article from the Cleburne Times Review, with comments in parentheses
-cleburne times review article cisd bond battle intensifies-
As early voting for Cleburne ISD’s proposed $130 million bond nears participants ranging from CISD officials to residents to Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain and at least some members of the Johnson County Republican Party on both sides of the debate continue to up their efforts by arguing either for or against the proposal.
Voters residing within CISD’s district will weigh in on the proposed bond on May 7. Voters last year rejected the district’s $150 million bond proposal. *( and yet, here we are! having to say NO all over again! )*
The current proposal calls for construction of a new high school, renovations and repairs to Cooke and Coleman elementary schools, establishment of a career and technical education center in the current high school and additional upgrades throughout the district.
Cleburne residents Alden Nellis and Pete Wrench recently laid out their opposition points to the bond, points CISD officials understandably disagree with.
A resolution adopted by the executive committee of the Johnson County Republican Party on April 5 opposing the bond election has proved controversial as well, prompting Cain and other Cleburne residents to decry what they label attempts by outsiders to influence a local election. *(and not once has anyone brought up that not only does the JCRP have a right to free speech, but a perfect right to their opinion when they OWN PROPERTY in Cleburne that will have high taxes due to this bond scam! )*
Burleson resident Joe Palmer, program director of the Johnson County Republican Party and a member of the party’s executive committee, introduced the proposal. Palmer, among other points, argues that the bond amount is too much given CISD’s current debt of about $43 million. Palmer countered outsider charges lobbed by Cain and others by pointing out that many non-Cleburne residents still own property within the city and therefore will feel the effects of CISD’s increased property tax rates.
Pro and con controversy
The $130 million sought by CISD represents the largest amount of money borrowed in Cleburne history, Wrench said, a charge CISD officials confirm.
Repayment would actually total about $233,533,619 once interest is factored in, Wrench said.
CISD officials said the estimated interest total of about $103 million is just that, an estimate and that market conditions at the time of the bond’s sale will determine the actual interest rate. *( and that right there is why we don't want YOU GUYS to have this much of our money, because of your attitude of 'oh, a million here, a million there, what does it matter?' )*
Wrench said CISD’s property tax rate will increase from $1.37 per $100 of property valuation to about $1.63 per $100 should the bond proposal pass, which would elevate CISD to the second highest taxed district in Johnson County and the sixth highest in Texas.
CISD officials confirmed the first charge but said they did not do a statewide comparison. *(because, you know, that would have made them look bad..)*
“That tax rate would be 97.4 percent of the absolute of the absolute maximum allowed by law, $1.67,” Wrench said. “In other words, CISD basically wants to max out their credit card and send the bill to us the taxpayers.” *( exactly! )*
Passage of the bond proposal would also mark the 17th tax rate increase in Cleburne in the past decade, Wrench said.
“Since 2005, the tax rate for CISD has increased once, when voters approved the tax ratification election in 2014,” district officials said.
CISD, officials stressed, has no involvement or control over the tax rates of other entities in the city. *(but the taxpayers still have to pay 'em all!)*
Passage of the bond, Wrench said, would raise school taxes 32.7 percent over two years ago, numbers district officials also confirmed.
Wrench and Nellis also disagreed with, in their words, claims by CISD that the bond will have “no affect” on residents 65 and older as their property taxes are frozen.
“Many citizens over 65 own more than one property and only their primary residence qualifies to be frozen,” Nellis said. “The frozen status does not apply to additions or remodeling of the property.”
CISD officials admitted as much. *(when having the facts put up in front of them on a big marker board, with pictures, diagrams, and an inability to lie about it in a public forum.)*
The cost of living for senior citizens will increase, Wrench said, because most businesses will pass their tax increases on to customers.
Most of the tax burden will fall on low-income property owners, Wrench said, and about 66 percent of CISD students come from economically disadvantaged families, according to Texas Education Agency numbers.
