Round Rock ISD Turns To Harlingen CISD for Leadership Guidance

Last month Round Rock ISD Trustee Brian Sellers joined that vast club of politicians who have suddenly discovered they "want to spend more time with family," and resigned without fulfilling the elected term of office.  Sellers' abrupt and unexpected resignation gave the existing trustees the power to appoint a replacement without voter input, and this week they chose newcomer Claudio Cruz, who works for Austin ISD.

Some members of the board were very excited about Mr. Cruz since he has experience in passing bonds and, like both the former and current Superintendent, he also hails from Harlingen CISD.  I have been inundated with emails and phone calls asking me if I can shed any light on what the fascination may be with Harlingen, but I'm afraid I've got nothing.  I'm sure Harlingen has a lovely school system, but if the Round Rock folks are looking for a successful program to emulate I'm not sure why they would recruit from a district with student achievement scores some 17 points below ours.  (RRISD received a score of 88; HCISD received a 71)  Maybe this has something to do with it?

It is unclear as to how long Mr. Cruz has been in Round Rock, but surely he knew Superintendent Steve Flores back in Harlingen? 

Next year, the Round Rock board will be trying to convince voters to approve a bond package, so get ready for the so-called "Citizen" bond committee.  And oh, by the way,  this week four of the board members voted against any transparency or 'conflict of interest' policies for the 'citizen' bond committee members, so expect plenty of business as usual.  

New Beginnings for Round Rock ISD?

Well, it looks like the Round Rock ISD may have a new superintendent lined up.  Only one candidate has emerged from the school board's search to replace the highly controversial Jesus Chavez.  Another Harlingen CISD veteran, Dr. Steve Flores, was announced as the lone finalist last Friday. 

Several area news sources reported that Chavez "shocked the community when he announced that he would not be serving out the remaining two and half years on his contract."  The truth is that few were actually "shocked," but many were relieved.  During Chavez' tenure, the district has seen declining ratings, sloppy procedure, and an erosion of fiscal responsibility.  His actions regarding boundaries and construction have pitted the various communities of the ISD against each other, and his political posturing has wreaked havoc with the reputation of the district.  Chavez asserted last year that superintendents do not have to comply with elected school board authority, but the Texas Legislature overwhelmingly rejected that claim and passed legislation stating as much.  Chavez' days were numbered.

Hopefully, if approved, the new Superintendent will focus on making RRISD a solid district again.  With intense growth in Central Texas, the community will need new schools and strong leadership that works for the entire community.  Let's hope Dr. Flores will usher in a new era.

Texas Legislature Confirms Democratic Process: School Superintendents DO Answer to Elected Trustees

In a unanimous vote yesterday, the Texas Senate approved House Bill 628:  Relating to the right of a member of the board of trustees of a school district to obtain information, documents, and records.  The bill had already passed the House, and is now headed to the Governor's desk.  A bi-partisan group of legislators including Williamson County's own Tony Dale crafted the measure in response to the rising number of Texas school superintendents refusing to cooperate with elected trustees.  The most extreme example of superintendent mischief stems from the El Paso ISD, where Lorenzo Garcia hid fraudulent activity from the school board for quite some time (Garcia has been convicted and incarcerated, and the EPISD Board has been removed for failing to complete their oversight duties.)

Locally, Round Rock ISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez stunned the community last November when he insisted he had the right to determine what information elected trustees could have about the district.  Chavez has repeatedly refused to release information to trustees regarding his declining district; a factor which likely contributed to the RRISD Board approval of a $25 million dollar campus for a program that serves an average of 42 students a day.  Chavez has also been reluctant to release information regarding no-bid construction contracts awarded by the district. 

Unfortunately, Chavez and many of his cohorts around the state have operated more like petty dictators than public servants, but now the Legislature has spoken clearly- these superintendents must answer to the elected board.

Interestingly enough, one Round Rock trustee lobbied very, very hard to prevent passage of this bill:  Diane Cox.  Apparently Cox spent a great deal of time and energy desperately trying to convince legislators to oppose HB 628.  Cox has an unusually close relationship with the RRISD superintendent, and even vacations with Chavez and his wife.  Cox and several other trustees are known to attend "board appreciation dinners" hosted by Chavez in his private home.  Of course these dinners are 'off the record' and there is no way to know if there are further violations of the open meetings laws.    Observers are hoping that Paul Tisch, who was appointed to replace beleaguered Trustee Glenn Colby, will have a more objective view of board-superintendent relations.  

Congratulations to Tony Dale on passage of this important bill. 

Resignations at Round Rock ISD Prompt More Questions Than Answers

Last Friday Round Rock ISD Trustee Glen Colby suddenly announced his resignation from the board.  In a letter to the Board President, Colby stated he wants to spend more time as a father to his children.

Colby's sudden announcement is the third surprise resignation this year; in January Superintendent Jesus Chavez unexpectedly announced his retirement, and this week Alan Albers, the Director of Facilities who oversees construction,  also retired.

Alber's announcement is interesting in light of the recent questions about construction contracts awarded by the ISD.  Although two board members have been attempting to obtain information about the $25 million Success High School and contract awards, the Superintendent has refused to cooperate.  Colby and several other members of the board have been especially shrill in condemning inquiries into these matters and moved to shut down any further investigations.

