RISD Board Member and Exchange Club Member Adam Meierhofer, RISD Deputy Superintendent Tony Harkleroad, Exchange Club President Jon Alspaw
Tony Harkleroad, Deputy Superintendent for the Richardson Independent School District last week told the Lake Highlands Exchange Club that the state school finance system is experiencing a “structural deficit”, but that Richardson ISD has remained one of the most outstanding financially managed school districts.
He told the club, according to an exchange club memo, that RISD anticipated the shortfall and adopted a preemptive strategy to deal with it.
RISD, Harkleroad said, implemented budget cuts and froze teacher salaries but has managed to avoid eliminating any teaching positions. In fact, he said, the district plans to add 24 teaching positions, raise its contribution to the medical plan and pay a one-time 2 percent bonus to district staff in the 2012-2013 school year.
He added that the district is one of four Texas districts to earn a AA+, Aaa bond rating.
