Round Rock School Board Election 2014: More at Stake than You Might Think

I know many readers are chomping at the bit to cast a vote for gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott next month, but please note that there are many, many other races on the ballot.  (Check out your Williamson County sample ballot here.)  Residents of the Round Rock Independent School District in particular will enjoy the opportunity to vote in four contests for the Board of Trustees.  (Places 1, 3, 5, and 6).   While few voters really pay attention to local, non-partisan races, there is more here than meets the eye.  To some extent these races are indicative of a power struggle between "the Elected" and "the Appointed" in public education. 

For Place 1, Nikki Gonzales is challenging Claudio Cruz.  Cruz was appointed last year when Brian Sellers suddenly quit before his term expired (a common occurrence in RRISD, maybe because it allows those in power to appoint a replacement without all that darned campaigning & election stuff.)  Being new, Cruz does not have much of a record but is known via his work as an employee of Austin ISD.  Many folks active in Round Rock schools and politics know his challenger Nikki Gonzales from her work with the PTA, the Texas State Legislature, and the Williamson County Sheriff's office. She has strong support from the families and taxpayers of the community who want to have an elected voice on the board.  I would vote for Nikki Gonzales. 

Hands down, Bryan Black is the best choice for Place 3.  A former award-winning journalist, Black is currently the Director of Communications for the Texas Department of Agriculture, has completed the Leadership Round Rock ISD program, and is a RRISD parent.  His goals include making RRISD a role model for districts in not only student achievement and innovation, but in fiscal responsibility and transparency.  The latter is something RRISD could use a little more of.  (See "Shut Up, They Explained," and "RRISD Tries to Silence Whistle Blowers?") 

Black is such a stellar candidate that voters should choose him regardless of who his opponent may be.  It happens however, that he is challenging long-time board member Diane Cox.  Cox is definitely on the Left politically, and the only Round Rock resident who was willing to go on air to support the disastrous Diana Maldonado campaign for State Legislature in 2010.  Even for those who believe that school boards are magically non-partisan, Cox's tenure has been frustrating, and she seems to have been involved in most of RRISD's woes, including everything from the illegal bonus and illegal Student Health Advisory Council scandals, to a rather disastrous re-zoning process.  Cox has barely won her last two elections, usually losing in the Williamson County portion of the district, but scraping up enough votes in Travis County to hold her position.  (In one case by a mere 7 votes.) 

In Place 5 there are three candidates vying for an open seat thankfully being vacated by Catherine Hannah.  Allen McKee, Paul K. Emerson, and Suzi David are running, but the front-runner and most likable candidate seems to be Allen McKee.  Like Bryan Black, Allen McKee is interested in having a stellar school district and promoting transparency and accountability.  There's not a lot of information on Suzi David, but Emerson is mouthing those nice-sounding platitudes about being a "team player" and "non-partisan."  Those terms sound innocuous and comforting, but anyone who has been paying attention to RRISD events for the past decade knows there is a great struggle underway regarding the fundamental role of the school board.  In some minds the trustees should serve the ISD superintendent like an appointed cabinet supports an executive.  For these folks, there should never be dissension on the board since the role of trustees is to implement directives and provide support to the superintendent.  However, many Americans still believe in representative government and see the superintendent as the employee of an elected board:  the superintendent answers to the board, the elected board answers to the people.  This struggle received attention last year when the Texas Legislature overwhelming passed a bill affirming certain rights of elected school board trustees.  Unfortunately, Paul Emerson's rhetoric clearly places him in the "go-along-to-get along" camp, and I doubt he will be willing to stand up for parents and taxpayers if necessary.  Frankly, I think parents and taxpayers want elected representatives who are courageous enough to ask questions and stand up for what is good, true, and right at all levels of government, especially school boards.

Interestingly enough, the most vocal member of the board, Terri Romere, does not have a challenger for her second term.  Huh.  She has been accused of being a trouble-maker for asking questions and demanding answers, but I guess the community is pretty happy with her service.  Parents have praised her for listening to their concerns, acting on those concerns, and refusing to rubber-stamp every proposal.  While certainly one to ask the right questions, Romere is simultaneously a great cheerleader for RRISD and her commitment to the students and families of the district shows.  She will begin her second term unopposed. 

