Carroll leader talks potential bond election and budget challenges

Studying capital needs, dealing with tight financial resources and encouraging student achievement top the 2016 “to do” list for Carroll Superintendent David Faltys.

The CISD Capital Needs Planning Committee began its work last fall, gathering information on the need for more classroom space at the elementary level, prioritizing renovations on older facilities, and looking at technology and program needs. Before the end of the school year, the group is expected to present a recommendation on a possible bond election.

One of the biggest needs in the next few years is space for elementary students. Carroll, Johnson and Walnut Grove elementary schools are nearing their functional capacities. A significant amount of growth remains in the northern part of Southlake, but the end is in sight.

The final solution will likely involve additions at a few campuses and redrawing elementary attendance zones. Administrators opted to add a few portable buildings for special programs as a short-term method for dealing with growth.

If trustees decide to call for a bond, it likely won’t happen until 2017. The last bond election was in 2009.

Financial challenges

Faltys said that Carroll has never fully recovered all the funds the district lost in the state-wide budget cuts enacted in 2010. Officials had to cut more than $4 million in annual spending and have only received a small portion of that back in subsequent years.

Like other area superintendents, Faltys is hopeful that the lawsuit many Texas districts joined (including Carroll) will get a favorable ruling from the state supreme court in 2016, confirming a lower court decision that the current funding method is inadequate and inequitable. More funding may take a while to materialize.

“As a property wealthy district, we’re hopeful there will be something where if you can prove you’re operating efficiently you ought to be able to balance your budget,” he said.

For the current budget year, CISD trustees adopted a $95.4 million daily operating budget with a $5.6 million deficit.

The negative impact of the tight budget is reflected in larger class sizes and the inability of the district to offer some special programs like elementary foreign language and string instruments.

As a Chapter 41 district, Carroll sends money back to the state from taxes collected for daily operations. For the current year, officials estimate that payment will be more than $17 million.

For taxes levied on bond debt, the district gets to keep all of the funds. Officials were able to save several million this year by paying off a 2006 bond early, due to growth in property values.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Carroll leader talks potential bond election and budget challenges."