LISD getting ready for annual budget

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Special education, staffing and the Lockhart Independent School District’s annual budget for the next school garnered the most focus at Monday’s special called board meeting.

District CFO Nicole Dean, during her presentation for the upcoming budget, noted that LISD had the lowest of nine area school districts in terms of total debt. Manor ISD was the highest. Based on the end of the previous fiscal year’s numbers, LISD had a debt-per-student of $14,669.96.

LISD will hold a public hearing for its 2022-23 budget at its June 27 board meeting.

LISD Superintendent Mark Estrada said he expects 30 more special education students at Lockhart Junior High in the 2022-23 school year, therefore he said there is a need for three additional positions – and ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal) Committee Facilitator, A Special Education Resource Officer, and a Special Ed Inclusion Teacher.

An ARD meeting is a meeting of a group of people who help to determine whether or not a student is eligible for special education and develops the Individual Education Program (IEP) for eligible students.

Also, LISD recently bid for an external auditor and Monday it announced that it had chosen Pattillo, Brown & Hill LLP of Waco. That firm will begin work on LISD’s audit June 30.