On July 12, 2011, Iain Murray of the National Review wrote:

“One of the most depressing things I write about in Stealing You Blind is what is happening to public education, which has become just another source of plunder for the public-sector elite. My nieces have been affected by the Atlanta scandal, so I take this personally. Then Lynn Woolley in Texas told me this morning about this story, which is all too typical.

Lake Travis ISD’s Rocky Kirk, who was paid $351-thousand dollars to oversee a district of under seven thousand students, has resigned.  He walks away with a small fortune. But it get worse.

Lake Travis has hired Mike Moses to find a replacement. Moses is the retired superintendent of the Dallas District, where he made $340-thousand dollars — highest in the nation. Under Moses’ watch, the Dallas ISD was embroiled in scandal that included fishy vendor contracts and misspent bilingual education dollars. Three of Moses assistants were indicted and two were sentenced to federal prison.

Moses somehow escaped from the investigation unscathed. He now receives $224-thousand per year, directly from taxpayers. Local taxpayers should be in open revolt.

Local school boards appear to have ridiculously cozy arrangements with the class of people they hire to run them. It’s about time people started paying attention to what’s going on with them at their local level. If you have a tale like this, let me know.”

-Iain Murray, National Review, July 12, 2011

“Not only has the Lake Travis ISD school board been foolish enough to have paid Superintendent Rocky Kirk $351,222 (enrollment 6,974 students), but they have turned right around and chosen Mike Moses of School Executive Consulting, Inc. to find the next superintendent for the district:

Austin American-Statesman, 7.11.11: Lake Travis school board names interim superintendent

Why should the citizens and taxpayers of Lake Travis ISD have any confidence that Mike Moses could find them an ethical and fiscally responsible candidate to be superintendent when Moses himself has such a troubled past.

For people who are new to Texas or for people who have forgotten the details, let me recap the serious problems Moses had while he was the Dallas ISD supe (2000 – 2004).

All of the following were uncovered by The Dallas Morning News during Moses’ years as the leader of the district.”

-Donna Garner, Voices Empower, July 2011

Donna Garner of Voices Empower, recently wrote:

“Lake Travis ISD superintendent’s salary:  $253,222 annual salary; $77,000 settlement separation; $20,000 extra contractual benefits = $351,222 –  Americans for Prosperity created the Rotten Apple Award for just such occasions as this.

Yet the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and Texas Association of Administrators (TASA),  whose members pay dues using taxpayers’ dollars which are then used to pay lobbyists to lobby the legislature, still managed to convince the legislators to pass a bill that gives administrators more power to dump veteran classroom teachers at will, to cut teachers’ salaries, and to call for “furloughs” (days without pay) whenever there is a budget shortfall.

It certainly is not the classroom teachers who are skimming the money off the top of local school district budgets; it is the administrators.  –”

-Donna Garner, Voices Empower, July 2011

LTISD “Gang of Eight” photograph prior to 7/11/2011 and the “Gang of Eight minus One” as we see them portrayed today:

Reminds me of the Soviet Union and their standard practice of making someone an “unperson,” except they did a better job of airbrushing someone out of existence than the LTISD did using Photoshop.

Unperson: A person who had been vaporized, and all records of him/her had been wiped out. All other party members must forget that the unperson ever existed, and mentioning his/her name is thoughtcrime. (The concept that the person may have existed at one time, and has disappeared, cannot be expressed in Newspeak.) Compare to the Stalinist use of erasing people from photographs after their death.

-George Orwell, 1984

Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting highlights of the “agreement” and just how the Board still stands behind Rocky Kirk even under the mysterious circumstances of Rocky’s sudden and unexplained departure:

“In consideration of Kirk voluntarily resigning his position as Superintendent of the District, the District shall pay Kirk, on or before July 31, 2011, the total sum of SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($77,000.00) (“Settlement Payment”). The Settlement Payment shall be made payable jointly to Kirk and Adams, Lynch, & Loftin, P.C., and shall be delivered to the law offices of Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C, 3950 Highway 360, Grapevine, Texas, 76051.”

 

“The District agrees that Kirk shall be entitled to retain the following items provided to Kirk by the District as set forth in section 5(c)(2) of the Contract as Kirk’s sole property: the home office desktop computer, monitor, printer, and the older laptop that he is authorized to use for business and personal use.”

 

“The District and Kirk do hereby agree to be responsible for and pay for each of their respective attorneys’ fees incurred by the District and Kirk in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement.”

Reading the rest of the “agreement” only gives you the sense that the Board handed Rocky Kirk a departing “gift” and made the tax payers and parents of the district pay for it all. The “agreement” even includes the press release the district made regarding Rocky’s “resignation.”

Rocky and the Board forgot: You can’t polish a turd!

[See post to watch Flash video]

Well, Rocky’s departure is only the beginning. Perhaps the tax payers and parents will wake up and start to sweep the rest of the trash out the door.