As for Glen Colby's resignation, there is much going on here.  Colby has been on the board since 2008, but many are wondering how the ISD kept quiet his 2010 arrest.  (Fail to Stop and Render Aid/State Jail Felony- Austin Police case number 10-0171224- files available at the Williamson County Courthouse if you would like to exercise your Freedom of Information Act rights.) Colby posted a $1,500 bond, but the previous Williamson County District Attorney's office did not invite the investigating officer to present evidence to the grand jury.  Former D.A. John Bradley's office obtained a 'no-bill' from the grand jury; the only reason given is "other."  (as opposed to lack of evidence or "the complaining witness requesting dismissal.")

(Imagine Colby was a Conservative-one suspects this would have been front-page news...)

There's a whole lot here that isn't passing the smell test.

The current Board will appoint a replacement for Colby; not an encouraging thought considering all the smoke and mirrors that have been at play in RRISD.

Do we trust this organization to do what is right?  Too choose an adequate replacement for Colby?  To choose a new Superintendent?

It seems that there are many questions here that need to be answered. 

Texas Leg to Strengthen School Board Trustees' Ability to Govern

Among the many bills filed for the 83rd Texas Legislative session is HB 628, "Relating to the right of a member of the board of trustees of a school district to obtain information, documents, and records."

The bill has strong bi-partisan support, and was authored by a coalition of Republicans and Democrats.  (Authors are Reps Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park,)  Marisa Marquez (D-El Paso,) Poncho Nevarez (D,) Dan Huberty (R), and Ed Thompson (R).) 

If passed, HB 628 will merely codify a 1983 ruling by the Attorney General which states that elected school board trustees must be given district information and documents without having to file open records requests.  

"I think if you're an elected official you need to have access to documents so that you can understand what's happening in your government organization so you can govern," said Dale.

The issue came up recently when it was discovered that El Paso ISD Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia had been engaging in fraudulent activity that resulted in his conviction and incarceration in federal prison.  Garcia was able to hide his criminal activity for a lengthy period since he refused to give El Paso school board trustees documents regarding the district.  Now, it also appears that even some of the trustees may have been complicit in hiding the district's illegal activity, and the U.S. Department of Justice may approve a board of managers to replace the trustees until new elections can be held.

Locally, Round Rock ISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez insisted at a November 27, 2012 Board meeting that he had the right to withhold district information from the elected trustees.  In this case, Superintendent Chavez is trying to prevent certain trustees and the public from scrutinizing the $25,000,000 campus they are building for at-risk (of dropping out) students.  Although Chavez denied trustees access to the relevant documents, someone within the district anonymously provided information to Trustee Terri Romere revealing that attendance in the so-called "Success High School" program averaged 40 students a day.

In an ironic parallel to the El Paso ISD scandal, several RRISD trustees seem determined to turn a blind eye to some of the recent revelations about Superintendent Chavez' activities.  Instead of holding him accountable for setting up a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) that unequivocally violated state law, they have merely swept the issue under the rug and even allowed Chavez to blame the board in recent news accounts.  And when Trustee Terri Romere shared the truth about the daily attendance numbers in the "Success" program, several fellow board members not only ignored the data, but voted to censure Romere. 

HB 628 is likely to pass, but will not take effect until September 2013.  In the meantime, it is likely that school superintendents will continue their clandestine activity.  Even after passage, it will still be incumbent on local school boards to govern their respective districts appropriately.  The El Paso trustees did not perform due diligence, and now will be removed from office.

Proposed text of HB 628:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1.  Section 11.1512, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c)  A member of the board of trustees of the district has an inherent right of access to information, documents, and records maintained by the district, and the district shall provide the information, documents, and records to the member without requiring the member to submit a public information request under Chapter 552, Government Code.

SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

RRISD Votes to Stifle Democratic Process

“Shut Up,” they explained.

 

In a little noticed move last month, the Round Rock School Board quietly approved new board procedures for the district. Typically, governing rules for most boards, both public and private, allow items to be placed on the meeting agenda at the request of two trustees. RRISD however, claims two is not enough to initiate discussion. An agenda request must be approved by a vote of all trustees at an official meeting before the item can be discussed at the next official meeting.

Essentially, even if three board members request an agenda item, the other members of the board can reject discussion of any ‘uncomfortable’ topics at RRISD School Board meetings. In allowing this rule change, Board President Chad Chadwell and his compatriots have significantly damaged the ability of the elected trustees to govern the district. Since members who disagree with each other can easily shut down proposed agenda items, the board’s ability to take action will be seriously compromised. And, of course, if the board is unable to act, the responsibility will fall to, surprise! - RRISD superintendent, Jesus Chavez.

So, just as at the federal level, local government power will be further concentrated into the hands of an unelected bureaucrat. Swell.

It is interesting that this move came so close to the upcoming RRISD Board elections. Incumbent Chad Chadwell has been challenged by Tere McCann for place 2, and there are two candidates vying for the place 7 seat being vacated by Bobby Sieferman. In each case, if the ‘establishment’ loses and the true grassroots candidates win, Chadwell et. al., have already taken preemptive steps to silence those who might question the governance of the district.

And if the elected board members are silenced, so are the voters.

A review of the minutes for RRISD Board meetings over the past year demonstrates that the board actually votes in unison on the vast majority of issues. Only rarely does one see any dissenting votes, which implies that perhaps there are some compelling reasons for occasional nay vote. In the case of these new “silence the opposition” procedure rules, only Terri Romere voted nay.

