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)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Babb OP/ED From FB Star--

FBISD B.O.T. – A Board increasingly
divided from the community it serves


Jim Babb, FBISD Pos. 7 Candidate

FBISD Board President Bob Broxson was recently quoted by a media source as saying:

“It bothers me when people come up and give misleading information about how this board does its business. To hear people say that we are recklessly spending money is not true.”

This statement appears to be in defense of his behavior during a contentious February 8, 2010 Board meeting. This is Mr. Broxon’s opinion, to which he has a right. However, the citizens have a right to express their opinions as well. The tensions appear to have occurred when Mr. Broxon took exception to speakers exercising their right to express an opinion that was contrary to his own and, to be fair, critical of the board.

After attending numerous board meetings, I have become disheartened by the level of discourtesy and animosity shown toward some community speakers, by members of this board. From scolding the audience, as if they were misbehaving children, to being disrespectful to the speakers (rolling their eyes and other impolite facial responses, exiting & re-entering the room while a speaker addresses them etc.), this collective board does not, in my opinion, provide an inviting forum for parents and taxpayers to express their concerns, seek action or information.

I do not want this to be perceived as a “Bash the Board” article. I sincerely appreciate those who volunteer their time to serve our community and our children.

It is important to remember that when we elect someone to serve on the Board of Trustees, we are in essence hiring them to represent the concerns, the values and the interests of our community. Hence, they should welcome reasonable, warranted and civil scrutiny of their performance.

http://www.fortbendstar.com/Columns/letters.htm

http://babb4fbisd.wordpress.com/

Friday, February 26, 2010

Jim Babb Challenging David Reitz For FBISD Trustee Pos. 7


Get more at his website: http://babb4fbisd.wordpress.com/

FBW comment: We will update these races as they evolve. So far no one has declared to run for the position 3 seat against Jenney backed district "vendor" candidate James Rice (of the Rice & Gardner Co.). Hopefully this is only a temporary problem with 8 days left to file.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Broxson Announces He Won't Seek Re-election To BOT

Just in from FBISDWatch members who attended the school board meeting last night. Apparently Bob Broxson, the current president of the board of trustees, will not be seeking re-election. Mr. Broxson has become known for his rude treatment lately of taxpayers at public sessions and his support for the $30+ million dollar "Global Taj Mahal" being pushed by superintendent Tim Jenney. Jim Bab another candidate, running against David Reitz, has filed to challenge in the coming elections in May. He is running on a platform of cutting wasteful spending and balancing the budget and is currently opposed to the GSTC project. FBISD is experiencing its second record budget deficit emanating from spending practices and a RECORD 2007 bond election. Property tax rates have continued to increase since this bond proposal was passed in 2007. Mr. Jenney came in on a platform of balanced budgets and improving academic performance in 2006-7 but has failed to do either with the district still stuck at "academically acceptable". The current BOT recently voted to give him a raise with bonuses while discussing a commissioned TASB study to possibly reduce school district personnel by almost 400...

We will update this release at intervals....

Update: Jim Rice, a district vendor, has announced he will run for Broxson's spot. See: http://www.ricegardner.com/projects/8

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/02/25/44182

Local media coming out on all this (Updated 2-25):

http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/longtime-fbisd-teachers-are-not-layoff-proof

http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/broxson-leave-trustee-seat-reitz-opposed

Friday, February 19, 2010

Calendar-

Date Event

Feb. 20 Fort Bend Spelling Bee
Feb. 22 Board Budget Workshop
Feb. 22 Regular School Board Meeting
Feb. 27 Fort Bend Education Foundation Gala
Mar. 8 Last Day to File for May 8 Election
Mar. 8 Board Budget Workshop
Mar. 8 Regular Board Meeting

KHOU Covers District Budget Problems & Teacher Response!

See: http://www.khou.com/news/local

Monday, February 15, 2010

Chronicle Update: GSTC Placed On Hold!--includes full text of Jenney letter--Jubilation at FBW!!!

Link: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/head

FBN: Global "Taj Mahal" Placed On Hold Finally (Until 2012)--see link below--

FBN: Jenney Agrees To ‘Delay’ Global Science Center Opening Until 2012
By: Jamie Mock on Mon, Feb 15, 2010 News

More than 1,000 Fort Bend Independent School District employees submitted to the district ideas on how to reduce the looming $18 million deficit budget, and included in the suggestions was postponing the proposed Global Center for Science and Technology or abandoning the plan altogether.