The Lake Travis view has more information regarding Rocky’s resignation, including news that:

“Kirk will receive $77,000 through a settlement payment and continue to receive full salary and benefits through July 31, according to the voluntary separation agreement.”

- Lake Travis View, “Breaking news: Kirk resigns from LTISD,”  Thursday, July 7, 2011 by Devin Monk

Interestingly, it would appear that the Board knew about Rocky’s resignation at least by July 2. The document properties of the agenda posted by the district for their “July 7, 2011 – Special Called Meeting of the Board” would indicate this:

A “citizen’s bond advisory committee” presented a proposal to the Board to add at least an additional $158,455,000 dollars of debt on the backs of the LTISD taxpayers.

The LTISD Bond Advisory Committee met on at least four occasions to arrive at the results they presented to the LTISD Board.

Clearly these committee meetings were certainly in the interest of the district’s tax payers. Yet, have you ever wondered …

Did the district even publish public notices of the Bond Advisory Committee meetings?

If the LTISD Bond Advisory Committee meeting agenda’s were posted, when and where were they posted?

Why didn’t the LTISD make a “press release” advising the district’s parents and tax payers that these meetings were taking place?
This can be easily done as demonstrated by Travis County.

Why hasn’t the LTISD posted or published the Bond Committee minutes?
Seems you have to go to the trouble of making a TPIA request to get this information, but why?

Why hasn’t the LTISD posted or published the Bond Committee presentation?
It has been one month since they approved the bond election. We have yet to see the exact details of the proposed expenditures.

The members of this hand picked “citizen’s bond advisory committee” are listed below (based on the March 8, 2011 Bond Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes^TPIA). Perhaps we should contact them for more details?

NAME	PHONE	ADDRESS	CITY	ZIP	EMAIL
John Aoueille	402-0565	136 Sebastians Run	Austin	78738	jaoueille@austin.rr.com
Ben Archer	519-9065/263-5565	613 Eagle	Austin	78734	ben.archer.poco@statefarm.com
Lisa Baker	468-2968/264-2227	5014 Little Creek Trail	Spicewood	78669
Sherice Bench	695-3228	14 Applegreen Lane	The Hills	78738	Sherice.Bench@cbi-rings.com
Robert Brewer	380-4904/608-1512	1610 Palisades Point Lane	Austin	78738	robert_brewer@ML.COM
Mike Brooks	264-0932	20509 Auger Lane	Spicewood	78669	mike@haljonesdev.com
Tom Conyers	970-369-0057	10225 Twin Lake Loop	Dripping Springs	78620
Sandy Cox	944-0771	105 Vitex Drive	Lakeway	78734	sandy_cox@swbell.net
Carole Daves	712-4203	4532 Mont Blanc Drive	Bee Cave	78738
Bob Dorsett	263-7942	4004 Coopers Hawk Cove	Austin	78738	bdorsett@dorsettswift.com
Tanya Dorsett	263-7942	4004 Coopers Hawk Cove	Austin	78738
Herb Dyer	514-0110	3803 Kenora Court	Austin	78738
Charles Edwards	261-3338	1205 Lakeway Drive	Lakeway	78734	charlesandlanell@austin.rr.com
Jodi Gregg	228-9500/261-3615	9 Stillmeadow Court	The Hills	78738	jodi@jodigregg.com
Karen Hupp	263-0699	206 Jack Nicklaus Drive	The Hills	78738
Robert Kilgore	264-0983/917-5392	4813 Gunstream	Spicewood	78669
Joni Langle	413-2712/264-3287	20917 Kathy Lane	Spicewood	78669	joni@beecreekrealty.com
Gary Loudamy	402-0209	117 Outcrop View Lane	Austin	78738
Chris McComb	402-1997	1708 Palisades Pointe Lane	Austin	78738
Mike Meyer	263-9707	17204 Flintrock Road	Austin	78738	mike.meyer@prosperitybanktx.com
Brian (Bubba) Nickel	261-9695/853-9613	211 Palos Verdes	Austin	78734
Robert Salgo	263-1860/748-4916	3506 Normandy Ridge Lane	Austin	78738
Melanie Schwitters	984-5185/426-9811/266-0302	17008 Trail Of The Woods	Austin	78734
Jim Stanislaus	263-9712	14405 Heron Bay	Austin	78734
Amy Still	402-1685/750-3355	2900 Brittany Point Lane	Austin	78738	astill@austin.rr.com
Monique Threadgill	374-2800	107 Harbor Hill Drive	Austin	78734	mthreadgill@mosak.com
Milan Urukalo	261-3001	316 Nautilus Avenue	Austin	78734	milan@enco.net
Lori Wakefield	657-4455/402-0261	4405 Sharpshinned Hawk Cove	Austin	78738
Johnny (Bud) Welborn	261-9640/750-1841	103 Kite	Austin	78734
Matt Womack	261-1117/293-7339	126 Carefree Circle	Austin	78734	matt@watkinsinsurancegroup.com

Isn’t this the same Allison Cobb, Assistant Principal of the Van Alstyne Elementary School, fired from the Van Alstyne ISD?