There is also a contest for Place 6.  Paul Tisch is another appointee, replacing Democrat Glen Colby who, like Brian Sellers, suddenly quit.  Tisch is challenged by Tony A. Pitts.  I can't seem to find a website for Tisch or Pitts, but here's a link to Tisch's Facebook page and Pitts' law offices.  While Williamson County liberals are usually happy with the ISD appointees, they were a bit miffed when Tisch took Colby's place.  It appears Tisch is a Republican and Pitts is a Democrat.  Tisch has not been in office for long, but one hopes his party affiliation indicates his willingness to affirm representative government. 

RRISD has come through a lot of controversy, but seems to be on a better track, especially with new Superintendent Steve Flores.  Voters now have an opportunity to continue this trend by electing solid candidates committed to excellence, accountability, and very importantly, transparency.  In addition, I hope citizens will comprehend the deeper power struggle here between the elected and the appointed in our local government.
 
Please make sure you are registered (the deadline is TODAY, Monday, October 6,) and please vote early if possible.  Early voting begins on October 20 and continues to October 31.  Election Day is November 4, but don't wait! 

Remember, school board elections are supposedly non-partisan, so if you are a straight-ticket voter, you will still need to make selections on these local races.  

Matt Stillwell's Bizarre Report to RRISD Board in Question

In the Fall of 2012, I wrote about how the Round Rock Independent School District had run afoul of the law in the way it was 'handling' the School Health Advisory Council, or SHAC.  At that time, an attempt was made to alter the district's sex education curriculum without following state-proscribed procedures.  The RRISD board was forced to dissolve the illegal SHAC and create a new one, which has been meeting since February 2013.  In accordance with the law this time, RRISD Trustees and the Administration appointed volunteers to serve.

One such appointee is our old friend Matt Stillwell; the perennial candidate who claimed he wasn't a liberal when he ran for school board in 2011 but proudly claimed to be a liberal when he ran for State Representative in 2012.  (He is now running for Austin City Council in the newly-created District 6).  Appointed by Trustee Diane Cox, Stillwell was elected chair of the RRISD SHAC in a curious chain of events that seems to have allowed election before the approval of the SHAC bylaws.  In early 2013, it appeared that Stillwell would have firm control of the RRISD SHAC.

However, later in the year, the SHAC vice-chair resigned, and the committee was called upon to elect a replacement.  At the November 12, 2013 SHAC meeting, Stillwell's favored candidate lost the election to Kyle Swartz.  Apparently this was very upsetting for Mr. Stillwell, because he subsequently appeared at the November meeting of the RRISD Board to give an unofficial 'report' to the Trustees.  In his report (video of which can be viewed here,)  an emotional Stillwell complained that his committee can't accomplish anything because the meetings are so contentious.  At times almost tearful, he implies that certain SHAC members are just mean trouble-makers because they dared to ask the vice-chair candidates about their respective philosophy regarding SHAC issues.  At the Board meeting Stillwell very nearly received permission from the board to remove members of the committee (which seems a clear violation of state law regarding SHAC composition.) 

Following Stillwell's controversial 'report' to the board, it seems that his committee members were not in agreement with his statements; the approved minutes of the November SHAC meeting convey a different story, as does a letter sent to the board by Vice-Chair Kyle Swartz, the latter of which is available to the public via open records, (you can see what RRISD sent me here.)

In his letter Mr. Swartz states that SHAC Executive Committee members were not given prior notification of Stillwell's report, were not asked to help prepare the report, and were not invited to attend the Board meeting.  He also notes that the SHAC had discussed and progressed on a number of key items, including those related to the sex education curriculum. More importantly, Swartz states:

Mr. Stillwell indicated the Vice-Chair candidate was asked about their stance on abortion. This is false. The question was, if the candidate felt that a Christian curriculum provider is unacceptable, would the candidate feel there would be a conflict of interest if an abortion provider, or affiliate, provided human sexuality curriculum or instruction. (Emphasis added.)

