I was reading about the Hays CISD budget for the next school year and noted that Hays CISD Deputy Superintendent Carter Scherff told the school board “We’re in very good shape right now”. Then in the next paragraph he says “Hays CISD faces a $1.8 million deficit”. How can the school board approve a budget like this? We have seven educated people, some with accounting backgrounds, on the board and they fell for the smoke and mirrors presented to them by this administration. As bad as this sounds, in years past the district has often ended its budget year with excess funds being transferred into fund balance. Maybe this is the way they are keeping the tax rate high.
This is the same administration that refinanced millions in HCISD bonds this year and in years past with interest only payments for twenty years. This scheme then allows them to brag that they have maintained the same tax rate for seven years. It doesn’t make sense to finance school busses and computers with 20 or 30 year bonds. I am anxious to see what the risk assessment and internal audit has to say about the deficit and method of financing with interest only bonds, assuming of course that they are not conducted by retired superintendents.
Tommy Seargeant
Buda
