.
AN AREA THAT WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN IS OUR EMERGENCY ROOM.
WE HAVE A $400 CO-PAY TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHILE MOST PLANS ARE 20% AFTER THEY'RE DEDUCTIBLE.
NOW, IN DOING ALL OF THIS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, MY GUESS WOULD BE TO CHANGE ER BEHAVIOR THAT WE'RE USING ERS FOR PRIMARY CARE FACILITIES.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAKDOWN.
I'LL SHOW YOU IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
>> IS THAT WOULD A LOT OF THEM DO?
>> WE DEFINITELY HAVE EMERGENCIES THAT ARE WHERE YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO GO TO THE ER AND WE DON'T WANT TO STOP THAT.
>> URGENT CARE VERSUS EMERGENCY EMERGENCY LIKE A MAJOR HOSPITAL?
>> YES. OR A STANDING FREE EMERGENCY ROOM.
BUT YES, WOULD BE LIKE A HOSPITAL VERSUS THE URGENT CARE, WHICH IS LIKE A TEXAS MEDCLINIC.
>> WHAT IS THAT WE HAVE SOUTH OF TOWN?
>> YES. THAT IS AN URGENT CARE WHICH IS GOOD FOR OUR SMALL TOWN.
WE WOULD RATHER YOU GO TO AN URGENT CARE AND GET THE CARE YOU NEED HERE IN TOWN.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STAND-ALONE AND EMERGENCY ROOM?
>> THERE ARE SOME STANDALONE EMERGENCY ROOMS. THEY WOULDN'T BE ATTACHED TO A HOSPITAL LIKE SEATON, AND THE ER IS DOWNSTAIRS, AND THEN THE HOSPITAL IS UPSTAIRS.
IT IS JUST A FREE STANDING EMERGENCY ROOM ONLY.
>> NO, WE HAVE AN URGENT CARE, TEXAS MEDCLINIC.
WE HAVE A, I THINK THEY CLOSE AT 8:00 PM.
>> NO, IT'S NOT 24 HOUR, IT'S NOT EVEN OPEN UNTIL 11.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS IS PART AGAIN IN OUR ANALYSIS WHERE WE ARE IN A SMALL TOWN THAT DOESN'T HAVE 24 HOUR PHARMACY.
I THINK WE HAVE 12 HOUR PHARMACY.
WE DON'T HAVE EVEN LATE NIGHT PHARMACY.
IT DOES SOMETIMES FORCE, WHILE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES THAT DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, AND IT CAN SOMETIMES FORCE THEM TO GO TO AN ER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS AS WE GET BIGGER, THAT WILL HOPEFULLY CHANGE.
[02:10:03]
MAYBE WE CAN GO DOWN TO TEXAS MEDCLINIC AND ASK THEM TO STAY OPEN UNTIL 11, THAT IS ON MY LIST OF GOALS, HONESTLY.THEN WHEN WE LOOK IN THE FAR COLUMN, THAT VIRTUAL HEALTH, TRS ALSO USES READY MD.
THEY DO HAVE A $0 COPAY, JUST LIKE WE DO, $0 COPAY.
THAT WAS THE OTHER THING ABOUT READY MD, IT'S $0 ALSO FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY A COPAY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S ZERO ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR US, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T HAVE TO PAY, SO THAT'S WHAT THE COPAYS LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT THE DEDUCTIBLES AND OUT OF POCKET MAXES LOOK LIKE.
THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL DEDUCTIBLE FOR THESE DISTRICTS IS 1,755, WE HAVE $500.
THE AVERAGE FAMILY DEDUCTIBLE IS 3,510, WE ARE $1,000, AND THE INDIVIDUAL MAXIMUM OUT OF POCKET AVERAGE IS 7,055 AND WE HAVE 4,000.
WITH THE FAMILY OUT OF POCKET MAX OF AVERAGE 14,000 AND WE'RE AT EIGHT.
AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER VIEW OF WHERE WE FALL IN THE MARKET.
THIS IS A PROPOSED PLAN CHANGE AND POSSIBLE SAVINGS.
