DISTRICT ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
This chapter examines the organization and management of the Veribest Independent School District (VISD) in three subsections:
The effectiveness of a district's organization and management may be evaluated against several critical success factors: a vision that is clearly communicated to staff and community members; an efficient and logical organizational structure supporting site-based decision-making; a planning, budgeting and improvement process that ensures resources are used efficiently and support district goals; a thorough and objective performance evaluation system; sound and consistent policies that comply with applicable laws; and board actions that demonstrate an understanding of members' roles as planners, policy-makers and performance monitors.
BACKGROUND
Veribest, like many towns in Texas, has an interesting history. A bread package logo was responsible for the community name "Veribest." Located eight miles east of San Angelo, Texas on FM Highway 380, the town of Veribest was originally named Mullins. A conflict arose when the Post Office discovered another Texas town with the same name. A contest ensued to find another name for the West Texas farming community. While shopping at the store next to the Post Office, a local resident caught sight of a bread package named "Veribest" and she entered that name in the contest. The catchy name was selected and replaced Mullins.
Veribest School District #10 was established on July 2, 1889. The school that exists today was built in 1927. Since then, the school has been remodeled and updated several times to meet the needs of the students. In 1996, the board voted to add a high school, and in 1999-2000, the district graduated its first senior class. VISD's total enrollment for 2000-01 is 272 students. Of that population, approximately 30.5 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged.
For this review, VISD selected peer districts for comparison based upon similarities in size, location, enrollment and property value. The districts chosen were Coolidge, Novice, Panther Creek, and Water Valley. Their enrollment and accreditation status are presented in Exhibit 1-1.
Exhibit 1-1 Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) 2000-01.
VISD and Peer District Comparison Data
2000-01
District Enrollment Accreditation Status * Ethnicity Economically Disadvantaged Anglo Hispanic African
AmericanAsian/Pacific Islander Native American Veribest 272 Recognized 61.4% 36.0% 0.7% 0.4% 1.5% 30.5% Coolidge 251 Recognized 43.0% 33.1% 23.9% 0.0% 0.0% 72.1% Novice 98 Exemplary 82.7% 15.3% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 75.5% Panther Creek 217 Exemplary 86.6% 12.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.9% 37.8% Water Valley 315 Recognized 79.4% 18.4 % 0.6% 0.0% 1.6% 38.7%
* Accreditation data based on 1999-2000 reports.Exhibit 1-2 shows total budgeted revenues and revenues per student for VISD and its peers. VISD had budgeted revenues of $2.2 million in 2000-01. Compared to the peer districts, VISD had the second-lowest revenue. In revenue per student, VISD was the lowest of its peer group.
Exhibit 1-2 Source: TEA, PEIMS 2000-01.
VISD Budgeted Revenues
Compared to Peer Districts
2000-01
District Total
RevenueRevenue
Per StudentWater Valley ISD $2,878,405 $9,138 Coolidge ISD $2,378,344 $9,475 Panther Creek ISD $2,289,829 $10,552 Veribest ISD $2,204,087 $8,103 Novice ISD $1,270,337 $12,963 Exhibit 1-3 shows that VISD's total budgeted operating expenditures for 2000-01 were nearly
$1.9 million. Compared to its peer group, VISD had the second-lowest operating expenditures and had the lowest operating expenditures per student of the group.Exhibit 1-3 Source: TEA, PEIMS 2000-01.
VISD Budgeted Operating Expenditures
Compared to Peer Districts
2000-01
District Total
Operating
ExpendituresTotal
Operating
Expenditures
Per StudentWater Valley ISD $2,552,912 $8,104 Coolidge ISD $2,071,588 $8,253 Panther Creek ISD $1,963,677 $9,049 Veribest ISD $1,885,339 $6,931 Novice ISD $1,181,733 $12,059 In 2000-01, Texas school districts received an average of 48.5 percent of their revenue from local sources, 43.6 percent from state sources and 3.3 percent from federal sources. VISD receives 63 percent of its revenue from the state, which is above the state average but below most peer districts. (Exhibit 1-4).
