SMCISD to hear update on recapture

With the 86th Legislature over and a new school finance bill on the books, SMCISD is looking at next year’s budget in the light of the state’s “Robin Hood” plan. The district board of trustees will hear more about the 2019-2020 budget at a workshop meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday at San Marcos High School.

At a meeting on May 6, SMCISD Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services Karen Griffith gave a presentation to the board indicating that the district owes a significant amount in recapture funds. “Recapture” is what happens when a district that is considered “property rich” pays money to the state to be redistributed to other districts that are not property rich. The determination of whether a district must send money to other districts depends on the property values within the district and the number of students enrolled. The higher the values, and the lower the student population, the more a district will have to pay.

According to Griffith’s presentation, SMCISD is caught in a “perfect storm.” The district’s revenue projections were based on the Hays County appraisal values for 2018-2019 using April 25 allocations. The county then lowered allocations in August 2018. Moreover, the state comptroller did not accept the 2019-2020 appraisal values within the district, and property tax values increased by more than $716 million, while demographer projections overestimated enrollment by 206 students. All of this together caused the district to become a Chapter 41, or property-rich, district. (At the same time, according to the Texas Tribune, nearly 69 percent of SMCISD students are considered economically disadvantaged.)

The district has several potential courses of action, including freeing up funds that had been set aside for a new central office building and improvements at the Bonham campus, reviewing current positions within the district and reducing departmental budgets.

At Monday night’s meeting, the board expects to hear more about the budget situation in light of the new school finance measures approved by the Texas Legislature.

In other business Monday night, the board is set to hold an agenda prep for its June 17 regular meeting, discuss board operating procedures and governance training, and consider a date for a public meeting to discuss the 2019-2020 tax rate and budget.