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Home My WebLink About03/07/2012 - Joint Minutes City Council MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING WITH c ir THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, COLLEGE STATION INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CITY OF COLLEGE STATION CITY COUNCIL MARCH 7, 2012 STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF BRAZOS § Present: Nancy Berry Council: Blanche Brick Jess Fields Karl Mooney Katy -Marie Lyles Julie Schultz Dave Ruesink City Staff: David Neeley, City Manager Kathy Merrill, Deputy City Manager Frank Simpson, Deputy City Manager Carla Robinson, City Attorney Sherry Mashburn, City Secretary 1. Call to Order and Announce a Quorum is Present With a quorum present, the Joint Meeting with the Board of Trustees of the College Station Independent School District and the College Station City Council was called to order by Mayor Nancy Berry at 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 in the CSISD Transportation Services Center, 9304 Rock Prairie Road, College Station, Texas 77840. 2. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding school financing and College Station budget. Dr. Eddie Coulson, Superintendent, reported on school finance. He stated that new buildings, renovations, additions, buses and capital projects are funded through the Interest & Sinking fund. Maintenance & Operations funds payroll, supplies, travel, fees, dues, and building operational costs. The 2011 -12 budget has a deficit of $2.5 million, and they are projecting a $4.6 deficit for the 2012 -13 budget. CSISD will have a 9% reduction in per pupil funding, removing valuable instructional support. They are drawing from the $36 million fund balance. CSISD has joined JM030712 Minutes Page 1 the school finance lawsuit. Funding is not adequate for the expectations the state and local communities have for school districts. The current system has allowed a de facto state -wide property tax where local school districts have no meaningful discretion. Also, the current system is arbitrary; thus, by its very nature, cannot be an efficient system of funding. He would love for the system to move to a funding formula. The way forward will require community involvement, legislators that will support public education (regardless of party affiliation), and a sustainable system that provides funding to prepare all students for post- secondary education, the work force and meet community expectations. He announced there will be a Community Forum on March 29 at 6:30. Jeff Kersten, Executive Director of Fiscal Service, reported the City had $1.5 million in budget reductions in 2012. He has seen a slowdown in revenue streams. $1.8 million was budgeted for the O &M for Fire Station #6. We will possibly be looking at additional budget reductions for 2013, 2014, and 2015. He is encouraged by the new development that is happening, but it will also create additional service demands. 3. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding an update on the construction of College Station High School as well as current and /or future capital projects. Dr. Clark Ealy, Deputy Superintendent, provided a 2009 bond update that included the Transportation Center , Greens Prairie Elementary, and College Station High School. Coming up will be renovations to the A &M Consolidated High School. The budget was allocated by the voters in the 2009 bond issue, and they have recouped savings from Greens Prairie GMP, Oakwood/AMCMS renovation GMP, and the Greens Prairie soft costs. The scope includes STEM and computer maintenance; three art studios, special education life skills /CASI independent living suite, library exterior - seating, other - testing office and storage, book room, custodial office, electrical/HVAC, and the front entrance facade. In 2013 the budget will be unexpended funds from Phase 1 (monies not allocated and project savings), and savings from CSHS. This scope will include a student commons area and library. The CSHS project is on budget and on schedule for completion for June 2012. The work is 86% completed. He asked what does the future hold, and when do we project needing additional campuses based on our current growth trend. The area has grown 3.5% per year. We may possibly need elementary school #9 in 2015; #10 three years later, and #11 three years after that. Phase 2 of the ne high school is not expected for a long time. There may be a need for a third intermediate school in 2018, and a third middle school in 2019 -2020. We could have three schools coming due at same time. The district currently owns three pieces of unimproved land. Chuck Gilman, Director of Capital Projects, provided an update on capital projects. Barron Road is nearing completion and will be done before the high school is completed; Victoria Avenue will also be completed before the school is completed. Both will have a ribbon cutting on March 19. He presented a rendering of the South Knoll Utility Rehabilitation projects, showing the residences within the zone will be receiving new sewer and water. A rendering of Creek View Park was presented, and it was noted the neighborhood park construction will begin in 2013. As for the hike and bike extension, a savings in bid enables the City to do Phase 2 to promote multi -modal transportation. tikw JM030712 Minutes Page 2 4. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding the disbursement of Wolf Pen Creek Tax Increment Financing funds. Dr. Glynn Walker, Deputy Superintendent, reported the total refund due the district is $1.2 million. This is tax revenue that was collected. Alternate avenues have been explored such as utility credits to CSISD, in kind refund of product or services, or apply the refund to a city /school joint project. Everyone he has contacted did not know what to do; this is unprecedented. The TIF was collected as local tax revenue and cannot be used for any purpose other than the state funding formula for the years it was collected. He just learned that by accepting the money, it will have no impact on CSISD finances, per Dr. Leo Lopez, TEA. The bottom line is that the money will have to go back to the state. 5. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding an update of the State Assessment Program (STAAR) and end of course exams. Dr. Eddie Coulson:, Superintendent, reported on assessment/accountability, and provided a brief history of the evolution of the assessment process. TABS was in 1980, TEAMS in 1986, TAAS in 1999, TAKS in 2003, and now in 2012 we have STAAR. He provided some examples of how the tests have evolved. The assessment process includes twelve end -of- course exams, beginning the freshmen year, and culminating in the junior year. Standards in public schools in Texas have changed dramatically. Standards and expectations are as high as they have ever been. The charge from the state is to prepare all students for college and work force. Only 2% will be able to take a modified exam. It is rigorous and over a period of time. Students must pass eleven tests to graduate from high school. Also, the state relies heavily on the students test performance to determine a district's success. STARR is a perfect example of high - stakes testing for students, teachers, schools, and districts. Because the tests are high- stakes, they drive the instruction. Commissioner of Education Robert Scott has recently said that state testing has become a perversion of its original intent. 6. Consideration, discussion and possible action CSISD demographics and programming. Dr. Clark Ealy, Deputy Superintendent, provided enrollment history by percentage from 2001- 2011. He stated the definition for ethnicity and race changed in 2009 -2010. Instead of mutually exclusive groups, we now go with the federal model, and a person can be more than one. 2 %- 3% identify themselves as two or more races. Asian and African American percentages are remaining flat. The Hispanic group is the fastest growing and rising, while the percentage of White is falling. The Economically Disadvantaged percentage is about 35% of students. In six or so years, we will be about 27% Hispanic, under 50% White and about 40% Economically Disadvantaged. He pointed out that our percentage of Economically Disadvantaged is below the state average. There are more Hispanic school children in Texas than there are White school children. Our longitudinal dropout rate is 4 %; we are very successful in graduating our kids. JM030712 Minutes Page 3 7. Adjournment MOTION: There being no further business, Mayor Berry adjourned the Joint Meeting with the g � Y Y J g Board of Trustees of the College Station Independent School District and the College Station City Council at 8:26 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, 2012. Nancy B - % y, Mayor ATTEST: S erry Mas urn, City Secretary L JM030712 Minutes Page 4