THESE DO NOT INCLUDE PREMIUMS, I SHOWED THE PREMIUMS AND THE PREMIUMS ARE I WOULD SAY EASIER TO GET TO BECAUSE IT'S JUST 740 EMPLOYEES TIMES THIS MUCH A MONTH TIMES THIS MANY MONTHS, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET IT.
THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
THE ITEMS IN RED ARE THE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD IN THIS SCENARIO PROPOSE TO CHANGE.
THEN OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS THAT THAT WOULD BE BASED ON THE BEHAVIORS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED THIS YEAR.
INCREASING THE PRIMARY CARE COPAY TO $25, INCREASING THE SPECIALIST COPAY TO $50, WHICH WAS WHAT THE AVERAGE WAS.
WE WOULD STILL BE BELOW THE AVERAGE, BUT INCREASING THAT TO 50, KEEPING OUR VIRTUAL VISIT TO ZERO, KEEPING OUR URGENT CARE COPAY TO $50, AND LOOKING AT A DEDUCTIBLE AND CO INSURANCE MODEL FOR THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND THEN INCREASING OUR OUT OF POCKET MAX.
IT BREAKS DOWN HOW MUCH EACH OF THOSE CHANGES WOULD BRING TO THE PLAN.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY TYPE OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN THE SENSE OF, WE'RE USING READY MD NOW MORE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO THE PRIMARY CARE AS MUCH THING.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY OF THAT, IT JUST HAS STRICTLY FROM THIS HISTORY.
IT WOULD BE A POSSIBLE ANNUAL SAVINGS OF $230,000 TO THE PLAN.
ALONG WITH THAT, I SAY THEY BROWN AND BROWN, WHO ARE OUR BROKERS, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT RAN SOME OF THESE SCENARIOS FOR US.
THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO SHOW EXPECTED COST OF THE PLAN, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE.
WHAT I LOOK AT IS THE BOTTOM IS THAT OUR EXPECTED REMAINDER WOULD BE 2.5 MILLION.
THIS IS A WORST CASE SCENARIO.
WE HAVE ALL OF THE SAME THINGS HAPPEN, ALL OF THE SAME BEHAVIORS, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT I'M LOOKING AT IF WE MAKE THESE CHANGES TO THE PLAN, THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD BE.
THERE ARE SOME PREMIUM CHANGES ON HERE AT $30 FOR THE EMPLOYEE AND THEN $50 FOR THE EMPLOYEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
THIS IS PROPOSED PLAN SCENARIO NUMBER 2, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS THE ONE WE JUST WENT OVER.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCES IS THAT WE WOULD BE INCREASING OUR DEDUCTIBLES FROM 500 AND $1,000-1,000 AND $2,000, WHICH IF WE GO BACK TO THE AVERAGE OF THAT, THAT WOULD STILL BE VERY COMPETITIVE WAY UNDER THE INDIVIDUAL DEDUCTIBLE AND FAMILY DEDUCTIBLE AVERAGE OF 1,800 AND 3500,
[02:15:02]
HAVING THOSE BE A 1,000 AND 2000.THESE CHANGES WOULD POTENTIALLY BRING ALMOST HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN SAVINGS TO THE PLAN BY MAKING THESE ADJUSTMENTS.
THESE TYPES OF ADJUSTMENTS ARE GOOD IN THE SENSE THAT THEY DON'T AFFECT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE IF THEY'RE NOT USING THE PLAN TO A OUT OF POCKET MAX OR FAMILY MAX EXTENT.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD EIGHT MEMBERS THAT MET THEIR OUT OF POCKET MAX THIS YEAR.
MAKING THAT INCREASE, IT WILL AFFECT FAMILIES.
IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, THAT MAKES SENSE.
IT WILL AFFECT PEOPLE GOING TO THEIR PRIMARY CARE BECAUSE WE'LL GO FROM A $15 COPAY TO A $25 COPAY WITH A SAVINGS ON THE PRIMARY CARE SIDE OF 12,000, BUT ON THE SPECIALIST SIDE, ALMOST 40,000 GOING IN TO A SPECIALIST COPAY.
THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE MARKET, WE SEE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, AND IF WE DON'T, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO THIS AND BEYOND BECAUSE OF WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN IF IT DOESN'T.
>> THIS WAS NOT TOUCHING ANY PREMIUMS, YOU SAID?
>> THEY ALL WILL TOUCH A PREMIUM, BUT TONIGHT, I REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON TALKING ABOUT THE COPAYS AND OUT OF POCKET MAX BECAUSE WE NEED TO GO TO BID FOR OUR UNDERWRITERS.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD CHANGE, BUT I DID WANT TO DISCUSS IT.
THE PREMIUMS WERE ALSO SOMETHING THAT ARE LESS COMPLICATED, IN AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO CALCULATE BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME EVERY MONTH.
IF WE ADD 25, IT WOULD BE THIS, IF WE ADD 30, IT WOULD BE THIS, 50 WOULD BE THIS.
THESE COULD INCLUDE BEHAVIOR CHANGES AS WELL, AND THOSE ARE HARD TO CALCULATE.
THE OTHER ONES ARE EASIER, THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> IS THERE A WAY MAYBE YOU CAN SHOW US NEXT TIME.
IF THE ANNUAL OUT OF POCKET MAXIMUM INSTEAD OF DOUBLING IT, MAYBE JUST GO UP 50%.
>> YES, I CAN BRING YOU THAT. WHAT THAT WOULD DO?
>> I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WHEN I LOOK AT HEALTH CARE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT PAYING MORE THAN I ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE SAVINGS.
I'M NOT SURE IF A FAMILY WOULD HAVE 16,000 TO COVER SOME TRAUMATIC EVENT ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 4,000 AND 8,000.
YOU'RE WANTING TO SEE HALF OF?
>> SIX AND 12, YOU CAN DO THAT. WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
ACTUALLY LOOKING TO SEE IF I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THAT TO YOU SOONER.
IT'S NOT HERE IN THIS SCENARIO, BUT I THINK I MIGHT HAVE IT BECAUSE WE'VE HONESTLY LOOKED AT SO MANY SCENARIOS.
BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT SIX AND 12.
REALLY SPECIFIC TO THE COPAYS, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? THEN WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT PREMIUMS. BUT I CAN LOOK AT SIX AND 12 ON OUT OF POCKET MAX.
THE PROPOSED DEDUCTIBLE TO INCREASE IT TO 1,000 FOR INDIVIDUAL AND 2000 FOR FAMILY IS STILL SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER THE MARKET.
HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING SOME THOUGHTS FOR ME ALL AS WELL.
>> I THINK IT'S RIGHT ON, I SUPPORT THAT.
>> IN THE END, SOME COMBINATION OF ALL THIS, STILL WE'RE TRYING TO BRING $2 MILLION DOWN TO ZERO.
>> IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HURT US SOME,
[02:20:03]
AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HURT EMPLOYEES SOME.I DON'T SEE ANY WAY AROUND IT.
>> I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, I JUST WANTED TO GET A FEEL.
BEFORE I GO, I DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S.
>> I SAY JUST BRING US BACK YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
>> MY RECOMMENDATION IS SCENARIO NUMBER 2 BECAUSE IT BRINGS HALF A MILLION.
HOWEVER, I WILL LOOK AT THE 6,000 VERSUS THE 08,000 AND THE 12,000 VERSUS THE 16.
THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT MAY BEHOOVE US TO DO THAT IN THE SENSE THAT WE ONLY HAD TWO FAMILIES THAT WOULD BE HITTING 16.
IS THAT GOING TO REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON A $2 MILLION GOAL? WHERE IT MIGHT MOVE THE NEEDLE IS OUR UNDERWRITERS WRITING THAT INSURE OUR INSURANCE.
I'LL FIND THOSE DETAILS OUT, AND I'LL DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW.
>> THEY PROVIDE THE STOP LOSS?
>> YES. IF WE HAVE A HIGHER AND I'M GUESSING THAT THAT MUST BE WHY.
THAT 8,000, 16,000 IS PRETTY COMMON WITH THE OTHER PLANS, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY.
