Scary stuff-parents, you need to be paying attention

[A+]

i heard my wife talking about this...i dont know i wasnt really paying attention. I think a lot of the teacher at her school are gonna protest at Austin or something, i just told her i got her back so looks like were gonna be doing that soon. Rick Perry FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Leah]

i heard my wife talking about this...i dont know i wasnt really paying attention. I think a lot of the teacher at her school are gonna protest at Austin or something, i just told her i got her back so looks like were gonna be doing that soon. Rick Perry FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There has been talk of a march the first weekend of Spring Break, but I've heard that's been moved to this weekend.

[A+]

There has been talk of a march the first weekend of Spring Break, but I've heard that's been moved to this weekend.

WHAT! i thought it was gonna be spring break! guess i didnt get the memo. We both have school this weekend! Has this weekend been confirmed?

[46Tbird]

I don't mind paying taxes to support public education even though I have no children. Education is important and I don't want to live in an area full of morons. Unfortunately, the public school system has not eliminated them.

Public schools are not tasked with educating students anymore; they are now a place for your kids to stay out of the house while both parents are working. Parents "hope" that their kids are receiving some sort of education, but that is secondary to the primary function of babysitting.

Just like the USPS, government-funded public education is a complete loss. They are not teaching kids useful skills any longer. We aren't all going to become chemists and mathematicians. Schools need to determine students' aptitudes at an early age and teach toward those. Teach art to artists, teach math to mathematicians, and teach trades to tradesmen. Right now they are teaching mediocrity to everyone equally.

[Leah]

WHAT! i thought it was gonna be spring break! guess i didnt get the memo. We both have school this weekend! Has this weekend been confirmed?

I haven't confirmed it, just heard a rumor this afternoon. I'll try and find out.

I don't mind paying taxes to support public education even though I have no children. Education is important and I don't want to live in an area full of morons. Unfortunately, the public school system has not eliminated them.

Public schools are not tasked with educating students anymore; they are now a place for your kids to stay out of the house while both parents are working. Parents "hope" that their kids are receiving some sort of education, but that is secondary to the primary function of babysitting.

Just like the USPS, government-funded public education is a complete loss. They are not teaching kids useful skills any longer. We aren't all going to become chemists and mathematicians. Schools need to determine students' aptitudes at an early age and teach toward those. Teach art to artists, teach math to mathematicians, and teach trades to tradesmen. Right now they are teaching mediocrity to everyone equally.

Well said, Danny.

[S_K]

actually just the opposite.

Football is a money generator. With the ammount of money given by boosters, ticket sales, etc. Football makes money for schools, and pays for most other sports like softball, women's volleyball, swimming, etc.

Simply not true. No K-12 athletic program in Texas generates enough money to support itself. Even in districts with stellar programs, it is a major expense. But Hey! the tax payers love their football.

[Leah]

Simply not true. No K-12 athletic program in Texas generates enough money to support itself. Even in districts with stellar programs, it is a major expense. But Hey! the tax payers love their football.

Do you have data that supports your position?

[TENGRAM]

Eliminate two coaches at each high school: $624,000
Eliminate one fine arts teacher at each high school: $312,000
Eliminate fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra and sixth-grade band: $1,000,000

It's about time. What a waste.

[Broncojohnny]

Interesting you say that because I don't know exactly what kind of "orchestra" that fifth and sixth graders could play in. I can see a band class but let's not get crazy...

[S_K]

Do you have data that supports your position?

I have been a computer consultant in the Texas education space since 1982. I have seen the budgets of virtually every school district in Texas and most of of the community colleges as well. In my business - knowlege is power. It is the only tool I have. To be able to sell solutions to these schools, I have to know what they spend money and how much they are willing to spend on services I wish to sell. It does me no good to try to sell a million dollar solution to a district that can't afford it. I will have lost a sale and maybe even permently damaged a relationship. To that end I have become very adept at reading school budgets. So if you want to know how much money your spends on athletics here is what you do...

