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Texas Education News
January 2009
Copyright © 2009 Queue,
Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Seventy-Five Percent of Texas Schools Meet
Adequate Yearly Progress Standards, Final Results Show
Taylor
Ray Elementary Beats the Odds, Achieving Near-Perfect Proficiency
Parental Involvement
Remains Focus of Dallas Area Initiative
Acting on Data: How Urban High Schools Use Data to Improve
Instruction
Spring ISD Adds New Software To All Secondary Schools
Houston High School Brings Engineering into
Classroom
Texas
Education Report Back Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/TXnews.html)
Education Research Report
Back Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/EduResearchRpt.html)
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Final
Adequate Yearly Progress evaluations
show that 75 percent of the schools and 67 percent of school districts
met or exceeded the 2008 federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards.
The
federal evaluations are based on:
á
student
graduation rates for high schools and districts;
á
attendance
rates for elementary schools; and
á
passing
rates and participation rates on state reading and mathematics tests for grades
3-8 and 10.
Preliminary
AYP results were released in October. Appeals did little to change the final
results. The percentage of schools meeting AYP remained at 75 percent after the
appeals process. The number of districts meeting AYP standards was 66 percent
when the preliminary results were released and moved to 67 percent after the
issuance of the final results.
District
and campus AYP results are available at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ayp/.
Taylor
Ray School Rosenberg, Texas,
á Grade Span: Pre-KÐ5
á Locale: Suburban
á Total Students: 701
á Race/Ethnicity
Enrollment:
80% Hispanic, 14% white, 6% black
á Free or Reduced-Price
Lunch Eligible:
73%
á English Language
Learners:
28%
á Special Education
Students:
13%
á Percentage Proficient
(based on 2008 AYP results): 98% reading and math
The
numbers tell the odds facing Taylor Ray, a largely Hispanic elementary school
in Rosenberg, Texas, 35 miles southwest of Houston: three-fourths of its 701
students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch; more than one-quarter are
English language learners; 13 percent have special needs; and nearly one in
five transfer each year.
But
the numbers also confirm that the school is thriving: according to preliminary
2008 adequate yearly progress (AYP) data, a remarkable 98 percent of students
tested on the state exam scored at or above grade level in both reading and
math.
In
fact, for the past three years, student proficiency rates at the school have
been at or above 90 percent in all subjects testedÑreading, writing, math and
science. And, this year, having ranked in the top 10 percent of results on the
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills even with a significant disadvantaged
population, Taylor Ray became only the second school in the Lamar Consolidated
Independent School District to receive the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon
Schools award. "I'm extremely blessed that I have an excellent
staff," says Principal Diane Parks, who is in her eighth year of
leadership at Taylor Ray. "One of our greatest strengths is that we build
relationships with students and families. And, because my teachers have been
here a long time, they also have that same kind of relational capacity with the
other staff members."
She
says it has been the longevity of her veteran staff, many of whom have taught
students' older siblings and even their parents, that has provided constancy in
a school with a student mobility rate of 18 percent.
Much
of the turnover stems from families who reside temporarily with other family
members, explains Parks. Although most of the moves are within the school
district or to a neighboring district, she says some find it difficult to live
independently elsewhere and consequently return, often re-enrolling their
children at Taylor Ray.
"So
when they come into our school it's like coming home," says Parks, who was
named Texas' 2007 National Distinguished Principal. "They know that we're
going to care for their child. They know that we're going to help them with
whatever resources they need."
That
support includes anything from buying school supplies and clothes to providing
extra academic help before and after school. Two days a week, fifth-grade
teachers stay until four o'clock, with no supplemental pay, for the Homework
Club. Also, every day for half an hour before school starts, the school's
instructional specialists work with at-risk students.
"I
can't change that kids move around. I can't change that kids come from poverty.
I can't change that they may have parents who are unable or unwilling to help
them. But we do have control of what we do every day here at school," says
Parks.