Perhaps what Mr. Stillwell is really upset about is that he is not able to control the SHAC and implement his agenda. According to his 2012 campaign website, he was affiliated with the Texas Freedom Network, which teaches volunteers to advocate for radical sex education.  Despite the agitation from TFN, note this significant statement in the November RRISD SHAC meeting minutes:

Discussion focused on who is asking for changes to the curriculum. The Trustees are not asking for changes to the curriculum. Parents are not asking for changes to the curriculum. Georgetown is asking RRISD what we are doing because statistics are so good. Question was raised as to where the call for a change is coming from.Member pointed out that perhaps we don’t need to change the curriculum but make changes to the execution.

Regardless of his possible agenda, clearly Stillwell is not particularly adept at providing leadership to his committee.  It appears that when the November SHAC meeting didn’t go his way, he sought to have the board of trustees aid him in circumventing both state law and the bylaws of the committee.  Had he been successful, RRISD would have found itself embroiled in yet another controversy and this time with more serious legal implications.  Now it seems that Stillwell, along with Board President Catherine Hanna (also a TFN volunteer,) and Diane Cox, have fed their version of the story to the Austin American Statesman.  Citizens should be sure to read the official posted meeting minutes as well as Kyle Swartz' letter so that they will have all of the relevant information on this situation.

Update:  Wow, so much interest in this story and messages wondering who besides Mr. Stillwell is running for Austin City Council District 6.  Check out Jay Wiley & his website here. 

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.

The Rise of the Unelected Bureaucrat

My "All In Perspective" Column for the Georgetown Advocate, Hill Country News, and Jarrell Star-Ledger.  Since my editor's deadlines, it has become even more apparent that no-one will be held accountable for the IRS scandals.  One aspect I did not include in the original column is the part played by the NTEU- the National Treasury Employees' Union.  Most Americans are unaware that the IRS is largely controlled by the NTEU, and that the union's leaders have a cozy relationship with President Barack Obama.  Once again, the 'unholy alliance' between public sector unions and government is thwarting the democratic process.  (Read more.)

Original Column:

In his classic work Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens mocked the inefficiencies of government with references to the “Office of Circumlocution.”  This fictional government office had “its finger in the largest public pie, and in the smallest public tart.”  Those seeking justice for matters large and small were utterly at the mercy of bureaucrats who insisted on endless paper submissions and re-submissions, and who created a “sea of obfuscation that could not be navigated.”  Neither the elected Members of Parliament, nor even the Prime Minister could overcome the power of the Office of Circumlocution.

It doesn’t take a huge leap of the imagination to compare today’s IRS with the Office of Circumlocution.  Most Americans took a dim view of IRS machinations prior to the recent scandals and now only the most partisan of partisan hacks express any confidence in the office.  In the past few weeks the public has been inundated with stories of delayed applications, lengthy and inappropriate questionnaires, and targeted tax audits.  Certainly members of the various Tea Party groups, pro-life organizations, and any group critical of the Obama administration would readily agree with the Dickensian comparison.

While the U.S. Constitution provided for a limited government that protected individual freedoms, the truth is that unelected bureaucrats wield an inordinate level of power over American lives.  Yes, we elect the members of Congress, city councils, and school boards to theoretically create policy.  However, those policies are heavily influenced and completely implemented by appointees and employees.  As in the case of the Affordable Care Act, countless unelected government employees crafted the 2,700-page bill, and many congressmen and women voted for the measure without even reading it.  Likewise, appointees and employees in the Department of Health and Human Services have already released 700 pages of new regulations related to ACA.

Although the recent IRS and Department of Justice scandals have at least temporarily restrained some bureaucratic power, it appears that once again the buck stops nowhere.  The President and his top men and women plead ignorance and merely feign benign disgust over the ‘incompetence’ of low-level employees.  A few of those employees have been reassigned, and one department head has resigned a few weeks ahead of schedule.  Once the dust settles, in all likelihood the IRS will be back to business as usual.
 
