District approves balanced budget

The Trinity ISD employees of the month for August are Haley Ogden Hatthorn, paraprofessional; Colton Jackson, professional; and Jerry Barnes, support. They are pictured with Elizabeth King, Gill Campbell, Brittaney Cassidy and Kent Copley. Trinity ISD awards each employee who wins a $100 check and a certificate. At the end of the school year, the winners go into a drawing for a chance to win $1,000. Courtesy photos

By Tony Farkas
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TRINITY — The Trinity ISD Board of Trustees approved a $14.3 million FY 2023-24 budget, as well as a tax rate that is lower than in the previous year.

Superintendent Dr. John Kaufman said the budget passed during the Aug. 28 meeting was balanced, with revenue and expenditures at $14,298,156, and may have a $36,320 surplus.

Kaufman said the budget is largely business as usual but does contain funding for state-mandated safety items, such as 8-foot fencing. Additionally, the baseball and softball fields at the high school will have a new look.

The tax rate approved by the board is .9135 per $100, a 20-cent drop from last year’s rate, which was 1.1180, Kaufman said. The budget for food service is balanced at $809,437, and the district still feeds the students 3 meals a day at no cost.

In a separate matter, the board gave its approval to issue maintenance bonds to finance the replacement of older air conditioning units and to upgrade the district to LED lighting.

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Kaufman said they were spending $200,000 a year keeping the older units working, so now any unit 17 years or older — 49 in all — will be replaced. Also, the district will save money by converting the older fluorescent lights to LED.

He said $1.6 million in bonds will be issued, which will spread out the cost so the district will not have to pay the $1.6 million all at once. The payments will come out of general operating funds and won’t be changing anyone’s tax requirement.

In other business, the board:

•approved a contract with Integra Insurance for property and automobiles, which went up $100,000 to a total premium of $330,046;

•approved paying the retainer with the Walsh Gallegos legal firm at $1,000; and

•approved 4-H as an extracurricular activity within the district.