Taylor
Ray also has a mentoring program for third- through fifth-graders to ensure
students receive attention on more than their academic lives. The mentoring
involves the entire staff, including the cafeteria workers, whom Parks counts
as critical to students' success. Considering that 73 percent of the children
receive federally subsidized meals, including breakfast, most times the
cafeteria staff "are the first people that the kids see when they come to
school," she says.
Parent
Sherri Snedecor says the genuine care the staff has for the children is
apparent. Initially, when she enrolled her son at Taylor Ray two years ago, she
says she was apprehensive about having to transfer him from a private to a
public school following their relocation to the area. "I couldn't stand
it. But I thought, [one year in] kindergarten won't kill him, and at least
he'll be on the waiting list and get in next year. And after kindergarten, I
was like, 'This is the best school ever. I'm never moving him.' ... It has made
a difference in himÑnot only his education but his social skills. He wakes up
every morning and wants to go to school. He has good relationships with more
than just the teacher who's actually in his class."
CloAnn
Adamcik, a paraprofessional who formerly taught at a Christian school before
coming to Taylor Ray, also was surprised by the familial atmosphere of the
school, where teachers greet students every morning with a hug or handshake.
She says their efforts to develop relationships with the students have been the
cornerstone of their achievement. "If you do not demonstrate that
[concern], you would not have a good rapport with the child. And a child that
doesn't have a good rapport with you is not going to want to learn as
much."
The
engagement of the students is clearly evident in test score data that shows
them achieving not only at benchmark but also at advanced levels. For instance,
64 percent of fifth-grade students in 2008 scored a "commended"
rating on the state's math exam, the highest mark attainable.
While
Taylor Ray's scores were not at alarming levels when Parks arrived in 2002,
there existed only "pockets of excellence," she says, "pockets
of teachers doing good things, but they were only looking at the children in
their own class."
So
she put systems into place that got everyone to "row together." One
key approach was the implementation of teams comprising at least one teacher
from each grade level meeting once a month to focus on a curriculum, such as
reading, math, writing, science or technology. These discipline-based teams
ensure the alignment of curricula and instructional strategies across grades so
every educator understands what students have learned, what they are currently
learning, and what they are expected to learn in the future. Intended not only
to build collaboration among teachers but also to empower them as leaders,
"vertical teams" are responsible for implementing, monitoring and
adjusting, when needed, the school's academic programs.
In
addition, every other week grade-level teams meet for an extended planning
time, thanks to a flexible schedule that affords them an hourÑexpanding the
district's customary 45-minute conference periodÑto collaborate, develop common
assessments and discuss interventions for struggling students.
This
power base is the reason Parks uses the bulk of her Title I budget (federal
dollars for high-poverty schools) to expand human resources. With these funds,
she has hired additional tutors, paraprofessionals and instructional
specialists.
Taylor
Ray's five reading and math specialists serve as teacher-experts that model
lessons for other teachers, co-teach and work with individual students. They
also meet with the vertical teams to develop teaching strategies and identify
necessary resources for improving student achievement.
Special
education teacher Donald Clark believes teaming with the instructional
specialists is largely the reason they have been successful with their special
needs population. Instead of waiting until students qualify for special
education, usually in second or third grade, the specialists intervene as early
as the first grade, helping to build students' phonetic, fluency and
comprehension skills. The early intervention has resulted in fewer children
being identified for special services, and he says the students are coming in with
continually higher performance levels.
Moreover,
Clark, who has taught special education at Taylor Ray since it opened in 1979,
believes the children are now better prepared for the school's newly adopted
inclusion program, in which students with disabilities are integrated into
regular education classrooms. He says because Parks chose to use the school's
discretionary funds to add instructional experts rather than solely buy extra
computers, the school is adequately staffed to handle the inclusion model.
"The regular ed teachers don't feel like they're carrying the whole load.
... If you're a first-grade teacher and you've got five kids that are not
progressing, here comes the specialists on their white horses."
Children
lagging behind are given intensive instruction either one-on-one during class
or separately in small groups. There is a 90-minute class especially for
struggling readers, which is team-taught by a reading facilitator, a classroom
teacher and a special education teacher.
