Is the BISD Bond Issue Reasonable?

Updated 10/23/06

by Ron West

FLASH:  Fort Worth Star Telegram endorses bond issue without identifying any citizen concerns.  Announces no organized opposition!  BISD mailed a new brochure designed to secure your vote without violating electioneering laws.  This brochure was referenced as planned by the PAC for distribution.  Apparently the school district can present only the "sales pitch" for the bonds without any reference to possible negatives and still skirt the electioneering laws.  Cost of mailing is not considered campaigning and postage alone may have exceeded $20,000 of your tax dollars.

                In just days now, we will again have an opportunity to spend millions upon millions of tax dollars for what is being touted as critically necessary expenditures.  This bond offering - like previous offerings from the current Board - does not contain any promises that the $128,600,000 will actually be spent for the items being listed.  It is up to us as voters (not just property owners who will bear the costs) to determine if we want to approve this level of spending.  Unlike prior offerings, the perceived critical or necessary has been packaged with the optional or wishful spending that could possibly not be classified as actually necessary.

            Perhaps the most important question is whether the spending of $128,600,000 will improve the education of the children and students in BISD or does it just provide a new level of extravagant monuments paid for by property owners.

            Prudent analysis should also note that enrollment in BISD is relatively flat or declining.  It is not a school district driven by increasing enrollments.  The prior bond offering was touted as a developmental tool for local cities.

            You must look at each of the elements of the $128,600,000 to see if it seems justified:

                1)    Replace two elementary schools to reduce (not replace) the need for 37 portable classrooms.  This implies that a) portable classrooms are bad and 2) portable classrooms do not provide a place where students can receive an education.  Please note that the construction of the two new schools for a combined cost of $26,600,000 would only REDUCE the need for the portable classrooms not necessarily replace them.  This yields a cost per school of $13,300,000 which must indicate that BISD is not looking at function as much as aesthetics.  A vote for this would yield two very, very fancy elementary schools that would rival the Walker Creek school that was overbuilt and is under utilized.

    Note:  The PAC website promoting this issue contains the following statement:

"Portable classrooms not only pose a safety threat to our students but also do not meet minimal functional requirements for instruction."

If this is a true statement then virtually every campus in the BISD district is a "safety threat" for the students and with this bond issue tracks for PE are more important than actually replacing the portable classrooms.  It only "reduces" the need for some of the "threats".

            2)    Renovate & expand locker rooms and add four-lane tracks at seven BISD middle schools.  This is supposed to address overcrowding for PE programs.  Cost - $11,500,000  Will this improve physical education or physical fitness?

            3)    Renovate & expand Haltom High School - (Second newest in District) - This $18,800,000 would REDUCE (note - not eliminate) the need for 14 portable classrooms.  The cost of this possible reduction seems quite high since it is not even predicted to totally replace the portable units.  Is it possible that there are other less sellable expenses included in this $18+ Million planning?

            4)    Build a new Richland High School but save the classroom and theater build in 1989 to show fiscal prudence.  Cost - a staggering $57,200,000.  It hasn't been too many years since you could have built the entire school district for this amount.  If passed, we should expect a real Taj Mahal school to rise on the grounds at Richland High School.  No figures are provided for the alternative full renovation of existing facilities at Richland High School nor is there any mention of replacing portable classrooms since none are present there now.

            5)    Build a new Career and Technology Center to replace the functional but aging Shannon unit at the old Birdville High School.  Cost $14,500,000.  BISD claims there is a waiting list for career and technology programs that cannot be addressed at other schools or in the current facility.  This new facility is to be built on the land that adjoins the NRH city offices off of Mid Cities Blvd - on land owned by BISD that was loaned without charge to Mayor Trevino for his concrete mixing plant.  No figures are provided for an expansion and renovation of existing facilities.

        I have received multiple solicitations carefully encouraging the passage of this expensive package that will increase property taxes if passed.  The benefits of the property tax reductions enacted by the State Legislature will largely be completely lost in the BISD area if the bonds are approved.  The net effect of the new issue combined with ever increasing property valuations will leave citizens with higher taxes for BISD than before the so called reductions.  The latest flyer from BISD seems to show further reductions for 2007-08 but since this is a projected number, when it is changed after passage of the bond issue, who could take issue with it being misleading?  Further - even if it is, there is nothing that can be done about it if we approve the bonds.

        There is no organized opposition to the bond issue.  BISD employees who would benefit from the issue may or may not live in the district to be impacted by the increased taxes required.  The offering is really five major bond projects that should have been presented as separate options to the voters.  Since that did not happen, this is a take it or leave it bond issue that is supposed to be a certain victory for BISD - paid for by you.   This is food for thought - before you vote!

        If it is passed, I would like to see the plaques in the various new monuments read only that they were paid for with taxes from the citizens of BISD and without the names of the various individuals in the elected or paid offices of BISD.  At least - then, they would only be monuments to the people who pay for them.

FLASH UPDATE:  10/16/06 9:00AM   -  Smoke & Mirrors?

A review of the information provided by BISD to the website supporting the bond issue I found the following information: (Comments added in red.)

        An article in the FW Star Telegram this morning indicated that the supporting PAC has raised about $1300 to support this issue and plans to send out or distribute 55,000 brochures this next week.  I must congratulate them because at $.39 per mailer for postage only that is going to cost about $21,450.  This does not include the cost of printing or producing the brochure. The finance report for the PAC showed assets of $2687 which included carryover from the prior promotion of the bonds that were defeated.  The article noted that Mayor Trevino is the largest contributor - so far - to the PAC.