“Ms. Cobb, who was employed under a one-year temporary contract as are all district employees, was given notice at the April 5 school board meeting that she would be fired at the end of the school year, according to the meeting minutes. Officials would not release the reason for Ms. Cobb’s firing, saying it was a personnel issue.”

Allison Cobb must regard “friends and colleagues” differently than her staff. According to the LTISD press release, Allison Cobb said:

“I am truly humbled to be selected as District 13 TEPSAN of the Year,” said Ms. Cobb. “I share this honor with the distinguished and accomplished cadre of educators I am fortunate to call my friends and colleagues.”

Isn’t this the same Allison Cobb, who spoke during a mandatory staff meeting who after being fired referred to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists?”

“The assistant principal, Allison Cobb, also spoke at that meeting, referring to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists.””

Makes you wonder how the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association selects their TEPSANs of the Year?

According to a March 2011 article, the “Texas School Business,” who refer to themselves as “The independent voice for public education in Texas,” overpaid superintendents such as Rocky Kirk deserve their outrageous salaries. Imagine that!

“THE PRICE OF LEADERSHIP Criticism of superintendent salaries falls short upon closer examination” published by the “Texas School Business,” quotes Rocky Kirk himself as saying:

“The scrutiny that you’re under, the criticisms that you sometimes get and the decisions that impact the families [of employees] are sometimes painful. There are people behind those numbers,” says Kirk, referring to budget cuts.

Although his contract calls for an annual pay raise, Kirk has declined raises for the past two years.

“Just given the economic times, it seemed inappropriate to ask the board to pass along an increase to me when other people were feeling the real negative effects of the downturn,” he says.

The article directly contradicts data provided by the his own school district to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Even in 2009, the Austin American Statesman said Rocky Kirk took a pay raise.

According to the TEA, Rocky Kirk has enjoyed a 76% pay raise since his tenure began at the LTISD in 2002. Based on data from the TEA, we can track his pay and see the truth: Rocky Kirk’s salary has increased $24,587 (9.9%) over the last two years!

Rocky Kirk is quoted in the article saying:

“Adds Lake Travis ISD Superintendent Rocky Kirk, “If the superintendent’s job is done right, then it’s going to take it out of you physically and intellectually, and sometimes emotionally.”

Kirk says the job is hard work physically because of the time demands, while the intellectual aspects of the job require competency in multiple areas of business and the ability to visualize and design processes for the organization as a whole.

The emotional piece of the superintendent’s job, however, can hit the hardest, Kirk says.”

Doesn’t Rocky Kirk’s contract give him even more time off to handle his additional stress? Rocky Kirk’s 2007 contract specifically states:

(9) Additional Leave – Personal/Professional Balance. The Superintendent is expected to take time away from his normal work routine to maintain balance and focus in his personal and professional life. Accordingly, in addition to the leave set forth above, the Superintendent is expected to take, at the Superintendent’s choice, an additional fifteen (15) days of leave per year (“Additional Leave”). This Additional Leave may be used at the discretion of the Superintendent, in whole or part days, for any reason. Any unused Additional Leave will not carry over from year to year.

The superintendent continues to receive pay raises and benefits heaped upon him while those who directly teach our children every day face an uncertain financial future.

Rocky Kirk even says:

“Public schools have been asked to “fill in the blanks” in areas that were once relegated to families, Kirk says, adding that the work that teachers and administrators must shoulder results from absent structures in many students’ homes, he says.”

Who is really providing the emotional support and structure for the students day in and day out?  It is our teachers, not Rocky Kirk. Where are the teachers  additional paid vacation days to help them “maintain balance and focus in their personal life”? Where is the additional financial compensation for all the money our teachers spend out of their own pockets for supplies in the classroom?

Don’t we, as taxpayers, want the most experienced teachers teaching our kids? Why then does the teacher pay scale not continue to compensate experienced teachers?

In a time when we the taxpayers are still recovering from job lay offs and salary cutbacks, Kirk goes out and buys a new $500,000 house. IT doesn’t sound like Rocky Kirk is worried about his future employment or financial future.  I wonder if the dedicated teachers and staff in our schools feel the same way?

The article goes on to say:

“Texas superintendent salaries run about $120,689 on average, according to the annual salaries and wages survey conducted by TASA and the Texas Association of School Boards. Superintendents in districts with more than 50,000 students earn about $276,545, while those in districts between 25,000 and 50,000 students make about $234,841.”

Wow, contrast that to Rocky Kirk’s average increase of 9.5% a year and his $272,427 annual salary. Any yet his only manages of district of only 6,978 students for $272,427! Not a very good deal for the LTISD parents and tax payers.