"Never
in 30 years have I seen such a proficient school run like this," adds
Clark, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award, a $25,000 honorarium for
educators sponsored by the Texas-based retail food chain H-E-B.
He
also credits the district for administering assessments at the lower grades
(state benchmarks begin at the third grade), which are among a battery of tests
the school uses to identify gaps in student learning.
Another
district initiative, celebrated by both staff and parents for broadening the
educational opportunities at Taylor Ray, is the dual language program. The
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District piloted the program four years
ago at elementary schools with significant English language learner (ELL)
populations, when it found research that proved two-way immersion provided the
best long-term benefits for the bilingual student.
Using
the same strategy as the inclusion model for special education, the dual
language program mixes students learning English or Spanish with those who are
already native speakers. Class time is divided equally between learning Spanish
and English and is led collaboratively by teachers of both languages. Because
the goal is to have students bilingual and biliterate by the end of the fifth
grade, parents must make a three-year commitment to enroll English-speaking
students.
Over
the two years her second-grade son has participated, Snedecor has seen growth
in his fluency in Spanish, evidenced by his ability to communicate with Spanish
speakers when they have been shopping in town. She is certain the language
experience will give him an advantage that she wishes she had working in a
predominantly Hispanic community. "I feel like it's something that he's
getting that I couldn't have even paid for him to get," she says.
The
Lamar school district is also the driving force behind the technology in this
high-poverty school, which is equipped with interactive whiteboards, science
lab equipment, and, most recently, three carts loaded each with eight laptop
computers. "The children that are coming into our schools today are very
much plugged in, and then we ask them to unplug themselves and sit in front of
a green chalkboard," says Parks about the need for technology.
And,
in view of today's generation being much more tech-savvy than its older
counterparts, she applauds the district's commitment to integrating technology
in the classroom beyond just providing hardware and software. This summer,
selected teachers at each of the district's 34 schools received training on
devices ranging from computers to iPods. Parks and her staff followed up the
training with the implementation of a vertical team for technology to replicate
the knowledge at their campus.
The
challenge of keeping students on the cutting edge of a society that
increasingly is becoming global is a significant challenge, particularly for
students from disadvantaged backgrounds, says Parks. To enrich their education,
the staff is using multiple approaches, along with technology, to connect
children to the outside world, including the fine arts programs in the
community and after-school clubs that explore the sciences and the media.
"My
goal is to have everything seamless," says Parks about the various
pathways for learning. Then referring to a book she recently read that examined
how companies moved from ordinary to extraordinary with no silver bullet
method, she continues, "I asked the staff, 'Who can name the one thing we
did that brought us to this place?' And you can't. To me, it's the dedication,
the discipline and, at the end of the day, the hard work that has paid off over
time for us."
The Texas-based "Parents Step Ahead" program
celebrated the culmination of its third successful year promoting parental
involvement in children's education with its annual gala and awards ceremony on
Thursday, December 4, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dallas. The event honored six
parents who participated in the nonprofit organization's school-based parenting
skills workshops during the year.
ETS, a founding sponsor of "Parents Step Ahead,"
acknowledges and applauds the program's recognition of the vital role parents
play in children's academic achievement, a fact that is too often overlooked.
"'Parents Step Ahead' is important because it makes a real
difference in the way parents view their role in their children's academic
success and personal development," explains Eleanor Horne, vice president
of ETS's Social Investment Fund. "Participating in this program reinforces
ETS's commitment to help advance the quality of education for the children of
Texas parents."
Horne also says that it was a privilege to present one of the
six Parent of the Year awards to Mrs. Valdemar Sancen during the gala's awards
ceremony.
Sancen was born and raised in the Mexican State of Guanajuato
and moved to Fort Worth 16 years ago. She is the mother of two girls, and is a
volunteer at T.A. Sims Elementary School in Fort Worth. She believes that if
parents are involved in their children's school, it makes it easier for them to
help their children at home. Her oldest daughter, Kimberly, has earned top
scores in reading and mathematics on the TASK Test in the State of Texas.