However shocking, this move to dampen the ability of voters to effect the district shouldn’t come as any surprise to those who’ve been following RRISD events. Not only did administration staff figuratively thumb their noses at parents who took part in the school re-zoning fiasco, the board spent millions on pet projects they knew voters weren’t likely to approve. The decision to super-size one high school was made without any public hearings or input from the community. Also, last month, the board decided to swipe some $25 million from the district’s general funds to build a special high school campus for students at risk of dropping out (currently less than 80 students qualify for the $25 million “Success” campus). Again, no hearings, no public input.
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Now, after spending nearly $75 million on pet projects without voter approval, the board is poised to raise property taxes. Furthermore, since the most urgent need in the district is at minimum a new middle school, the ISD is proposing a new bond election for next year. I guess the strategy is to spend extravagantly on anything but essential needs- for those you just hike taxes.

This year’s ISD Board Elections will be held in conjunction with the General Election on November 6. As I mentioned above, the options for Place 2 are incumbent Chad “more-of-the-same” Chadwell and Tere McCann. For Place 7, there is Round Rock Businesswoman and Mom, Pauline Law, and Dell Employee Eric Pav. Law has promised to bring a fiscally conservative viewpoint to the board; Pav has retreated from any public questions about his political philosophy.

Sadly, there are still many individuals who naively believe that school board governance is some kind of philosophical neutral zone. However, I would argue that public schools are THE front line in the battle for the heart and soul of this nation. Some 90% of American children are under the control of the local school. We had better start paying serious attention to what these school districts are doing, because our future depends on it.

Vote November 6, 2012.

Round Rock School District Super-Sizes RRHS, Enjoys Extra Cash On Hand

At last week's Round Rock School Board Meeting, the Trustees and Administration went on an interesting spending spree.  Last year, School Superintendent Jesus Chavez was telling anyone who would listen that any cuts to the State Education budget would be devastating to his schools and that the district would be forced to lay off teachers.  This year, however, the district seems to have discovered some extra money.  Lots of it. 

Apparently the district has some funds leftover from the 2008 bond package, $36.5 million, to be exact.  In addition, board members noted that they have another $22.5 million lying about for spending. 

While some of the funds will go to a roof repair for Grisham Middle School, the board voted to spend $46.4 million to build two additional wings at Round Rock High School.  The reason?  Due to growth and the way the district has been zoned, RRHS is on-track to be over-crowded.  (As is Stony Point High School, and Cedar Ridge High School is already over capacity.)  The new wings will 'super-size' Round Rock High School to 4,142 students.

The solution the board has embraced is a marked deviation from previously stated ISD goals to keep high schools below 2,400 students.  What is especially disturbing about this move is that the board did not hold any public hearings or take public comments about this shift in planning for RRHS.  Do parents want a mega-high school?  Were any studies done in conjunction with the City of Round Rock regarding traffic flow in and around the school?

Oddly enough, Superintendent Chavez told the board last fall that the next most urgent need for the district would be an additional middle school.  Right now four different elementarys are feeding into Cedar Valley Middle School which will very soon be over-crowded.  Why isn't the district using the bond funds to address the most urgent needs?

Could it be that the Administration and some board members know that voters would not approve some of these projects?   Another pet project still on the table is the construction of a $25 million 'Success High School' for about 600 at-risk students (thus boosting academic ratings at other schools).  As one Trustee noted at the April 24 board meeting, voters just "don't understand' about these projects. 

So they have to sneak them in?

Of course, once Cedar Valley Middle School is bursting at the seems, then the voters are more likely to approve a new bond package for construction.

These projects may well be justified, but shouldn't the parents and taxpayers have been involved in the surprise spending of over $46 million?

On a final note, the lone dissenting vote was cast by the ostracized Terri Romere.  Is no one else listening to the families of Round Rock? 

I guess on the upside, it's good to know that RRISD doesn't have any fund shortages...

County Attorney's Office Instructs RRISD on Procedure and Admonishes ISD Officials and Employees

Back in February, the Round Rock School Board voted 5-2 to ask the Williamson County Attorney's office to investigate Trustee Terri Romere for allegedly releasing a private email address.  The CA's office has now concluded their investigation of the matter, but probably did not give the results certain board members had hoped for.

In a letter to RRISD Superintendent Jesus Chavez dated April 26,2012, Assistant County Attorney Shannon C. Francis notes that although they do not usually investigate a possible crime unless the alleged victim makes a report, they did investigate and respond.  Francis also writes that in the future, "the more appropriate response" is to refer that individual to a local law enforcement agency."

So, basically the RRISD Board's PR stunt to shame Terri Romere was inappropriate.

The letter also states that the County Attorney's office is "not concluding that anyone definitely has or has not violated the Public Information Act."

Furthermore, Francis also notes that "records were released by the Round Rock ISD Superintendent with private email addresses visible." 

The County Attorney's letter does go on to say that it appears an attempt was made to redact the email addresses, however, "Failure to fully redact confidential information could also possibly or arguably indicate a violation of the Public Information Act."

In closing, Francis states:

"Accordingly, please consider this letter a cautionary admonishment that all officials and employees of the Round Rock ISD take care to understand their obligations under the Public Information Act."  And, "This concludes our investigation and no further action will be taken regarding your request."