Let’s see now, the article  mentions the Wylie ISD Superintendent H. John Fuller, saying:

“Wylie ISD Superintendent H. John Fuller is a rarity; he’s survived for more than three decades. He has enjoyed a career that has taken him from a 400-student district to now managing 12,000 students, more than 1,700 employees and a $100 million budget.”

According to the latest TEA Superintendent salary data, H. John Fuller’s management of 12,526 students, 1,700 employees and a $100 million budget costs the tax payers of the Wylie ISD $169,214 per year! Certainly a bargain compared to Rocky Kirk’s “management” of only 6,978 students, 846 employees and a $75 million budget, all for a mere $272,427 per year.

Look at the numbers that the LTISD reported to the TEA and determine the truth for yourselves.

It is time to put the money and pay increases where it count, in the hands of our hard working teachers, not the already over paid superintendent.

Superintendents enjoy super benefits
High pay and perks attract talent, districts say

You can also download the contracts of 41 local school district superintendents from the KXAN web site including Rocky Kirk’s 2010 contract.

“If the Texas public education system were a private company, it would be the fifth largest employer in the world. We have a 1:1 teacher to non-teacher ratio in our state, and when it comes to pay, teachers are getting the shaft. Administrators and other non-teachers earn between $9,000-$38,000 more than teachers every year on average.

How does your school measure up? If you don’t see your school district snapshot displayed, please email us at texas@afphq.org. There are 1,035 school districts in the state of Texas and we are diligently working every day to upload each one.”

-The Red Apple Project

“Everything’s bigger in Texas – so the saying goes. It especially rings true for super-sized public school superintendent salaries in the Lone Star State.

This week, hundreds of school board members and superintendents will rally in Austin opposing any cuts to education funding in Texas. The Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators are sponsoring the rally on March 30 at the Capitol. TASB has said that as many as 100,000 teaching jobs must be cut in order to make up for the $9 billion in proposed state education funding cuts.

We disagree. School districts have ample room to make cuts on spending outside of the classroom, without eliminating teaching positions or short-changing students.

In Texas, 214 superintendents take home an annual salary more than the Governor of Texas, whose salary is set at $150,000 a year. If superintendents in Texas were paid no more than the Governor, schools would save $20 million each biennium.”

- “Superintendents don’t deserve higher pay than the Governor,” Eliza Vielma, The Red Apple Project, March 30, 2011

Finally, the article closes with:

“The residents of Texas have a median household income of $50,000 and should not be required to pay exuberant salaries for school superintendents and spend precious education dollars on so many non-teaching staff. Taxpayers already provide school districts with the resources to succeed; now it is up to policy makers to ensure those resources are spent on educating our students.”

Even the Center for Public Policy Resources publication “Who Pays Texas Taxes” says:

“Texas has the fifth most regressive state and local tax system of the 50 states.”

- “Who Pays Texas Taxes,” Center for Public Policy Priorities, March 24, 2011

In this article, Rocky paints a doom and gloom picture of the future of the LTISD.

Rocky goes on to say:

“It is undeniable that those of us who have been blessed with work that has allowed us to have our needs met and raise our families, contribute to the good of our communities and satisfy our desire to make a difference in this world have been able to do so because of a quality education.”

Rocky sure has been blessed at $272,427/year and did you know he recently purchased a new house listed at $584,000, yet he will be tossing out teachers to maintain his “blessings?”

By the way, I guess Rocky will be keeping the likes of the Marco Alvarado, the LTISD Director of Communications, Media & Community Relations, certainly a non-essential education related expense, especially at $96,611 a year (not including the salary of Marco’s assistant who is paid $35,301)? How many teachers could be saved just by eliminating these non-education related expenses?

What about Susan Bohn, our dance and social studies certified “Deputy Superintendent” (Susan Bohn’s current contract is for a “non-certified” employee). The LTISD has an attorney, not a certified or qualified administrator as the second highest paid employee in the district. Makes you wonder just how Susan Bohn does it?

But I am not the only one asking these questions. A citizen going by the pseudonym “M. T. Pockets” wrote the following comment to Rocky’s article :

The formula for school funding reform is clear. We must eliminate overpaid administrative positions such as that of Donald Kirk and his cohorts. In 8 years Donald’s salary ballooned from $154,600/year to $272,427/year. LTISD could save over $1.3 million per year simply by eliminating the top 10 administrative positions.

Rather than the sky is falling article above, imagine: No teacher cuts. No program cuts. No more tax hikes (bonds), and then imagine the savings implemented at the over 2000 school districts in Texas. Here’s why:

85% of every school budget is mandated by the state. Superintendents only influences 15% of the operational budget. Therefore, the position is superfluous and outdated. We can start by capping the salaries of these bureaucrats, then rolling back the number of available positions.