Property taxes, district officials answered, depend upon the value of the owner’s property. As of August 2015, they said, the average home value in Cleburne totaled $93,140, which would result in taxes of $931.21.
Wrench and Nellis said the bond will do almost nothing to improve CISD academics, given that bond funds cannot be used to hire teachers, raise their pay or otherwise invest in classroom instruction. ( Besides have one school room that smells like new paint miraculously creating a better educational process over one that doesn't, what about all those new sports fields, aka: the SPORTS PLEX, seen in the 'artists renderings' on the school bond website, how is THAT going to improve academics?)*
“Only about 4 percent of the bond principal, in the form of technology, theoretically could improve academics,” Wrench said. “Yet academics, not shiny new buildings, is the primary criterion parents consider when deciding where to educate their children.” *(also, those tablets they want to give all the kids will be out of date 20 years before the bond is paid off, and even though the administration says 'oh, we'll have THAT portion of the bond paid off in 5 years', that means they are still taking out a 5 year note on $200 widgets, which is ridiculous.)*
CISD officials said about $5.8 million will go to technology upgrades for all campuses.
“Every classroom in the district will be impacted by this bond,” officials said. “In the form of instructional technology, with new audio/visual digital equipment, including interactive projectors and document cameras. All teachers will receive a presentation laptop to be used in the operation of their new classroom technology.” *(as part of a bond meant for infrastructure, not short term life technology. Would you take out a 5 year note, or a 25 year note, on a computer from the 90's? )*
The new bond proposal, Wrench and Nellis argue, ignores the will of Cleburne voters given that they turned down last year’s $150 million proposal. *( It's AMAZING how the priorities change, last year the school just HAD to HAVE a NEW FOOTBALL STADIUM, and now they just HAVE to HAVE a NEW HIGH SCHOOL and... SPORTS PLEX.. right. How many times do we have to say no?)*
“The 2016 bond is completely different from the referendum presented to voters in 2015,” district officials said, adding that a committee made up of a cross section of the community studied the district’s needs to generate proposals. *( It's $20 Million less! With a high school! and a sports plex. That realllly smells like a new football stadium is going to be snuck in there...)*
District officials dispute Wrench’s claim that student enrollment has declined and said it has increased by about 200 students since this time last year. *(talk to the school board about the studies done showing student numbers growth in Cleburne, it'll be 10 years before the existing high school is at capacity. )*
CISD, Nellis said, is rated within the bottom 25 percent of Texas schools, according to schooldigger.com.
“The annual TEA Accountability Ratings is the rating system utilized by public schools as the state’s assessment in measuring student performance, year-to-year student progress, efforts to close performance gaps in academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students and a campuses’ two lowest-performing racial/ethnic groups and postsecondary readiness,” district officials responded to Nellis’ charge. “In 2015, CISD received the top rating of Met Standard as did all campuses, with the exception of one elementary school. *(Then why did most of the incoming freshmen this year test at a 6th grade reading level?)*
“In addition, TEA awarded a total of 11 Distinction Designations to six CISD campuses relating to academic achievement, student progress and postsecondary readiness, with three of the designations awarded to Cleburne High School for academic achievement in science and social studies and postsecondary readiness. *(again, freshmen, 6th grade reading level?)*
“Cleburne High School has also been named to the College Board AP Honor Roll for the second consecutive year for increasing access to AP coursework while simultaneously meeting or increasing the percentage of students earning three or higher on AP exams. Only 23 Texas school districts received this recognition. *(so how many studens from CISD are going on to college when they have a substandard reading level?)*
“The importance of facilities to health and student performance is ‘well established, according to the 2016 State of Our Schools: America’s K-12 Facilities report, a joint publication of the 21st Century School Fund, National Council on School Facilities and The Center for Green Schools, in which it states ‘research shows that high-quality facilities help improve student achievement, reduce truancy and suspensions, improve staff satisfaction and retention and raise property values.’” *(Really, if we'd just give them $130 Million Dollars without any oversight so they can build the Hilton of High Schools, they PROMISE that we'll have much better educated kids. They PROMISE. Of course, no one in the administration is liable for what they do, because when things don't work out, the Superintendents just get paid hundreds of thousdands of dollars of 'go away' money, per their contract, and then the NEXT GUY comes in with his song and dance until he makes a buck or two and leaves as well. Show me some accountability from someone, ANYONE, in the administration. )*
Cleburne resident Harry Schaffer, who also opposes the bond, joined Wrench in arguing that the bond as proposed is too much money, too vaguely worded and holds voters hostage to an unnecessary high school. Schaffer, Wrench and Nellis agree that Cooke and Coleman need attention but argued for a smaller bond proposal to cover those and what they called other actual district needs.
