Published: October 30, 2009 09:37 am      

New superintendent faces tough issues

Tim Wright faces two major issues Monday as he officially begins his tenure as Rio Vista ISD superintendent:

A $9.95 million bond issue and a depleted fund balance.

Voting in the bond election will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the community center. Early voting ends today at the administration building.

Wright can’t tell anyone how to vote, but he can explain the importance of the issue, which may be a topic of conversation during Meet the Superintendent Night at 6 p.m. Monday in the administration board room.

“We need to take a serious look at the bond and make sure we’re doing what’s right for the community,” Wright said. “I can’t electioneer it and don’t intend to, but without the school, the community’s going to have a hard time existing. It works the other way, too.”

If the bond passes it will, in part, finance construction crucial to compliance with state-mandated curriculum such as four-year math and science requirements.

Presently, Rio Vista is lacking in science lab facilities.

“We want to build a new science lab and some additional classrooms,” Wright said. “The band hall will be expanded. We’re looking at adding some [vocational] ag technology type things so we can meet the demands of the kids and the curriculum. There are some buses we’re looking at. Our band will be participating Monday in the state band contest. They’ve been kind of cramped. We want to add a little bit of room and storage for them.

“The state hasn’t done us any justice with the funding mechanism. A lot of schools in the area are feeling that crunch. We’re going to provide for our children. But we’re also going to be money-wary and money-conscious.”

Rio Vista ISD has a history of money-conscious frugality.

“Sometimes, you just have to say no,” Wright said. “We’re going to provide our kids the best education we can, and we’re going to give them everything they need. Some of our wants might be in the future. We’re going to take care of the immediate needs of this district first. I heard somebody say, ‘We have a little money crunch with the band.’ The band doesn’t need to worry about a money crunch. I’ll take care of the finances for them and get them to San Antonio and get them back.

“I don’t want this district to be perceived as one that can’t take care of its kids. We will do that.”

State funding is tied primarily to average daily attendance, and ADA is down at Rio Vista the last three years.

“I’m hoping that will come back up,” Wright said. “There are a lot of people moving into the area outside Cleburne. There are impressive developments coming up. Once the economy gets back on its feet, I think this community will flourish as it always has.”

The fund balance is another crucial issue. Going by Texas Education Agency recommendations, Rio Vista should have $2 million in reserve.

“I have hired a full-time business person,” Wright said. “Her name is Billie Thornton. She was the business person at Kennedale for 10 years and spent the last nine years working in the business office at [TEA] Region 11. She’s well versed in school finance. She’ll be on the job Monday.”

Repairing a fund balance is complicated because traditional ways of generating income, such as investments, produce little revenue in a downturned economy.

“We’re going to have to look at our expenditures and revenues and make sure we’re staying within our budget,” Wright said. “We’ll see what we have at the end of the year that we can possibly roll back into a fund balance. We’re going to be really stringent with our money. We may not be able to do as many teacher workshops or administrator workshops.”

Fund balance issues are not new to Wright. He faced something of a crisis his first year at Collinsville, where he was previously superintendent.

“I was there for a week and had to go to the bank,” Wright said. “I didn’t know them, and they didn’t know me. Thank goodness the school had a relationship with the bank. They were gracious enough to lend us the money until we could get back on our feet. Between June and August, I borrowed $300,000. By Nov. 1, we had paid that back and started reclaiming our fund balance.

“Right now, Rio Vista is in the position of rebuilding that three-month fund balance, so that if something happens, we’ll be able to take care of our bills and our people.”