Of course, the power of the bureaucrat is not limited to the federal government, but extends to local actors as well.  In the recent investigations of CSCOPE, it has been difficult to determine which elected body has jurisdiction over the curriculum, and the bureaucrats at Texas Education Service Centers seem to have been using the program to implement the Obama Common Core standards that were firmly rejected by Texas.  In some cases local officials have completely abandoned any pretense of answering to elected representatives, like the Round Rock ISD Superintendent who told the Board of Trustees he had the right to determine what information they could have about the district.
 
An unfortunate number of Americans have unwarranted faith in government to cure all of society’s ills.  As Jonah Goldberg recently stated, people tend to believe in the ‘omnicompetency’ of government officials, and choose to ignore the real nature of mere mortals.  Government bureaucrats at their best will err, but in some cases will be utterly corrupt.  Now the same IRS officials who have allegedly harassed and intimidated American citizens will be in charge of implementing Obamacare and will wield even greater power over our daily lives.  Our big government solutions will always be hampered by inefficiency, incompetence, and at times outright corruption.  It is only by limiting the power of government that we can escape the tyranny of the unelected bureaucrat. 

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. 

25 Million Education Dollars = 8 Classrooms

Academic Fundamentals.

At last week's Round Rock ISD board meeting, attendees had the opportunity to review a construction report for "Success High School."  The Success High School program has been in existence for some years and currently conducts classes for 'at risk' students at Stony Point and Westwood High Schools.  Last year, however, the board of trustees voted to take $25 million from the general fund to build a single campus east of IH-35 off Gattis School Road.  The decision has been controversial since it is no secret that RRISD is very much in need of several new schools and apparently the drop-out student program serves as few as 37 students per day.

In the construction update, it was revealed that the $25 million campus will include a total of eight classrooms.  Of course any campus has more than just classrooms.  It is important to realize that in addition to the eight classrooms, the cost also covers an administration wing, childcare facility, and the requisite coffee bar for students.

At a recent RRISD budget workshop, it was announced that the district will face a shortfall of $15 to $20 million in the 2013-14 budget cycle.  Unsurprisingly, Trustee Glen Colby proposed raising property taxes via a Tax Ratification Election (TRE) later this year.  Sadly, the district really does need new schools, something the board disregarded when setting funding priorities last year, but can no longer afford to ignore.  Round Rock families get ready; your taxes haven't finished climbing...

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. 

Will Texans Rein in Local Government Debt Before It's Too Late? UPDATE

With Texas Comptroller Susan Combs sounding the alarm on local government debt, and the State Legislature considering various debt reform measures, I thought this would be a good time to look at the amount of debt held by a few of our Williamson County municipalities.

The Indebtedness 'Bad Boy' of the county is Leander ISD of course, with a total payback holding now at $2.7 billion.  Here's stats for a few other school districts (from the Texas Bond Review Board- an official state agency, even if some LISD Board members claim otherwise.)

Georgetown ISD:  $321,539,037
Hutto ISD:  $407,650,613
Round Rock ISD:  $1,057,789,047 (That's a billion, folks.)

City debt burdens are typically lower- The City of Round Rock has a debt burden of $326,865,149- but of course we are still talking about hundreds of millions.  Unlike similarly sized cities, much of the responsibility for road construction in the area has fallen to the county; consequently Williamson County government shoulders an unusually high infrastructure burden.  However, Round Rock certainly has managed to keep up with the 'best of them' in borrowing practices.  Sadly, we haven't had a city council election in ages, and city spending hasn't been much scrutinized.  So, it's really easy for that indoor sports facility cost to climb from $12 million to $14.5 million.  But what's $2.5 million these days?  (And we can always take comfort in the fact that the council recently voted to spend an extra $119,000 on a stone upgrade so that the walls will "really pop."  I'm sure the contractor really appreciated a little more cost on the backs of taxpayers.)

Unless we want to end up like the failing states of California, et al., we must act.  House and Senate Bills 14 cannot prevent local governments from being stupid about debt, but the proposals will certainly make voters more aware of how local leaders are building a house of debt cards.  The bills require clear ballot language about current debt and take steps to restrict non-voter approved 'Certificates of Obligation.'  (The latter now constitutes 16.6% of certain local debt burdens.)

Please contact your local representatives in the House and Senate and ask them to support government transparency.  Let's not go all California on debt.

