Kingsville Independent School District employees will receive salary increases this year despite the tough economic conditions.

Teachers will receive a $1000 annual salary increase.

Auxiliary staff will receive a two percent raise and professional staff will receive a one percent increase.

The pay increases will be funded with state and local revenue.

KISD board members approved the pay increases and a budget of $29.3 million for the 2010-2011 school year at their last meeting held Aug. 26.

The total reserves funds are $4.6 million that still leaves KISD in a budget deficit of $864,471. About 80 percent of the budget is allocated to salaries and currently KISD has 633 employees. The school district is one of the largest employers in the area.

“We are very concerned with the condition of state revenues, and how the state’s condition will affect the future of KISD,” Karen Griffith said.

“Although, KISD adopted a deficit budget, the district plans to continue scrutinizing takes expenses and revenues in order to end the 2010-201l school year in the positive.”

The school district continues to save money through attrition, decreasing employee overtime, and other cost effective measures, according to school officials.

Griffith, KISD Chief Administrative Officer, said some of KISD’s goals this year are to implement initiatives to focus on attendance and enrollment that provides state funding. Last year KISD lost about $400,000 in state funding due mostly to excessive absences. On the average about 83 high school students were absent each day. This year KISD will be working for a 97 percent attendance rate. Based on last year’s data, KISD had a 91.5 percent attendance rate at the high school and 93.3 percent district wide. The state funds each school district based on a student’s daily attendance referred to ADA. KISD receives $5,041.66 ADA per student.

During this last board meeting, trustees approved the sale of $15 million of the building bonds Series 2010. The bonds sold at 3.67 percent interest which is the lowest interest in a 30 year history, according to Griffith. This saved $500,000 in tax savings, according to her. This was the first round of bonds to be sold. Another $15 million will be sold in August 2011 and the final $10 million in August 2013.

Kingsville voters approved a $40 million bond in May that was designated for construction for the new H.M. King High School that was subject to state funding. During the KISD bond campaign information stated that 43 percent of the funding would come from state funding and 57 percent of the cost would be paid from local tax effort.

The school district was notified last month by the Texas Education Agency that it had received $15 million in Instructional Facility Allotment funding.

Griffith said the next step would be to form a committee for input on the structural design of the facility and the plan is to build the facility in three phases with a possible completion date in two years.