Wow! Mr. Baker presents some good information for consideration. The real cost of the bond is $72 million over 30 years. Do you want to mortgage your home with a tax lien for the next 30 years?
Mr. Boyd presents some information for thought as well. However, you must understand that Mr. Boyd is employed by the PISD. He has something to gain - he might get to work in a brand new facility. However, when I reviewed the property tax rolls at the appraisal district I do not find Mr. Boyd's name on the rolls. Does he not live in Camp County? Why would someone who does not own property want to cause others to pay a higher tax burden? Mr. Boyd's data is the same as supplied by the school district. I remind you that the data supplied by the school district does not match the data on the TEA web site. The data supplied by the PISD does not match the data at the US Dept. of Education. Some will tell you that this is due to the fact that the data is reported at different times of the year. Numbers are not going to change that much, so why the disconnect? Truth is that over the last four years the numbers have been trending down. The bond agency reported a ONE (1) student increase in the high school population over the past four years.
I like that Mr. Boyd goes back to the years of 1986-1987 to prove the increase in numbers. This makes the numbers look large. If you look at the numbers from 2000 the numbers are showing a slight decrease. As we move through the current junior and senior classes then the school numbers actually start to trend downward. There are two large classes, but these are temporary and should not be the reason to place a large property tax burden on those who pay the bills for the next 30 years.
One other point made by Mr. Boyd in favor is "If we want to continue to have the best faculty then we need to give them the best we can to teach our students. If we want to continue to bring in the best new teachers, we must have something to offer them in return." Guess Mr. Boyd thinks a new building will motivate someone to teach in PISD, when in reality it takes a higher paycheck. People are motivated by money not structures.
In all fairness, I offered Mr. Boyd an opportunity to have an active role in the debate on this blog and he declined.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
15 comments:
I too have done research, and find that none of the things you say are true "our money". The source that you are getting your information from is very against this bond election and is twisting the information around and around. Like the net of 1 student. That information was used by them to show that if we had one net growth and no houses built here in the next thirty years than this would be the projected growth. They started with the most conservative example to use, and your source is taking that information out of context and making it seem like the real numbers. As for the TEA numbers, they are different becuase they add in all other schools and districts around the area to match up that data. The numbers that the school gets information from, and was even noted in the paper on the graph in last weeks paper so you can view it, takes the number of every student. The TEA only takes the numbers of students that make it all the way through the year. The reasons the numbers are different is because students move, come, and come back, and the major point....read this..., the major point to why their numbers at TEA are lower, is because they don't count the students that the school district gets the full 100% attendance from. If you miss more than 18 days of school a year, they do not count you as the school getting its 100% out of that student. So of course their are many students that have to do summer school or drop down to the next grade because they missed more than they were suppose to. The reason the school counts ever student at the present time is because they have to make sure they have the right amount of room, desk space, books, and everything else. Please stop saying that the numbers do not match up, because they of course wont. As for you saying that the school district is not giving out the right information, that is also false. The school district's law firm has looked over ALL the information and researched everything. Everything is facts and they are even one of the most respected and largest law firms in the state. I ask of you on this blog to get the facts and base them on that. Their is a major support for this bond election and we need it in every way their is. Please know the information and only post true things.
Another wrong fact from you is where it says since 2000 we have seen a slight decrease. Where are you getting that from? Lets do some basic figures.....
I see from the web site, that is very well put together, That 11th grade has around 160 students. OK, lets keep that as our base total, anything under that will represent a decrease in each grade.
10th grade- 180
9th- 195
8th- 190
7th- 178
6th- 165
5th- 168
4th- 205
3rd- 210
2nd- 200
1st- 162
K- 175
Like I said, Where are you getting your information from? It is given to you right here, nothing has decreased under the 11th grade total, nothing. This shows that each grade will be bigger than what is in them now. Why are you so against this bond election? Why don't you understand the facts?
Yea, i finally learned how to get on here.
Can't anyone see that this is someone on here just talking to himself and not having any true information? This blog, the negative write ups in the paper, and jeff sneeds e-mail that was sent to everyone in town, has helped voters want to vote YES!! Keep up the good work on saying the wrong things!
Things are finally changing in this town, New Hospital, New Park for the kids & community (maybe if we can get by one person set out to
stop progress for his own wants) and the chance to move our School System to the front of the pack-second to none in this area. Anything new will cost money any where we live, and all towns pay taxes. Pittsburg has had a tax rate
in the lower 10% of the state for many years, just ask people who live in other towns close to Pittsburg what their tax rate has been. The sad part is the Letter To
The editor regular writers that complain about everything all the time will never be happy with ANYTHING THAT IS DONE that cost money. How could one community be so lucky for all them to end up in
PITTSBURG, TEXAS. Most of them are
not native Pittsburg people, no children in school here, not involved in any Community Civic program but they want to tell everybody else what to do & how to do it because they are Smarter, More wealthy, and lots of know how
on every subject. Just vote yes on
May 10th and send them a message that change is in the air for the better.
pittfan, i agree with you. Progress is taking place in Pittsburg. Along with those others, they have started on the new hotel and church, other stores are expanding like B&S and Sonic just to name a few. As for the person on here saying the U.S. is in a recession, maybe so, but if he would do his homework he would see Texas is not. Texas was not hit hard at all by the housing market like the rest of the counrty and other things I could list all day. We need to keep Pittsburg going!! Don't let them hold us back! And the one person asked where is this "our money" or wild blue getting his info? I think we all know, and well... we all know what is happening with his source now after what he did the other day. That will just hurt their cause at trying to bring the election down even more. I hope that this guy on this only taxpayer money blog will just face the facts and say he was wrong.
