Fresh state legislation forced Pilot Point ISD to approve a budget without final state contribution numbers for several programs during its meeting on June 11.
Though most districts end their fiscal year in August, Pilot Point wraps up in June, meaning the new templates and numbers from past legislation, which apply to basic allotment, transportation, utilities, SPED and more, were incomplete in time for the district’s June meeting.
“The new legislation is passed, but we don’t know all of the ins and outs of how everything is going to flow through because they just put it together this week,” District Chief Financial Officer Brittany Floyd said. “With basic information on the new basic allotment, the funds they’re giving us for transportation and utilities, those are about $680,000 so that will cover the deficit of either $450,000 or $470,000.”
Neither option presented to the board was without the temporary deficit, as both Floyd and Superintendent Dr. Shannon Fuller said they were confident the new numbers would more than cover it once they were finalized.
The only difference between the two proposed budgets was a $20,000 difference derived from a proposed increase to the district’s contribution to teacher insurance, from $310 to $325.
Among the board, member Craig Bickers was most vocal during both the preliminary discussion at the top of the meeting and the following action item saying he was uncomfortable passing a budget with a deficit and preferred to take the lower of the two until the final numbers were in.
“Can we pass scenario one tonight and see what the state does to cover us then go back to scenario two if we want to increase later?” Bickers said. “I don’t like deficit numbers.”
Floyd explained the district won’t start making its 2025-26 contributions until September, after when the new state numbers are expected, making Bickers’ proposition possible.
Board member Amy McEvoy disagreed with Bickers’ caution, saying “We’ve already discussed that everything will be covered in the budget when we get our final numbers, ... it's a $20,000 difference.”
The board voted in favor of Bickers’ motion to approve the lower scenario with the plan to amend to scenario two after the final numbers were in. McEvoy was the sole dissenting vote.
Back at the top of the meeting, Director of Human Resources Valerie Wall presented Parent Square, which will replace Remind for parentteacher communication.
“Parent Square actually has bought out Remind,” Wall said. “It’s kind of like Remind on steroids. They have places where parents can sign up to volunteer, RSVP to events, sign permission slips [etc.]. It’s device compatible with text, email, allows voice calls, has its own website and pushes out via social media.”
The new app allows teachers to post photos of their kids to the classroom for parents to see throughout the day, functions and looks like a modern social media app, and has an automatic translation feature, Wall explained.
“It doesn’t matter what type of device you have, or lack of device, we’ll be able to reach 100% of our parents,” Wall said.
