LISD discusses lowering tax rate

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

During an unusually brief meeting of the LISD Board of Trustees on Monday evening, the trustees discussed setting tax rates for the coming fiscal year.
In previous meetings, the board adopted a budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. However, according to the District’s Finance Director Tina Knudsen, the tax rate could n

ot be approved until the Caldwell County Appraisal District distributed the certified tax rolls on July 25.
However, under House Bill 1, passed by the Texas Legislature last year, the district should impose a decrease in tax rate after last year’s taxes.
The final decision on LISD tax rates will be made during the LISD Board of Trustees regular meeting on Aug. 27.
In other business on Monday evening, the district is attempting to prepare for the beginning of school on Aug. 27.
As teachers and students wind down their summer breaks and begin summer practices, aministrators struggle to finish the elementary and secondary student handbooks and athletic handbooks for the junior high and high school.
The books, which were to have been reviewed by the board on Monday, are not ready yet, according to Interim Superintendent Susan Brooks. She expects, however, that the necessary revisions will be made and distributed to the board, and the handbooks will be ready for review and approval during a special called meeting of the school board on Aug. 21. In brief LISD news:
The trustees officially accepted the resignation of former superintendent Dr. John Hall, who parted with the District on June 30. Although they discussed the possibility of granting Hall payment for “carry over” days on his contract, they opted not to take action on the request.
They approved a contract with Durham Transportation to provide bus service for the coming school year. After several months of negotiation and questioning of the contract, the total increase in cost to the district this year will be $2,626.
The board discussed this year’s summer school, and the TAKS camp hosted for students who have not yet passed the exit-level TAKS test, including several who were not allowed to graduate with their classmates in May. Curriculum director Janie Wright reported that summer school itself was successful, but the results of the exit-level TAKS test were not yet available. When the results are released, the district will schedule a graduation ceremony for those seniors who passed the summer test.
The LISD Board of Trustees meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at Lockhart High School.