The other 2008 Parent of the Year award recipients are Martha de
la Mar, JosŽ Salvador, Mar’a de la Luz Flores, Martha A. Arias and Lydia
Curiel.
Horne adds, "ETS is proud to partner with the 'Parents Step
Ahead' program. This organization shares ETS's objectives to improve
educational outcomes, with an emphasis on English-language learners, narrowing
achievement gaps and helping students transition from one educational level to
the next."
Founded by El Hispano News -- in cooperation with the Dallas
Independent School District (DISD), Garland Independent School District (GISD),
Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) and various community
organizations -- "Parents Step Ahead" prepares and educates parents
to meet the challenges faced by today's youth. The program's mission is to
recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the
educational and personal development of their children.
Data is a powerful tool to support the goal of maximizing the
academic potential of each child. When data serves as the foundation and
culture of school systems, curriculum and instruction can be more closely
tailored to each student's particular academic needs. NewSchools Venture Fund
has published the findings from the final study of a three-part research
project exploring the use of data in schools.
The four schools profiled are:
Bolsa
Grande High School (Garden Grove Unified School District)
California
Washington
High School (Glendale UHSD Unified High School District)
Arizona
YES
PrepÑSoutheast Campus (YES Prep Charter Management Organization)
Texas
North
Star Academy (North Star Academy Charter School Management)
New
Jersey
Full report:
http://www.newschools.org/files/ActingonData.pdf
In
an effort to address the need for math curriculum that simultaneously develops
conceptual understanding, computational fluency and problem-solving skills,
Spring Independent School District (ISD) in Houston has announced its plans to
add Tabula Digita's DimensionM (http://www.DimensionM.com/) immersive educational
video games to all nine of its middle and high schools, as well as the
district's new Math and Science Center.
The
decision to incorporate the robust educational video game series as a supplement
to its current math curricula came after Spring ISD leaders recognized the
significant benefits that were being reaped in classrooms in Florida, New York,
Georgia, California and several districts in Texas.
"Spring
ISD is always in search of innovative ways to help students learn," said
Dalane E. Bouillion, Ed.D, associate superintendent for curriculum and
instructional services at Spring ISD. "DimensionM offers a new learning
venue that will capture the attention of today's media-oriented children and
draw them into their lessons. It will also help us realize our goal of making
each classroom a true learning platform, not just a teaching platform."
Designed
to teach and reinforce key algebraic concepts, the DimensionM instructional
software engages students in a series of first-person action adventure missions
that incorporate three-dimensional graphics, sound, animation and storylines
comparable to those in popular video games. By successfully navigating the
myriad of embedded pre-algebra and algebra lessons students quickly master the
math concepts previously discussed in class. This helps to bring the
complexities of math into a world that today's students understand.
About
Spring IDS Public Schools
Spring
ISD is located in an urban area of Harris County, located 20 miles north of
downtown Houston, TX. The District serves over 33,000 prekindergarten through
twelfth-grade students in 31 schools. The District's student population is
comprised of 38.45 percent African American, 35.9 percent Hispanic, 20.6
percent white, 4.8 percent Asian and Pacific Islander and 0.2 percent Native
American. For more information go www.springids.org
High
school students from the Houston Independent School District will be
engineering alternative fuels using the process developed by Texas A&MÕs
Mark T. Holtzapple and Ceasar B. Granda thanks to a grant from Chevron Corp.
Chevron
gave the district a $250,000 grant to help educate its students about energy.
Much of the funding will be used for classroom projects where high school
students will convert cafeteria waste into fuels using the MixAlco process
which was developed by professor Holtzapple and research engineer Granda, both
of the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M.
Holtzapple
and Dr. Nghia Le, a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School and the High
School for Engineering Professions, drafted the proposal to receive the funding
from Chevron. Le first met Holtzapple while attending the 2007 Teacher Summit
at A&M, which is held to provide high school teachers an opportunity to
learn about the latest research to help them prepare their students to pursue
degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM ).
