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, January 14, 2008

FBN: FBISD Requesting More Funding For Financial Software Conversion

From FBN:

FBISD Wants More Money For Troublesome Financial Software Conversion
by Bob Dunn, Jan 14, 2008

The Fort Bend Independent School District Board of Trustees will consider spending another $150,000 for consultants to help with its star-crossed conversion to a PeopleSoft software system.

In material prepared for Monday night’s FBISD Board meeting, district administrators recommend designating $150,000 in the district’s unreserved fund balance to pay for “consulting assistance for refining additional PeopleSoft modules.” . . .

. . . FBISD Superintendent Timothy Jenney said in an October letter to district teachers that “monumental problems” with the PeopleSoft conversion were in part to blame for a series of paycheck and payroll errors that plagued the district last fall

He estimated in October that the full conversion to PeopleSoft will take another two years to complete.

The district likely had spent more than $5 million on that conversion by fall of 2007. FBISD trustees agreed in March 2006 to pay about $2.4 million for Oracle Corp.‘s PeopleSoft enterprise system software, and just over $2 million to eVerge Group of Dallas, to provide consulting on installation and implementation of the system. The district no longer is working with the Dallas consulting group.

“Since the date Everge exited the district, we have used consultants on an emergency basis only,” FBISD Chief Operating Officer Mike Seale said in material prepared for the board. “Unfortunately, that method of procurement is unnecessarily costly and inefficient.”

FBISD administrators have identified three placement firms to assist in finding consultants who can help complete the district’s PeopleSoft financial software conversion, Seale states in the board report. The administration is asking for $150,000 for those consultants.

For the full story follow this link:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/3695/fbisd-wants-more-consultants-for-troublesome-software-conversion

11 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I would very much like to see the details of this purchase and vendor.

Anonymous said...

FBN comments:

1 anonymous - Jan 14, 03:55 PM
And the bills from the reign of Rickert, Magee, Caldwell and Bryant continue to roll in. Don’t you just love how much it costs when ambitious politicians vow to “save you money”?

2 Muckraker - Jan 14, 04:16 PM
I think it would be nice to have seen the full audit report being with-held, conducted by Houston attorney Lloyd Kelley and forensic auditor Mir Fox & Rodriguez. I believe this is something the current administration and BOT is doing too. I think all should share the blame (or get beyond it) and work towards better transparency and REAl open governance…BTW, don’t forget the BOT mtg. tonight (with a 4p. zoning mtg already underway)...

Anonymous said...

more:

3 StanPrince - Jan 14, 04:24 PM
Take note, LCISD.....

4 Muckraker - Jan 15, 07:45 AM
I also wonder of any bond monies (long-term debt finance) are being used towards this problematic purchase?

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

more:

"5 transparencyingovernment - Jan 15, 11:43 AM
This Baitland era fiasco will haunt Dr Jenney for a long time. The board that hired her and defended her actions, based on emotional attachment, should be ashamed of themselves.

6 urpl - Jan 15, 12:08 PM
I am terribly disappointed with the entire process of selecting and implementing this ERP system. This describes poor project and scope management. On the top of it, did anyone within the district test the system correctly prior to implementing? Also, where are they getting all this money from? Do anyone know how to encumbre the funds? Whose money is it? Any one asking these questions? Or, we tax payers have given our administration a blank check book?

7 Muckraker - Jan 15, 12:18 PM
TIG,

Why don’t you use your pull with the new supt to get the full audit mentioned in number 2 released. Why is the current admin/BOT holding on to this? It would seem to serve them better to have it out in the open and move forward from there.

8 anonymous - Jan 15, 01:59 PM
TIG,

The decision to implement this software was made by your favorite board members—the ones who forced Baitland out—Rickert, Caldwell, Bryant and Magee. Obviously you have different standards for your friends than you do for your enemies as evidenced by your comments here and in defense of Comm. Meyers fund raiser planned by a non-bid county vendor.

9 j williamson - Jan 15, 03:10 PM
The PeopleSoft implementation is a joke.

I checked the FBISD website and found the minutes of the BOT meeting in March 2006 when it was approved, but I do not see how each of the BOT members at the time voted. Can I assume from posts above that the “gang of 4” were the only ones that voted for it and the others (including current BOT president Knox) voted against it?

Can someone clarify?"