Remember when every principal also taught a class? Instead of guaranteeing themselves raises, giving contracts to their friends, and eliminating teachers jobs, these “educators” as they call themselves, ought to be teaching!

It is time we recognize the superintendent for what it is. It is time to stop calling these people “Doctor,” as though a phd in public school bureaucracy is some laudable or respectable thing.

Now is the time for us to move to a sustainable education budget that eliminates the superintendent position permanently.

-M.T. Pockets, Comment to “Public schools’ future hangs in balance as budget debate drags on,” Lake Travis View, March 22, 2011

¹Let’s take a look at the details of the latest TEA Superintendent data:

1. There are 1001 “Independent” and “Consolidated” School Districts in Texas
2. The 14 Texas public school superintendents, who are paid more than Rocky Kirk, work for school districts with enrollments SIGNIFICANTLY larger than that of the LTISD (see chart below). These numbers highlight the extent Rocky’s disproportionately higher salary. What makes Rocky’s performance so much more spectacular? Note that it took Rocky eight years and the exercising of some “loop holes”  to finally obtain an “exemplary” rating which has eluded Rocky during his tenure here at the LTISD.

Rotten Apple Award Week 2 Winner – Lake Travis ISD

This week’s Rotten Apple Award Winner is Lake Travis ISD.

Lake Travis ISD’s superintendent makes $252,799 per year (base salary) and the three asst. super’s make $131,750, $127,500 and $126,000. There are several (14) either Directors, Exec. Dir. or Senior Dir. making $101,000 down to $75,000.

One elementary school principal makes $81,097 per year, while one third grade teacher who has been teaching 30+ years earns just $63,086 per year, and one kindergarten teacher who has been teaching for 20+ years earns just $52,706 per year. Enrollment is just over 6,000 with one high school, two middle schools and five elementary schools.

The High school football coach makes $117,550 per year, and one of the elementary school librarians makes $66,234 per year. The Dir. of Food & Nutrition makes $77,539… if they outsourced this service to ARAMARK or Sodexho the directors would make about $50,000 per year.

- Eliza Vielma, The Red Apple Project, March 25, 2011

The Red Apple Project is sponsored by the American’s for Prosperity, Texas, an organization composed of concerned tax payers, who like many of us are tired of run away government spending and excess.

I might also suggest reading the American’s for Prosperity, Texas web site: The Red Apple Project: Highlights of Education Spending in Texas to learn more about how your tax dollars are spent.

They lead off their “School Districts” web page with this sobering piece of information:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, spending by local governments in Texas has grown from $66 billion in fiscal year 2000 to $104 billion in fiscal year 2007—an increase of 58 percent. By contrast, statewide population growth plus inflation has only increased by 34 percent over the same period.

- “School Districts,” Texas Budget Source

Did you know that the LTISD still does not post their check register? Why? What are they trying to keep us from finding out?

A recent article from the Dallas Morning news says:

“Texas lawmakers, more than ever, are looking for a way to get the most bang for the buck in education.

And they may have found it.

Complex ratings have been developed by the state comptroller’s office and at least one private company that provide a look at how much money is really needed to provide Texas students with a good education.

Faced with a record budget shortfall, the state will most likely have to consider cuts to education spending. School superintendents say any reduction in funding will lead to teacher layoffs and cuts to instructional programs. They argue they need more money, not less.

That’s why looking at the data may become important in the debate. The systems show not only where students have the best academic performance but which districts spend the least to achieve those results.

For example, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford district is rated best in the state by a statistical model developed by Education Resources Group, a Houston-area company. “You know how much we could save if we funded all the schools at the same level as HEB? $12 billion,” said state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, chairman of the House education committee.

The district receives about $5,100 from the state for each student and spends about $6,000 per student on instruction, HEB Superintendent Gene Buinger said.

“So I can look at our taxpayers and say you’re getting the bang for the buck,” Buinger said.

Could all Texas districts get the same results for the same money? “Yes, absolutely,” he replies without hesitation.

However, experts in the field say it is not that easy. They are wary of making major funding decisions on statistical models.

The analysis

It would be difficult to see from only raw data how HEB could be first in the state. The district is not rated exemplary by the Texas Education Agency, though it just missed the designation.

It’s first because its students do better than expected on several academic measures, and the district spends the least to get those results, said Paul Haeberlin, a partner with Education Resource Group. The company has testified before several legislative committees, and more than 30 Texas school districts are clients.”

- “Statistical models may help school districts stretch their education dollars,” Karel Holloway, Dallas Morning News, November 21, 2010.

Want to save yourself the expense of purchasing a written copy from the LTHS PTA?

The 2010-2011 LTISD Student Directory is available in Acrobat^© (PDF) format, or HTML format.^TPIA

I have even included a copy of the original Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of the Student Directory that the district hands out to anyone who asks for a copy.^TPIA

Did you know that this information is public?

