Board of Trustees
BOARD RECAP
July 24, 2023
The Prosper Independent School District Board of Trustees met for a regular Board Meeting on July 24, 2023.
Board passes resolution in response to state underfunding of public schools
WHEREAS, Prosper Independent School District has served as the center of the community of Prosper, Texas, in Collin/Denton County for over 100 years;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD serves 27,178 students across 57.75 square miles with a state-determined allotment of $264.6 million in state and local funds;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD operationalizes our community's core values of honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, fairness, and accountability by providing our children with learning experiences to be responsible, productive, and successful citizens of an ever-changing world in the community that lives its name;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD has experienced record-setting inflation in fixed costs since 2019 while state funding has remained unchanged, including double-digit percentage increases in fuel costs, insurance policies, health insurance costs, and food service costs;
WHEREAS Prosper ISD is projected to return $2.5 million of local taxpayer money to the state through Copper Penny recapture in the 2023-2024 year due to not raising the Guaranteed Yield from the state and continued rapid property value growth;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD is dependent on the Fast Growth Allotment to educate the 3,300 students added each year, but the state does not fully fund the allotment reducing the formula amount by $6 million in the 23-24 school year;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD is anticipating approximately $250,000 in safety allotment funds for the 23-24 school year but will spend over ten times that amount for student safety at approximately $2.5 million;
WHEREAS, Prosper ISD has relied on short-term federal ESSER funds to close inflationary and formula-driven funding gaps over the past three years but will lose this funding source of approximately $5 million per year in the 2023-2024 school year;
WHEREAS, the State of Texas is positioned with a $32 billion budget surplus and could solve these problems for districts and 5.4 million students across Texas with a legislative solution.
WHEREAS first-year teachers in Prosper ISD earn a salary of $58,250, compensation that is marginally above the state minimum salary, as is true in many districts across the state;
WHEREAS Prosper ISD has enacted many local measures to address the district's chronic underfunding, including increasing funding and internal efficiencies. However, true financial reform for districts requires state legislative action to fix funding formula inequities that are causing this persistent underfunding;
WHEREAS factors listed in this resolution combine to persistently underfund districts who, without state legislative action, could be forced onto a path of financial insolvency; Resolution in Response to State Underfunding of Public Schools Prosper Independent School District
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the community-elected Board of Trustees of the Prosper Independent School District calls on Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, and the Texas Legislature to prioritize adequately funding all Texas public schools at least to the allotment levels set by current state law;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Prosper ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Governor and Legislature to fix the intentional underfunding and financial punishment of school districts for GAD/Comptroller disputes by calculating a district's local share of funding on their local collections, not state assigned values;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Prosper ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Governor and Legislature to increase the state minimum salary schedule for teachers and provide additional, sufficient funding specifically to districts to help them fund teacher salary increases;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Prosper ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Governor and Legislature to address the root causes of persistent underfunding of school districts so that all Texas communities can continue to be served by their local public schools.
RESOLVED this 24th day of July 2023.
Mr. Bill Beavers, Board of Trustees President
Ms. Dena Dixon, Board of Trustees Vice President
Mr. Jorden Dial, Board of Trustees Secretary
Mr. Jim Bridges, Board of Trustees Member
Mr. Garrett Linker, Board of Trustees Member
Mr. Tommy Van Wolfe, Board of Trustees Member
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
Construction Updates
The Board received information on Bond 2019 construction projects. All new campuses are scheduled to be ready for the first day of school: Walnut Grove High School, Christie Elementary, Lilyana Elementary and Calhoun Early Childhood School.
Enrollment
There are 27,917 students currently enrolled in Prosper ISD.
2023-2024 Preliminary Budget
Michele Seese presented the preliminary 2023-2024 budget to the Board. The budget and tax rate will be adopted at the August 28, 2023 Board meeting.
ACTION ITEMS
- The Board approved the amendment to District of Innovation Plan.
- The Board approved the Shared Services Agreement.
- The Board passed a Resolution in Response to State Underfunding of Public Schools.
- The Board approved the student handbooks.
- The Board approved the student code of conduct.
- The Board awarded the Construction Manager at Risk contract for Elementary #19 (Opening August 2025) to Pogue Construction.
CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approve the minutes of the prior meeting(s): June 19, 2023
B. Consideration and possible designation of investment officers
C. Consideration and possible action regarding authorized users for TexPool Investment Pool
D. Consideration and possible action regarding budget amendments number 3, 4 and 5
PUBLIC COMMENT
- The was one public comment expressing gratitude for the amount of support students with learning needs receive in the district.
CLOSED MEETING ITEMS
- The Board approved hiring contract personnel as presented.
IMPORTANT DATES
August 9, 2023 - First Day of School
August 14, 2023 - Special Board Meeting @ 7:00 pm
August 28, 2023 - Regular Board Meeting @ 7:00 pm
VIDEOS OF BOARD MEETINGS
- Videos of Board meetings are posted within 7 days of the Board meeting.
- Board Meetings are also streamed live.
- Live Stream/Video Archive
PROCESS FOR SPEAKING AT BOARD MEETINGS
The Prosper ISD Board of Trustees welcomes public comment at Board meetings. In order to provide an efficient process at the Board meetings, we ask that individuals complete the Public Comment Form and submit it no later than noon on the day of the meeting. The Notice of Meeting/Agenda is posted 72 hours in advance of the Board meeting.
Best Public Schools in Texas
Prosper ISD has an established 66-year history that is grounded in the humble roots of a farming community, now soaring to the fastest growing school district in the State of Texas, due in no small part to the pursuit of excellence in the arts, academics and athletics. Our students are routinely recognized on the local, state and national level for outstanding achievements, and our teachers are highly qualified experts who bring out the best in every student.
About Prosper ISD
Prosper ISD is a school district located north of Dallas in Collin and Denton Counties. The district spans approximately 58 square miles and serves more than 25,000 students in 15 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 2 high schools.