STAAR testing improvement not enough, Burnet CISD says
STAAR testing results recently released for Burnet students saw growth in several grade levels and subjects compared to last year, Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Keith McBurnett told the Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Monday, Aug. 28.
“We still have much work to do,” he clarified. “Although BCISD saw growth in achievement across many program areas, the state on average saw even more growth, causing the improved pass-rates to still be at or below state averages in grades 3-8.”
Improvements included:
- the passing rate from 2022 to 2023 increased in 13 out of 20 tested areas;
- the overall passing rate for all-grades math increased by 1 percent and all-grades reading and language arts (RLA) held steady, even though the test changed dramatically;
- fifth-grade math and sixth-grade RLA showed double-digit gains in passing rates over the same tested area last year;
- the class of 2026 (2022-23 freshmen) made double-digit gains in both math and RLA passing rates for the second consecutive year;
- and the classes of 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030 all improved their cohort passing rates on RLA tests.
“These areas are worthy of celebration, but overall, we were still below state averages in most areas,” McBurnett said.
IN OTHER BUSINESS
Trustees gave their final approval to the fiscal year 2023-24 budget and tax rate as it was laid out in the July meeting. A public meeting was held before convening into a regular meeting Monday and approving the new, lower rates.
The board approved a $42.2 million budget for the 2023-24 academic year and a tax rate of $0.8742 to support the budget, which is 18.54 cents lower than the 2022-23 tax rate.
“This represents the eighth year in a row of the board voting to lower the tax rate,” McBurnett stated in a media release. “Between 2015 and 2023, the Board of Trustees has lowered the tax rate by over 39 cents, resulting in the lowest tax rate in the district’s history and also ranking Burnet CISD as the second-lowest tax rate among area school districts.”
The BCISD board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at 208 E. Brier in Burnet.