So, this part of the "Destroy Terri Romere" campaign seems to be at an end.

Interestingly enough, the Round Rock School Board will be huddled tonight in closed session to decide if they will comply with Trustee Romere's request for documents.  It seems she has requested communications between April 1 and April 25 (the lynching took place on April 24) and the board and administration aren't too keen on turning them over.

I wonder why? 

Full moon this weekend, by the way.

P.S.  I do have the full copy of the County Attorney's letter to Chavez, but am unable to scan and post due to technical difficulties.  Will post as soon as I can get hardware issues resolved. 

Round Rock School Board's Kangaroo Court: Constitutional Principles Not Relevant

Last night the Round Rock Independent School District voted to censure elected Trustee Terri Romere.  Romere could not be present, as her critically ill mother had been scheduled to move from one hospital to another late yesterday.  Trustee Bobby Seiferman abstained from the vote.

One of the legal principles on which this nation was founded is the right to face one's accuser.  According to the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the accused has the right:

...to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

As Romere's attorney Ross Fischer noted in a letter to the district yesterday, she was not advised of the charges against her.  As last night's kangaroo court demonstrates, her accusers were permitted to make all sorts of wild accusations, and five board members eagerly jumped at the opportunity to convict without benefit of trial or counsel.  Granted this is not a criminal court, but the damage done to Ms. Romere without due process is shocking.

Some of the accusations were positively Orwellian, such as the claim that Romere did not listen to the needs of the community.  Back during the re-zoning controversy, parents of affected communities came out en force to demonstrate that Romere was the ONLY trustee who seemed to care about their plight.  But the most insidious, reprehensible charge, which came from Diane Cox, is that Romere is somehow "physically intimidating."  (Romere is about 5' 2")  There are no witnesses to what Cox claims, so it's her word against Romere's. 

That the Board would take action based on such a serious claim without proper procedure is an outrage, but apparently this Board believes it can do whatever it wishes. And maybe that's the root problem here.  Perhaps school district governance has too much power.  After all, parents and taxpayers are at the mercy of these people whether they like it or not.  Even parents who find it necessary to opt out must continue to surrender precious education dollars to the district to spend as Jesus Chavez sees fit.  And as for elections, Round Rock ISD is huge and trustees are elected at large, so communities that are suffering because of board decisions are easily over-ruled by communities that have been favored. 

Elections are coming in November, and I hope the community is paying attention to the antics of these board members.  But I don't hold out much hope because of the way the district has been structured.  This problem will continue until we find a way to check the power of local school districts. 

School Superintendent Planning Censure for Trustee Who Voted Against His Raise Update: Worse Than We Thought

Updated.

Apparently the Round Rock ISD Administration is not happy with elected Board of Trustees member Terri Romere.  Last Thursday, Romere was the only trustee to vote against the $8,000 raise and contract extension for Superintendent Jesus Chavez.  Although RRISD Board meetings are typically on the third Thursday of the month, they've called a meeting for tonight, Tuesday April 24, at 6:00 P.M.  In the posted agenda, the Superintendent calls for a Closed Session to discuss "censure" of the Place 4 member.

Ross Fischer, attorney for Romere, has formally requested that proceedings take place in an Open, rather than Closed session.  This is appropriate since Romere has been an advocate for district transparency.

Even more interesting is Fischer's final paragraph:

Additionally, please know that the ISD has not formally notified our client of the basis for tonight's contemplated discipline.  Unfortunately, this appears to be standard protocol for the ISD.  In order to properly advise our client, we are requesting any information that constitutes the basis for tonight's discussion. 

Don't hold your breath, Ross.

So, as of right now, the reasons are a complete mystery to everyone except Jesus Chavez and possibly other Board members.  Rumor has it that one of the Board members thought Romere was rude after the vote to raise the Superintendent's base salary to $260,000. 

It looks like this is another attempt to ambush and silence Romere, who has been an ardent voice for RRISD parents and taxpayers.

The meeting is scheduled for  6 P.M. in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall.
  
Update:  Apparently it's even worse than we thought.  Terri Romere cannot even be present to face her accusers.  Her mother is critically ill and has been hospitalized for several weeks now, and Romere is assisting in moving her mother to a new medical facility this afternoon.  Just how nasty are these people going to be?  Maybe Romere has a puppy they can kick or something. 

Statement from Romere: 

Last week, I was the sole vote against the contract extension of the Round Rock ISD Superintendent.  Earlier this year, I voted in the minority against the ISD proposed boundary realignment recommendations.  Neither position has proven very popular with many of my fellow trustees or the school district administration.  During the boundary realignment consideration, several board members took exception to an email I forwarded in an effort to foster communication between constituents and referred the matter to the County Attorney for criminal investigation.  Now, some of those same board members want to go behind closed doors to discuss censuring me for something that has not been disclosed to me or my attorney.  I would opine that the fact that I was the lone dissenting vote may be a factor in the timing of this proposed censure.  I will not agree to a closed door meeting and have sent notice to the Board demanding that any discussion about a possible censure of me be conducted in an open meeting format, which is my right under Texas law.

