An open letter from the Buffalo School Board --

As members of the School Board of the Buffalo Independent School District, we understand that we represent the taxpayers of this school district. Within the parameters of our role, it is our duty to oversee the monies that are generated from the taxes collected and from the State funds that BISD receives. It is our duty to set forth an annual budget and to see that we stay within the boundaries of that budget throughout the year It is also our task to see that our facilities stay ahead of the community’s growth and keep up with the ever-changing technology that is now required in our education system.

In 2006 we had an election for an $18M bond to build a new high school to help with the overall growth and expansion of our district. In the coming year we will see that vision come to fruition. (1) The high school students will move to the new campus; (2) the 6th-8th grades will move up the hill to the vacated BHS building; (3) the current BJHS campus will become an Intermediate School, taking several upper elementary grades; and thus (4) relieving the over-crowded conditions at the elementary campus which is now at maximum capacity.

When the public was asked to vote on the bond, the average Interest and Sinking (I&S) tax rate was $0.364/$100 property value (or just over 36 cents per $100) to pay for the bond. In 2007 the State lowered the effective maximum tax rate for each school district for Maintenance and Operations (M&O) from $1.50/$100 to $1.04/$100. That change, coupled with an increase in local property values over the last two years, allowed us to reduce our I&S tax rate in 2007 and 2008 and still meet our bond payments.

While our property values were inflated by the oil and gas money, the BISD Board recognized that was a temporary situation and we continued to operate the district on a budget that reflected lower property values. This past year, as we have seen the price of oil and gas plummet, our school district has lost approximately $123M worth of property vaues. Obviously this will result in a loss of income from tax revenue for the district.

We now have $219,000 in our I&S fund balance. As a Board, we have opted to take half of this balance and apply it to our bond indebtedness. This means, though, that we now will adopt a tax rate in our I&S fund of $0.246. This is about a 3 cent/$100 increase from the past year, but we are still well below the $0.364 that the public authorized us to implement with the passing of the bond in 2006. We have reserved half of the I&S fund balance as a hedge against continuing property value losses should the oil and gas devaluation continue another year.

As School Board trustees for BISD, we will continue to make stewardship of your tax dollars one of our top priorities. Within this realm, it is our goal to see that our staff and teachers are well compensated for their effort to see that our students receive an education that is second to none. We will also see that our facilities will be a source of pride for this community and an attraction for new families moving to the area. Upon receiving their diploma from BHS, students should feel that the 13 years invested here will equip them to be competitive and successful in Life.

Monday evening, August 31 at 6:00 p.m. the public is invited to attend a hearing in the junior high library in regards to this year’s proposed budget and 2009 tax rate. We will be happy to entertain questions and to discuss the proposed rates, which will be voted on in the regular meeting which follows at 6:30. GO BISON.