LISD board hears presentations on efficiency Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 3 2009 05:09 AM By Jackie Stone
Killeen Daily Herald

LAMPASAS – Job attrition and greater energy efficiency over the next several years are two ways the Lampasas Independent School District is considering to prepare for future lean budget years.

At Monday's meeting, the LISD school board heard two presentations on ways the district could future costs.

The first was a presentation from Dallas-based Energy Education, a company the district could hire to analyze areas where schools can become more energy-efficient and create a four-year plan to lower utility costs.

The board took no action on the item Monday.

Board members also heard the results of a staffing efficiency review from the Texas Association of School Boards that looked at areas where the district is understaffed and overstaffed, and where positions could be reorganized.

School board President James Briggs said the point of both presentations was to help prepare for expected future budget crunches.

"We've got a real healthy fund balance, but with the way the funding is from the state, it will undoubtedly dwindle down," Briggs said. "And what we're looking at with the utility presentation and this (staffing review) is finding ways to make ends meet."

The results of the staffing review pinpointed several areas where the district could cut jobs through attrition and areas where the district could stand to add more jobs.

Surpluses in the review included as many as nine custodial jobs and 10 teaching positions at the high school. At the same time, the review suggested the district could add additional intervention positions, two science and math curriculum specialists and an accountant.

Superintendent Randy Hoyer stressed that the district is not cutting jobs. He said the review will be a tool the district can use and refer to over the next two or three years as people leave positions and the district decides how and whether to refill job openings.

"It's taking those positions that we can absorb, and moving people around, manipulating," he said. "And it's about a two- or three-year process. It's not going to happen overnight."

The review estimated that if the district opted to absorb jobs in all the suggested areas over the next few years, LISD could save as much as $914,000. That money could then be used to hire in understaffed areas or fill other holes in future budgets.

In other action, the school board authorized the Lampasas High School Illusion Color Guard to take an out-of-state trip to Dayton, Ohio, in April for the Winter Guard International World Championship Competition.

Board members also received facilities updates on LISD's newest campuses, Lampasas High School and Taylor Creek Elementary.

Earlier Monday, the board conducted a workshop meeting to review changes to the education code made by the Texas Legislature last spring. Those included changes to grade promotion requirements and standardized testing.

Contact Jackie Stone at jstone@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7474.