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Frisco School Issues....

9,375 Views | 81 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by cadetjay02
TMfrisco
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AG
I voted against the TRE.

However, the Star was a "no brainer". It was paid for by funds that could not be used for operations. The district needed a new stadium for 10 High Schools - Memorial and Toyota are the only 2 other stadiums. $30 million is cheap for the use of that stadium with no on-going maintenance fees. McKinney just passed approximately $60 million for their new stadium.

My reasons for voting against - I have lived there since 1995 and have an 8th grader who would have opened Memorial HS next year - were very similar to the reasons listed above. In addition, I do not believe the district has done everything they could to manage expenses. They knew what was coming for over 5 years now and their plan was this tax increase.

I say that because of the way the election was handled:
- in the summer instead of with the general election
- election sites at schools exclusively
- asked for max amount
- scare tactics if it didn't pass

For instance, the ISD floated the idea of "Participation Fees" for extracurricular activities, the amount mentioned was $300/activity. I contacted the ISD after the election to ask how many kids participate in extracurricular activities, how many in 2, how many in 3. I was told by a trustee and somebody in an official capacity that they did not know the answer to those questions and had no way of giving me a number without doing a substantial amount of work. Of course I asked, "How did you come up with the $300?" - no answer.

After the conversations I have had, it is my belief that the ISD will do everything they can to cut costs, hope the State improves funding, and then go back to the voters with a new TRE in 2018 for an amount less than the maximum.

In the mean time, they will be watching enrollment #s closely. Two years ago enrollment increased by 3000, last year, 3500, this year only 2500. In fact, this is the first year in over 20 that the incoming kindergarten class is smaller then the previous year's. They need to know if this is a blip or a trend. Have housing prices grown to the point that young families with young kids can't afford to move to Frisco? Will this cause growth to slow.

They were able to absorb not opening the 4 new schools because of excess capacity in other schools. So why did they accelerate the building of these new campuses? The answer I received was it takes them 3 years to get a new HS opened - 1 to plan and 2 to build. Elementarys they can get done in 1 year because they use the same plan for each school.

It is a difficult position, but I do not believe they have operated as efficiently as they could because of how easily tax increases have passed for the last 20 years.
cadetjay02
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AG
Good write up. I see first hand everyday the inefficient spending at the campus level, I know there is more at the top as well. Totally agree with the fear mongering and attempted gerrymandering of the election itself.
AgLaw
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AG
TMfrisco said:

After the conversations I have had, it is my belief that the ISD will do everything they can to cut costs, hope the State improves funding, and then go back to the voters with a new TRE in 2018 for an amount less than the maximum.
The reason schools ask for the maximum is because there is no mechanism under Texas law to allow ISDs to move their rate up without a TRE. Why would a school district raise their rate to $1.10, knowing they are going to have to ask for another increase the next year to $1.12 and another the year after that to $1.15? Under current Texas law, this would require three different TREs - which comes with additional costs and the risk of being rejected.

An unsuccessful bill was filed last legislative session - and will be filed again in the 2017 legislative session - to allow ISDs to seek voter approval for a max rate, with flexibility to raise and lower to that max rate over time as a means of better managing tax needs. For example, in the scenario above, FISD could get voter approval for an increase to $1.15, but collect their $1.10 in year one, $1.12 in year two and $1.15 in year three. The way the system works now, if an ISD is going out for a TRE, it makes no sense to go for less than the max if you know you will eventually need the money.

To me, this makes sense. Allow the voters to establish the max and then hold your trustees accountable for spending within the limits. I am encouraging my reps to support this bill. ISDs are the only taxing authority in the state regulated in this fashion. Take the handcuffs off, and your local trustees and district administrators may be able to save you some money. Sounds like this is the kind of flexibility FISD needs.
TMfrisco
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AG
Thanks. I did not know about the law in the way you explained it. The new bill going to the legislature certainly makes sense.
Based on the conversations I had with other voters - they all said they would have voted for an increase to cover just what was needed, but not the max. The trustee I spoke with did not come out and say they would ask for another one, but did ask how I would have voted and would vote if the amount was less.
AgLaw
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AG
You're not the only person who is confused by the law in this area. The entire school financing scheme is so overly legislated its at the point of being unworkable. The Chair of the House Education Committee last session filed a bill to completely overhaul financing, but he filed it too late for it to gain any traction. I'm hopeful they get something done this session, but I'm not optimistic.
DannyDuberstein
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I guess it makes sense if you actually want to get it to pass after losing people's trust in your financial disciplone after pimping out the admin building, among other things.
TrueMaroon
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AG
The information FISD published trying to get the TRE. was mostly false...including a lot what they said ofabout state aid and leaving out the fact that the legislature had made some significant chgs in 2015. FISD had 28million for 15/16 than they were telling the public in May when all was said and done. They are going through a process to prioritze the spending that was long overdue ...and it is already pointing out the school district has not been wise for a long time. I can give you pages and oages of misformation FISD has put out
TrueMaroon
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I just saw this ..... Lots of misinformation... will post tonight with lots of facts ... i hsve been digging into Fisd budget.. what they had reported to Tea. Etc etc for several years and also including Public information requests from Fisd
Bonfire1996
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AG
I voted against. I felt FISD was dishonest throughout the process. I felt their actions were very similar to the Obama Admin during the government shutdown by threatening to punish taxpayers in a very public way while protecting their own Bureaucracy. Their actions after the vote doubled down on their almost militant status towards the taxpayers of Frisco. That solidified my view that I made the right decision.