Cain and CISD officials counter that the high school is overcrowded (update, when pressed, the superintendent stated that the rooms are fine, but the HALLS are crowded when the bell rings! I kid you not), outdated, hazardous and needs replacing. *(Well maybe if you guys would stop using classrooms for storage, you wouldn't have that problem. Outdated? Some of the best colleges in our country are made up of buildings over 200 years old, and in other countries like the UK, even older. Are you saying that walls have an expiration date? Hazardous? HAZARDOUS?? Really? Big sinkholes everywhere, swallowing up students? Rickety stairs? Ceilings falling in? that kind of Hazardous? Because if that's the case, WHY HAVE YOU, THE ADMINISTRATION, NOT BEEN MAINTAINING THESE BUILDINGS??!!!! Come up with some better b.s. guys, or who me who is accountable for these failures, so THAT person can be fired,sued, and go to jail for such 'dangerous' schools. Better yet, how about leaving the maintenance budget money.. IN.. the maintenance budget, and repair the damn schools the way you are supposed to. )*
“What we need to do is get back to the issue, which is that our students need and deserve safe and updated facilities,” Cain said. *(Once again, why the hell haven't you guys been maintaining the facilities all these years? And if you can't do that, what makes you think we're going to give you $130 Million Dollars??)*
Schaffer disagreed and said the issue should be improving academics, not new buildings. *(Incredible! A voice of reason!)*
“Instead of this build it and let’s see if they come attitude they should wait a few years to see if the growth they’re hoping for actually comes and at that time, if it’s necessary, revisit the high school,” Schaffer said. “But the amount of money they’re wanting in this bond will not help the district’s academic problem and these kids are so far behind. *(Exactly. The administration wants $130 Million Dollars on A BET that if they build it, people will move to Cleburne because of the high school. That is NUTS. Let's stick to facts, not gambling.)*
“The root problem is in the elementary schools and none of the current population predictions I’ve seen for Cleburne dictate that we ought to be spending the money to build all this stuff they want at this time. The numbers just don’t add up.
“But the No. 1 reason I don’t support the bond is that I don’t trust the school board and administration to spend the money based on their history and track record.” *(These guys couldn't even build a cheap hot dog stand at Wheat Middle School! Not only did the school board budget $245,000 for this thing, which is more than most three story houses with a pool in town, but they couldn't even stick to THAT budget, and the thing ended up costing $277,000, or more, as they aren't really sure what the final number was! These people shouldn't be anywhere NEAR $130 Million Dollars.)*
Heath, during Friday’s Pinnacle Club 50 meeting, called passage of the bond vital and encouraged attendees to discuss the need for the bond with their family members and neighbors.