Video Surveillance
Control And Management For Beaumont Independent Schools
The
Beaumont Independent School District incorporates more than 30 K-12 schools
housing nearly 20 thousand students, in addition to several administration
buildings. To keep track of activities during and after school hours, deter
criminal activity and insure safety and security for pupils and staff, Beaumont
implemented a new IP-based video surveillance system powered by the advanced
video control and management solution from On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc.
(OnSSI), the market leader in intelligent, open architecture IP-based video
surveillance software solutions.
Greg
Schumacher, Senior Network & Programming Administrator for the Beaumont
School District, investigated several video surveillance options to address
immediate areas of concern with an eye on expanding whichever system they
selected to cover all of the districtÕs facilities. After having initially
deployed black and white analog cameras with the intent of moving them from
location to location to address specific issues, the district found this
laborious task too difficult to maintain. With guidance from security systems
integrator Micro Integration, they switched to a basic IP video system using
web browsers to access and control a small array of cameras. The system proved
its value quickly by helping school officials and the police department quickly
identify and apprehend suspects. Most importantly, incidents at the maintenance
department quickly subsided once the word got out that the premises were under
constant video surveillance.
The
three High Schools in the Beaumont Independent School District required a more
elaborate video surveillance control and management platform to tie the
satellite video surveillance systems together from the three remote locations.
Micro Integration recommended a comprehensive video control and management
software solution from OnSSI that integrates camera control functions, NVR,
virtual matrix, intelligent video delivery and content analysis in one software
platform.
With
the new IP video system in place, the number of disciplinary actions at the
High School dropped dramatically. Cameras were then placed in Middle Schools
with similar results. A total of 600 IP cameras have been added to the system
to date at ten schools with the goal of installing up to 900 cameras once
construction on new facilities is completed.
To
facilitate monitoring operations, cameras are accessed and controlled using the
OnSSI solution with map overlays of the city that display all the
schools/locations. The system is hosted on multiple servers custom built by
Micro Integration at multiple sites and integrated. Beaumont Schools IP video
surveillance system shares a centralized network backbone with the districtÕs
IT system but is partitioned to assure uninterrupted operation and added
network security. The cameras streaming to the servers require significant
bandwidth on the districtÕs 1Gbps Ethernet network, so each of the satellite
systems run independently on their own backbones and are then tied together on
a WAN that feeds into OnSSIÕs solution. This distributed architecture greatly
helps conserve bandwidth utilization according to Mr. Schumacher.
The
satellite systems are integrated so they can be viewed from various locations
including principalsÕ offices and directly at the police department. Principals
can only see their own schools while the police have access to every camera in
the system. Mr. Schumacher and the IT staff have control over all system
programming and functions along with Micro Integration.
ÒThe
OnSSI video surveillance control and management solution allows us to easily
export data from anywhere on the network and send it anyplace we want in any
format,Ó said Mr. Schumacher. ÒItÕs very efficient and easy to use, as are the
control functions for PTZ cameras allowing even novices to operate them. As we
continue to expand the video surveillance system here at the Beaumont
Independent School District, OnSSIÕs video control and management solution
continues to exceed our expectations.Ó
Dallas
ISD
The announcement last year of an unexpected sizeable operating
deficit for fiscal 2008 has sharply reduced reserve levels and brought into
question budgetary and financial management practices at Dallas Independent
School District, Texas' (DISD, or the district).
District officials initially projected a general fund deficit
for fiscal 2008 in April, but expected at that time that state funding would
minimize the impact to reserves. District auditors and staff confirmed a sizeable
deficit in September, and the current projection is for a $57 million
shortfall. This amount will effectively shrink district general fund reserves
by one-half; the fiscal 2007 total general fund balance was $120.1 million, and
the unreserved balance was $105.8 million. District staff attributed the
deficit to poor controls and inadequate communication between various district
administrative departments, as the hiring of an estimated 750 teachers during
the current fiscal year was not factored into the fiscal 2008 budget. The late
release of the district's fiscal 2007 audit, in which external auditors
identified a number of weaknesses and deficiencies regarding internal controls,
accounting procedures and financial oversight, further magnified the scope of
the district's problems.
