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)

Thursday, February 7, 2008

FBN: District Employees File Complaints

Bus Drivers Voice Pay Complaints, FBISD To Study Compensation
by John Pape, Feb 06, 2008, 04 21 PM

About 20 Fort Bend ISD school bus drivers, along with several union representatives, appeared at a recent school board meeting to voice their complaints to trustees about pay issues.

The drivers complained that current pay rates were below what other districts were offering, making it difficult to keep good drivers. School spokesperson Mary Ann Simpson said that the district will be sending the drivers a response soon to let them know that a compensation study will be undertaken to look at district pay issues.

“We will be sending a formal response to our bus drivers soon to let them know that their concerns and the points they have raised in recent board meetings have not fallen on deaf ears,” Simpson said. “We have just contracted with the Texas Association of School Boards to conduct a comprehensive compensation study of all pay grades and job groups in the district, including our bus drivers and bus monitors. This study includes research into what is market value for particular jobs in the greater Houston area.” . . . (get the full story at http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/3870)

Related chronicle piece: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/5522799.html

7 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

fbn comments:

1 Rodrigo Carreon - Feb 6, 08:13 PM
Good work by FBISD bus driver to standup an sending a message to FBISD BOT for a pay raise in need for more to come.

2 Jesse - Feb 6, 08:59 PM
As a former FBISD teacher that took lots of field trips, I know that the bus drivers are the best, the most dependable, great people that you get to deal with. They do a lot more than just drive the bus, but you would not know that if you are a bean counter, or just trying to beef up a resume to run for higher political office.
PS – Elkins drivers, you rock!

3 Joe G - Feb 7, 08:03 AM
I total agree with you Rodrigo Carreon about the bus driver.
Now are they (The board) can resolve the issue on rezoneing in Quail Valley residence.
I hope this is a final of an action of the board.

Anonymous said...

more:

4 Sp Ed Teach - Feb 7, 10:09 AM
I was just questioning why swim coaches and I am sure other sports that the district dosen’t support, have to drive buses and why soccer is not given buses? When both could be a very dangerous liability. Who wants their child’s coach ,who olny drives a bus every so often after a long meet or touriment driving?? We have great bus drivers who should be paid more and should have more opportunities to drive our children. I know our surrounding districts do not do this. Is there a stipend for those bus drivers who have the alternative school routes? If not why not?? Come on fortbend, after the late w-2’s could you do something right??

5 Muckraker - Feb 7, 10:47 AM
“Other drivers were even more blunt in their criticism of district pay policies. Several spoke to Fort Bend Now on the condition that their names not be used because, they said, they feared disciplinary action for speaking out.”

Looks like fear and intimidation is the norm?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

More:
6 another teacher - Feb 8, 03:34 PM
It would be interesting to me to have the trustees take over the bus routes for a week—if they’d even MAKE it that long. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for what those drivers do every day. PAY UP, Fort Bend. And drivers?? THANK YOU!!!

7 anonymous - Feb 8, 06:32 PM
After reading about the Superintendent’s recent raise- His original salary and incentive was based on increasing achievement in the district- the “standards” have now been made more achievable, and he receives paid health insurance for himself and his family? For the thousands of FBISD employees that are paying for their benefits as well as their families and are not making $240,000 a year, and not making more than the Governor of Texas- Shame on the board! So much for fiscal responsibility! How can we just keep overlooking the workers and teachers? Shame, shame, shame!

8 TexasRose - Feb 8, 08:46 PM
“After reading about the Superintendent’s recent raise…”
Anonymous7

Please provide where your information to backup your statement; our viewers may be confused without the proper analysis to facts. Thank you kindly.

9 Aiobhann - Feb 9, 03:04 AM
Dear Muckraker (#5) Do you really have to ask that question? Under what rock have you been hiding? Maintenance, custodial, bus drivers, school secretaries, paraprofessionals, teachers and anyone else in this district who are not considered administrators are not only paid atrociously, but treated atrociously. School secretaries do the work of assistant principals but the AP’s get all the credit and get promoted. Bus drivers have an incredible amount of responsibilities and skills that you could not pay me enough to perform. They are brave people. Health insurance premiums go up more than the raises so take home pay for most on the list above is actually less than the year before.

As for superintendents, over the last 6-7 years, there has been a trend in the country to negotiate a fat contract with big pay-offs if school boards wish to terminate contracts early. I’d bet money Dr. Tinney is still being paid from Virginia Beach and Abe Sepulveda probably just received his last payment from Corpus Christi ISD not too long ago from when they wanted him out. Gasoline and mileage and such are included in their contracts. Hmph, if we’re 5 minutes late because we can’t afford to keep our cars in shape and the car stalls on the way to work, our rumps are chewed mercilessly. Tinney gets money when we work our butts off. What do we get? Can you spell “nothing”?

10 teacherdoctorate - Feb 10, 10:46 AM
RE:
Raises in general for teachers, para’s and bus drivers.

I just read the article in the local paper regarding Jenney contract until 2012. Salary for 247,800. $ 700.00 mon. car allowance, free group insurance for him and his wife, disability insurance (60% of base) and $300.00 for cell phone allowance.

Incentive pay was noted as well.

According to the article in the Star, I believe it appears standard for him and admininstrators. But where is the raise our teachers and para’s that we have been arguing for since the outset of the school year?

I would also like to note that he was hired mid-year and we have yet to see the results of his leadership here at our district.

I can say, as I have in the past, that our talented and best teachers, para’s and bus drivers are just leaving our district.

These are the same issues that have infested our district for a long time.

Now, we have common assessments to create, more afternoon meetings and even comp. pay will not exist next year.

11 Muckraker - Feb 10, 11:33 AM
Aiobhann,

Since this is a public forum I think it is incumbent on us not to assume the PUBLIC already knows the insider information, so YES we need to repeat it often, not for us who know, but for the general public who may not.

I am very concerned about compensation going to the top admins and supts for other’s performance. You are correct it isn’t fair and never has been.

The only way to get these issues addressed is to continually make them public and expose it.

12 anonymous - Feb 11, 12:25 AM
Funny — I remember when the “new guard” first “took over”, (the majority of the trustees who hired the new superintendent), they all complained loudly that the Superintendent was paid waaay to much money and the administration was top heavy. Huh. Go figure.

13 Aiobhann - Feb 11, 01:51 AM
When I have accompanied students on field trips, I have been so impressed by the school bus drivers. They take their charges very seriously, are amazingly skilled, and have awesome rapport with the students. However, if we don’t respect their skills and care by paying them competitive salaries, who can blame them for leaving? Then the district joyfully pays novices lower salaries and a major disaster is waiting to happen. Sounds like legalized gambling to me; except with lives and livelihoods.

14 TexasRose - Feb 11, 07:13 AM
Anonymous12
Funny__ now u make sense. I appreciate your answers to my q’s=-)

Anonymous said...

more:

15 Anonymous - Feb 11, 10:01 AM
#12, if you check your history you will find that the “new guard” did not necessarily think superintendents were paid too much, it was that Dr. Baitland was paid too much.

16 anonymous - Feb 11, 04:59 PM
#15 — I totally disagree. I PERSONALLY heard two of them say that “no superintendent was worth that type of money.”

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.