EPISD bonds–counting their chickens

September 6, 2016

The people over at EPISD have already hired someone to help with the bonds that the voters have not even approved yet.

There is talk around town that the district has already chosen the team that will get the money,  including the building contractors.

This comment came in the other day and deserves to be a post:

Looks like the post at Refuse The Juice may be correct!

Check out Recent Employment Assignments at this link: https://www.episd.org/employment/assignments.php

The 8th name down on the list got a job that was created out of nowhere by Arrieta-Candeleria called Executive Director of Planning and Innovative Schools Construction. Could he be the same Carlos Gallinar that is the Deputy Director of the City of El Paso Planning Division???? He will probably make about $125,000 a year with EPISD!

Looks like she made up another position called Coordinator of the Office of the Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Operations! Seems to be like a Chief of Staff position that will even keep her calendar for her! Probably another $75,000 or more per year!!

Wonder who that job was created for? Let me guess…someone else that works for the City of El Paso????

It’s good to be the king!

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We deserve better

Brutus

9 Comments | City government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD bonds–conflict of interest

September 5, 2016

At first glance many of us would not find a problem with the EPISD board president being involved in a political action committee formed to promote the passage of the bond issue.

She does, after all, passionately believe that spending the money is the right thing to do.  She does have the right as a citizen to promote the sale.

There is a problem however in that as board president she has knowledge that the average citizen does not have access to.  She knows what to talk about and what to keep quiet.  She also has the ability to influence school district actions to facilitate the sale of the bonds.

We would be better served if she followed the spirit of the law and stayed neutral in the election.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

8 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD spending per student

August 26, 2016

Some of the recent discussion was about the per pupil operating costs of various school districts.

We got the numbers below from the Austin Independent School District FY2017 Preliminary Budget.

They presented a chart titled “FY2015 Per Pupil Operating Expanditures [sic]”.  They evidently have chosen to neither use a spell checker nor hire literate people.

For the 2015 year they showed Austin spending $9,881 per student, Dallas $9,672, El Paso $9,254, and Houston $8,493.

We deserve better

Brutus

10 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD bonds–a new team?

August 25, 2016

DavidK over at Refuse the Juice posted a frightening thought the other day.

It is a worthwhile read.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

EPISD funding from the state

August 24, 2016

We received a comment from a regular commenter  the other day that “we have a rigged [funding] system that favors the Dallas-Austin-Houston corridor”.  The comment was about state funding of local issues in general, not just about school district funding.

Looking into the 2016-2017 budgets for the Austin, Dallas, El Paso, and Houston school districts we were quite surprised by the amounts the state provides for each student.

Austin Independent School District projects an enrollment of 82,690 students.  They show total anticipated state funding at $68,994,815.  That comes to $834 per student for the school year.

The Dallas Independent School District projects receipt of $332,186,058 from the state and an enrollment of 159,310 students.  The per student revenue from the state works out to be $2,085.

Our El Paso Independent School District anticipates enrollment of 58,542 students and total state revenue of $309,110,521.  That works out to $5,280 per student.

The Houston Independent School District has been declared property rich by the state and as a result will actually pay money to the state.

What have we missed?

We deserve better

Brutus

 

4 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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