My dissent is a constitutional right and a duty I have to the citizens who elected me.  No amount of bullying, intimidation, or harassment is going to silence what I feel is my moral responsibility to my office or my constituents.  My fellow board members may take whatever action they feel is necessary, but I will not be taking part in further wasting the Board’s time or our ISD resources.  Instead, I will be spending the evening with my critically ill mother who is being transferred to another hospital.

  
Attorney Letter to RRISD April 24 20120001

Great News: School Super Presiding Over District Decline Will Get Raise in Down Economy

Round Rock ISD School Superintendent Jesus Chavez, who was already raking in  $252,875 per year plus benefits, will not feel the effects of the Obama economy.  It seems that the Round Rock school board voted last night to give him an $8,000 per year raise; including his lavish benefits, taxpayers will provide Chavez with well over $300,000 per year.   

Perhaps the raise was out of gratitude for overseeing the RRISD's drop from being a 'Recognized' district to becoming 'Academically Acceptable.'  One of the most glaring problems in the ISD is the new Cedar Ridge High School:  a nearly $100 million dollar state-of-the-art campus complete with a coffee bar for students, but an academically unacceptable rating.  The school has been very much in the news since woefully inept calculations on the part of Chavez' administration led to overcrowding at CRHS and forced the board to impose yet another painful redistricting on the parents and children of Round Rock. 

The Round Rock school board seems to be moving ever further from listening to the needs of the whole community.  Rather than answering to the electorate, it looks like they answer to the Superintendent they hired.  Despite the public outcry about the redistricting, certain board members expressed outrage that anyone would even dare to question the administration's plan.  After all, they know what's best for kids, not these stupid parents.  Shoot, these parents don't even have a PhD in Education; what can they possibly know about children?

By the way, taxpayers will still be on the hook for Superintendent Chavez' retirement for years to come.  This raise ups his average salary and will ensure that his retirement is very, very comfortable.

Just another reason it is high time to hold our Texas School Districts financially accountable. 

Round Rock School District Approves Administration Boundary Proposal, Rejects Vertical Alignment

Last night the Round Rock School Board voted to implement the RRISD Administration's boundary proposal plan. The vote was 5-2, with Trustees Terri Romere and Bobby Seiferman voting against.

After impassioned testimony during the public comments session, members of the board made some rather interesting comments of their own.  Regarding the allegations that the boundary determination process was broken, Brian Sellers stated that the purpose of the Boundary Committee and public hearings was to present the (administration created) proposal and allow everyone "to shoot holes in it."  Well, they did shoot holes.  Lots of them.  HUGE holes.

But in the end, the holes didn't matter.

The only change that was permitted by the administration was in an  elementary school zone.  That change was made at one of the public hearings during a dialogue that lasted about 2 minutes and did not involve any members of the boundary committee.  With one sentence uttered by Super Jesus Chavez, a small group of students was magnanimously granted permission to move to the new Elsa England Elementary School.

So what was the purpose of the Citizen's Boundary Committee?  

One Trustee comment was particularly disturbing.  He expressed indignation that "minority report would come out of the [boundary] committee."

Seriously?  So the Board and administration expectation was that the committee vote would be unanimous? (It wasn't.)   That none would dare question their proposal?  Is that why the Administration appoints 8 of the 15 committee members?  A guaranteed stamp of approval?

What parents and the majority of the community took away from last night's meeting,  is that the Citizens Boundary Committee was not established to create options based on input from the community.  Nor was it to make any changes to the administration's proposals.  (Remember, the only change was made by a wave of the Superintendent's magic wand.)  The administration did not allow the committee to consider any other plan.  It seems the committee only existed to present the the administration plan and sell it to the community. 

Many parents are terribly upset this morning, and rightly so.  Their children's education is not controlled by them, but by a group of government officials.  Although their children are shuffled around schools like pawns on a chessboard, and although their school district's academic status has been steadily falling, they have few options.  Should they find the situation so intolerable that they remove their children from the RRISD, they will still be forced to surrender the lion's share of their property taxes to Superintendent Chavez to spend as he sees fit.  Furthermore, they will have to come up with their own means to provide their child's education; no tax credit, no support from the community.  Many families simply cannot manage the financial penalties for opting out.

Given the state of affairs in the Round Rock School system, perhaps it is time to allow some charter schools into the district.  Or perhaps the 2013 legislature will pass Taxpayer Savings Grants,  but of course that possibility is at least two years away.  And of course, there are elections;  Trustee Chad Chadwell is up for re-election this year.  In the meantime, Round Rock parents are stuck with what an elitist administration has deemed appropriate.

Tere McCann's Signed Pledge: $10,000 for RRISD Education Foundation

As I noted earlier, Round Rock School District Boundary Committee member Tere McCann, a Chief Financial Officer and a Certified Public Accountant, has pledged up to $10,000 in donations to the Round Rock ISD Education Foundation in challenge to the Superintendent's 'fuzzy math.' The offer is contingent upon someone supporting the RRISD Administration's enrollment projections with the same generosity. Will Superintendent Jesus Chavez or one of his supporters express such confidence in their own calculations? We'll see! Below is McCann's signed pledge form. McCann Challenge to RRISD Education Foundation

RRISD Boundary Committee Member Pledges $10,000 to Challenge School District's Fuzzy Math

On Tuesday, I wrote about how the Round Rock School District's Boundary determination process had become a fiasco.  One aspect of the whole mess has been the enrollment projections created by staffers in Superintendent Jesus Chavez' administration, versus projections created by boundary committeeman Tere McCann, a Certified Public Account and Chief Financial Officer.  While some employees of the school district have dismissed McCann's data differences as "insignificant," apparently, McCann has great confidence in his own numbers.

