Scary stuff-parents, you need to be paying attention

[Vertnut]

I found a good example of why schools here in Texas are BROKE.

La Joya, Texas has 37 campuses: 6 High schools, 8 middle school's, and 23 elementary's. The tax rolls show a "population" of 3303 people living in 969 "housing unit's". It's 98% Hispanic with over 40% living below the poverty line.
La Hoya ISD has over 28,000 students in the system.

Do the math.

[Denny]

I found a good example of why schools here in Texas are BROKE.

La Joya, Texas has 34 campuses: 3 High schools, 8 middle school's, and 23 elementary's. The tax rolls show a "population" of 3303 people living in 969 "housing unit's". It's 98% Hispanic with over 40% living below the poverty line.
La Hoya ISD has over 28,000 students in the system.

Do the math.

iAye Dios mio!

[ceyko]

Here is my input for what it is worth...

1. Don't use AISD, BISD...etc...even in the same county, this is hard to figure out sometimes. I thought Aledo ISD at first then possibly Allen...then read that it was Arlington.

2. As a consultant in a certain field I see a MASSIVE difference between schools like (well, I'm not going to name them on a public board) the ones further away from the major cities and the ones around major cities. The more rural schools, it's borderline not worth the effort and if there is one glitch it's not worth it. The other schools, just RFP everything which is NOT the cheapest solution regardless of what people think. All RFPs do is get vendors lined up. However, everyone independently bids and usually RFPs are decided before they are put out.

3. Generally speaking they can cut a lot of these programs and positions. I've seen it myself, where plenty of the administrative staff seems down right bored. I get that part. Some of the other things make sense too. i.e. mowing their own lawns, if it saves money do it. Dunno if it equates the same as at my house, but it sure is a lot cheaper to mow my own lawn.

4. I also agree with negating as much money going to a lot of the sports, unless privately subsidized. School is school and teaching (which in theory should require teachers) should be it's ONLY concern. All the other activities are secondary in my opinion. However, we all know this is not reality. I think especially in the state of Texas.

5. I can not comment on laying off teachers to be honest. Everything I do is never around the teachers. So I really don't know if the ISDs I visit have enough teachers or not.

6. Also, some of those cuts seem common sense to me, while other I have no idea what the hell they are.

Yall did notice that 2 coaches at each HS being eliminated are part of that list though right?

[Slowhand]

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.

Seeing the revenue end without any reference to the expense end of it is hardly a good reason to determine that it's a "cash cow" for schools. Bringing in revenue ≠ making money.

[Diabolic]

First....No Child Left Behind is a miserable joke of a program. If they don't attend, pass, or do the work, then leave their piss poor attitude asses behind. Someone needs to dig ditches for the future, and keep prison guards employeed.

Second....What happened to all that lottery money that was suppose to go into the school fund? Did it end up being placed in the general fund and pissed away? Legalize gambling and lets get some State operated casinos going around here. Stop spending our money in NM, Lousianna, and Oaklahoma. Pump all the net profit back into the school system.

Third...Stop letting every lazy ass parent that lives off the already broke system from registering their child with a "learning disability" so they can collect some extra greenbacks from the state. Stigmatize the child as a dumbass from the get go so that you can buy some more cigs on me!

I could go on and on, but until the bottom falls out nothing will get done.....Sucks for those that are losing their jobs. You can thank all the lazy, system working, no tax contributing, professional loser, sob's for this mess.

[TX21]

I can't wait to get my boy in the "system"

[Broncojohnny]

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.

Very interesting stuff, thanks for the post.

[Leah]

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.

Actually, you're pretty spot on. There is so much money spent in providing undocumented students with health care, pre-k for non-English speaking students, and all the other 'special' programs there are for them, that it would probably result in a surplus by dropping them.

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.

That is terrible. It's an awful time for the teaching profession. Don't let it discourage you and keep you from trying-you never know what will happen! I will definitely keep my eyes open for anything (that goes for all of you who have said you're looking/will be looking).

[The King]

Actually, you're pretty spot on. There is so much money spent in providing undocumented students with health care, pre-k for non-English speaking students, and all the other 'special' programs there are for them, that it would probably result in a surplus by dropping them.

If enough could be saved by doing so, then no positions would need elimination and the teacher/student ratio could be reduced. Win-win for all, except illegals who supposedly should have no claim on our public resources in the first place.

[Rick Modena]

I found a good example of why schools here in Texas are BROKE.

La Joya, Texas has 34 campuses: 3 High schools, 8 middle school's, and 23 elementary's. The tax rolls show a "population" of 3303 people living in 969 "housing unit's". It's 98% Hispanic with over 40% living below the poverty line.
La Hoya ISD has over 28,000 students in the system.

Do the math.

Yeah sure Ill do the math, because its obvious that you're a little un-educated, especially when it comes to the demographics in the state of Texas. The little city of LaJoya serves more than just 'La Joya', it's the school district for about 5 little towns and also serves the western part of Mission. If you did a little more research instead of opening your mouth about something you clearly don't know anything about. You do know that most of the produce, cotton, beef, come from this area of Texas right? If you did know that, you would also know that these farms are operated by people (legal citizens) and their kids have to go to school somewhere right? Do a little more research about something before you pick a border town to spew your nonsense.

[Nash B.]

Dear teaching certification program: thanks for rejecting my application.

[Denny]

Dear teaching certification program: thanks for rejecting my application.

LMAO!!! No shit!

[streetdemon70]

does not like hearing this being that my wife will be a teacher in a couple of years.

[Denny]

does not like hearing this being that my wife will be a teacher in a couple of years.

Wanna bet?

[TexasDevilDog]

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

Just a thought.

Hey! there are maybe ten kids a year that get scholarships because of football. We can't cut $millions from football or they won't get their $4,000 scholarship.

/sarc