BUT I'LL FIND OUT AND LET YOU ALL KNOW FOR SURE ON THAT ONE.
BUT SCENARIO TWO IS MY RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IT DOES BRING A PROJECTED SAVINGS OF HALF A MILLION.
A MONTHLY PREMIUM IS GOING TO INFECT EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
BUT A COPAY CHANGE IS NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE EMPLOYEE THAT DOES NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR ABOUT TWICE A YEAR, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE SCENARIO TWO IS MY RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IT DOES BRING HALF A MILLION.
WE'RE TRYING TO CLOSE A $2 MILLION GAP.
THIS IS A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
>> THEN I WAS NOTICING ON THE PREMIUMS PAGE, HOW THE DIFFERENCE FOR EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY WAS $300 DIFFERENCE, WHICH IS REALLY REALLY LOW COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPARABLES THAT YOU HAVE LISTED.
THE OTHER ONES LOOKED, WITHIN $200.
BUT THIS ONE, IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT OR?
>> YOU MEAN LOW IS IN OUR CURRENT MONTHLY PREMIUM IS 886 AND THE AVERAGE WHEN WE WROTE THE PLAN THREE YEARS AGO OR SO, I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT WAS THE MARKET, BUT THAT WAS HOW OUR INDIVIDUAL GROUP OF EMPLOYEES.
THAT WAS WHAT THE DATA THAT WE DID HAVE, WHICH WASN'T A LOT BECAUSE TRS DIDN'T PROVIDE US WITH ANY DATA.
BUT THAT WAS WHAT THE PLAN SPIT OUT THAT WE WOULD NEED FOR THOSE GROUPS THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME WITH THE DATA THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M EXPLAINING THAT CORRECTLY.
SINCE THEN, THAT AREA, IT'S REALLY THE EMPLOYEE CHILDREN, THAT'S AN AREA THAT, IT'S COSTING US A LOT MORE.
BUT HERE, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE'LL LOOK AT JUST AN EMPLOYEE, WE PAY $427 A MONTH FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THEN WE PAY $302 A MONTH FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO BE ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE, SO IT'S NOT THE SAME.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT'S WHY, SO IT'S 100 WHILE WE GET A PLAN FOR AN INDIVIDUAL AT $427 AND THEN ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL AT $302, WE'RE $125 OFF.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? JUST THE COST OF A HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN IN ITSELF, AND YOU COULD HAVE FIVE OR FOUR OR MORE KIDS ON IT.
>> WE'D RATHER LOOK AT THE EMPLOYEE AND CHILDREN VERSUS EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY. THANK YOU.
THEN WHY WOULD A GAINS, DEL VALLE HAVE $2 FOR MONTHLY PREMIUM FOR THEIR EMPLOYEE ONLY?
>> I WAS LOOKING AT THIS THE OTHER DAY, TOO.
[02:25:07]
>> FOR THEM, IF I'M REMEMBERING THIS CORRECTLY AND LOOKING AT IT, I MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN AND THEN TELL YOU A BETTER DETAIL.
BUT THEY PUT DIFFERENT AMOUNTS IN FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES BASED ON THE PLAN THAT THEY PICK, AND SO BECAUSE THEY PUT $500 IN VERSUS HAYS ISD, WHO PUTS IN 445, HAYS ISD PAYS $77.
BUT THEN BECAUSE DEL VALLE PUTS IN MORE MONEY FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, THEY PUT 500 AND SOMETHING DOLLAR A MONTH, IT ENDS UP BEING ONLY $2.
IT'S JUST BASED ON BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SAME PLAN THAT HAYS ISD HAS, BUT THEY PUT IN MORE FOR THEIR EMPLOYER PORTION.
THOSE OTHER DISTRICTS PUT IN 445, AND DEL VALLE PUTS IN 500.
IT'S JUST A WAY THAT IT'S INTERESTING THAT IT'S TWO. MORE QUESTIONS.
>> MR. ESTRADA, ARE WE TRYING TO KEEP THAT AT ZERO?
>> I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE IF WE KEEP IT AT ZERO.
>> WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THEN IF WE WERE TO HAVE A EMPLOYEE ONLY MONTHLY PREMIUM TO NOT GO $77 FIRST STEP, I THINK A SMALL STEP UP WOULD BE BETTER.
I SEE THAT AUSTIN ISD IS AT 35.
>> LET ME GO TO WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY ARE AT 35. THEY'RE ON A BLUE.
THEY HAVE A LOT MORE EMPLOYEES AND THEY'RE ON A MARKET PLAN, BUT THEY ALSO PUT IN $500.
IF THEY WERE PUTTING IN WHAT WE WERE PUTTING IN, THEIR EMPLOYEES WOULD BE PUTTING IN 108 A MONTH.
THERE'S JUST A DIFFERENCE. WHILE THEY'RE PUTTING IN 35 THE EMPLOYEES ARE, THE DISTRICT IS PUTTING IN 500 AND WE'RE PUTTING IN 427.
IT COSTS $225,000 FOR US TO PUT IN $25 MORE PER EMPLOYEE PER MONTH.
>> I THINK SOMETHING ELSE FOR US TO CONSIDER AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD IS, AS WE LOOK AT PAY INCREASE OPTION, AS WE LOOK AT INSURANCE AND EFFECTS OF INSURANCE, WHAT'S THE APPETITE TO BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT WE'VE MADE VERY SOUND DECISIONS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
OTHER PLACES HAVE MUCH DIFFERENT BUDGETS AND MASSIVE DEFICITS.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE WISE CHOICES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO STRATEGIZE FROM COMMUNICATING TO OUR EMPLOYEES, OR DO WE THINK THAT THE VALUE, IS IT GIVEN A BIGGER RAISE? IS IT GIVEN A SMALLER RAISE BY KEEPING IT AT ZERO DOLLARS? I'D LOVE TO HEAR SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD IF THERE ARE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
QUALITATIVELY, WHEN I'M TALKING TO STAFF ABOUT PAY, 99.9% OF THE TIME, THEY'RE SHOWING ME PAY RATES AND WE'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AND BREAKDOWN.
WELL, LOOK AT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK? LOOK AT SOCIAL SECURITY.
IF THEY'RE TRYING TO GO TO A DISTRICT THAT DOES, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, AND OFTENTIMES PEOPLE DON'T LOOK THERE.
THEY JUST LOOK AT WHAT'S THE PAY RATE.
IT'S VERY HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO FACTOR INTO IS WE STILL HAVE A GREAT PLAN, EVEN IF WE WERE TO HAVE PEOPLE PAY INTO IT A LITTLE BIT, AND IS IT WISER TO BE COMPETITIVE ON THE PAY SCALE AND COMMUNICATE A PAY INCREASE VERSUS LOWERING THAT TO KEEP THIS DOWN?
>> I BELIEVE SO. I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES STILL AROUND THERE REMEMBER IN THE TRS DAYS.
I GUARANTEE [INAUDIBLE] INCREASES HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO CHOOSE THAT OVER TRS.
SPEAKING AS A FORMER TRS PERSON.
[02:30:01]
>> I THINK WHAT MR. ESTRADA IS SAYING IS RIGHT ON.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S ABOUT THE INCREASE.
>> I DID EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN WE WENT OUT TO THE DISTRICT, WHEN WE WENT OUT TO ALL THE CAMPUSES, I DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED SEEING EMPLOYEES THAT WERE LIKE, NO, AND THEN DON'T GO UP ON THE COST, BUT I HAD MORE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE LIKE, WE NEVER WANT TO GO BACK TO TERRACE AGAIN, PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN.
THEY DEFINITELY REMEMBER WELL PTSD THERE [LAUGHTER] THAT WAS DEFINITELY CLEAR.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR DISCUSSION ABOUT ADJOURNMENT TO BRING THIS PARTY DOWN ABOUT THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN? [LAUGHTER] IN THE END, IT HONESTLY IS AN AWESOME PLAN.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THAT, AND THEY'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR IT, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT REMEMBER WHAT A FULLY INSURED PLAN WAS LIKE.
