Tuesday’s vote on the fiscal 2008 budget was expected to be uneventful, but three board members broke rank and voted against Temple ISD’s $61 million general fund budget.
While unexpected, several trustees said this 4-3 vote is not an indication of things to come.
While Temple school district board members often make statements with their vote expressing concerns and opposition to an action item, a nay vote is rare, and 4-3 split happens only once or twice a year. Coincidentally, the first meeting of the 2006 school board after spring elections produced a 4-3 vote upholding the district’s graduation guidelines.
Board member David Pennington said he doesn’t necessarily believe the budget vote reflects a divided board. “I think all seven of us are thinking about what’s best for the kids, and I don’t look at it as a picture of things to come.”
When asked if the vote is evidence of future discord, newly elected board member Mary Klentzman said, “I hope not.”
“I am hoping that we will have time to come together as a board in a unified manner to help the school district, for the sake of the children.”
Board vice president Jerry Pickle said this vote was a one-of-a-kind situation.
“I don’t know if we have any more issues quite like that. We had a change in the methodology of the presentation, a loss in income from special ed and add trying to get employee raises, and it gets a little more difficult trying to pass a budget that someone won’t find something to disagree with,” Pickle said.
Pennington spoke out in opposition during Tuesday’s special meeting because he felt the budget cycle was far shorter than in previous years and the budget should have received more review from the board.
“I got an 80-page budget book a week ago, it didn’t have all the same figures from June 6 meeting, and I only had one week to look at it,” Pennington said.
He said in the past the first workshop of the year was held in January. This year’s first workshop was held on June 6.
Michael Tuttle, executive director of administration, pointed out that the January meeting was called to discuss the tax roll to judge how much the district might receive in local tax revenue and plan accordingly. He said with the state providing a much higher share of revenue this year, local property values had much less to do with the overall budget picture so the January meeting was not required.
He said the run-off elections pushed the schedule back a few weeks so any new board members could be involved in the discussion.
Mrs. Klentzman did not attend any of the budget workshops because of previous long-standing engagements, but said she was briefed by the staff. She said she believes the practice of planning a deficit budget is unwise.
“You can project revenue and expenditures just as well without a deficit,” she said. “It’s like you’re planning for a foul-up. What if all your projections are correct you end up (in a bad position)?”
Both Pennington and Klentzman said they had concerns over the amount of administrative spending this year. The 2007-2008 budget for central administration went up to $1.3 million from $1.15 million in last year’s proposed budget.Klentzman and Pennington also said they believed strongly in a greater increase in teacher salaries. The budget provides teachers with an additional $750 a year in salary.
Superintendent Beto Gonzalez said they are “preaching to the choir.”
“I’ve been the first one all year long and the loudest voice across the district to say we have (high administrative expense),” Gonzalez said. “I’ve come to town to correct some of those issues.
“I believe that based on what I know about recent budget history, this has been the best budget that’s been put forth. We’ve been very mindful and conscientious, student-focused and data-driven. I think any concerns (are unfounded).”
Joe Bray, president of Compass Bank and member of the finance committee said after the June 19 workshop he believes this budget was thorough and accurate.
“I’ve been on the finance committee for four years and this is the best presentation I’ve seen,” Bray said. “I can sit down and understand the logic behind the assumptions they used to develop the revenue projections and expense projections.”
kchandler@temple-telegram.com