$10,000 worth of confidence.

Yesterday McCann sent the following press release to local media, in which he pledges donations to the Round Rock Education Foundation based on the accuracy of his projections, so long as supporters of the administration's proposals will do the same. 

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.  

Of course this is how things work in the business world:  accuracy and results matter.  If folks like Tere McCann do not perform due diligence, they are soon unemployed.  Unfortunately, such standards are practically non-existent in the public sector.  Maybe that explains the RRISD administration's lack of concern for accurate predictions.  

McCann's release:

February, 15, 2012 -- In response to the ongoing school boundary controversy at Round Rock ISD, district resident Tere McCann has issued a fundraising challenge to benefit the Round Rock Education Foundation.  To raise the awareness of the importance of enrollment projections, Mr. McCann has issued a matching pledge based on the discrepancy in enrollment projections provided by the district administration and enrollment projections compiled by Mr. McCann.

McCann, who serves as Chief Financial Officer of a local financial services company, challenges the data presented in the final boundary committee report and has projected a more modest increase in high school students for the fall of 2012.

“After serving on the 2011 Boundary Committee, I recognized that the district administration regularly projects inaccurate information, which leads to bad forecasting and bad decision-making on behalf of our students. I have attempted to help the administration improve upon its current projection methodology and in a last-ditch effort to effect change, I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and issue this challenge so that kids will win no matter who is more accurate.”

“For example, the inaccurate projections in 2008 for the new Cedar Ridge High School set off a series of unnecessary boundary changes that split communities and students from their classmates and cost the district thousands of dollars in added transportation cost.  A short three years later, the district administration is forced to move some of these students back resulting in the Wells Branch neighborhood being assigned their third high school zone in three years.”

Specifically, Mr. McCann’s challenge includes:

·         He has pledged up to $20 per high school student (up to maximum of $10,000) enrolled at the district’s five traditional high schools (not alternative schools) in the fall of 2012 (week ending September 21, 2012) that exceeds his projected total traditional high school projection of 12,903 students.

·         His challenge is contingent upon supporters of the administration’s projections to agree to provide a pledge per student enrolled at the district’s five traditional high schools for every student below the administration’s projection of 13,214 students less 200 students (13,014). 

Anyone interested in participating can email Mr.McCann at teremccann@gmail.com to get a pledge form.  

 The Round Rock ISD Board Meeting is tonight, February 16.  The Board is scheduled to vote on whether or not to accept the Administration's Boundary proposal.  However, in light of the many grievances filed, and the allegations that the District has violated its own policies during the process, the best move would be to table the issue until due diligence is done.

If you would like to help encourage the Board to do the right thing, plan to attend tonight at 7:00pm at the Round Rock High School lecture hall.

School Zone Disaster Zone in Round Rock ISD: Updated

Last week I described what appears to be an attempt to silence and intimidate Round Rock School Board Trustee Terri Romere and possibly other members of the board. However, there is another important aspect to the story; that of a RRISD boundary determination process that has been seriously compromised and has led the community to lose faith in a fair outcome.

The Saga of the RRISD Boundary Process is rather lengthy, but worth the read. The evidence shows that:

1. The RRISD Administration has used insufficient methodology to predict enrollment trends resulting in inaccurate projections..
2. The RRISD Administration's boundary proposal ignores the needs and desires of most of the community.
3. The RRISD Administration has controlled the Boundary Committee agenda, refused to allow presentation of a second viable boundary proposal to the committee, and misrepresented the details of the second boundary proposal.
4. The RRISD Administration allowed the Boundary Committee chairman to inappropriately poll select committee members in a non-open setting without the knowledge of the other committee members, and with incorrect data.
5. The RRISD Administration and Boundary Committee have not followed procedure and policy as outlined in the Boundary Committee charter.

Insufficient Methodology and a Brief History

The problems with the RRISD boundary determination process actually date back to 2008-09. At that time, the district was preparing to bring online a new 5^th High School, Cedar Ridge. As is inevitable with any rezoning process, some parents were unhappy with having to move their children, but there was more to it than that. First of all, at that time the district plan did not consider parental demand for 'Vertical Alignment,' that is, keeping neighborhood students together through elementary, middle, and high school.

Secondly, several members of the community noticed that the district was using unreliable methods to project enrollment growth. (More on that later.) Erik Okerholm, a business intelligence professional who holds three Masters Degrees, worked to formulate accurate projections and create a boundary proposal that would maintain Vertical Alignment. Furthermore, the Okerholm plan was designed to serve the district for 12 years or more.

Unfortunately, despite some very controversial hearings and impassioned pleas from the community, the Board voted to implement the proposal created by the RRISD administration. The decision became a factor in the subsequent school board elections as both trustees Bobby Seiferman and Terri Romere campaigned that they would have voted for Vertical Alignment, that is, the Okerholm plan.

Unfortunately for the families of the District, the administration's projections were inaccurate, and by 2011 the administration was forced to call for yet another boundary determination process to relieve over-crowding at the new Cedar Ridge High School. The RRISD Board and Administration drew up a new Boundary Committee charter and appointed new committee members, including Tere McCann, a CFO and CPA.

