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by PBMom from The Woodlands

Last Post 10 hours Ago


Superintendants Spending Your Money
Jul 18, 2008 | 2:17 AM
Category: News
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There was a report out this past week that you might be interested in reviewing. It lists each school district in Texas, how large the student population is, and how much the superintendants have spent wining and dining. They article also has some examples of what those expenses were.

http://www.peytonwolcott.com/TexasSupeExpenses.html

After reviewing it, do you believe your district is being a good steward of money, or do you think a fancy $70 per plate dinner (in one example) for 35 people is an abuse of taxpayer money.

Have you ever done any records requests of your own district to get answers about what money they are spending of your tax dollars on certain things? What was the outcome? Did you encounter any resistance from the district? I don't really see a reason for expenses like this unless the superintendant has to go out of town to a conference and should have the type of dollar-per-meal amounts that we have set in our company and if you want to eat anything more expensive than that, it comes from your own pocket.

Superintendants, special educators, and others were gathering in Austin this week for a TCASE conference at the Renaissance Hotel, which is over $300 a night. Fees will also include meals (at the best restaurants for the most expensive food), mileage or airline tickets, rental cars, etc.   The people putting on the conference:  Walsh Anderson law firm who is getting rich and owning summer homes and driving awesome cars because of the money it is getting from the school districts they represent in Texas, which is coming from your taxes, which has become a very profitable industry for them.

So look it over and come back here and let me know what you think? 

 

11 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 11
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chassan read my blog view my photos
Jul 18, 2008 | 7:56 AM

PBMom,

Peyton has been doing this for years. She believes we have a right to know what districts are doing with our money.

She's even come close to getting arrested in her pursuit of information in one school district.

I think disclosure of information to all the taxpayers is a good thing. The public has a right to know how its money is being spent.

Such disclosures encourage school district officials to be careful about how they spend the money, especially if there's a backlash.
PBMom read my blog view my photos
Jul 18, 2008 | 5:14 PM

I agree with the need for transparency. There is too much waste going on. Thanks for the heads up that she has come close to getting arrested. Jeff is a bit worried about my new involvement with the group I'm working with that the law firms will try to sue for defamation of character, like Feldman & Rogers tried to do with the Galveston ISD watch web site owner for allowing others to post their feelings about individuals on the site in the comments. I can understand that a district needs to retain a lawyer for certain business aspects of running a district, but for the lawyers training them in how to do wrong and not get caught is way over the line. Like how to use special education funds to redecorate the teacher's lounge. They need to be stopped.
Wonderful-World read my blog view my photos
Jul 19, 2008 | 10:21 AM

Deer Park, a "wealthy" district spent $0. The district funds don't even pay for a teacher to decorate her/his classroom - that's all out-of-pocket for the teachers and/or their departments.
PBMom read my blog view my photos
Jul 19, 2008 | 2:01 PM

Actually that is suspect as well. Peyton has a note at the bottom: "NOTE: I am attempting to learn more about exploring the amount attributed to Ysleta ISD from that district; also, we are looking into those districts showing $0 sums for their 6411-701 expenditures for the 2006-07 school year. Will let you know if I hear anything. I could see them making the teachers pay for their own things, but the superintendants are generally spoiled.
Sassy11 read my blog
Jul 19, 2008 | 3:50 PM

Very informative information PBMom. Thanks for sharing this link. I'm passing it on to numerous friends who live in various school districts across Texas. Wow, what an eye opener when you see the comparatives $$ to the paper.
Wonderful-World read my blog view my photos
Jul 19, 2008 | 4:14 PM

PB, I've often found no dirt where there was no dirt to be found. With all of the Robin Hood funds Deer Park has lost, we CAN'T afford to send our supers on trips. Do they play golf? Probably, at the golf course here in Deer Park. When the legislature enacted the Robin Hood plan, they didn't take into account that eventually, the "wealthy" districts would end up in the red if they continued paying out their obligations as written. Deer Park has reached that point - to fullfill our obligation under Robin Hood is to give us a negative balance.
Wonderful-World read my blog view my photos
Jul 19, 2008 | 4:14 PM

PB, I've often found no dirt where there was no dirt to be found. With all of the Robin Hood funds Deer Park has lost, we CAN'T afford to send our supers on trips. Do they play golf? Probably, at the golf course here in Deer Park. When the legislature enacted the Robin Hood plan, they didn't take into account that eventually, the "wealthy" districts would end up in the red if they continued paying out their obligations as written. Deer Park has reached that point - to fullfill our obligation under Robin Hood is to give us a negative balance.
yo_unbaleeva_bull read my blog
Jul 19, 2008 | 11:30 PM

As the husband of an educator...
kagua2 read my blog
Jul 20, 2008 | 10:48 AM

I know New Caney ISD has a history of misspending. Randy Wallace did an expose on them that I found very interesting. I did not like that school district when Brittany attended it.
ladyboo-g
Jul 21, 2008 | 12:19 PM

I know you all recall the artical a week ago about the city paying employees for overtime, this article got mixed reviews some were saying that it was the taxpayers right to know the salaries being paid, other saying if they don't like it get another job, well this to me is the same thing difference is they are spending tax payers monies on trips that are not necessary but if you mention one or two words about school then that makes it a business trip.
Least the city workers worked to get the over time pay. What's the difference we pay for our kids education with the same tax dollars we pay also.
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PBMom

Mother of a 12-year-old child with autism, mild hypotonic CP, dyspraxia, MR and a seizure disorder. Married for 15 years. Have worked full-time as a telecommuter for the last 19 years. I've been the special needs minister at our church, but time demands haven't allowed me to go back. Published before in "Catholic Digest", and different poems in several books of poetry. I love 24, American Idol, Lost, Jericho and Sci-Fi (Stargate Atlantis, SG-1, Farscape, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica). My husband and I are huge movie buffs. I love to swim. I love golden retrievers. They are awesome dogs. I used to sing/take formal vocal lessons and had a formal vocal recital at Hamman Hall at Rice University in the mid 1980's. Although my friends have encouraged me that I need to write about my life story, I've made several attempts and it isn't going too well. I love blogging. It's my new creative outlet. I am a member of Texas School Watch, an advocacy group bent on exposing misuse of your tax dollars within school districts. Join the fight at: http://texasschoolwatch10
1.virtualnsn.com/modules/
wfchannel/ I am also going to be part of a womens' panel on Fox 26 called Your Family Matters that will air during the 5:00-5:30 segment, not every week, but as the subject matter applies to me.

Member Since: 4/16/2007


 

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