Want your own electronic copy of the LTISD Student Directory?

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

The 2008-2009 LTISD Student Directory is available in Acrobat^© (PDF) format, or HTML format.^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.

I have recently obtained the 2008-2009 salaries for the employees of the LTISD and have posted them for your benefit^TPIA (see links below) :

1. Adobe Acrobat^© (PDF) versions which include pay ratio to that of our overpaid superintendent, Rocky Kirk.
   1. Sorted by employee name
   2. Sorted by salary
2. HTML

I have also compiled a list showing the salary differences between last year (2007-2008) and this year (2008-2009) and are available at the following links:

1. Adobe Acrobat^© (PDF) format
2. HTML format

Let’s look at some interesting changes in some selected salaries between last year and this year:

1. Rocky got an 8.7% pay raise. Just what did Rocky do to deserve this much when the teachers got a much less percentage raise?

   Ever wonder:

   • Just what has Rocky done for this district?
   • Why is Rocky paid so disproportionally higher than other superintendents?
2. Linnea Bennett, Rocky’s loyal admin, got a 65.3% increase! The price of silence I suppose.
3. Diane Frost got a 17.6% salary increase. Again, for what? I guess when you go from “Assistant Superintendent” to “Deputy Superintendent” there is a financial entitlement included?
4. Kim Brents got a 41.1% increase for moving over to the high school. She is making about $5,000 more than Charlie Little did last year as the LTHS principal.
5. Jill Siler saw a 25.1% increase.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Just what did this expenditure of $20,000.00 buy the district?

HB2564?

More pay for Rocky?

Mayo’s back taxes?

What business does the government have lobbying the government?

We keep paying, and they keep flushing …

I have pointed out many of them in many posts to this web site, but here are a few more instances:

“The District’s Web site shall include information on
how to contact the District’s designated agent and a copy of the District’s copyright policy. Upon notification, the District’s designated agent shall take all actions necessary to remedy any violation. The District shall provide the designated agent appropriate training and resources necessary to protect the District.” - EFE(LOCAL)

Has anyone seen the copyright policy on the district’s dismal excuse for a web site?

Looking at the quality of the LTISD web site compared to several other district’s in the state, you might wonder just how committed the district is to providing the citizens, parents and tax payers of the district with useful information?

The district has informed me that there are no documents naming or appointing a district copyright agent. I guess that this makes Rocky the district’s copyright agent since no one has been designated?

“The Board shall direct the Superintendent or designee to employ all reasonable measures to prevent the use of District technology in violation of the law.” - EFE(LOCAL)

I don’t know if I would trust Rocky to do any more than he already does for his outrageous salary, something else just might slip through the cracks … something important like student confidentiality?

This just in:

Apparently you will have to use the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) to find out that Marco Alvarado has been submitted by a form: “Interim Designation of Agent to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement.”^TPIA

Why doesn’t the district post this information? Why do they not follow their own written policies?

Speaking of student confidentiality, it would not surprise anyone to find out that the district has yet informed me again that the district has none of the following:

Document Management Plan - CPC(LEGAL), CPC(LOCAL)

Records Management Officer - CPC(LOCAL), Local Government Code 203.023

And we wonder why they can’t protect confidentiality.

Just ask someone at the district:

What is the district’s document destruction policy?

What is the district’s document retention policy?

No one seems to know, which in itself seems to be standard operating procedure in the district.

Perhaps Rocky knows since he is responsible:

“The Superintendent shall oversee the performance of records management functions prescribed by state and federal law:

• Records Management Officer, as prescribed by Local Government Code 203.023
• Records Administrator, as prescribed by Local Government
Code 176.001 and 176.007 [See BBFA and CHE]
• Officer for Public Information, as prescribed by Government Code 552.201–.204 [See GBAA]
• Public Information Coordinator, as prescribed by Government Code 552.012 [See BBD]” - CPC(LOCAL)

We keep paying and they keep flushing …

This is the second time that the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights found the district to be out of compliance.

The district has agreed to make the necessary changes so that they will be compliant with Federal laws. Hey, Rocky even signed this agreement!

Unlike written Board policy, Federal laws are not optional. Rocky needs to learn that fact.

In the meantime, Rocky and the Board can rest assured that I will actively advocate for the rights of ALL students, parents and district tax payers (sorry Mayo, can’t help you)

Susan Bohn responded on July 2, 2008 saying hat the document was protected under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Not so fast there speedy!