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO, THEY STILL REALLY REMEMBER IT.
THERE ARE TWO PORTIONS OF THE TAX RATE.
ONE PORTION IS THE AMOUNT THAT TEA WILL GIVE US.
THEY WILL GIVE US OUR TAX RATE IN AUGUST, EVEN THOUGH WE ADOPT OUR BUDGET IN JUNE, BUT THEIR PORTION IS THE COMPRESSED TAX RATE, AND THEN WE HAVE GOLDEN PENNY PORTION OF THE TAX RATE.
THIS IS A VERY PRELIMINARY M&O TAX RATE FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A M&O COMPRESSION RATE OF 61.69 PENNIES, OUR EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES FOR A TAX RATE OF.6969.
NEXT YEAR, WITH WHAT OUR VALUES LOOK LIKE AND COMPRESSION THAT IS ALREADY IN LAW, NOT WHAT THEY MAY ALSO DO ADDITIONALLY IN THIS SESSION.
OUR COMPRESSION RATE WOULD BE 56.9 PENNIES, EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES FOR.6490.
THIS IS A POTENTIAL DECREASE TO THE M&O TAX RATE OF ALMOST FIVE CENTS.
OUR VERY PRELIMINARY TOTAL TAX RATE.
THE ONLY THING I DID HERE WAS ADD OUR INS RATE, WHICH IS 25.77 PENNIES WITH THE INTENTION OF KEEPING IT THE SAME AT 25.77 PENNIES.
THE TOTAL TAX RATE THIS YEAR IS 95.46 CENTS, AND NEXT YEAR, THE PROJECTED VERY PRELIMINARY TOTAL TAX RATE IS 90.67, A REDUCTION OF ALMOST FIVE CENTS.
AGAIN, VERY PRELIMINARY [LAUGHTER] THIS ON EVERYTHING.
THIS IS WITH THAT LOW SCENARIO ENROLLMENT OF 6,874 STUDENTS, WHICH IS STILL 160 STUDENTS OF GROWTH AT 93% ATTENDANCE.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE POTENTIAL PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL 2. I WENT BACK IN TIME.
THE FIRST COLUMN IS OUR '24-'25 PROJECTION, THEN OUR '25-'26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THIS IS WHERE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, I INCLUDE NOT A RAISE, BUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT WERE NON PAYROLL RELATED LIKE THE CONSTABLE INCREASE, THE INCREASE IN OPERATIONS OF ADDING A NEW CAMPUS TO THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE LIGHTS ON AND CUSTODIAL STAFF AND SUPPLIES AND ALL THE STAFF, ALSO THAT WE HAVE FOR THAT CAMPUS PROJECTED.
ALSO, SOME OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT WOULD BE NEEDS FOR NEXT YEAR WITHOUT A RAISE.
THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSED COLUMN IS.
THEN THE NEXT FOUR COLUMNS AFTER THAT HAVE WHAT IT WOULD BE.
SHOULD WE ADD ONE OF THOSE MODELS THAT MR. HOBBS BROUGHT THIS EVENING? AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM, IT SHOWS WHERE THE BUDGET IS.
MODEL 4 WOULD PUT US IN A DEFICIT OF 314,000 WHILE MODEL 2 WOULD PROVIDE US WITH 104,000 TO DO THINGS THAT WE STILL NEED.
[02:35:04]
>> DO THESE NUMBERS SHOW US THE SCHEDULED SHARE OF THE HEALTHCARE DEFICIT?
>> THAT IS A FANTASTIC QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
WHAT I HAVE DONE AS FAR AS THE HEALTH CARE DEFICIT IS I HAVE INCLUDED A $25 EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION INCREASE, THE 225,000.
THAT CAN BE INCREASED, DECREASED, WHATEVER YOU THINK, BUT THAT'S FOR THE ORIGINAL, AND THE REASON WHY I DID THAT AMOUNT ORIGINALLY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT I INCLUDED SOMETHING, AND I JUST WENT TO THE AVERAGE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
DID THE AVERAGE OF WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE CONTRIBUTING.