Not many people know that the LTISD gives this directory information away to anyone who asks. See written LTISD Board Policy FL(LEGAL).

Here are but a few examples of requests for student and employee directory information made to the district.

Not only does the LTISD give it away, the LT High School sells this same directory information in printed form!

The LTHS even prints an advertisement thanking and soliciting supporters for the published directory.

The article starts off by stating:

“Although public schools are usually the biggest item in state and local budgets, spending figures provided by public school officials and reported in the media often leave out major costs of education and thus understate what is actually spent.

To document the phenomenon, this paper reviews district budgets and state records for the nation’s five largest metro areas and the District of Columbia. It reveals that, on average, per-pupil spending in these areas is 44 percent higher than officially reported.

Real spending per pupil ranges from a low of nearly $12,000 in the Phoenix area schools to a high of nearly $27,000 in the New York metro area. The gap between real and reported per-pupil spending ranges from a low of 23 percent in the Chicago area to a high of 90 percent in the Los Angeles metro region.

To put public school spending in perspective, we compare it to estimated total expenditures in local private schools. We find that, in the areas studied, public schools are spending 93 percent more than the estimated median private school.

Citizens drastically underestimate current per-student spending and are misled by official figures. Taxpayers cannot make informed decisions about public school funding unless they know how much districts currently spend. And with state budgets stretched thin, it is more crucial than ever to carefully allocate every tax dollar.”

-“They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools,” Cato Institute, Policy Analysis no. 662, March 10, 2010.

Everyone should remember this the next time the LTISD comes asking for more money.

BTW: I have documents showing that another “Bond Advisory Committee” is in the works.

I am sure that anyone who wants to increase their taxes, even while the 2010 inflation rate has averaged 1.8% so far this year and has risen only 3.8% since January 2009. Compare that to Rocky’s pay raises and those of our Deputy Superintendent, Susan Bohn.

Ms. Davis asks:

I am requesting an opinion as to whether school districts can prohibit a parent from having an advocate to act on their behalf on matters pertaining to their child’s education.

Currently, the Education Code and Texas Education Agency’s Rules provide contain proactive provisions encouraging parent’s participation in their child’s education.

Chapter 29.005 of the Education Code requires a school district to provide a written/audio version of their student’s Individualized Education Plan in Spanish for non English speaking parents.

Texas Education Agency’s Admission Review and Dismissal Rules permits parents to have “an individual present that has know ledge or special expertise regarding the child … “

It appears to me that a parent should be allowed to use all available resources when participating in their child’s education, including the use of an advocate, unless explicitly prohibited by constitutional or statutory provisions. Therefore, I would appreciate your response to the following:

(1) Can a school district or school principal pr,ohibit a parent from using an advocate in areas pertaining to their child’s education when state law or administrative rule does not explicitly grant the use of an advocate?

(2) Is legislative remedy necessary for granting the use of an advocate in every circumstance that a parent may face with regards to their child’s education?

In summary, the Texas Attorney General’s Opinion (GA-0813) is:

A school district may not prohibit a parent from having an advocate as authorized by section 29.306 of the Education Code. Similarly, a school district may not prohibit a parent from inviting an individual with specialized knowledge or expertise to participate in a disabled child’s individual education program pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

I suppose that the TEPSA never asked any questions about Allison Cobb and her background before naming her District 13 President?

Perhaps TEPSA should have asked:

Is this the same Allison Cobb who was an assistant principal at the Val Alstyne Elementary School (Van Alsytne Independent School District) in Van Alstyne, Texas?

Is this the same Allison Cobb, who after learning that her contract at the Van Alsytne Independent School District would not be renewed referred to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists?” (I guess that Allison doesn’t work around any “adulterers” and “abortionists” anymore?)

Is this the same Allison Cobb who wrapped herself in a cloak of religious persecution and filed a discrimination complaint against the Van Alsytne Independent School District?

Is this the same Allison Cobb who said none of the staff members had room to judge her, because some of them were “adulterers” and “abortionists” and had remarried. And she said she had chosen the high road over others in that room, according to multiple e-mails to district officials.

Makes you wonder what Allison Cobb thinks about Rocky Kirk and his recent divorce?

What are Allison Cobb’s thoughts about Rocky Kirk’s plans to remarry if any? I am quite sure Allison has an opinion.

Hey, for what it’s worth, Allison Cobb gets the Susan Bohn nod of approval. What else can you ask for?

“We are proud to have one of our principals in a prominent leadership role in TEPSA,” said Susan Bohn, LTISD Deputy Superintendent and General Counsel.  “Allison’s commitment to the organization has helped bring added focus and support to the profession of principalship, both locally and throughout the district she represents.”

Does Susan Bohn understand what “principalship” involves? Remember, Susan Bohn only has certifications in Secondary Dance and Secondary Social Studies.