Since the 2009 plan did prove to be problematic, one would think the RRISD Administration would try to improve the process. A few changes were made, but again not enough to provide accurate projections. For starters, according to Tere McCann and Erik Okerholm, the Administration is still not using reliable methods to project enrollment growth. For example, Okerholm notes that while the Administration's boundary proposal bases growth projections on a 3 year trend, Okerholm's Vertical Alignment proposal (VA) relies on 5 years of growth trends. Also, the administration's analyst does not seem to understand the importance of basing calculations for high school enrollment growth on real numbers of students in the system's lower grades. (McCann and Okerholm refer to these as 'kids in seats,' and this kind of data has provided a far more accurate methodology.)

In addition, the Administration projections are based on spreading projected growth across the entire district, when in actuality, the 'land-locked zone for Westwood High School will not grow as much as the zone for Stony Point High School due to new housing/population growth there. Also, historically growth in the area is not spread evenly across grade level. Elementary grades tend to grow at a higher pace than Middle School grades, and High School growth drops off further. (For a more in-depth explanation of cohort survival ratio read here, and see paragraph “How are new housing developments taken into account?”)

How significant are these differences? Very. According to Okerholm, the RRISD Administration's 2008 projections for 2012 were off by nearly 500 students, while his own methodology was accurate to within 21 students. Regarding the 2012 projections, although enrollment growth over the past 5 years averages at only 1.63% with the highest year at 3.8%, the Administration claims that student growth next year will be a whopping 6.1%. (View graph here, Detailed data here.)

Needs and Desires of the Community: Vertical Alignment, Real Children, and Fiscal Responsibility

There are several other important differences between the Administration's boundary proposal and Erik Okerholm's VA proposal, more of the most significant being Vertical Alignment for Round Rock families. While the Okerholm plan considers the human aspect of the equation and creates a district-wide Vertical Alignment, the Administration plan only protects Vertical Alignment for students in the Westwood High School zone. Even more disturbing is the Administration proposal's requirement that Wells Branch neighborhood would move to their third High School zone in three years.

The utter disregard for the families of Wells Branch is difficult to fathom. One explanation might be the socio-economic status of Wells Branch as compared to say, Great Oaks. Since in many Wells Branch families both parents work, they have less time for activism and have been less vocal. There is also lower voter participation in Wells Branch, and consequently certain Board members may not be as interested in that community. (The only RRISD Board Member who appears to have reached out to that part of the district is Terri Romere.)

And as always, there are fiscal aspects to the two proposals. The Administration proposal will require 58 portable buildings spread across the 5 High Schools, while the Okerholm VA plan only requires 18 portables, and only where needed. Fewer portables means better facility utilization, and under the Okerholm VA plan, the district would save approximately $540,000 next year alone. Furthermore, while the Okerholm/VA plan is designed to serve the community until 2020, the Administration proposal will only maintain manageable enrollments through 2015, forcing yet another set of boundary changes in 2016 with all the associated costs.

How do we know the community supports a Vertical Alignment boundary plan? Every Boundary Committee hearing has been overwhelmed by parents opposing the Administration proposal. They have been vocal, impassioned, and pleading, but for the most part ignored.

And by the way, the ONLY RRISD Board Member who has attended every single hearing held by the Boundary Committee is Terri Romere. Only two other Board members bothered to attend, and they only went to two hearings.

Third World Politics: “Everyone Gets to Vote, But There's Only One Candidate”

Probably one of the most troubling aspects of this story is the Administration's handling of the Boundary Committee. The Committee consists of 15 individuals, 7 appointed by the respective members of the elected School Board, and 8 appointed by the Administration. They held their first meeting back on November 16 and have held 4 hearings since then.

Although the public perception and expectation was that the Boundary Committee would solicit and act on input from the community and adjust proposed boundaries accordingly, that is not what occurred. From the beginning, the Administration controlled the agenda of said meetings, and even after repeated requests from the public, and even after the Committee agreed to consider the Okerholm VA Proposal, the Administration refused to allow Okerholm to make a presentation to the Boundary Committee.

Even worse, the Administration only allowed the Boundary Committee to use its own Administration comparison numbers between the two plans, and those numbers were incorrect. As both Tere McCann and Erik Okerholm pointed out in a January 13 meeting with the RRISD superintendent and demographer, (as well as in official grievances filed, ) in the last communication prior to the Boundary Committee's recommendation on January 19, the Administration plan numbers were incorrect due to a spreadsheet error, but the Okerholm/VA plan numbers were also, inexplicably, incorrect.

Improper Polling of Select Committee Members

The final meeting of the Boundary Committee took place on January 11. As the district's data was provided to the boundary committee a mere 87 minutes prior to the start of the final committee meeting, Tere McCann did not notice the errors in the data provided by the Administration to the committee. Consequently, the Committee took a vote on the boundary proposals without corrected data. McCann had been in frequent email communication with the Administration and Committee President Tom McDonald on these errors after the final committee meeting and before the board meeting.

In response to McCann's protest, after the meeting and vote, Boundary Committee President Tom McDonald sent an email ONLY to members of the committee who had voted for the Administration's plan: He presents a “quick comparison” of the 'corrected' numbers, and then states:

“The basic comparison looks the same to me, with the district plan relieving Cedar Ridge better than the EO plan. The revised numbers don't change my opinion that the district plan is better.”
But I want to hear what you think - please let me know.”