The document is protected by FERPA as far as it names the student and the parents, but otherwise any settlement agreement by a government agency is public, hence subject to the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA).

Why doesn’t the LTISD want to make known the terms of this agreement?

Could it be that they don’t want you to know that they do settle issues with parents without senseless law suites?

Or could be something else …?

I hardly think it is for the protection of the student or his/her parents. Just ask Susan Tolles, she was just one district official guilty of violating a student’s confidentiality.

Following my attorney’s letter to remediate Susan Bohn as to the role of both FERPA and the TPIA, we get a letter from the venerable Chris Gilbert of Bracewell and Giuliani. Remember, Chris is that super-duper lawyer who argued and lost the district’s senseless and pathetic lawsuit against my family. In fact it was Chris who mentioned that amateur radio operators would be exercising their rights to public information under the newly revised public information statutes.

I guess that the district decided to waste more tax payer money using an outside lawyer to fight this since they have such high confidence in Susan Bohn? I mean she has such an illustrious history as the district’s “General Counsel.”

Can we hear the sound of the toilet flushing more of our tax dollars down the drain?

Well, the LTISD finally gave up the document, redacted according to FERPA?

Yeah, right! The district suffered from another one of ‘Bohn’s Blunders.’ The district neglected to redact the student’s name from the document!

So much for Susan Bohn’s FERPA claims. Oh, well, what else can we expect, another eminent domain fiasco?

I will not post the unredacted document since the district has apparently violated confidentiality again.

Imagine my amusement at the following text contained in the settlement agreement:

“INVOLVEMENT OF THIRD PARTIES. PETITIONER agrees that neither Melissa Lovelace nor David Lovelace, or any individual working under the direction of either Melissa Lovelace or David Lovelace, will be involved in the implementation of this Agreement or any meetings, correspondence, collaboration. or decisions regarding PETITIONER’S education and/or discipline.”

Now we know why the district did not want me to see this settlement agreement!

Just why is the district write such a clause in any agreement?

What is their concern?

Why do they feel that they have to name me and my wife in such a transaction?

It was rather obvious that Susan was wrong, again! Only after a letter from my attorney questioning her time accounting does she provide a letter stating that she was not wrong (lawyers never will admit their mistakes or incompetence). She said that the district “does not wish to enter into a legal dispute with you regarding this issue (legalese for “we will loose “and “we are wrong, you win”).

Image that, the litigation happy LTISD does not want another lawsuit!

Susan went back and used real math instead of her Wiji Board and happened upon the fact that she was wrong by 12 hours and 41 minutes. That meant that I had used less than 24 hours of whatever Susan used to calculate “district time.” Apparently the district does not have records to back up their claims of how much time it takes to answer each request, or so I have been told when I asked for these records. So just how do they know how much time it takes to answer each request?

Perhaps, Susan was not wrong but simply making application of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Einstein said that time is relative, depending on your frame of reference. I guess that the LTISD’s frame of reference is different than the time reference used by the rest of us?

I just have a couple of questions:

1. When does Susan Bohn’s incompetence turn into negligence?
2. Just how many times does Susan Bohn have to “mess up” before the district takes notice? Susan has a long line of such “exemplary” performances while employed at the district. Remember the Eminent Domain fiasco?

Perhaps we should only expect this from a lawyer who is only making over $130,000/year after only 6 years of experience. Not too bad since I bet that Mayo Davidson, with so much more experience (44 years), probably wishes he made $130k/year (then he might pay his taxes). But then again, Susan has not been found guilty of a “violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct” like Mayo.

Wait, there are still some more ‘Bohn’s Blunders’ to read about, stay tuned.

]]> http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/10/26/did-you-know-that-susan-bohn-cant-seem-to-add/feed/ http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/10/08/did-you-know-that-an-amateur-radio-operators-license-does-qualify-as-a-%e2%80%98radio-station%e2%80%99-for-purposes-of-house-bill-2564/ http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/10/08/did-you-know-that-an-amateur-radio-operators-license-does-qualify-as-a-%e2%80%98radio-station%e2%80%99-for-purposes-of-house-bill-2564/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:50:05 +0000 David Lovelace http://www.ltisd.info/blog/?p=466 This just in!

The Texas Attorney General’s office recently issued an opinion  saying:

“Summary: The “radio station” exception to section 552.275 of the Government Code encompasses a person who holds an amateur radio station license issued by the Federal Communications Commission.” -Attorney General Opinion No. GA-0669

This was a result of a letter from Texas State Senator Jeff Wentworth to the Texas Attorney General’s office regarding a provision of the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) established by recently enacted legislation (HB2564).

