Goodrich ISD lowers tax rate

By Brian Besch
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Goodrich ISD School Board approved a lower tax rate and a few purchases during September’s regular meeting Thursday in the administration building.

The tax rate was approved at $0.83899, which is a decrease from the year before. It consists of a maintenance and operation rate of $0.7575, and interest and syncing of $0.08149. Property values are up, which is causing the decline in tax rate.

Goodrich Business Manager Sarah Fulcher said that though the district would collect less money in taxes, the state will fund the difference.

Reports from STAAR testing have returned, and Goodrich is improving. However, the district is behind the state average in the “approaches,” “meets” and “masters” categories. Principal Aubrey Vaughan said students have been impacted by the time in class missed during Covid.

Related Articles

GISD students successful in all areas

OISD passes bond issue, Onalaska elects new mayor, Corrigan reelects incumbent mayor

Vaughan also showed where the district is seeing an improvement in many subjects over the previous few years. Schools were supposed to receive accountability ratings on Sept. 26, but that has been bumped a month.

The district made over $57,000 in investments for the quarter. Fulcher said the district has not budgeted for that much in the past because interest rates haven’t been that high.

The school hopes to apply for the Andrew Lloyd Webber grant that would benefit the theater department for lighting and sound. That is expected to go out at the end of the month.

Fencing is still going up around the campus. There have been a few issues with air conditioning units that will need to be repaired.

There were also plumbing issues, where the city had a line that broke on a Friday. The following Monday, the school district’s backflow preventer valve began dumping water. Dirt in the lines got into the school equipment, and maintenance has worked to get it under control. The district is looking into a new check valve. As of now, Goodrich superintendent Daniel Barton says the plumbing is good.

Goodrich ISD will purchasing a truck that will be utilized for the agriculture program, as well as the district. It is a four-wheel drive 2500 Chevrolet four-door pickup.

Also purchased will be 145 Dell Chromebooks and the amount of $42,208. Barton said some computers on campus are aging and are PCs instead of Chromebooks.

“Usually, about every five years, we are going to be purchasing Chromebooks. That is just the way it goes,” Barton said.

The superintendent said the old Chromebooks go into public surplus, where they are bid upon.

Finally, the school will purchase an activity bus for $127,000. Barton said he contacted several businesses to request quotes on a 30-passenger bus. The buses are said to be in high demand at the moment, with most having to wait a year to purchase. Barton has been informed the price will increase a significant amount over the next year, making a budgeted purchase now the better option.