Who Represents Me?

Update:  The City of Round Rock issued $12.5 million in certificates of obligation in 2007.  From the city's website: 

In 2007 the Round Rock City Council approved the issuance of $12.5 million in certificates of obligation to help fund $18.2 million of improvements to Old Settlers Park.  The improvements to the park include major renovations to the existing 20 baseball fields and construction of a 5-field softball complex. 

Update:  Below is a response from Round Rock's Communications Director Will Hampton.

The City of Round Rock has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country for the past three decades, and that growth necessitates the issuance of debt to pay for large capital projects. That said, the City has also spent $75 million in cash over the past 15 years on large capital projects that most municipalities would have to issue debt to pay for – thanks to sales tax revenue that was generated in large part from Dell customers across Texas.

While Williamson County has certainly done its part build new roads, the City of Round Rock has actually shouldered much of the burden for its own growing infrastructure needs, for both transportation and our water and wastewater utility – which boasts some of the lowest rates in the region.  We have leveraged $173 million in Type B local sales tax revenue – which was approved by voters – into $535 million in transportation improvements since 1999. We’ve partnered with Williamson County, the Texas Department of Transportation and private developers to expand our transportation infrastructure, sometimes using cash and sometimes issuing debt.

Construction costs for the Round Rock Sports Center are being paid for through hotel occupancy tax (HOT) revenue. And the extra money to pay for improving the aesthetics of the walls, we believe, is a sound investment. The City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, by recruiting tournaments and events to Round Rock, helped bring $8.6 million in direct spending into the local economy in 2012. HOT revenue, by law, must be spent on activities and facilities that draw tourists to town. That revenue cannot be spent on, say, more police personnel or a new trail.

The Truth About Per Pupil Spending

One of the arguments the "Public School Status Quo" folks continue to make is that public schools educate children for far less.  Recently, Round Rock ISD trustee Glenn Colby claimed that public schools are educating children for "$7,000 to $8,000 a student."  I don't know if Mr. Colby is intentionally misleading the public or is just ignorant, but public schools spend far more than $8,000 per student.

The reason folks think that public schools spend so much less is because of the way the spending is reported.  For some enigmatic reason, reported public school per pupil spending does not include 1) capital expenditures (building & construction,) debt service, or employee benefits.  When we include these costs, Round Rock ISD's reported per pupil expenditure of $7,995 rises to $12,339 and in some districts may be more than $18,000.  (To view the Texas Education Agency's AEIS Reports for your district, click here.)

Any private corporation that failed to account for ALL of the costs of doing business would soon be bankrupt, but for some reason public schools are allowed to operate in a fantasy world and grossly underreport costs.  However, if we compare 'apples to apples,' the real cost of a public school education is the same or much more than private schools.  In fact, a recent Cato Institute study showed that public schools spend 93% more than the median private school. 

Perhaps someone ought to explain to Mr. Colby that private schools determine fees based on all expenses required to operate in the real world.  If he could understand that, then he might realize that his education monopoly isn't such a great bargain after all.  

Round Rock School Board On Contract Awards: Shut Up, Will Ya?

"Shut Up," they explained.

(Redux)

Well, it seems the Round Rock School Board and Administration are opposing government transparency again.

At last week's school board meeting, Superintendent Jesus Chavez informed the board that popularly elected trustee Pauline Law was asking too many questions.  Apparently, Law had requested documents from Chavez' administration regarding the ISD's bidding process and subsequent contract awards, especially those given to Partners In Education (PIE) Foundation members.  As Ms. Law stated, as an elected trustee with responsibility for governance she wanted to review the history of contracts awarded to PIE members and possibly recommend board policies to prevent conflict of interest issues.

The nature of Law's request however, seemed to throw the board into a panic.  Trustee Diane Cox was quite angry and 'offended' by the request.  Superintendent Chavez accused Pauline Law of 'conducting an investigation,' and noted that his contract prevents trustees from doing so.  The other four board members present voted to stop Law's request, and Superintendent Chavez will not be providing the documentation.  (He claimed it would require research and the creation of a report.)  Glen Colby even made a rather interesting comment to Ms. Law about "one mouth and two ears." (In other words, "Shut up.")  Trustee Sellers and Romere were not present; the latter due to her father's death last week. (I'm sure it's only a coincidence that these controversial votes are generally taken when it is known that Romere will be absent.)  