Glad to see we finally have some debate.
Some one made a comment about a law firm looking over the numbers -
they are paid to agree with the numbers provided by the PISD. The law firm is not responsible for the research; however, the bond agency is. They are the one's responsible for selling these bonds in the open market. Why would the bond agency make the statement in their report for the net one (1) increase notation? They don't want to be in the courthouse if the bonds should go bad.
Another interesting point is about only counting the students who count for the state money. If these students are missing from class so much then they are not taking up space. They get to come back in the summer when there is plenty of space. Sounds like the space argument is vague. I was on one of the campus locations yesterday and I saw no space problem. In reality what I saw was too much space in some cases and the space not being utilized at its maximum ability.
As to the numbers, where do your numbers come from? The comments presented by bdawn1234 on the counting of students is in conflict with what is stated on the TEA web site. If you have a contact name at the TEA then please provide.
10th grade- 180
9th- 195
8th- 190
7th- 178
6th- 165
5th- 168
4th- 205
3rd- 210
2nd- 200
1st- 162
K- 175
Most of the numbers provided by bdawn1234 are actually lower than what is provided by the TEA, except as noted in an earlier post that there are three classes larger than the others. The current 3rd, 4th, and Sophomore class are the classes larger than the others. If doing a data comparison then the case for a new school complex does not add up even with the information that has been posted by others on this site.
Another interesting bit of information that comes from the bond agency is the Taxable Value amount of $562,142,485 (of which all this finance information is based) does not take into account the total amount of properties that have the 65 frozen school tax exemption. The bond agency based their information on the total taxable value. Not every thing in this county is taxed, but it is on the roll.
Perhaps one needs to think about the kids in the fact that you will be putting this mountain of debt on their shoulders. For this will last 30 years and those in the 1st grade today will be 36 when the debt is paid off. You help a community progress by having a low tax rate!
Here are some new numbers that confirm the downward trend if you want to look at the short term as suggested by bdawn1234:
06-07 2461 Total Students
07-08 2419 Total Students
Decrease in total student population of 42 students.
Considering the short term the trend is down. Guess there must be something to the bond agency's increase of ONE (1) student.
Like everyone in town is saying, you have the facts sir, you don't care to hear them. NO one can debate you because, 1: you have no true facts, just your assumptions; and 2: your just going to find an excuse to go with what ever is said. The sky is blue- well no, its sometimes white because of the clouds and what sky are you talking about, the sky in space, thats black with white stars. Give me a break!!!
These guys with this blog know they are the underdog in this and they are hanging on by a thread. They need to make everything fit for them so they can have an argument. When people are down they will try to do and say anything so someone will listen to them. I think we all should just stop talking on this blog and let them go down with their own ship!
So, as a property owner and taxpayer I am just suppose to accept the data provided by the PISD as being real? If you were told to jump into the fire, would you do it without asking questions?
Kind of like that video that shows the hallway to narrow because someone put some lockers in the hallway where they were not supposed to go. Take the lockers out and move them to another location (Central Locker location like other schools) then the hallway problem is solved.
It is a lot cheaper to build a Central Locker location than it is to build a complete new school complex that includes a gym and an auditorium.
And every issue was looked at? Committee relied on the findings of the 2003 committee which contained most of the same people. If you agree with the new high school complex then you are causing harm to the children in the system who really need the facility improvements.
face it man... the truth hurts sometimes. Our school district has done a great job at trying to find and make every possible space for our kids. That can only go so far, with portable buildings, classrooms being cut in half, hallways made into classrooms, closet space. It is time our kids had to stop sacrificing and we make some sacrifices for them. I know you have never had any kids go through this school district, Bob had his kids in Dallas area school system, sneed is building a big brand new house. You guys need to stop saying stuff that your not living through!
AMEN!!! Casy46. Good post! And we should let this guy be, captin goes down with his ship.
“buying stale cakes at a bake sale for the band,” “sucker born every minute,” “Make no mistake this is not for the children. The children could care less about the structure,” “Some one made a comment about a law firm looking over the numbers - they are paid to agree with the numbers provided by the PISD,” “In reality what I saw was too much space in some cases and the space not being utilized at its maximum ability,” “If you were told to jump into the fire, would you do it without asking questions?”
“Our money” is just digging himself deeper and deeper! Except the true data, stop listing to the person giving you the wrong information, and stop arguing with every word a person says. This Blog is a joke! One guy griping about something he knows nothing about. Take some advice and for once listen… People will respect your opinion if you don’t argue about everything they have to say. If you keep saying the same things over and over again, and keep writing in the paper over and over again, people will get tired of you (too late) and not take anything you have to say seriously.
VOTE YES!! on May 10th!!
Only Taxpayer Money is saying that students that are absent a lot are a waste of space. Let me ask you something... so you want to call students every morning and ask if they are coming to school today!?!? "Hey are you coming to school today, because if not we are going to call john doe and he will be able to come today because we have the space!" The school must supply them the space and resources no matter if they come to school everyday, miss a few, or miss alot! Stop making excuses!
Post a Comment