The issue was whether an “amateur radio station license” met the criteria of “a radio or television station that holds a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission” (Section 552.275 of the TPIA). This particular section of the TPIA exempts certain entities from the 36 hour annual time limit that a government body spends in responding to a citizen’s request for public information.

I guess that Chris Gilbert’s time (paid for by our tax dollars) spent researching the subject was wasted? In fact Chris did seem a bit worried about this during his presentation to the appeals court.

Well, I guess they will have to get that great “common law” scholar and lobbyist J. David Thompson III to go out and get the legislature to fix another problem, a problem which really does not exist.

All to often I forget the lobbyist’s mantra: “Let’s not let FACTS get in the way. What do FACTS have to do with PERCEPTIONS?”

Note: If you read Jeff Wentworth’s letter, it says that you can watch the video and see the process by which the amendments to HB2564 were added.

I took the liberty of capturing the relative 2-3 minutes of that process (The entire video referenced by Senator Wentworth is over 8 hours!) and posted the relative  part here for you to see without all the wait.

Listen carefully …

[See post to watch Flash video]

It certainly has not been for the lack of material.

I have a lot of catching up to do.

Here is a small list of posts that I plan on uploading in the  very near future:

1. Did you know that Susan Bohn claims to be aware of the privacy provisions of FERPA, yet turns around to provide documents that would appear to violate FERPA? Not only that, but since we only pay her $130,000 per year, they still had to employ an outside law firm to help her out in this matter? Just why did Rocky hire her? It must be for her expertise in eminent domain matters? We will just have to see what the TEA and FERPA have to say about this latest blunder. Remember what the TEA said about Susan Tolles violation of student confidentiality?
   
2. Did you know that the OCR found the LTISD in violation again?!
3. Did you know that Rocky got another pay raise! Even after saying that he was going to make the LTISD “the most exemplary school district in Texas!” The Austin American Statesman even made comments on Rocky’s outrageous “compensation.”
4. Did you know that the LTISD is trying to shore up their image with television commercials?
5. Did you know that your taxes went up again? Do you think that the “brain trust” is going to ask for a vote on raising our taxes in May? Did you ever wonder what Mayo thinks about tax increases in light of the fact that he owes Travis County and the LTISD so much in property taxes?
6. Did you know that I did not spend my 36 hours of time for TPIA requests this year? Did you know that once again, Susan Bohn messed up and can’t seem to keep an accurate count of time. Imagine that!
7. Just what is the growth rate in our school district. Looking at some real estate sales data, we can see some noticeable decreases this year. Wonder if the “brain trust” is going to ignore the data and ask all of us, except Mayo,  to pay more taxes for the burgeoning student population?

These and other articles coming very soon.

Thanks for all the concerned emails I received during the down time.

The database has been restored and and now the site is back up. Only a couple of posts have been lost and updates to the software should fix anything that caused the problems.

Stay tuned for some interesting posts in the near future!

Thanks for visiting the LTISD.info.

“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11)“

Mayo said on his recent campaign web site that:

“In passing, it should be stated that none of the administrative and legal proceedings initiated by Lovelace have been found to have any merit. “

Is this Mayo’s opinion, or is Mayo stating facts?

Mayo should prove his claims or retract them.

Imagine that, Mayo making getting his “facts” mistaken? Certainly not from Mayo, a man who owes Travis County over $60,000 in taxes and who has been found to be in violation of ‘professional ethics’ by the Texas Bar.

There are some some requirements imposed on the district by their their own written policies as well as applicable state and federal law. But it would appear that these legal requirements don’t apply to the LTISD.

The TEA letter of finding says among other things:

“Based on the LEA’s response, the Agency concludes that the LEA did not ensure that student’s personally identifiable information was protected at the disclosure stage in accordance with required procedures.”

Read the FERPA letter from which the TEA response was based.

These are a few reminders of the LTISD’s prior documented violations:

‘Did you know what a recent LTISD purchased report says about the district?’

‘Did she or didn’t she? She did! Did you know that Susan Tolles is the ONLY Board member to take confidentiality training and sign an oath of confidentiality?’

‘Did you know that the attorneys for the LTISD sent out unredacted information, again?’

‘Did she or didn’t she?’

‘Did you know that the district is supposed to remove any offensive, confidential, or proprietary information from computers before assigning them to students?’

