This came in from a reader:
Checks written by the EPISD to Temple Mount Sinai. These checks were supposed to be paying for a rental room at the Temple for EPISD staff development. From Check register EPISD web site.
Question: Why in the world would the EPISD need to rent a room, they have more space than they could ever use.
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1030032
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5/17/2013
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Temple Mount Sinai
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$2,000.00
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1045010
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5/22/2014
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Temple Mount Sinai
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$2,000.00
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1057980
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6/5/2015
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Temple Mount Sinai
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$2,000.00
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1071214
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5/26/2016
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Temple Mount Sinai
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$2,000.00
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1084642
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5/12/2017
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Temple Mount Sinai
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$2,000.00
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Paper Check
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****************************************
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Hummmmmm . . . .
About the same time each year . . . 5th or 6th month.
About the time. . . School is not in session, during the summer months.
That . .IS . . . strange and unusual.
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No, Oracle. Actually school was in session on each of these dates. The wrong of this is it is tax money given to an outside agency (in this case a church) for nothing more than a space with seats and probably a projection screen. Things that could have been provided at dozens of locations around the District for zero cost.
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Probably an offsite training meeting–folks justify these offsite rentals because supposedly a trip away from the “office” helps folks avoid distractions. But I agree, it seems like a foolish waste of taxpayer money given the fact that school facilities should be available and since it is occurring after the school year has ended, there shouldn’t be distractions on EPSID property. Probably another case of “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” driving further waste of money.
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Would some of these have been during the crime spree of Lorenzo Garcia? Maybe he had a girl friend there? Maybe Cabrera just picked up the “Payments”? He TAKES an exorbitant pay check from US. Neither he, the School Board or his minions have any respect for OUR money. Tax, waste, spend, tax some more. It never ends in El Taxo.
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Did those meetings at the temple ever really take place?
Don’t try to pin this one Garcia. He was gone before the first check was written.
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Wasn’t sure of the time -frame for Garcia. But this would not be the first time, nor will it be the last time that these people at EPISD steal from US. What did WE get for that $10,000?? Probably NOTHING. Cabrera has that almost BILLION$$$ Bond, slush fund now and he, THEY will spend it, waste it and come back for MORE TAXES.
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This is an example of the “It’s only tax dollars” mindset. There are plenty of meeting spaces in EPISD. Even during the work week… We have the entire PDC building and the Board room and libraries and multi purpose rooms and gyms across the entire district where any of this could have taken place for FREE.
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Is this not Dori’s place of worship?
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Anonymous, I heart that your statement is true but I do not know for sure.
When people complain from other areas of the EPISD other than the West Side, is there any truth in their claims that the West Side Schools are treated differently or better than other school in the EPISD? Well these checks tend to validate their feelings. After all will a parents group from Bowie or Andres be allowed to rent space from a local Catholic or Baptist Church for a meeting at a cost of $2,000? Of course they would not even think to ask if they could as they would know the answer.
And what makes it worse is the then President of the Board of Trustees has a direct link to the Temple.
When I was on the board I was warned to be careful about what I said and did as Perception is Reality in the eyes of the Public and this is a good example of that truism.
What needs to be found out is who authorized the signing of these checks and who authorized the payment?
Of course the EPISD will come up with an answer that will make most people think we should have written the checks for $5,000 each as it was worth every penny!
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Maybe it’s some “Creative Accounting” by Cabrera, EPISD to finance Dori Fennenbock’s Congressional campaign???
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Anonymous, she does not need any help with finance, she has the support of Education Reform people which is unlimited.
They will pay anything for the Corporate takeover of public education.
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I believe this is for IB testing from Coronado.Every year the juniors and seniors are taking multiple tests during a week in May. It has to be quiet with no bells and times exactly as all of the other students in world taking the test.
In 2012 they moved the testing to a school in central (that EPISD was closing) the problem was, kids/parents had a difficult time getting to the location and it was near another elementary school and trains. So lots of noise, which defeated the purpose. Prior to this, testing took place at the Westside Regional command center on Osbourn.
The IB corrdinator (2011-2015) moved the testing to the temple. I’m guessing they continued to use the temple for 2016-2017, my student will be testing in May but they haven’t provided the location yet.
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This is peanuts. Check out how much goes to pizza, donuts, air fare in any given month. Not to mention canned teaching tools and programs.
I read check register regularly as part of my job. Always makes me grimace
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If $2,000 is peanuts, I will take some peanuts, please.
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As most who have replied there are plenty of facilities within the district to hold this type of activities, IE: cafeterias, multipurpose rooms, etc. My question why doesn’t the Board question the administration the way this forum does? The board has access to all line items on the budget before they approve it. Like someone posted the district will come up with some type of reason to justify this type of waste of our tax money.
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