Not quite knowing what the term “principalship” meant, I searched and found an excellent resource: Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship (I guess that Susan Bohn is acquainted with this document?).

Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship says:

“Everything principals do — establishing a vision, setting goals, managing staff, rallying the community, creating effective learning environments, building support systems for students, guiding instruction and so on — must be in service of student learning.”

Just how does referring to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists” serve student learning?

What Tax Ratification Election?

Is the district going to discuss their last unsuccessful TRE or are they going to discuss their plans for a future TRE?

Shouldn’t we, the tax payers and parents of the district be made fully aware that a Tax Ratification Election was going to take place now?

So far we have only seen the early propaganda put out by the district, but they failed to mention a Tax Ratification Election.

The LTISD should be reminded of the current sentiment summarized by these words:

“In this economy, we all have to tighten our belts, and the state should not be exempt from that either”

Is the district aware of the voter and tax payer dissatisfaction with spiraling out of control government spending ? Is the district aware that we recently elected a new State Representative who says:

“In this economy, we all have to tighten our belts, and the state should not be exempt from that either”

They just don’t get it. Nevertheless, the district kicked off their publicity efforts in the October 2009 “School Matters” publication, also carried by the Lake Travis View and the Bee Cave Bee.

District officials begin discussing long-range finance and facilities plan

As local and state funding sources near capacity, and with student enrollment on a steady climb, the Lake Travis Independent School District (LTISD) administration is taking the initial steps toward developing a long-range plan that will allow the District to remain financially solvent.

“Despite our sound financial management and healthy budget, we anticipate continued growth in student enrollment, and consequently, a need for additional facilities and the funds to operate those facilities,” said LTISD Superintendent Dr. Rocky Kirk.  “Without significant intervention from the state, we must begin to look at other alternatives that will allow us to maintain optimal balance regarding program, facility, operational and financial integrity.”

The article points to another document describing more “financial details” from the district’s perspective.

How interesting that the Superintendent, Rocky Kirk, who managed to get a 7.8% pay raise this  year, says that the district must look to maintain their “financial integrity.” Just who’s financial integrity is Rocky looking to maintain? I guess divorce is expensive, especially after 28 years.

Strange, but the detailed document failed to mention Rocky Kirk’s history of outrageous pay raises, or the scandalous pay raises of the immensely “popular” Susan Bohn.

Compare the enrollment of the LTISD since 2002 to the pay of Rocky Kirk and Susan Bohn.

Talk about maintaining someone’s financial integrity!

I still want to know exactly what it is that Susan Bohn does to earn such outrageous pay increases? Really makes you wonder …

In the meantime the district only grew from 4,652 students to 6,552 students, an increase of only 41%!

Who else has seen the incredible salary windfall like the one Rocky Kirk has seen in just 8 years?

Perhaps Susan Bohn? Susan Bohn started working for the district in 2006 at $96,124/year and now she is being paid $168,090/year, a 75% increase in only 4 years! Makes you wonder just what it is Susan does for all that money?

You can see the 2010/2011 LTISD salaries in more detail following the links below:

Well no surprises for the highest paid LTISD employees:

Rocky Kirk got yet another pay raise! I guess that divorce is expensive. It should be after 28 years.

Even Susan Bohn, our dance and social studies certified “Deputy Superintendent” (Susan Bohn’s current contract is for a “non-certified” employee) got herself another undeserved pay increase. The LTISD has an attorney, not a certified or qualified administrator as the second highest paid employee in the district. Makes you wonder just how Susan Bohn does it?

It was recently brought to my attention that if you add up the salaries of the top ten LTISD employees, you get $1,306,584.00/year! That’s a lot of money for a school district of a little more than 6500 students. But the LTISD did manipulate their way to an “exemplary” rating only after taking several exemptions in their favor.

I added up all of the salaries and got a total payroll for this year of $37,309,126.00 compared to $35,819,377.00 last year. This year there are 939 employees on the district’s roster and 911 employees last year.

The 2009/2010 average salary was $39,732.82 per employee and in 2010/2011 the average salary was $39,318.75 per employee, a decrease of $414.08 or about 1%.

Just how does that work? More employees, less money per employee yet Rocky Kirk gets a 7.8% pay raise and Susan Bohn gets a 20.1% pay raise? (We need to remove Becky Burnett inclusion in this list of absurdities since she was promoted to a position this year. Unlike Rocky Kirk and Susan Bohn, Becky Burnett can show meaningful results to show for her labor.)

Last year with only 6139 students, Rocky Kirk was paid at a rate of $41.18/student and this year Rocky Kirk is getting $41.58/student! Compare Rocky’s pay per student to the salaries of other superintendents in the state. Then compare the other superintendents salaries to their district’s TEA rating. We can do much better for less.

