2009 FBISD Tax Hearing (On YouTube)

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2009 FBISD CONTROVERSIAL TAX HEARING (YES THEY ARE RAISING THEM AGAIN--see petition of over 500 district taxpayers asking for board accountability) --In case anyone missed it they raised the property tax rate again (4th time) in 2010 and more than likely will do so again in 2011 facing another projected 15-20 million dollar budget deficit, according to some media reports. ***NEW*** ..Petition TO STOP THE GSTC (Global Science Museum being planned at the district central office--near $30 million dollar project that superintendent Jenney is pushing): http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthegcst/ (see update below on this apparently ending this project after 2 years)

Monday, November 19, 2007

Houston Chronicle Covers FBISD Vote To Decrease Public Zoning Forums--

November, 2007

Fort Bend ISD decreases public forums on zoning
Zen Zheng

Strong emotion may still be a vivid memory of many who went through the massive school attendance zone changes in 2006. Parents and teachers stood in long lines during those numerous community forums waiting for their turn to exercise their freedom of speech.

With a new round of rezoning on the horizon, district officials have decided to cut the number of community forums down to one.

School board last week approved a proposal made by the district administration to change the board policy that had previously required at least three community forums during attendance zone redrawing.

Superintendent Tim Jenney described the change as "streamlining the process."

Trustees voted 6-1 for the reduction in the number of public meetings. They also gave nods to a district plan to form a facility utilization committee made of district administrators and three principals from the elementary, middle and high school levels of campuses to be affected by rezoning. The committee is responsible for making recommendations for rezoning.

Stan Magee was the lone trustee who voted against the board policy change that included the creation of the committee.

Magee called the board policy change a move aimed at reducing public input to the minimum.

He was also upset with the fact that the facility use committee includes no community member. . . (follow the link below for the full story)



http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2007/11/fort_bend_isd_d.html

6 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Some of you may be interested in this related piece and comments:


http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3534/magee-
fort-bend-isd-community-input-on-attendance-
zoning-loses-out

Anonymous said...

I don't always agree with stan but on this one he's dead right.

Anonymous said...

Related chron comments:

Comments

Some of you may be interested in a piece by one of the board members opposing less parental involvement in school issues:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3534/magee-fort-bend-isd-community-input-on-attendance-zoning-loses-out
Posted by: fbisdparent at November 19, 2007 03:49 PM

"Jenney and board president Cynthia Knox said the channel for public input remains open. Although the policy allows for one public meeting, the board can call more community forums "if needed," Knox said.

Knox said next year's rezoning would involve two new elementary schools, unlike last time when the changes affected the entire district.

District spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson said for rezoning that is not expected to create a lot of controversy, one community meeting would handle it. However, she also said the board can still decide to hold more meetings if it desires."


Apparently Ms. Simpson thinks that rezoning will only happen once ever again. This isn't a one time policy only to be used next year (who do they think they are kidding?)...Mr. Magee is absolutely right, they are just trying to cut the public off from the debate. How undemocratic! More should speak up.

Posted by: taxpayer at November 19, 2007 03:58 PM

Since when would the board seek more meetings as suggested in the article when they already have a committee of inside managers and just one public hearing? They know it takes much longer for the public to even get the message. This is business as usual!

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