FBISD Superintendent Timothy Jenney sent an e-mail to employees at the end of last week, outlining the top ten suggestions that received the most comments from staff.

The total capital cost of the center – which is to include a planetarium, giant rotating lobby globe, interactive labs and a “Sci-Max” theater – have been estimated by a district-appointed feasibility committee at $26.4 million...

Get the full story at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/02/15/43957
and more background on it here...

Friday, February 12, 2010

Chron: Selective Enforcement of Applause Policy At FBISD Board Meeting Causes Controversy--see below--

When applause becomes jarring to the ear

February 11, 2010 3:35 pm Zen T.C. Zheng

Should the audience clap for a speaker who strikes a chord when addressing the school board during a three-minute public comment time allotment?

The issue got Fort Bend school board president Bob Broxson and district critic Nancy Hentschel locked in a bitter run-in Monday night after Broxson repeatedly admonished those who applauded to several district critics’ speeches.

The contentious moment was reminiscent of a torrid exchange a year ago between former board president Sonal Bhuchar and some speakers whose pungent criticism of the district's top leadership had elicited rounds of loud applause.

Bhuchar had to repeatedly invoke a board policy against clapping during public comment to stop the “disruptive” behavior of the audience, but not with much success.

Monday night, Broxson called upon the same policy when Hentschel challenged him to not apply double standards on the issue...

Get the full piece at: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/when-clapping-becomes-jarring-ear

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

FB Sun: District budget woes spark tensions in board meeting

Chron update (2-10-09): More double speak from superintendent (George Ranch is first donor to commit to "Global Taj Mahal"--http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/science-center-fogged-funding-uncertainty#comment-1165

"In a letter dated Feb. 2 to New Territory resident and project opponent Nancy Hentschel, David Feldman, an attorney for the district, said there are “no committed partnering companies” for the project to meet the threshold of 20 percent community financial pledge required by the school board.

Jenney said Feldman’s statement excluded the George Foundation, which is not a company." Chron (FBW comment: It's not a non-profit corporation under Texas state law?)


District budget woes spark tensions in board meeting

By DIANE TEZENO
Updated: 02.09.10
Fort Bend ISD budget woes caused tensions to flare during Monday night’s regular school board meeting.

Several individuals raised concerns regarding the direction board trustees and administrators may take in seeking to resolve the district’s current $18 million deficit...

...Despite Jenney’s assurances of the district‘s goal to avoid job cuts, several speakers, at Monday night’s board meeting, expressed concerns regarding potential job losses, among them Fort Bend Employee Federation President Karrie Washenfelder.

Washenfelder encouraged trustees to look at ways to implement energy-efficiency savings on district campuses as a means of reducing the budget deficit rather than risk the loss of jobs.

“It would be short-sighted of us to think that job cuts are an easy answer without realizing how much we can lose in the balance,” Washenfelder said.

She encouraged the board to consider launching an energy audit and raised concerns with jeopardizing the “high quality educational delivery the district expects” by implementing suggested TASB class size changes.

“When we cut jobs we are asking fewer people to take on more work, but will we see less than stellar results as we over-tax our teachers [paraprofessionals] and support personnel,” Washenfelder said.

She called on Jenney to work with Federation members towards a solution to “this very serious crisis facing our school employees.”

Another speaker, Dave Rosenthal raised concerns with the district’s proposed Global Science Technology Center in the face of the current budget crisis.

Rosenthal chided board members, with the exception of board trustee Marilyn Glover, for what he called “tax and spend policies” and their “working hand and hand with big business.” He commended Glover for “providing at least some sense of fiscal responsibility” based on her reaction to the GSTC.

“If there is a need for a fine arts center, then let the free market build it, if there is a need for a science center, then let the free market build it,” Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal said the district should focus its efforts on trying to find the best science teachers the district’s money can buy, rather than building a science center.

“You can double the salaries of 100 top science teachers and still spend less than the operating expenses in a year for the [Global Science Technology Center],” Rosenthal said.

Two other speakers, Chris Calvin and Nancy Henschel walked out of the meeting after chiding the board for failure to respond to recent open records requests and expressing objections to what Calvin described as “unfair application” of board policy requiring audience members to refrain from applauding.

Before information items were introduced, Board President Bob Broxson paused school board proceedings to address board disruptions and a number of comments made by audience members during the night that he said “offended” him...

Get the full story at: http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/02/09/fort_bend_sun/news/swsa_-_fbisd_budget_woes_29.txt