Home of Today's Common Sense

Submitted 4/4/2004
During the week I read about the coming bond issue to extort more money from us. The story mentioned that 50% of the bond issue would go towards a specific purpose and didn’t say what other purposes it would be used for.
After taking into consideration, the recent tax increase that was foisted on us “just because they could” and where no rational explanation was ever proffered, and the fact that substantial increases in tax money have resulted from a rise in assessed valuation, how can there possibly be the requirement for a new bond issue/tax increase just popping up at the last minute. It would appear that the BISD Administration and Trustees are either incredibly incompetent or they are not honest with those of us who must pay the bills.

Many say – it is only a few dollars per payment! If it was a one time occurrence and if there appeared to be some value for the money, I might be inclined to grumble and pay. However, the grasping never stops! Even in the cases of bond issues; when has anyone ever heard of a reduction in tax when the liability is paid? I have been retired for several years and my wife is planning to retire shortly, this steady increase in tax, substantially reduces our prospects for a comfortable retirement.
Further, at a time when we are concerned about keeping jobs in the community and enhancing new business, piling new taxes on the backs of already stretched budgets is not the way to do it.
The waste in the schools never stops, and must be curtailed! There is still an overabundance of administration in the Central Office and a lack of abundance at the campus level. Much of the testing required by various mandates, which should be done by clerical folks at the campus, is often performed by teachers taken from the classroom or after work. Further, while I was helping judge a UIL writing competition, I heard that a call went out from the Central Office that there was several thousand un-used dollars to spend within a few weeks and that some tutorial program or other, needed to be initiated or the money would be returned to the general fund. As the time frame was very short, I doubt that an appropriate use could be approved and I also suspect that the money found a use in the Central Office, new furniture, perhaps.
The issue is not that there is not a need for remedial help for the kids, as there certainly is; but it is with the poor leadership on the part of the managers, when there are so many, that are supposed to be so qualified. There needs to be a major restructuring at BISD that was hinted at by the Strayhorn Report and if the current board is not going to do it perhaps, the board needs to be suspended and our new Superintendent tasked with streamlining the system.
The credibility of the trustees is now at an all time low and sinking fast and the credibility of BISD Central Office administrators is not much better.
The jury is still out on our new superintendent. The coffee meetings he has been participating in through out the community have the potential to bring community interest and support to the school system and learn first hand about the concerns we all have.
We have a golden opportunity now, vote no to the bond issue and for new blood in the board of trustees.