Budget concerns have continued into the current fiscal year, as
administrators attempt to close an estimated deficit for fiscal 2009 of more
than $80 million through staff reductions and other spending cutbacks. The
district declared a state of financial emergency in September, which allowed it
to lay off teachers presently under contract. The total number of employees
terminated to date is 1,000, including approximately 700 teachers. District
staff estimates the payroll savings from the layoffs will total roughly $26
million for fiscal 2009 and more than $50 million for fiscal 2010. Despite
these and other measures, the district still faces an estimated $25 million to
$30 million operating deficit for fiscal 2009. Officials report that efforts
are underway to generate additional savings that are expected to close the
remaining budget gap. A revised fiscal 2009 budget is expected to be presented
to the district board early next month.
Not surprisingly, staffing changes have accompanied the
deteriorating financial position of the district. The former chief financial
officer and budget director have been terminated, and the district has hired a
new executive director of financial services. The fate of the district
superintendent also is unclear, as several district board members have recently
called for a no-confidence vote. District staff has developed a corrective
action plan, which is envisioned to restore internal controls and procedures
over a 3-year period at a cost of at least $10 million. Staff also plans to
prepare a financial recovery plan to restore operating reserves over the same
timeframe; the details of this plan are expected once the fiscal 2009 budget
revision is completed. Fitch believes the district's current financial
condition is not consistent with the 'AA' rating category, and believes that
further rating action is likely unless improvement in both financial management
and reserves occurs.
The current offering is the first installment of a $1.35 billion
bond authorization approved by 54% of district voters in May 2008. The current
capital program includes funding for new and replacement schools, renovations
and additions at existing campuses, and a variety of other improvements. This
program, which is projected to meet district capital needs through 2014, is
expected to have a debt service tax rate impact of roughly $0.06 per $100 of
taxable assessed valuation (TAV). Although increasing with recent borrowings,
Fitch considers the district's direct debt burden still moderate. The pace of
debt retirement has slowed considerably also as a result of recent offerings,
and now is well below average.
TAV growth rebounded over the past four fiscal years after
slowing appreciably from fiscal 2003-2005. The fiscal 2009 TAV of $79.7 billion
represented a solid 9.3% increase from last year. These gains reflect the
recent expansion of the local and regional economies, which included healthy
residential and commercial development activity. Although the pace of housing
starts has slowed noticeably in recent months, the most recent residential
foreclosure and delinquency rates for the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area
are below national averages.
The district is the second largest in the state, with an
estimated 158,000 students. Enrollment, which has declined marginally over the
past several fiscal years, is projected to stabilize around current levels. The
district serves the majority of the City of Dallas, as well as all or portions
of 11 area cities and towns, with a total estimated population of approximately
1.3 million. District facilities currently include 157 elementary schools, 31
middle schools, 23 high schools, and several magnet and alternative campuses.
District staffing presently totals 21,000.
Tyler
ISD
Located in the eastern portion of Texas along Interstate 20 in
Smith County, the district encompasses 206 square miles and includes the city
of Tyler. The district is part of the larger Tyler metropolitan statistical
area (MSA) that serves as a regional hub particularly for health care and
higher education and is estimated to total approximately 200,000 in population.
Population growth has approximated that of the state at an average annual rate
of almost 2% since the 2000 Census. Totaling about 18,100 students in fiscal
2009, the district's enrollment has averaged a modest 1% annually since fiscal
2004. Retail trade, services, and government are all major employment sectors
in the Tyler MSA with more recent growth in the transportation/warehousing and
mining sectors. Despite a recent bump in the October 2008 unemployment rate to
6.5%, Tyler MSA unemployment levels have historically stayed lower than those
of the state; wealth levels are slightly below those of the state; however,
this is somewhat mitigated by the lower cost of living in the region. TAV grew
at a healthy yet stable pace, averaging gains of almost 8% annually since 2004.