Update, September 6, 2010: The house is now listed as “Active Contingent” which means:

“When sellers and buyers get into a written contract with an agreed price and terms and escrow has been opened, the status of the active listing will be changed into contingent.  At this point, there are still at least one condition that allow the buyer or seller to cancel the contract without paying any penalty.”

Looks like Rocky on can cross this “to do” off his list and finalize the petition for divorce that he filed for in June 2010. Then what?

Update, August 21, 2010: The listing price has gone down by $10,500 since the first post! When the story was initially posted, August 10, the listing price of the house was $449,500, now the listing price is $439,000. According to one of the real estate web sites, the property was first listed on July 26th. Interestingly, the Travis Central Appraisal District (TDAD) valued the property at $422,553 in 2009 but the “preliminary” 2010 valuation is only $381,119?!

According to the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD):

Recently I discovered that this property located in The Hills has been listed on the market (MLS #4729797):

4 Windwood Court, The Hills, Texas 78738

4 Bed, 3 Baths Single Family in The Hills, TX 78738

What does this mean?

Now isn’t that amazing! The district can make cuts and still remain in the black.

Remember it was not more than a year or so ago that they district was predicting a budget deficit, doom and gloom unless we all approved another tax increase?

“Kirk made reference to a chart [above] that showed the district that without the 2 cents, the district will be in the red with no fund balance whatsoever by 2013. With the 2 cents, the district could stave off the problem for a bit longer.”

“Kirk said 86 percent of the school district’s budget is tied up in payroll — teachers, administrators and support staff. He said that under the circumstances, without help from voters, the district would be forced to cut its staff — including teachers.”

“We all know that property tax increases are unpleasant, but we missed an opportunity to secure additional funding for our District that would have provided some short-term relief. As a result, our District is now faced with a budget deficit of more than $1.7 million.” -Susan Tolles

“`With projected deficit funding of approximately $1.8 million, coupled with a steady increase in student enrollment and operating expenses, the board believes asking voters for additional revenue through a tax ratification election is a prudent and fiscally responsible option,’ said Susan Tolles, President of the LTISD board.”

Finally, and this from the LTISD’s own propaganda, created on September 11, 2009 by Marco Alvarado:

“Future budget projections for the District indicate that at the current tax rate of $1.04, the District would deplete 81 percent of its fund balance or savings account by Fiscal Year 2012-2013.”

Let’s just see if Rocky Kirk get’s another pay raise. Rocky probably will probably convince all his friends on the Board that he needs a salary bump to pay for the cost of his divorce.

Unfortunately it looks like the LTISD Superintendent, Rocky Kirk is not selling his house as a precursor to his departure from the district, rather it appears to be the result of a Petition for Divorce that Rocky filed in Travis County on June 10, 2010 (Case: D-1-FM-10-003126)?

Does anyone know who Katerine is?

Well, it’s been officially announced by the district. Rocky is even quoted as saying:

“While Holly has been with Lake Travis ISD only a short time, she has excelled in her work, and her talents, work ethic, and commitment have impressed those who have had the opportunity to work with her”

Hopefully Holly will remember what happens to those who don’t strictly adhere to the party line.

The blog references another excellent article “Texas school districts maintain billions in reserve funds” from the Texas Budget Source.

“Chairman Eissler [House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler] says every business, including school districts, need reserve funds for unexpected occurrences. According to Eissler, public school districts in Texas have more than $7.1 billion in reserve funds. In the last five years, Eissler says reserve fund balances per student have risen from $1,000 to $1,500.

“When times get tough, or you find you really need something, you can dip into the reserve fund,” said Eissler. “School districts are no different.” However, Eissler remembers last legislative session hearing a particular school district tell legislators if districts keep spending the money at the rate their going, they’ll be broke within five years.

“We’ve taught school districts, the state has, how to spend money. When they run out, they ask for more.” And with dozens of school districts across the state reporting budget shortfalls, the time to ask for more money is once again here. But with the state facing an estimated $18 billion budget shortfall and 29 percent of that going to public education, Eissler says it is time districts learn better spending practices.

“Most say spending more will give you better results,” said Eissler. “We’re working on that.” Eissler adds every year the state spends more on education but districts have trouble getting performance to rise accordingly.

“What that tells us is we’re probably spending money on the wrong thing. The only way we’ll be able to get a handle on that is to reallocate spending on things that work and less on things that don’t work,” said Eissler. “Rarely do we eliminate a program. We usually add them on. At some point in the financial future, we’re going to have to start replacing things more than we add things. We have to get this under control. Our future depends on it.””

- “Texas school districts maintain billions in reserve funds,” Sara Talbert, Texas Budget Source, July 27, 2010

Agreed!

Since when did extra taxes collected during “financial hardships” get reduced later when the difficult funding times went away?

“LTISD has purchased four lots of land and accepted donations of two other parcels in preparation for future school district growth. The money came from the 2006 bond.”

What’s next, another bond election? Another run at increasing our taxes as they did in November 2009?