Bastrop Independent School District (BISD)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL August 31, 2000 The Honorable George W. Bush The Honorable Rick Perry The Honorable James E. "Pete" Laney Members of the 76th Legislature Commissioner James E. Nelson Ladies and Gentlemen: I am pleased to present our performance review of the Bastrop Independent School District (BISD). This review is intended to help BISD hold the line on costs, streamline operations, and improve services to ensure that more of every education dollar goes directly into the classroom, with the teacher and children, where it belongs. To aid in this task, I contracted with WCL Enterprises of Katy, Texas. We have made a number of recommendations to improve BISD's efficiency. We also have highlighted a number of "best practices" in the district's operations--model programs and services provided by BISD's administrators, teachers and staff. This report outlines 60 detailed recommendations that could save BISD nearly $4.6 million over the next five years, while reinvesting $668,135 to improve educational services and other operations. Net savings are estimated to reach $3.9 million--savings that BISD can redirect into the classroom. We are grateful for the cooperation of BISD's board, staff, teachers, parents and community members. We commend them for their dedication to improving the educational opportunities for our most precious resource in BISD-our children. I also am pleased to announce that the report is available on our Web site at http://www.window.state.tx.us/tspr/bastrop/. Sincerely, Bastrop Independent School District If current trends continue, the Bastrop Independent School District (Bastrop ISD) student population will grow at double the growth rate of the rest of the state. This growth reflects a shift in the community, which has been largely a rural, farming area and is now attracting Austin- based professionals. This growing student population, paired with the changing demographics, presents Bastrop ISD with several unique challenges. At the request of community leaders, my office agreed to review the district earlier this year. We discovered a district with some notable successes. Despite those successes, some community members had lost confidence in the district’s ability to adequately manage its financial affairs. Differences among community residents resulted in the defeat of key bond proposals designed to address current and future facilities needs of the district. To address these challenges, district officials will need to work more closely with community leaders to decide how to best spend district dollars to help their students. Bastrop ISD spent only 46.8 cents of every education dollar in the classroom in 1999-2000, down from 48.8 cents the previous year. The district must focus on our most precious resource–our children. One of my 10 Principles for Texas in the 21st Century is to drive more of every education dollar directly into the classroom. And my Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) team has done just that for Bastrop ISD with 60 recommendations that could result in net savings of more than $3.9 million over the next five years. The district has an opportunity to restore community faith in its financial management ability, maintain and enhance its upward trend in student performance and effectively plan for its future growth. My report contains a series of recommendations and implementation steps to help the district to achieve these objectives. Among those recommendations are: · Convert either Mina Elementary School or the West Campus of Bastrop High School to offices for district administration and for the special education cooperative, and move these offices from their current, expensive location in a commercial area; · Create a committee of citizens to help the district develop a facilities master plan linked to future growth data; and · Link all the district and campus improvement plans to the district’s budget and prioritize projects. Each of these major recommendations would redirect administrative costs and dedicate dollars to improving the education of our children. I am confident that school board members, school administrators, teachers and parents are all committed to making Bastrop ISD the best it can be for their students. Key Findings and Recommendations During its five-month review, the Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) examined Bastrop ISD operations and interviewed employees, school board members, teachers, students, parents, and community and business leaders. Following are the major proposals TSPR developed to help the district address various issues. Major Proposals Facilities · Move the district’s administrative offices from expensive commercial space into converted space on an existing campus–The district’s administrative offices are expensive. Bastrop ISD has paid $716,823 in total lease costs over the last ten years on the administrative space in a commercial shopping center that is poorly configured. Because of these exorbitant costs, the district should convert either Mina Elementary or the West Campus of Bastrop High School for district administration and for the special education cooperative. · Create a committee of citizens to help the district develop a facilities master plan linked to future growth data–Planning for future growth is imperative for the district and has been a divisive topic for the community. For the district to successfully plan facilities needs and receive voter approval, it must include citizens throughout the planning process. Bastrop ISD should establish a facilities committee to work with the district to review demographic projections, time schedules and priorities associated with new facilities. Food Service · Meet and maintain legally mandated health standards–Some kitchens in the district have: non- functioning equipment; unapproved fans used in the kitchen to circulate air that allow dust to be blown on food items; improper recorded temperatures for food; and insects and rodents. Bastrop ISD must meet and maintain proper sanitation and health standards to be in compliance with all applicable state and local laws. Transportation · Establish a safe-driving program for bus drivers–Bus drivers for Bastrop ISD were involved in 20 accidents during the 1999-2000 school year. Five of these accidents were considered major (greater than $2,500 in damages), and 15 of the drivers involved had been in an accident before. In 1998-99, BISD drivers were involved in 41 accidents, 34 of which involved drivers who had been in a previous accident. To reduce bus accidents, the district should implement an incentive program that rewards safe driving and institute a comprehensive safety training program. Student Performance · Develop a long-range plan for improving Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) scores and lowering exemption rates–Although student performance is improving, Bastrop ISD’s TAAS exemption rates for its African American students are inordinately high. In 1998-99, 18.4 percent of African American students and 11 percent of Hispanic students were not tested. This rate is particularly troubling, as it is significantly higher than statewide rates of 13.4 percent of African American students. In the 2000-01 school year, the district’s special education staff and curriculum staff will be analyzing the referral and placement practices for all students with the intent of reducing the number of students exempted from the TAAS. While this is a good first step, it is imperative that the district increase its emphasis on testing all students and reducing TAAS exemptions. Assessing each student’s strengths and weaknesses is the first critical step necessary for creating programs to help these children succeed. District Organization and Management · Reorganize the district to address the student population growth–Bastrop ISD’s current organizational structure does not position it for the enrollment growth, which is at 5 percent per year and projected to almost double the growth rate of the state over the next 10 years. Recent retirements and vacancies at the senior level provide an opportunity for the board and superintendent to put an organization in place over the course of two school years that will better serve the district in the next five to 10 years. · Set strategic goals for the district and distinguish roles between the board and the superintendent for achieving those goals–A dramatic rise in student enrollment with greater diversity, paired with a high tax rate and low tax base, has created a unique set of challenges for Bastrop ISD. The district’s board and superintendent will have to work together to meet challenges that include the need for new facilities, improving the quality of educational programs, providing a safe school environment, and recruiting and retaining good teachers. To effectively meet this challenge, the board must clearly state what is to be accomplished in the district through its policy role and maintain the distinction in roles between the board and superintendent. Financial Management · Link all the district and campus improvement plans to the district’s budget and prioritize projects–The district does not link the district and campus improvement plans to the budget, nor does it identify priorities. For example, broad goals identified in the District Improvement Plan focus on student performance and are not linked to the district budget or individual campus budgets, nor are they tied to the Campus Improvement Plans. Tying the allocation of resources to the district and campus improvement plans would help the board identify the district’s greatest needs and shift resources to meet those needs. It also would make comm · Use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for all future contracts that would generate revenue for the district–The public criticized Bastrop ISD about an exclusive soft-drink vending contract. The criticism mainly focused on issues of competitive bidding and a lack of opportunity for public input. While competitive bidding may not have been required for this contract, it would have made good business sense to seek proposals from other soft-drink vendors to maximize revenue and minimize obligations to the vending company.

Load more