IT BRINGS THE CONTRIBUTION FROM 427 TO 452 A MONTH FOR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION.
THEN ALL THE OTHER THINGS WOULD BE ON THE EMPLOYEES SIDE COST.
IF HOUSE BILL 2 DOES NOT PASS, WE START OFF WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD DESIRE AT A $900,000 DEFICIT AND NO RAISE.
THESE WOULD BE THE SCENARIOS WITH HOUSE BILL 2.
>> YOU WERE SUGGESTING MODEL 2.
>> IF HOUSE BILL 2 PASSES AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, MODEL 2.
>> THANK YOU. YOU MENTIONED THAT DURING THE HEALTH.
>> I'M SORRY. I WAS SAYING SCENARIO 2 OF THE HEALTH ONE.
>> AS FAR AS THE RAISE, THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE MODEL WOULD BE WHAT MR. ESTRADA WAS SAYING PREVIOUSLY IS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR AN EMPLOYEE INCREASE ON THE HEALTH COST SIDE, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT A MODEL FROM THERE.
I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT BY THE NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE'LL KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HOUSE BILL 2.
>> ON MAY. OUR NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP IS MAY 5TH ON [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] OUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCE FOR 2025, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND Y'ALL WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN FEBRUARY HAS A ABOVE OPTIMUM FUND BALANCE OF 4.3 MILLION.
IT DOES HAVE A DECREASE TO THE FUND BALANCE OF 1.2 MILLION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT INCLUDING THE PROJECTION OF LINE CARE.
THE NEXT STEPS IS A MAY 15 BUDGET WORKSHOP, WHERE WE WILL CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.
AS IN WE WENT OVER SO MUCH TONIGHT, SO IT WON'T BE AS EXTENSIVE, BUT WE WILL HAVE OUR NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP ON MAY 5TH.
ON MAY 19TH, WE'LL REVIEW THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE OF OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE.
WE WILL HAVE A GOAL TO APPROVE THE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION PLAN ON MAY 19TH, SHOULD WE FEEL LIKE HOUSE BILL 2 HAS SOME SIGNATURES ON IT [LAUGHTER] THEN ON JUNE 2ND, WE'LL HAVE OUR FINAL SPECIAL CALLED BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THEN ON JUNE 23RD, WE WILL ADOPT THE BUDGET.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? I KNOW WE HAD SOME GREAT DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AS WELL.
>> ANY MORE QUESTIONS, BOARD? LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM 5, COMMUNICATION/ACTION A;
[Approve Staffing for the 2025-2026 School Year]
APPROVE STAFFING FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR. MS. WEISER.>> THE DETAIL OF THESE ARE ON TAB 4, BUT THESE ARE THE POSITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EVENING FOR BORCHERT LOOP THAT WE WOULD WANT TO START THE PROCESS OF POSTING THOSE POSITIONS AND CONTINUE TO GET THAT CAMPUS STAFFED FOR NEXT YEAR.
[02:40:02]
ALSO, INCLUDING A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST FOR '25-'26 THAT WE WOULD POST FOR NOW.>> FOR THE REMAINING OF THIS YEAR.
>> I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE POSITIONS [INAUDIBLE] AS PRESENTED FOR THE '24-'26 FISCAL YEAR.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND.
ITEM 5B, APPROVED BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
[Approve Budget Amendments]
>> YES. SORRY. THERE IS ONE BUDGET AMENDMENT ON THERE, AND THAT'S JUST TO MOVE CROSS FUNCTIONS, AND IT'S JUST WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS AS WE'RE CLOSING OUT THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
IT DOESN'T ADD TO THE BUDGET AT ALL.
>> BUT JUST ONE OF THOSE TYPICAL THINGS WE MIGHT NORMALLY COVER IN A REGULAR BOARD MEETING?
>> YES, SIR. IT'S USUALLY IN CONSENT.
IT WAS FOR ONE ITEM FROM FUNCTION 11 TO FUNCTION 51
>> ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD? HEAR A MOTION?
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS AS PRESENTED.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND.
WE COME TO THE END OF THIS MEETING.
IT IS 9:11 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.