‘Did you know that the LTISD cannot maintain custody of confidential records?’

‘Did you know that the LTISD was found to have violated student confidentiality?’

When will the LTISD follow their own written policies, state and federal laws?

Remember, it was not that long ago that Suzanne Villalpando left Lake Travis Elementary for Leander as well.

Why are these principals leaving the LTISD for the LISD?

Perhaps their school’s TAKS scores weren’t up to expectations?

Only time will tell.

Perhaps you could help Mayo out. It seems like Mayo doesn’t even know how long he has lived in the district.

Mayo neglected to fill in the number of years and months that he has lived in the LTISD on his “APPLICATION FOR A PLACE ON THE LTISD GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.”

Does this mean that contrary to the form text (”All information is required to be provided unless indicated as optional”) Mayo is exempted from providing this information?

Is this omission a “material defect” thus making Mayo’s application “incomplete?”

What would be the result of any finding to that effect?

What does the LTISD written policy say about this matter:

What does Texas Election Code say about this matter:

§ 141.001. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or appointed to, a public elective office in this state, a person must:
(1) be a United States citizen;
(2) be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election or on the date of appointment, as applicable;
(3) have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or
(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
(4) have not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities;
(5) have resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding the following date:
(A) for a candidate whose name is to appear on a general primary election ballot, the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate’s application for a place on the ballot;
(B) for an independent candidate, the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate’s application for a place on the ballot;
(C) for a write-in candidate, the date of the election at which the candidate’s name is written in;
(D) for a party nominee who is nominated by any method other than by primary election, the date the nomination is made; and
(E) for an appointee to an office, the date the appointment is made; and
(6) satisfy any other eligibility requirements prescribed by law for the office.
(b) A statute outside this code supersedes Subsection (a) to the extent of any conflict.
(c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an office for which the federal or state constitution or a statute outside this code prescribes exclusive eligibility requirements.

Hmm …

I obtained a 773 page document from the LTISD showing all of the unpaid taxes owed to the district since 1990.^TPIA

There are 2,735 individuals and/or businesses within the LTISD who have unpaid taxes owed to the district, and the LTISD knows about them!

Better yet, did you know that written LTISD Board policy gives the Board authority to collect these unpaid taxes?

I guess that the LTISD doesn’t collect these unpaid taxes since they can’t find a “competent attorney.”

Just how many of our tax dollars were spent in senseless lawsuits to teach the LTISD Board that parents have such rights?

Right on the heals of Rocky’s comments that parents have the right to complain to the Superintendent and the Board, Jim Cummings says:

[flashvideo filename=http://www.ltisd.info/doc/JimCummingsSays032608.flv /]

“I want the parents to know that we are hearing them, and they have every right to deliver that message to us.”

- Charles McClure, “LTE parents concerned first graders aren’t ready to advance,” Lake Travis View, April 3, 2008, Volume 23, Number 14.

You can hear this and more right off of Rocky’s tongue on March 27, 2008.

Well, isn’t that refreshing to hear!

I wonder if Rocky didn’t call J. David Thompson III first to ask if the district could these sue parents over ‘abuse of governmental processes.’ I think that ship has been sunk, but who knows, the LTISD has a history of spending our tax dollars to sue parents for exercising their rights.

Perhaps Rocky gets it now, at least he said “I get it” during that March Board meeting.

I am so happy to be of service to them.

“Likewise, our taxpayers, who have been, for the most part, tremendous and generous supporters of our schools, are now being forced to fund projects, initiatives, and who knows what else in districts all over Texas.”

“As a taxpayer, efficiency and focus is something that I demand of our district.”

“A vote for me will be a vote to maintain our Homestead Exemption, a vote against a 25% school tax increase to our homeowners, and a vote for a modest tax rate reduction.”

“Our homeowners are now under attack by those who propose to increase their taxes.”

“Two, we need to refocus on our core educational objectives, make the hard choices required to control spending, and maintain a balanced budget, based upon recurring revenues and not onetime windfalls, without increasing our already excessive school tax burden.”

Remember this information Mayo? How does Mayo reconcile his statement “as a taxpayer?”

Mayo, please enlighten us about your extensive experience with property taxes, we really want to know.

Did you know that Mayo didn’t even pay property taxes in 2002, the year that his comments in the Lake Pointe Hot News Bulletin (May 2002) were published!
Tell us Mayo, just how much of what you say can be believed?

