Uvalde budget committee recommends selling Slate Creek, other cuts to close roughly $3.3M gap

At a Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board workshop, a 64-member community budget committee presented recommendations aimed at closing a roughly $3.3 million budget shortfall, including recommending the sale of the Slate Creek property and reductions to pay for uncertified teachers, committee representatives said.

The recommendations matter because they would affect staff pay, district-owned property and services for students and families. The committee framed its work as a mix of immediate cost-saving steps and longer-term revenue strategies to restore the district’s fiscal position.

Simon Ortiz, a budget committee representative, said the committee organized recommendations into tiers and ranked them according to three questions: would the measure be meaningful, would it minimize negative impact on teaching and learning, and would it support long-term district goals. Ortiz said Tier 1 items — those the committee favored most — include selling Slate Creek, reducing pay for uncertified teachers, reworking stipends and consolidations, and eliminating the district-paid student accident insurance. “The number 1 is let's sell Slate Creek, come up with an incentive recruitment program, and use that money to do the study to make sure that we're getting…