Financial performance has been strong with the district
recording positive operating results in each of the past four years and maintaining
no less than two months' of cash on hand since fiscal 2005. Preliminary results
for fiscal 2008 indicate that the district will again add to fund balance,
closing the year with almost $33 million in unreserved general fund reserves,
which equals about 25% of spending. As evidence of its conservative financial
practices, the district annually designates its reserves (typically for
maintenance needs) that exceed state recommended levels. Contributing to the
strong results in fiscal 2008 was the payment of approximately $6 million in
one-time monies from the state due to past underpayments in state aid. For
fiscal 2009, district officials report that while expenditures are tracking
slightly better than budgeted, general fund reserves may decline somewhat by
the end of the fiscal year due to one-time expenditures from the extra state
revenues received, they do not anticipate utilizing the full amount.
The district's debt will double with this issuance, although
debt levels remain modest however at 3.9% of TAV. The current offering
represents the full amount of the authorization, which was the largest in the
district's history. The authorization was approved by a strong 65% of voters in
November 2008 for rebuilding, renovating, or repurposing various elementary
school facilities. Preliminary plans according to district officials include
approaching voters for an additional authorization that would address secondary
campus facilities sometime within the next two-to-three years. Amortization is
somewhat below average; in 10 years, roughly 44% of principal will be retired.
Lewisville
ISD
Located about 20 miles northwest of Dallas in Denton
County, Lewisville Independent
School District encompasses 127 square miles serving all or portions of 13
growing residential communities including the cities of Lewisville, Flower
Mound, Carrollton, and The Colony. As the district's service area has matured,
both enrollment gains and growth in taxable assessed valuation (TAV) have
moderated. Enrollment growth rates have slowed to less than 3% annually since
fiscal 2004 compared with over 5% annual growth in the prior decade. The
district's student population surpassed 50,000 in fiscal 2009. District'
officials estimate reaching build-out by about 2020 with an estimated enrollment
of 65,000 students. Tax base growth is strong, averaging a compound annual
growth rate of 7.5% in the last five fiscal years. Despite sluggish residential
growth, the districts TAV increased 8.7% in fiscal 2009 due to continued
commercial expansion within the district.
Although slowing enrollment growth has offered a measure of
relief, the district nonetheless has faced mounting budgetary pressures while
contending with wealth equalization transfers and compression of its operations
tax rate. Despite these pressures, financial performance has been consistently
strong with positive operating results in nine of the last 10 fiscal years,
enabling the district to build substantial reserves. Fiscal 2008 was the second
year of implementation of the new state school finance structure which required
the district to compress its operations tax rate to $1.00 per $100 of TAV. The
district also adopted the four enrichment pennies for fiscal 2008 as permitted
by law. Since TAV growth in fiscal 2008 outpaced enrollment gains (resulting in
wealth per student in excess of the $319,500 threshold), the district is
considered 'property-rich' and is thereby subject to reduced state support.
While the district budgeted a $12.8 million revenue shortfall
for fiscal 2008 due to the full implementation of the state's new funding
formula, the actual drawdown totaled a more modest $2.4 million. Beyond fiscal
2008, with implementation of the state funding formula, the district expects to
have a per-pupil deficit and anticipates using general fund reserves to balance
operations; however, the district has adopted a formal fund balance policy
requiring the maintenance of a minimum of $45 million in general fund balance
reserves, equivalent to 13% of fiscal 2008 spending levels. The fiscal 2009
budget gap is estimated at $22 million, which, if realized, would reduce the
fund balance levels to approximately $109 million, or 29% of fiscal 2008
spending levels.
The current offering is the first installment of the district's
nearly $700 million bond program approved by 58% of voters in May 2008. The
bond package includes construction of five new schools, facilities expansions,
school site acquisitions, and technology improvements. The district's debt
service tax rate for fiscal 2009 was increased by one cent to $0.34 per $100 of
TAV and officials anticipate that this rate will increase by another three
cents over the next several fiscal years due to the current bond package.
Direct and overall debt ratios are high and principal amortization is below
average with 45% of principal maturing in 10 years.
Expanding service and manufacturing development continues to
diversify the district's economic base, which historically has been primarily
residential. Unemployment rates in Denton County are consistently below
regional, state, and national averages and local wealth measures exceed state
and national levels.