“It’s easy to talk about what’s not right,” Heath said. “But there’s a lot of good things going on at CISD too and in the short time I’ve been here I’ve come to know that this is a community that supports our kids. *(So please support our kids with a $130 Million Dollar Bond that will do nothing for academics but will put them in debt for the next generation if they choose to stay and live in Cleburne? Please support our kids when the administration has most incoming freshmen reading at a 6th grade level, and you guys call that NORMAL? Is that the kind of support you're talking about?)*
Bond funds, among other things, will greatly increase the capacity of the district’s Career and Technical Education Department offering marketable skills to those students who, for whatever reasons, may not go on to pursue college degrees. *(LOL.. whatever reason? How about the reason that YOU GUYS didn't teach them to read, and thus they couldn't get into a 4 year college!!!)*
Heath said it’s important to study up on the proposal and become informed and said many of those opposed are spreading misinformation and/or pushing a political agenda from outside of the district. *(Misinformation?? YOU GUYS are the people that manipulated the folks in the bond committee SO BAD that 1/3 of them stopped coming to the meetings, because YOU TOLD them that the outcome of the meetings had already been decided, and you just wanted their consensus, ie: RUBBER STAMP on the thing, so that YOU GUYS could say, 'See everyone? The people do support the bond!'. You've been misleading when telling people all the additional costs that will incur to those living in Cleburne, basically, a high cost of living that will be passed from business owners to those who live in Cleburne. And telling people 'it's only the cost of a hamburger a week! or $1 a day, or whatever other 'misleading' sales pitches YOU GUYS have thrown out to the taxpayers. .. and Political Agendas? How about personal interest in not getting screwed on properties owned in Cleburne, even if they aren't a main living residence? )*
Cleburne resident Albert Archer, a supporter of the proposal, echoed Heath’s call for residents to inform themselves of the issue.
“To anyone who doubts the need, I would say don’t let someone tell you, go out and take a look for yourself,” Archer said. “Go to the high school during the day, look around and see what our kids and teachers have to work with. *(It's.. it's.. just.. so HORRIBLE. A 27 year old school! Falling down around our ears! 3 seniors got swallowed up by sinkholes just last week! The toilets aren't gold plated, and we have STANDARDS! The personal hot tubs for the teaching staff are too close together! And the kitchen doesn't have all stainless steel countertops! It's just so horrible.. sniff.. )*
“If you still need a reason to vote for this, I can give you 3,000 reasons, our students who deserve better than we’ve provided for them. One trip out there and you’ll know that we’re not doing right by our kids.” *( Right. One trip out there, and take a book out there with you for the freshmen to read. When they can't, or worse yet, when the upper classmen can't, then you'll know they're not doing right by the kids, for sure. More Teachers would be a start, but one wall over another will make no difference in how those kids are educated, and WE THE PEOPLE are not going to fork out $130 Million Dollars for an unnecessary school when you can't even maintain or properly educate the kids in the one you've got! )*
Cleburne resident Amber Witte, also a supporter, expressed anger and indignation at the same meeting over people from outside Cleburne campaigning against the bond. *( Dang those people for having a personal interest in the taxes on their business properties here!)*
“It’s not their decision,” Witte said. “It’s our decision.” *(Well it's gonna be their decision to close those business and sell those properties or just cut 'em loose if you tax 'em to death, at which point, Cleburne will be well on it's way to looking like Detroit, and look how well that process worked for them?)*
Witte reiterated Cain’s advice urging residents who are contacted by anyone opposed to the bond to ask them if they live in Cleburne and, if not, why they care about a Cleburne election. *(Maybe they hate scam artists. Maybe they have family in Cleburne. Maybe they own property in Cleburne but reside somewhere else. Maybe they saw what happened with Beaumont ISD's bond fraud, and don't want that to happen to Cleburne. )*
Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey, also at the Pinnacle Club 50 meeting, joked that the group opposing the CISD bond election is the “same group that said I’m not electable.” *(and maybe you still aren't! This bond is a SCAM. It's a SCAM because it isn't 'for.. the.. CHILDREN..', it's a SCAM because it is a large bond for a lot of unnecessary infrastructure being sold by an administration that want the money WITHOUT ANY OVERSIGHT. Your school board couldn't even provide oversight to make sure an overpriced hot dog stand at Wheat Middle School was built efficiently and under budget, and you think they'll do a better job with $130 Million Dollars? If your kid absolutely has to go to the Hilton of High Schools, send 'em to a private school. Until then, hold this administration accountable for a decent education for the kids, and they shouldn't need $130 Million Dollars to do it.)*
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