By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
The San Benito Consolidated School District (SBCISD) School Board of Trustees held a regular/special meeting on Jun. 25, 2024. During the meeting, the board reviewed various areas of the district’s budget and steps going forward. Trustee Israel Villarreal and school district attorney Tony Torres were absent from this meeting, which began as a regular public meeting and then turned into a special meeting.
During the public comment open forum, there were no comments from the public, staff or board.
Monica Mata, Chief Financial Officer, discussed the proposed budget for Jul. 1, 2024–Jun. 30, 2025, saying that the average daily attendance (ADA) has gone up with the prekindergarten through third-grade classes that were added.
Mata reported that the various revenues were based on the district’s ADA of 8242.103. The overall compensation plan was based on the tax rate of $0.7369 for maintenance and operations and $0.2799 for loans and savings. The projects Mata was working on were approved by $3.7 million to fund them. The proposed budget has a 1.65% change. It will go from $130,886,038.00 to $133,049,620.00. Trustee Dr. Ariel Cruz Vela thanked the budget team for their work, saying, “Unfortunately, this budget issue is something that’s been going around throughout the entire state… I do want to thank you for doing everything you could.”
Alfredo Perez, SBCISD Acting Superintendent of Schools, noted that the school had a 98% attendance rate before the COVID-19 pandemic. It has now decreased to 92%.
The special meeting began at 5:37 p.m. with the budget, finances, general planning and employment among topics of discussion which concluded with the approval of purchases over $50,000. Mata conducted a presentation which noted that some of the eight-year programs would be rearranged over a few years to save money.
Dilia Cornett, Director of Elementary Instructional Implementation, presented the discussion for the purchase of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt instructional materials. An instant payment was approved.
Mata also presented the discussion and possible approval of budget amendments for the 2023–24 school year. It was approved as presented.
Abraham Gallegos, Solis Executive Director of Administrative Services, presented the discussion and possible approval of the 2024-25 compensation plan. He states that the starting pay for teachers has gone from $52,000 to $53,000. General title changes were being made, and the pay scales increased by 1%. Clerical technical pay was raised by 2%. It was announced that anyone over the maximum on pay grades will not be eligible for raises this upcoming school year. The K9 stipend was increased to $5,000.
The discussion for possible action to approve the proposed budget for the 2024–25 school year was approved.
Perez presented the discussion and possible action to approve the renewal of the District of Innovation (DOI) plan for the 2024–25 school year; it was then approved.
The meeting went into closed session for discussion of employment, resignation(s), retirement(s), termination(s), discussion and consideration of employment of Judge Oscar de la Fuente Elementary Principal, discussion and consideration of employment of Sullivan Environmental Science Academy Principal and discussion and consideration of employment of Professional Development Director. When the meeting returned to open session, all four discussion items were approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.