North East ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian G. Gottardy enjoys speaking to community groups whenever possible, and on Thursday, Feb. 28, he had the pleasure of speaking to a classroom filled with Academy of Learning in Retirement (ALIR) students.
The talk took place during ALIR’s “What the Heck is Going On?” class that selects relevant topics and invites special guests to present on current events.
Gottardy spoke with the class about how school taxes are determined, state funding for public schools, and new school safety initiatives among other things.
“What you see on your tax bill can be a little misleading,” said Gottardy when describing how local and state taxes are divided to fund public schools. He explained that local tax dollars make up the majority of NEISD’s funding, with only 25 percent coming from the state.
He spoke for more than an hour to the captivated audience. Dozens of questions followed by the members who asked questions about teacher raises, parent engagement and charter schools. Many in the audience walked away with a new perspective on public education.
ALIR is a volunteer learning academy, housed out of NEISD, that provides classes for individuals ages 50 and older. For more information, visit: https://www.neisd.net/Page/875