Anonymous said...

more:

10 Muckraker - Jan 15, 03:47 PM
“Can someone clarify?”

Good question and one that can be requested of the FBISD communications office. Hopefully they won’t make you wait 10 days…

11 transparencyingovernment - Jan 15, 05:52 PM
If you dig deep enough you will find that this project was started under the former IT Director under the former Superintendent. From what I have heard the board was railroaded under the usual mode of operation of the Baitland administration with last minute panic. It was presented that the current system was no longer supported and that disaster was near. After the fact it was determined that this was not the case and the old system, while needing eventual replacement, did not present an immediate crisis. I believe urpl #6 can attest to the how poorly the previous administration acted in bringing this decision to the board.

12 transparencyingovernment - Jan 15, 05:56 PM
Muckraker #7- Ask Steve Smelley and the Fort Bend Education Foundation why the release of the audit is being stonewalled!

13 transparencyingovernment - Jan 15, 06:18 PM
Anonymous #8 – FYI, I have never voted for or politically supported Andy Meyers in any way. I also do not like when an elected official allows themselves to be put in a questionable position, when it is totally avoidable. So you have mistaken my position on an article and on the thread of conversation following it, for support of a person. I suggest you read more clearly before commenting.

14 anonymous - Jan 15, 06:19 PM
TIG,
Dr Baitland was NOT working in FBISD in March 2006. At that time, Lisa Rickert was “President of FBISD”. How in the world could someone at intelligent, adept and adroit as Ms. Rickert possibly be “railroaded” by anyone? Especially by someone as inept as the acting superintendent who was later terminated? Give me a break!!

15 j williamson - Jan 15, 07:26 PM
A search of FBN archives indicates Ms. Baitland went on paid leave at end of 2005.

So BOT approval does not appear to have happened while she was still in super position.

This doesn’t mean that Ms. Baitland was not supportive of PeopleSoft implementation. It would take several months of work and administration approvals to get to the point of taking such an investment decision to the BOT. So she may have very well been behind the recommendation to purchase.

Still not sure which BOT members voted against it.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I wonder if the plan had adequate initial support?

"Still not sure which BOT members voted against it."

Anonymous said...

More:

16 transparencyingovernment - Jan 16, 04:09 PM
http://www.fortbendisd.com/board/board_meetings_broadcasts_2006.cfm#

The presentation and discussion on the purchase of the Financial Software can be found in the video from the March 6th 2006 board meeting.

02:46:00 Presentation starts
03:03:00 Discussion starts

You will see that this project started with 2002 bond funding and the project teams were created in 2004 (during the Baitland administration). As you can see Baitland was already gone when it was brought to the board for financial approval, but all the players involved were all part of the Baitland administration.

During the discussion you will see some interesting questioning around the ability to implement and the solution itself, from Bruce Bain and Lisa Rickert.

The vote can be found in the video from the
March 27th 7:00pm.

02:11:40 Start of item
02:13:50 Cynthia Knox and Lisa Rickert comments on comfort levels
02:22:35 Vote – it looks like 5-0-1 with Knox abstaining, but not clear – Bruce Bain was absent.

In summary I would conclude that the IT team and vendors did a good job on selling it to the board. The question is was there really urgency with the old system and was the IT staff competent? In hind sight I would argue not on both counts. I would hope that none of the IT staff presenting to the board are still on the payroll receiving my tax dollars.

17 anonymous - Jan 16, 06:04 PM
So TIG, how in the world did the omnipotent and omniscient Rickert, Caldwell, Bryant and Magee get snookered? Was Baitland pulling the strings from her armchair? From what I read and observed, if Baitland had recommended something, the self-proclaimed “new guard” trustees were hell bent NOT to agree with her. She was, after all, the source of all evil in the world according to those 4 people. And yet they all 4 voted FOR the adoption of this money pit program…..

18 anonymous - Jan 16, 06:19 PM
You read wrong! That is what you get for believing everything you read or what you are told. The truth usually lies somewhere in between. You wanted to believe the worst so you did.

Every Superintendent makes mistakes, and believe it or not we are still paying for some mistakes that Baitland made.

19 anonymous - Jan 16, 10:50 PM
Based on the timing, this was clearly a Baitland initiative.

20 anonymous - Jan 16, 11:08 PM
You don’t explain how the super duper “new guard” team was foiled by the “evil” Baitland who had been banished from the district several months prior to the vote…...

It is amazing to me how some will blame those they dislike for everything while NEVER assigning any blame whatsoever to those they like. So childish IMHO.

21 Muckraker - Jan 17, 06:13 AM
JW,

You will have to find the truth for yourself via a search of documents. The finger pointing from the 2 sides won’t stop…

Anonymous said...
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