Did Round Rock ISD Overcharge Taxpayers by $31 Million?
While RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez was drumming up hysteria over teacher layoffs should the state dare to cut the education budget, he revealed something rather surprising: his ISD has a Rainy Day Fund of nearly $200 million, $35 million of which is immediately available. (Since the original interview on KVUE, Dr. Chavez has revised the ‘immediately available’ figure down to $31 million.) The ‘fluidity’ of all these numbers prompted me to do some investigating into these mysterious funds. According to documents available on the RRISD website, the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ (unreserved balance fund,) is set up to cover the cost of operating the district for 2 full months, (about $57.9 million), and to cover any possible delays in revenue collection (another $117.6 million!). According to what ISD claims it needs to hold, this totals $169.5 million.* Since there is actually $198,000,798 in the RDF, $31.5 million more in than what they think they need for a ‘rainy day,’ that is what Superinten