Mayo, you tell us that “I was licensed to practice law in 1964,” but why didn’t you tell people that you were found by the Texas Bar to have been in “violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct?”

Mayo, did your “violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct” give you the experience for your claim that “I drafted the City’s Ethics Ordinance?”

Mayo Davidson Home: 261-5972 Office: 261-7744 Fax: 261-0013 rmd1200@austin.rr.com rmd1200@aol.com 507 Flamingo Boulevard Austin, Texas 78734

I have asked Mayo to tell us more about his tax status, but he ignored the request, much like he ignored his tax bill.

Just how does Mayo, an elected official make decisions on how to spend OUR tax dollars when he doesn’t pay taxes?

Tell us Mayo, we all want to know.

What other tax issues are yet to be discovered about our malevolent Board member Mayo Davidson?

We already know how much Mayo hates taxes, he publicly proclaimed his “hatred of taxes” on August 13, 2007.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Now we know Mayo simply avoids paying his fair share of the burden he imposes on those of us who do pay our taxes.

Did you also know that written LTISD Board policy CCG (LEGAL) has provisions for the collection of taxes from deadbeats such as Mayo?

Who else in the LTISD Administration and/or the Board knows about Mayo’s contempt as a citizen of this community?

Why hasn’t the LTISD enforced the collection of these back taxes?

Who is “looking the other way” and why?

“The Board may contract with any competent attorney to represent the District to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes. The attorney’s compensation is set in the contract, but the total amount of compensation provided may not exceed 20 percent of the amount of delinquent tax, penalty, and interest collected. Tax Code 6.30(c)” - LTISD Board Policy CCG (LEGAL)

]]> http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/03/24/did-you-know-that-mayo-davidson-owes-over-60000-to-the-travis-county-tax-assessor/feed/ http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/03/18/did-you-know-growth-of-the-average-ltisd-salaries-since-1988/ http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/03/18/did-you-know-growth-of-the-average-ltisd-salaries-since-1988/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:28:18 +0000 David Lovelace http://www.ltisd.info/blog/2008/03/18/did-you-know-growth-of-the-average-ltisd-salaries-since-1988/ Using TEA data going back to 1988, we can see the salary growth rate of the LTISD. The data shown below is the average salary of the LTISD teachers, professional support staff, campus administrators and central administrators from 1988 through 2007.

Notice the salary growth of the LTISD central administration! All that money and for what? You can download the actual salaries of all LTISD employees from my web site and see the most current numbers for yourself.�

Now if that isn’t enough, using the same TEA data, I have graphed the LTISD student growth from 1988 through 2007 and even applied my own prediction of growth until 2015. Let’s see how the predication turns out.

So much for Rocky’s imagined “fast-growth, high performing school district” Reality check Rocky, the LTISD is neither “fast-growth” nor “high performing.“

Stay tuned, we will soon be comparing the last two LTISD purchased demographics reports to the actual numbers and see just how well these “guesstimates” compare to reality.

Do you think the predictions are good enough to support another bond? Mayo said during a fairly recent Board workshop: “we are heading into an active bond mode soon …”

I guess if you don’t approve another bond, your property values will collapse, or so the last bond committee says.�

Visit any other Texas ISD web site and you won’t see as much self promotion as the LTISD Board.

Just why does the LTISD “Team of Eight” find it necessary to spend over $3000 of our tax dollars to compensate for their low self-esteem?

I have obtained the billing statements for the production of “A Clear Vision” and the photo session paid for by OUR tax dollars.^TPIA

I really got a kick out of Nola Wellman’s comments in a recent Austin American-Statesman’s article. (Laura Heinauer, “Parents: Eanes isn’t ensuring access for all,” Austin American Statesman, March 13, 2008, Page A1 and “Eanes parents want campus disability projects fast-tracked“)

The Eanes ISD supposedly passed a bond to take care of the issues pointed out by the article. Now Nola and the Eanes Board complain that they don’t have any money to take care of all the issues, which I might note are required by both Federal and State laws.

Do you think that the Eanes ISD might take a page from the LTISD play book and sue anyone who files a complaint for “abuse of governmental processes?”

Well, Eanes is not the only one with accessibility troubles. Our own LTISD has been found to be in violation and a complaint regarding many of the same issues with the LTISD’s playgrounds is currently pending before the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

Chávez said that even if the Round Rock district doesn’t reach the exemplary level until a year or two after the deadline, “it’s still better than not having an aggressive target.”

