School district finds funds after audit

We commend the Austin Independent School District (AISD) for requesting an audit to find savings – and savings they did find. The savings could be as much as $3 million by 2010. The savings were found in only three areas of the budget – food service, computer software use and janitorial services.

Rejected bond and tax rate increases

SOME LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TIGHTENING BELTS AFTER VOTERS REJECTED BOND PROPOSALS AND TAX INCREASES

Comptroller announces reorganization

Comptroller Susan Combs announces a reorganization of the Property Tax Division. Click the link to read the release.

http://www.window.state.tx.us/news2008/081103-proptax.htm

Continued efforts make for change in taxpayers favor. Keep applying the pressure. The powers that be are finally starting to get it. Changes in the PVS are coming and this should help local property taxpayers.

Congrats

Congrats go out to all the newly elected local officials. Taxpayers are watching and expectations are high.

On the national scene we are floating in uncharted waters. Hope is the theme!

Spirits and school boards

I completely looked over the article on the front page of the local rag two weeks ago with regards to a local school board member getting a ticket for 'spirit' taking from an open container on school grounds. Guess he was preparing for the upcoming Halloween season a little early.

One has to ask is this the kind of example you want from your elected leadership? Each individual will have to come to their own conclusion after careful thought .

Wonder if this is the reason for Twilight Supers bad management decisions! Oh well we will have to discuss bad decisions in a later post.

Quote fitting for the times

Always vote your principles, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. - John Adams

Another fine example

Humble ISD Begging for More Money
Submitted by dgreer on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 11:10am.

It is aggravating when superintendents ask for more money because they are operating with a deficit but it’s infuriating when they ask for it while operating with a surplus!

That is the name of the game in Humble ISD where Superintendent Dr. Guy Sconzo is begging tax payers to approve a 13 cent tax hike on November 22. He complains that what we have in Texas is an “inequitable” system of funding schools when what we really have is an inequitable system of running schools.

HISD’s fund balance in 2000 was 6 million; today the coffers are filled to the brim at more than 23 million. And voters are supposed to buy a tax increase?

From 2002 to 2007 the average increase in both students and teachers was 5%. Over the same 5 years total expenditures skyrocketed an average of 18% each year. That increase increase in spending did not make its way to the class room where spending has also been holding steady at 5%.

In 2002 HISD boasted a recognized ranking with an almost 90% passing rate on the TAAS test. Now it is rated acceptable, though a 74% passing rate on today’s TAKS can hardly be stomached as acceptable.