Como-Pickton CISD trustees agree to call for $29.5M school bond election

At Monday’s special school board meeting, Como-Pickton CISD Trustees called for a bond election, to be held Nov. 7, to borrow $29,508,000 for facilities needs.

“Our school got hit pretty hard in the storm,” Bower told the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram. “We’re asking for the community’s help with two things. First, we want to build a new CTE complex to replace our current one, which is old, outdated and dilapidated. Second, we want to replace our old gymnasium, which is very overcrowded and sustained heavy damage from the storm back in June.

“Most schools have two or three gyms to use, Como-Pickton has one. The locker rooms are overcrowded because of the number of athletes we have.”

Como-Pickton has eight volleyball and basketball teams, including seventh and eighth grades along with high school junior varsity and varsity, that all use the current gym for practices and home games. Many players participate in both sports.

“We’ve been very proud that we haven’t asked the community for funds since the school’s inception in 1965,” Bower said. “But now it’s incumbent on us to ensure our students have a safe place to be and to overcome some the financial loss we incurred from the storm.”

A public hearing regarding the bond will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, August 28, prior to the regular Board of Trustees meeting.

During a budget workshop prior to the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Greg Bower briefed trustees on the status of campus repairs and impacts on the district budget.

“So far I have not received any money from the insurance,” Bower said in the budget session. It’s coming, but they haven’t even finished giving me my values for all of my policies yet. It’s expensive—right now, we’ve spent $468,285 out of pocket on tornado damage that we haven’t received any money for yet. That’s significant. A big chunk of that is our athletic facilities, not only buying those containers [used as temporary locker rooms] for the kiddos, [but also] the electricity to hook them up, the sewer, and the dirt work and rock work.

“So far the insurance company has been really good to us. It’s constant conflict. I’m having to hem and haw with them on everything. It’s stressful, but I truly believe God has favored us with putting the right adjuster with us and putting the right consultant with us. It’s been stressful, but it’s not like I have to fight.”

Bower recommended that the trustees continue with the same insurance carrier the district currently has, ROC Insurance, even though the premium for the new school year will increase to $455,000.

Trustee Shiloh Childress asked Bower if he’d questioned the insurance company about raising insurance rates because of a natural disaster and acts of God. Bower re-ported he had asked and was told, “You’re lucky you have insurance. Good luck finding [another carrier] that will insure you right now.” He reported that, between covering repairs and temporary facilities and paying the new insurance premium, the district’s general fund is currently down approximately $2.3 million starting the new school year. Bower told trustees he is still expecting to receive federal funds to replenish some of that amount. “We’re looking at about a $2 million dip in our fund balance for this year,” Bower told trustees.

“I think we’re still doing OK,” Bower continued. He reported that, as of Saturday, August 12, the budget had been finalized and balanced. It includes the promised salary increases for teachers and paraprofessionals. Staff salaries make up approximately $6 million, or 70-75%, of the new budget.

“We have made cuts in every area where cuts could be made,” Bower said. The budget will be proposed at the Aug. 28 regular board meeting.

He also announced that Como-Pickton currently has a “100% perfect” Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST, rating.

According to the Texas Educational Agency, FIRST ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve these practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes.

Trustees also approved the 2023-24 employee and student handbooks, along with the 2023-24 Student Code of Conduct and new meal prices. Students will receive free breakfast and lunch.

Trustees approved agreements between the district and Live Oak Public Finance, LLC for municipal advisory services regarding the proposed bond, as well as the Powell Law Group, LLP and Haynes and Boone, LLP to serve as co-Bond Counsel. No charges will be incurred by the district from any of the firms if the bond does not pass.

The 2023 tax rate of 0.6692 was unanimously approved, along with the financial report and renewal of the district’s property and casualty insurance.