As the CFO of a business who has had peaks and valleys, I have had to "make it work" under severe cash shortfalls. I didn't lash out at people who made my business difficult. I didn't lash out at my customers who wouldn't accept price increases. I didn't lash out at customers who were experiencing financial trouble just like me. I couldn't.

Frisco ISD needs to learn that money doesn't grow on trees, and that you can't punish the taxpayers you claim to serve. A little humility would have gone a long way in this vote, but they chose a different path.
tamutaylor12
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Outside looking in perspective: it sounds like the residents want all these smaller schools for better opportunities but don't want increased admin costs and rezoning. That's pretty dang impossible.
agfrisco
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AG
For the other side of the story go to FriscoUnited.com
The FISD did a ton of fear mongering. As it turns out there wasn't a huge shortfall as they promised. Thanks to about 100 residents the truth got out to the voters. The school board tried to rig the vote by changing polling locations and having a fifth or sixth election hoping on rely on voter fatigue and that teachers and admin were told to vote For or no raises(even though the approved budget had raised). They hoped to get 4-5000 FISD votes out of what would normally be a 10,000 or so turnout. Had the election been held with the Presidental election the Tre would have failed by a huge margin.
Now rather than be more transparent the board decided to add a citizen's committee to the process. It is about 75% Yes voters and should have been tilted towards No voters if they wanted to be transparent and obtain community support.
Ask about the "Noskin rule" the board put in place at a the last meeting before a No vote board member was elected to the board. Prior to adding that rule any board member could put an item on the agenda. Now it requires two members. First time in history they have silenced any public discussion of an item by a board member. Here's hoping the Frisco residents turn out the other six rubber stamp board members for Dr Lyons. BTW his combined family income from FISD is almost $400k. I have been told a two star General is slightly over 200k. In addition they gave Lyons a huge raise in last year or so with three years guaranteed.
Apologize in advance for typos.
TMfrisco
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AG
agfrisco said:

For the other side of the story go to FriscoUnited.com
The FISD did a ton of fear mongering. As it turns out there wasn't a huge shortfall as they promised. Thanks to about 100 residents the truth got out to the voters. The school board tried to rig the vote by changing polling locations and having a fifth or sixth election hoping on rely on voter fatigue and that teachers and admin were told to vote For or no raises(even though the approved budget had raised). They hoped to get 4-5000 FISD votes out of what would normally be a 10,000 or so turnout. Had the election been held with the Presidental election the Tre would have failed by a huge margin.
Now rather than be more transparent the board decided to add a citizen's committee to the process. It is about 75% Yes voters and should have been tilted towards No voters if they wanted to be transparent and obtain community support.
Ask about the "Noskin rule" the board put in place at a the last meeting before a No vote board member was elected to the board. Prior to adding that rule any board member could put an item on the agenda. Now it requires two members. First time in history they have silenced any public discussion of an item by a board member. Here's hoping the Frisco residents turn out the other six rubber stamp board members for Dr Lyons. BTW his combined family income from FISD is almost $400k. I have been told a two star General is slightly over 200k. In addition they gave Lyons a huge raise in last year or so with three years guaranteed.
Apologize in advance for typos.
The "Noskin Rule" bothered me as well. However, I have a good friend who is a Superintendent and I asked him about this and many other questions I had before voting.
He said it is not uncommon at all to have that kind of rule simply for time-saving. If a subject is going to be brought up only to be voted down 7-1, you can waste a lot of time in discussions that will go nowhere. I know the board members choose to be there, but I don't blame them for not wanting to "waste" time.
If a 2nd person will endorse a subject, then there is more need for discussion.

Now, how they treated him - not allowing him to attend some of the ceremonies because they waited to swear him in - that's a different matter.

cadetjay02
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AG
I don't know the guy, but when you run on a platform that is basically anti public schools you probably don't make many friends. I personally knew one candidate that lost to him and she has invested considerable more time and effort into FISD than him. That being said, there have been some lackluster board members over the past decade that appeared to have the district's best interest on the surface, but in actuality were far from it.
 
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