The Texas legislative session is over, now KISD looks for answers

The school year has ended but the budget woes of school districts throughout the state, including Kilgore ISD, continues.

Now that the biennial Texas legislative session has ended, Revard Pfeffer, KISD business manager, said he is trying to decipher just how the district will be affected financially.

"Even though the district is getting stimulus money, we won't be able to supplant those funds, which simply means the district is told exactly how those funds will be spent," said Pfeffer.

The real change for next year is the weighted average daily attendance (WADA) money KISD will receive.

"Last year KISD received $48.59 per student in WADA; for the next two years, the Legislature has raised that amount by $120," said Pfeffer. "This seems like a lot of money, but out of those funds the state has also dictated raises in addition to normal step raises for teachers."

Pfeffer said the numbers for average daily attendance are still being processed and there are a lot of variables because every student, whether the student is in special education or Title I, require a different formula to calculate average daily attendance.

"Our numbers at the end of the year show to be up 100 students and if all of those stu- dents attended every day of school that number will hold. But if a lot of those students did not attend school on a regular basis, the number will change," said Pfeffer.

At this time in the budget process, Pfeffer said there are no hard numbers on paper yet, but the funding will be in the $550,000 range for WADA, with $450,000 going for raises.

"This will still leave KISD with approximately $100,000 in non-dedicated funds," Pfeffer explained.

This money for pay raises is in addition to normal teachers' step raises said Pfeffer.

"If a teacher was going from step 14 to step 15 and that step increase was $1,000, the district will still have to add that money to the raises mandated by the state usage of the new WADA funds," said Pfeffer.

This money is locked in over the next two years, meaning if the $450,000 stands as money for raises, that will be $450,000 for 2009 and again in 2010, he said.

"We would hope the state would continue to support these funds after that date," Pfeffer said.

Other then the change in WADA funds for KISD, Pfeffer said the funding formula for the district has not changed.

In other areas of the budget, Pfeffer said KISD has the pre-kindergarten program covered for the next two years with the grant they received, even though it was $100,000 less then the prior grant.

"The real challenge is after two years, KISD will no longer be eligible for any grant for the Pre-K program and all funding for that program will fall on the district," said Pfeffer.

He said he hopes to have something on paper by July to present to school board members.

"I have already received budget requests from all of the KISD campuses," said Pfeffer. "But since the budget is 90 percent payroll, that is where most of the concerns come in to play for the district."