Exhibit 1-4 Source: TEA, PEIMS 2000-01.
VISD, State and Peer District Revenue Sources
as a Percentage of Total Revenues
2000-01
District Local/Other
RevenueState
RevenueFederal
RevenueCoolidge ISD 15.3% 81.4% 3.3% Novice ISD 29.0% 68.0% 3.0% Water Valley ISD 30.7% 67.3% 2.0% Veribest ISD 34.5% 63.0% 2.5% Panther Creek ISD 37.5% 60.3% 2.2% State 53.1% 43.6% 3.3% VISD spends 62.9 percent of its revenue on instruction, which is more than any of its peer districts and the state average. (Exhibit 1-5).
Exhibit 1-5 Source: TEA, PEIMS 2000-01.
VISD and Peer District Expenditures for
Instruction as a Percentage of Total Operating Expenditures
2000-01
District Total
Operating
ExpendituresExpenditures
for
InstructionInstruction
as Percentage of
Total Operating ExpendituresVeribest ISD $1,885,339 $1,185,805 62.9% Novice ISD $1,181,733 $668,023 56.5% Coolidge ISD $2,071,588 $1,168,475 56.4% Water Valley ISD $2,552,912 $1,430,301 56.0% Panther Creek ISD $1,963,677 $1,074,865 54.7% State $23,994,222,366 $13,871,475,883 57.8% VISD serves its 272 K-12 students at two campus locations. The district's main campus has a single permanent structure for elementary students and six portable buildings for the high school students. In 1996 the board of trustees voted to open a high school in VISD. Prior to this, VISD students in grades 9 through 12 attended either Paint Rock ISD in Concho County or Wall ISD in Tom Green County. In May 2000, the district graduated its first high school class of 19 students. The May 2001 graduating class had four students.
In September 1999, the district's second campus location, the Roy K. Rob (RKR) Posted Adjudication Center, opened in Veribest. This facility is for 12- to 17-year-old males who have been convicted of a non-violent felony and who have had drug and/or alcohol abuse problems. RKR serves male youths from all over Texas. The minimum security, 48-bed residential facility is part of the state's juvenile justice system and is operated by Southwest Key of Austin. In accordance with a formal contract between Southwest Key and VISD, the district provides educational services to the center's students. VISD receives state funding for providing these educational services.
Initially, the district served six RKR students with 2.5 teacher positions and one full-time aide. Enrollment at the facility increased to approximately 40 students by February 2000. As of April 2001, the district provided four teachers, two aides and an administrator/teacher. The administrator/teacher spends approximately 75 percent of his time teaching and 25 percent in an administrative capacity.
In 1997 the district's fund balance was $449,478; in the fiscal year ending 2000, the fund balance was $103,916, a decrease of almost 77 percent over this three-year period. A fund balance is the difference between the district's assets and its liabilities, and represents investments in fixed assets, contributed capital and retained earnings. Fund balances or reserve balances are established by school systems to operate like a savings account, and serve as a source of funds in case of emergencies or as a mechanism for funding large purchases not normally affordable within a single year.
The TEA provides an optimum fund balance calculation to help school districts in Texas set spending and savings targets. VISD's fund balance was almost $94,000 below the optimum balance on August 31, 2000. In addition, according to data submitted by the district to the TEA for fiscal 2000-01, budgeted expenditures exceed budgeted revenues by nearly $43,000. This will further deplete the district's fund balance.
In September 1999, Veribest voters approved a $3 million bond issue to fund the construction of a new high school. Initial plans called for a 38,000-square-foot facility that included eight classrooms, distance-learning capabilities, laboratory spaces for science, computers and home economics, a
500-seat gymnasium, a cafeteria and library. At the time of the bond election, VISD's board of trustees anticipated that students would begin classes in the new facility in fall 2001.Prior to the bond election, VISD's Board of Trustees agreed that if state funding from the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) program was not approved for the high school, the construction bonds would not be issued. Late in 1999, when the district learned that they were not going to receive any state facilities funding, they withdrew their IFA application from the program. VISD has applied for the IFA funding in 2001.