Alba district finance report shows steady investments and variable tax timing

At the Alba Independent School District board meeting, an unnamed district speaker (Speaker 4) reported the districtfinances for January, saying, "we have recovered $341,215" and that January payouts were about "$202,721 less" than the same period last year. The speaker warned that revenue timing and fluctuations in tax collections make short-term comparisons difficult and said the district expects another large revenue month in March or April.

The report listed year-to-date revenues of about $7,812,000, not including carryover, and noted a carryover amount near $6,800,000. On investments, the speaker said the general fund has "$4,500,000 invested ... at 4.35%"; the building fund at roughly $3,203,000; child nutrition at $159,000; and a gift fund investment of $325,000, adding that yields were "right around 4.3%."

School officials also flagged variability in gross production tax receipts and said they were still seeking explanations for a recent drop in that revenue stream. The district reported using gross production tax revenue of about $108,000 in January, compared with prior monthly averages in the $60,000 range.

District staff framed the figures as consistent with recent trends but emphasized the importance of monitoring collections and noted the timing of tax payments can distort short-term comparisons. The board did not take separate action on the financial report at the time of the presentation; the report remained part of the consent-level items discussed earlier in the meeting.

Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and sources of revenue and were advised that some swings reflect the timing of payments rather than structural budget changes. The district noted it will continue to report monthly and watch for the expected larger collections in the spring.