What's more is that the 'corrected' information Tom McDonald sent to the select members of the committee still misrepresented the Okerholm/VA Proposal, and possibly inappropriately swayed the votes taken by those committee members.

Intentional Misrepresentation?

Prior to the Board meeting on January 19, McCann continued to discuss the errors with the Administration and Committee President McDonald. He had hoped that in light of the errors, the Administration would recommend a postponement of the vote. In his grievance filed with the district he states:

“I made my second of the two biggest mistakes as a boundary committee member; I trusted Mr. McDonald and the administration to present my views and contributions accurately and fairly.”

He was wrong. McCann notes in his grievance that although he was out of town on business he turned on the televised RRISD meeting and “was surprised to see Dr. Chavez and other board members commenting on my efforts in a false and misleading manner.” In addition, he was further surprised to receive the final committee report at 10:35pm after the boundary committee presentation to the board. The final Boundary Committee report as submitted to the Board of Trustees on January 19, contained multiple misrepresentations of his both his data and his stance, but according to McCann, the Administration and Committee President have refused to amend the report.

District Violates Own Policy

Regardless of which proposal one prefers, all residents should be disturbed by the district's apparent violations of its own policies. In her email to Dr. Chavez and President Chadwell, Board Member Terri Romere outlines these alleged violations of policies in which the ISD has chosen not to address. 

Romere notes that:

*the District did not hold the required hearings at each affected school,

*The district ignored input from the majority of participants at the hearings,

*The District gave less than 24 hours notice to communities affected (Policy requires 5 days)

*The District only provided notice via one channel of communication.

Additionally, although the charter says that the Boundary Committee “shall look at all high school campuses to relieve the projected growth at Cedar Ridge High School,” the Administration has refused to consider any proposal that considered enrollments at Westwood or Round Rock High Schools.

The established policy guidelines along with Romere's comments can be viewed here. 

Treating All RRISD Children Equally

To be fair, there are a vocal few who wholeheartedly support the Administration's plan. A handful of parents from the Great Oaks neighborhood have been especially vitriolic in attacking the Okerholm/VA proposal because it would return Great Oaks to its 2009 zone, that is, to McNeil High School. These parents have been circulating emails containing various mischaracterizations of the VA plan. (And even some rather far-fetched conspiracy theories about diabolical football coaches contriving to steal star football players.) Those emails led to the email chain to which I referred last week.  Sadly, the emails sent out by this group of Great Oaks parents reveal a shocking lack of compassion or concern for any other children of the district, including the students of the Wells Branch area (who will be sent to their 3^rd High School in 3 years).

It should be noted however, that the Great Oaks neighborhood is far from unified in support for the Administration proposal. In fact, Great Oaks resident Whitney Loitz is one of several parents who have now filed a grievance over the District's alleged policy violations and disregard for community input. You may read her grievance here.

There is one other difference in the two proposals. The Administration's plan does not allow younger siblings to attend the same high school as their older siblings; only those who apply and are approved by a subjective administration review will be allowed to transfer. On the other hand, the Okerholm/VA proposal allows for something about which this administration has never been comfortable: a good measure of parental choice. The VA plan allows current high school students and their siblings to voluntarily move to the newly assigned zones. If they wish to remain at their current high school, they may do so.

Since the Wells Branch students moved from Round Rock High School last year, they are very enthusiastic to move back-allowed only under the Okerholm VA plan. The Administration plan takes volunteers too; but only allows the Wells Branch students to move to McNeil High School, their third high school in three years. Wells Branch parents vow they will not voluntarily move to McNeil, and this is part of the reason that the Administration's proposal will not relieve over-crowding at Cedar Ridge High School next year.

Other neighborhoods are equally unhappy with the Administration plan; pleas from parents in Stone Oak and Mayfield Ranch to return to Round Rock High School have fallen on deaf ears, as have the requests from Great Oaks parents wishing to return their students to McNeil. To all appearances, it seems the Administration plan ignores the vast majority of parents in the district.

Final Comments

Special kudos to those who've read through all of this. I would like to note that I have received a vast quantity of documents, statements, and email evidence from concerned members of the community, in fact, there is much more than I can possibly upload for you. I have linked to the most significant documents, but I can assure you that I have source material for the statements in this article.

The series of events I've outlined here indicate that the boundary determination process has been seriously compromised. Consequently, the most prudent course of action for the RRISD Board would be to postpone the boundary proposal vote until these issues can be properly vetted and remedied. The ISD's own local policy FC states a decision needs to be finalized by May 15^th -plenty of time to reconcile the mass amounts of grievances and perform due diligence on both plans.

If you agree, please contact the respective members of the Board, and please plan to attend the meeting at the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall on February 16, at 7pm. I hope to see you there.

Please email members of the Round Rock School Board:

brian_sellers@roundrockisd.org

diane_cox@roundrockisd.org

catherine_hanna@roundrockisd.org

charles_chadwell@roundrockisd.org

glen_colby@roundrockisd.org

bobby_seiferman@roundrockisd.org

terri_romere@roundrockisd.org

UPDATE:  Apparently Tere McCann has issued a challenge to the Round Rock Administration numbers;  McCann will donate up to $10,000 to challenge.  Read more.