Request last years budget. You need actuals not projections. As a tax payer you are entitled to this. You will have to ask several times. The district will not provide you with a detailed breakdown without some prodding. Then, realize that the school district is very adept at hiding the money. You will need to do some digging. Here is where they hide most of costs:
Bond payments - there will be several for athletic facilities. These will be hidden in the total costs.
Facilities maintenance - Costs of stadiums, ball fields, Gyms, tracks, etc are a large part of the total maintenence budget. Remember to include to cost of extra employees as well. (ie a groundskeepers job is mainly athletic fields)
Transporation - ditto for the cost of transporting teams to games
Teachers salaries - if a coach teaches a single math class, his salary comes out of the Math and Sciences budget. Only his coach's stipend (uplift) is counted in the athletic budget.
Utilities - Electric and water costs are significant.
Everything else - Although it is a small percentage, Uniforms, team jackets and shirts, banquets, awards, etc also cost money.

All in all, I have found that most Texas school districts spend 25%-35% of their total budget on athletics. Most spend less than 30%, a few spend more. On the other hand, I have rarely seen income from athletics (contributions, gate reciepts) exceed 8% of the total budget. An exception - I once saw a very poor class B school do 11% income for a single year. But then they had a football team that almost won state. (Expense that year was 38%)

Don't take my word for it - check the facts yourself. As a taxpayer you have the right to know how your money is spent.

[Slowhand]

I have been a computer consultant in the Texas education space since 1982. I have seen the budgets of virtually every school district in Texas and most of of the community colleges as well. In my business - knowlege is power. It is the only tool I have. To be able to sell solutions to these schools, I have to know what they spend money and how much they are willing to spend on services I wish to sell. It does me no good to try to sell a million dollar solution to a district that can't afford it. I will have lost a sale and maybe even permently damaged a relationship. To that end I have become very adept at reading school budgets. So if you want to know how much money your spends on athletics here is what you do...

Request last years budget. You need actuals not projections. As a tax payer you are entitled to this. You will have to ask several times. The district will not provide you with a detailed breakdown without some prodding. Then, realize that the school district is very adept at hiding the money. You will need to do some digging. Here is where they hide most of costs:
Bond payments - there will be several for athletic facilities. These will be hidden in the total costs.
Facilities maintenance - Costs of stadiums, ball fields, Gyms, tracks, etc are a large part of the total maintenence budget. Remember to include to cost of extra employees as well. (ie a groundskeepers job is mainly athletic fields)
Transporation - ditto for the cost of transporting teams to games
Teachers salaries - if a coach teaches a single math class, his salary comes out of the Math and Sciences budget. Only his coach's stipend (uplift) is counted in the athletic budget.
Utilities - Electric and water costs are significant.
Everything else - Although it is a small percentage, Uniforms, team jackets and shirts, banquets, awards, etc also cost money.

All in all, I have found that most Texas school districts spend 25%-35% of their total budget on athletics. Most spend less than 30%, a few spend more. On the other hand, I have rarely seen income from athletics (contributions, gate reciepts) exceed 8% of the total budget. An exception - I once saw a very poor class B school do 11% income for a single year. But then they had a football team that almost won state. (Expense that year was 38%)

Don't take my word for it - check the facts yourself. As a taxpayer you have the right to know how your money is spent.

I've always suspected that the revenue argument for continually dumping money into athletics was bullshit, so what you've said here is pretty interesting.

[jdgregory84]

How about just dropping football for a few years ??
Would save a bunch of $$$$$$$$$$$.

Just a thought.

That's quite possibly the dumbest "solution" to a problem, ever. Yeah, it costs a lot to maintain, but after helping my dad with a lot of the Quarterback Club shit at my little brothers HS over the past couple of years, I've seen how much money that it brings in. Highschool football is a cash cow for most schools. If you want to get rid of a sport that provides little income in highschool, get rid of baseball, softball, basketball, and track and field. Football and volleyball have the most in attendance. However, if you get rid of those sports that I mentioned, you're gonna have a lot of kids wanting to go somewhere else.

Property taxes and lottery money is supposed to go to schools. I seriously doubt that most of that money is going where it's supposed to be.

Leah, I've been watching the news down here in Austin and they're talking about in AISD alone, over a thousand jobs were lost and schools are closing down like crazy. There was an article yesterday about where school funding has actually been going. Unfortunately I missed it, but I agree. This is a serious problem.

