Published: August 21, 2008 12:15 pm         

Sivells Bend sets tax rate

During a called meeting for a Budget Workshop held on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 the Trustees of Sivells Bend ISD voted unanimously to set the proposed tax rate for the 2008 – 2009 at $0.9624/$100 value on property in the district.

There will be a Public Hearing on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 in the school library where the board will adopt the budget for the 2008 – 2009 school year and set the tax rate for the district. This meeting in open to the public for comments on the budget and tax rate for the coming year.

During the regular meeting, held immediately after the called meeting, the trustees approved a resolution to call for a trustee election to be held on Nov. 4, 2008 in conjunction with the general election. This election is for three at-large seats held by Jason Becker, Terry Harrell, and Mack Faries who all stated their intent to seek re-election. President, Philip Marsh reported to the board that all members had met their annual continuing education requirements for the current year and that Ed Johnson, Jason Becker, Mack Faries, Rodney Howell, and Terry Harrell had exceeded the annual continuing education requirements. Superintendent Phil Newton praised the members for their dedication to serving the students and the community and thanked them for their service. The deadline to make application for a place on the November ballot is 5:00 PM on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Interested parties need to contact school administration for information or for an application.

In other business the board unanimously approved the Sivells Bend ISD Student Code of Conduct for the 2008 – 2009 school year; approved several amendments to the 2007 – 2008 budget; and heard a report from Superintendent Newton. During the report Newton told the board that the district was rated “Recognized” by the Texas Education Agency based on the state mandated TAKS test administered this past spring. This rating brought the district up from the “Acceptable” rating that they had dropped to after the 2007 tests. Newton praised teachers and student for their hard work and efforts to improve and he looks forward to getting back to the “Exemplary” rating again next year. The staff will be planning a celebration for the students to commend their success during the fall. Newton also informed the trustees that the projected enrollment for the coming year was up to 74 students which is an increase from the previous year and that he had cut off any requests for transfers at this time. All members except Rodney Howell were in attendance for both the called session and the regular meeting.