MABANK—The Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (CCLACC) Leadership Cedar Creek Lake (CCL) class held their monthly class April 8 at the Mabank Independent School District administration building where attendees had “education day.” Class members heard from Chief Financial Officer Scott Hyde first who gave a quick course in school finance 101. Hyde said that a school district’s budget is generated from three general sources:
• Federal Revenue (child nutrition and title grants) which makes up 5%
• State Revenue (foundation school program) which makes up 44%
• Local Revenue (property taxes, interest, rent, donations, etc.) which makes up 51% 
The district’s formula (funding formula) is an allotment per student enrolled in the district, weighted to account for attendance and the cost of their individual educational needs. The formula entitlement is made up first of property tax revenue. Any remaining entitlement that cannot be paid for by property taxes is paid by the State. If a district’s property tax collections exceed its entitlement, they pay recapture. 
Hyde informed the group that the MISD budget is $53,376,340 serving approximately 4,100 students and is the largest employer West of Tyler, East of Kaufman, South of Sulphur Springs and North of Corsicana employing over 700. 
The group also heard from principals Nancy Clark from Central Elementary School and Michael Rowland from Mabank High School. Rowland spoke about all the Career, Technical Education classes will now be under one roof after the construction bond is complete. Currently, as many as 130 students are bused to the Agricultural building then back to the high school every 45-50 minutes which cuts into instructional time. 
One of the highlights of the program was the segment on programs of study that enable students to leave high school with college credits and even certifications. Categories include, Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems, Plant Science, Graphic Design and Interactive Media, Business Management, Marketing and Sales, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, Nursing Science, Cosmetology and Personal Care Services, Information Technology Support and Services, Programming and Software Development, Law Enforcement and Automotive and Collision Repair. 
Also presenting information was the Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) Director of Dual Credit Liaison, Division Chair Amy Rogers and Division Chair Suzzette Stringer. They spoke on the dual credit program through Mabank High School. Currently there are 386 enrolled in the TVCC/Mabank High School dual credit program with over 1,301 courses taken. Stringer spoke about the new Bachelors of Arts and Applied Sciences in Early Childhood Development program that was recently created at TVCC. This gives high school students a head start on earning a degree and working towards becoming an educator. Four goals can be accomplished by taking dual credit courses. Earning an associates degree, core complete, earning a few credits to take to another institution, or a workforce certification. Students are encouraged to examine each goal with their counselor to determine what best fits their schedule. 
The next leadership class will be held May 13 at Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative to learn about the utility industry. For more information on the CCLACC Leadership Class, contact the chamber of commerce at (903)887-3152.