[The King]

im not even sending Jr to school.

god bless.

He doesn't need no stinkin' school....after all he's a shoo in for the music business.

Parents aren't the only ones paying for children to go to school. Looked at your property taxes lately? I get to pay over 3k a year towards school funding and I don't even have kids.

The standard logic given for this is "Paying school taxes makes for better communities, so everyone benefits whether or not they have children utilizing the public school system".

[The King]

Paying for illegals education and medical is going to end up breaking us like it did Kalifornia.

Require proof of citizenship on the part of any child enrolling in public schools. Disqualify any who can not do so, close schools/facilities as needed, and eliminate some positions (not a good thing but unfortunately necessary).

Problem solved.

[Mr_Fiux]

Guys, this is bad. Districts are out of money and teachers (who once had job security) are facing furlows, Reduction in Force, SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING, etc. This is what is on the district website:

The state of Texas is facing its most serious budget crisis in decades with revenue estimates $27 billion short of the $99 billion needed to maintain the same level of services, taking into consideration projected growth. With public education spending making up about 44 percent of the state budget, we expect devastating reductions to state public education funding. As it stands, the AISD could lose $35 million in state foundation and grant funding next year. Compound that with our district’s $13.3 million deficit, and we are facing a shortfall of $48 million.

District staff has begun to identify ways to reduce spending in the AISD. We have a difficult road ahead, and we must work together to ensure that our 64,000 students continue to have access to More Than a Remarkable Education.

Plan to Reduce SpendingReductions to be announced at Feb. 7 board meeting: Total $15,275,121 (THIS IS WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED)


Reduce administration department budgets by 5 percent: $2,231,293
Dissolve the student affairs department: $196,000
Dissolve the safe and drug-free schools/parent relations department: $125,000
Reduce the district’s monthly contribution toward health insurance by $25 for professional employees and $10 for all other employees: $1,224,000
Eliminate Convocation: $12,000
Eliminate the Success program for first through sixth grades: $578,000
Close the Turning Point Elementary campus and place these students and teachers at grade-level specific sites. Move the AISD employees who office at Annex V and Pioneer Plaza into the former Turning Point Elementary campus: $169,000
Reduce junior high assistant principals to a ratio of 1:750 students: $235,828
Eliminate a receptionist position per secondary campus: $365,000
Eliminate guidance techs at all schools: $1,500,000
Eliminate two kindergarten teaching assistants per elementary campus: $1,600,000
Assign high school teachers one additional teaching period: $4,500,000
Eliminate teaming at the junior high level: $2,000,000
Delay IB implementation at Martin and Seguin high schools: $100,000
Eliminate printing of the Annual Wall Calendar and School Boundary Map: $40,000
Eliminate the UTA stadium rental: $99,000
Eliminate contract mowing from the plant services budget: $300,000

THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT DOING:
Reductions being considered for the future


Eliminate all teachers with probationary contracts. Some positions might be hired back depending on need: $38,950,000
Eliminate two coaches at each high school: $624,000
Eliminate one fine arts teacher at each high school: $312,000
Eliminate all cafeteria monitors at the elementary level: $912,000
Eliminate three attendance officers: $150,000
Eliminate three intervention specialists: $184,000
Eliminate fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra and sixth-grade band: $1,000,000
Close Kooken Education Center: $730,000
Close one junior high: $1,800,000
Reduce teachers in grades K through 4 if the state legislature changes the 22:1 student-teacher ratio: $10,000,000
Reduction in force: As needed


All in all, I may not have a job next year. I am considered a probationary teacher since this is my first year in this district. (note that a probationary teacher may be a teacher that has taught less than 3 years within the district)

Parents-this is the time to GET INVOLVED. They are cutting needed programs for our kids. Taxes may have to be raised, but that may be a necessity. PLEASE support your local district and administration.

Yeah Leah this got me depressed, I am now highly qualified and this bullshit comes along. I got 3 separate emails from GPISD, FWISD, and AISD telling me they are not hiring this new school year. AND I AM BILINGUAL certified. Imagine that. Which means I am not going anywhere.