The NBISD Board of Trustees met on June 19, 2023 for a regular meeting. The agenda for this meeting featured:

Public Hearing –  2023-24 Budget and Proposed Tax Rate 

A public hearing was held to discuss the budget and proposed tax rate for the 2023-24 school year. 

The $97,161,175 proposed budget includes:

• Support for more than 9,500 NBISD students
• 3% of midpoint raise for all staff
• $3.5 million increased personnel for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), growth and Long Creek High School startup

“We will see a 4.77% decrease in our budget that we have in place at this point in time,” said Dr. Clint McLain, NBISD Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance. “The biggest reason…is at this point in time, we are not planning on buying any more property and it’s not in this budget.”

The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voter approval is $1.1858 per $100 valuation. A Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) will be held automatically if NBISD adopts a rate that exceeds $1.1858. The tax rate has not been adopted and is shown without the final compression that will occur after certified values are released in July.

Public Hearing –  Planned Use of Federal Funding 

Federal funding is received each year to supplement the needs of our students. 

ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) provides funding to help close student achievement gaps, support effective instruction through professional development, facilitate English language acquisition and provide students access to a well rounded, safe and healthy education environment. 

Perkins V is a grant that is applied for and received each year with the purpose of strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century. 

IDEA-B funding is designed to support special education and related services for our students.

Report – Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSSP)

Kellye Shipman, Director of School Counseling, presented a report overviewing the effectiveness of the CSSP. This model was adopted for the first time for the 2022-23 school year. This program directly supports our district goals of promoting student success and building strong partnerships.

This comprehensive counseling model includes school guidance curriculum to instruct students, responsive services to address student concerns, individual planning to aid students in education and career choice, and system support to ensure the program is assessing and meeting its needs.

NBISD Board President Eric Bergquest said, “It’s super exciting to see the evolution of this program … getting everybody aligned and pulling in the same direction.”  

Vice President Nancy York added, “I’m blown away with how much work you all did this year. It’s amazing!”

For all of the details on Shipman’s report, read more here.

Report –  School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)

Karen Schwind, Director of Health Services, reported on the status of the SHAC. Participation in this advisory council is required by the state and membership is approved by the board. The council is composed of various distinct stakeholders including staff, parents and community members. The SHAC boasts several accomplishments for the 2022-23 school year including a coordinated school health curriculum for all grade levels, seamless nutrition services, creation of the Healthy Lifestyle PTA Program, promotion of employee wellness through the NB Strong initiative, and the continued establishment of health related community connections.

President Berguest thanked Karen Schwind for her, “public service to teachers and students in this community.”

To learn more, you can view Schwind’s entire presentation here.

Report – Long-Range Facility Planning Committee

The Long-Range Facility Planning Committee was formed in 2022 and is comprised of 21 members to include parents, staff, and community members. The goal of the committee is to provide vision for our fast growing district in the form of a 10 year facilities plan. The committee was dedicated to ensuring their plan was cost effective and required as little future rezoning of the district as possible. For more information, you can view the full presentation here.

Board Adopts 2023-24 Budget

• After months of working to develop a budget that supports NBISD’s vision “Every Student. Every Day,” the board approved the general operating budget for 2023-24 (link to budget document).

Highlights of the $97,161,175 budget include:

• Staffing and instructional materials to support 9,500 + students
• 3% raise on the midpoint  for staff
•  $3.5 million increased personnel for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), growth and Long Creek High School startup

Board Approves Phase 1 (Part B) GMP Package for New Braunfels High School

• This phase includes the construction of  science labs, a CTE wing, library, cafeteria, new administration area, and the first set of tennis courts.
• This project was awarded to Joeris at a guaranteed max of roughly 84 million dollars.

Board Approves Additions to Klein Road and Voss Farms Elementary

• This project includes additional classrooms to be added on to existing wings of both Klein Road Elementary and Voss Farms Elementary.
• This project was awarded to Dawson Construction at a guaranteed max of roughly 8.6 million dollars.

Board Approves Addition of Stipends to the NBISD Compensation Plan for 2023-24

• Additional stipends were approved to be added to the NBISD Compensation plan effective for the 2023-24 school year. These stipends for positions  include: LSSP, Assessment Coordinator, Diagnostician, Life Skills Teacher, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Lead Transition Teacher, Assistive Technologist, Elementary Honors Choir Teacher, a National Technical Honor Society Advisor and a Visual Arts stipend for art teachers.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

No regular board meeting will take place in July. The next regular board meeting will be held on August 14th at 6:00 pm. If you would like to make a public comment at an upcoming board meeting please fill out the request form.

Learn more about the New Braunfels ISD Board of Trustees on our website where you can find recordings and agendas from past board meetings.