One might think that simply providing the requested documents would have immediately put to rest any speculation about inappropriate contract procedures, but now that the Superintendent and Board have reacted so emotionally, many citizens are asking what they're hiding.

Again, I think we have to look to the cautionary tale provided by the El Paso ISD.  In that case Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia was not only committing felonies regarding standardized tests, but he was directing ISD contracts to his mistress.  Garcia has been convicted and incarcerated, and the board of trustees is being removed by the Texas Education Agency for failing to perform their elected duties.  El Paso city council member Susie Byrd put it this way to the Texas Observer:

"She says the El Paso ISD board gave (Superintendent) Garcia far too much control, and now they’re not interested in investigating what happened."

So here we are in Round Rock, where not only is the Superintendent refusing to give a trustee relevant documents, (which according to a 1983 Attorney General opinion he is legally obligated to provide,) but some board members are attempting to prevent any public scrutiny of the way contracts are awarded.  If there are issues, like the El Paso Board, these trustees will be held accountable for their respective actions.

While we are comparing Round Rock with El Paso, note that part of the EPISD scandal involved pushing certain students out of low performing schools in order to make it appear that test scores had improved.  Is similar reasoning behind the RRISD's inexplicable expenditure of $25 million on a campus for 'at-risk' students?  If the district could force as many low performing students as possible to the "Success Campus," then it would give the appearance of dramatic test score increases at failing high schools like Cedar Ridge.  Remember that it is easy to enroll students in the Success High School/At-Risk program, but apparently few of these enrollees actually attend.  Not as dramatically illegal as the El Paso scheme, but it does have troubling ethical implications.

The bottom line here is that we need transparency in government to keep folks honest, and the secrecy about PIE contracts and Success High School are really making the district look bad.  If there are no discrepancies in the PIE contracts, just release the documents for goodness sake.  Most of us believe the truth will set us free, but I guess that isn't true for everyone.  

***
In other fun notes on the RRISD board meeting:  Trustees defended their use of taxpayer dollars to bus select PTA members down to Austin for a political rally, even though students must pay for use of the buses.

Related Post:  Texas Legislature to Strengthen School Board Trustees' Ability to Govern and HB 628.

Making Education A Priority!

Since the Texas school finance trial is wrapping up today, (and the first judge to tackle this has ruled it all oh, so unconstitutional,) I thought it might be a good time to just post an example of how local school districts have"made education a priority" over the past decade.  While local districts have been denouncing those eeevil state legislators for not spending enough on public schools, as it turns out local leaders have been busy building, building, building, and of course state-of-the-art football stadiums have been very important.

After passing a $559 million bond package in 2007, Leander ISD demolished and rebuilt one football stadium (A.C. Bible,) for $12 million, and completely built a second stadium, (John Gupton,) for $22.5 million.  The really fun part is that LISD football fans can sit in the Gupton stadium on Friday nights and actually see the Round Rock ISD's $27 million stadium (Kelly Reeves,) only 2.4 miles away.

Pretty cool, huh?

Well, maybe not so cool if you are a Leander ISD parent or taxpayer.  You might be wondering why the district has empty school buildings, $1.8 billion in debt, and a negative Fitch rating.  

But, hey, the football is great.

View Larger Map

Leander ISD's John Gupton stadium is near the top of the map; Round Rock ISD's Kelly Reeves stadium is near the bottom right.   

Breaking News: RRISD Superintendent Chavez Announces Retirement

Round Rock Independent School District Superintendent Jesus Chavez announced today that he will be retiring at the end of this year.  Chavez, who is paid $260,000 per year plus benefits, has presided over a decline in academic achievement for the district, and has made numerous controversial statements. 

Chavez stated that he wants to spend more time with his family, but of course there is much speculation as why he suddenly decided to retire.  Not sure if the likely passage of HB 628 has anything to do with it...

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.