- Source: Bob Banta, “Round Rock superintendent makes TAKS scores personal,” Austin American-Statesman, March 8, 2008, Page E1 (Web Link)

Bold, but as the Austin American-Statesman article also quotes a :

“Teachers are held accountable, so it’s good that he’s being held accountable, too.”

Interesting concept: “superintendent accountability.” A foreign concept to the LTISD.

Based on the events surrounding the LTISD, we all have to disagree with the article when it says:

Not true here at the LTISD! Obviously Rocky is NOT held accountable for the LTISD’s academic standings.

The district falls to ‘academically acceptable’ for two years in a row, but yet Rocky keeps getting pay raises!�

We have to ask ourselves, just what is Rocky held accountable for?

Don’t ask the Board, they are doling out the pay raises and not holding Rocky’s feet to the fire for the district’s continued regression. Why? We should all know why considering Board members Susan Tolles, the renowned Mayo Davidson and Jim “Hire Well and Fire Well” Cummings, the problem should be quite obvious!

Guess, what? The Round Rock ISD’s web site does not publish their Board’s bios or proselytizing using tax payer’s with a “Clear Vision.”

Perhaps the LTISD Board of Trustees should concentrate on the business of education rather than trying to convince us of their “integrity.” Otherwise why would the sue parents and tax payers who have discovered their ruse?

Let’s make a quick comparison of the Round Rock ISD’s Superintendent’s salary and the Lake Travis ISD’s Superintendent’s salary:

¹Bob Banta, “Round Rock superintendent makes TAKS scores personal,” Austin American-Statesman, March 8, 2008, Page E1 (Web Link)

²Charles McClure, “LTISD purchases property; Kirk’s contract is extended,” Lake Travis View, January 31, 2008, Volume 23, Number 5, Page 1

That’s right, Rocky makes 6.7x more per student than the Round Rock ISD’s Superintendent Jesús Chávez! Why?!

I’m not the only one asking these questions and I am sure that more will follow.

Here is some data extracted from the TEA web site:^1,2

¹Source: TEA web site: “2007-08 Tax Rates as of January 18, 2008″

²Source: TEA web site: “2007 Accountability Ratings List”

Questions for Rocky and the rest of the ‘Team of Eight:’

1. Why does the LTISD have a tax rate that is in the top 17.1% of all Texas school districts, yet the LTISD is ‘Academically Acceptable?’
2. Doesn’t the data show that “throwing money at the problem” does not yield an “excellent” school district?
3. How can the LTISD lower the tax rate and become an “excellent” or even “recognized” school district?
4. How long will the LTISD Board of Trustees allow such second rate performance, disproportionate to our taxation, before they act?
5. Just who’s interests do the LTISD Board of Trustees represent? It doesn’t seem like the tax payers are fairly represented.
6. Do you think that there is a management issue which causes the LTISD to be repeatedly ‘academically acceptable?’ I might also note that this last year was the second consecutive year as ‘academically acceptable.’
7. Why is our tax rate so high? Considering the wealth of the district, the LTISD should be able to achieve the revenue required without imposing such a heavy burden upon those of us who pay taxes to the LTISD. It would be most appropriate if Mayo were to respond to this question, based on his experience with taxes and his avowed hatred of taxes and the like.
8. Has the ‘Team of Eight’ considered real action rather than sitting around and worrying about the punctuation and subtle nuances of the “District Improvement Plan?” I have a solution which could eliminate your burden by automatically generating mission statements and the like thus allowing the Board to concentrate on real business.
9. Why does Rocky and the Board call the LTISD a ‘high growth district’ when the LTISD has a historical growth pattern of only 250-300 new students per year? How does the ‘Team of Eight’ reconcile these numbers with those of a truly ‘high growth district’ such as the Round Rock ISD?
10. If the LTISD is to be proficient at growth, why did the LTISD ‘drop the ball’ so badly with the construction of just ONE new elementary school, Serene Hills? Doesn’t this failure cause anyone to wonder just how much of an untenable position the LTISD would find itself if it were truly a ‘high growth’ district?

You can read more about some of Chris Gilbert’s exploits regarding this matter in another post on this web site and you can read about how HB2564 affects the the Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code 552).

Remember, Chris labored in vain with J. David Thompson III, another Bracewell & Giuliani attorney working for the LTISD and a paid lobbyist, in their feeble attempt to sue me for exercising my right to obtain public information. Chris even pointed out that it was J. David Thompson III who hallucinates about my ‘abuse of governmental processes.’

I have been told that it was J. David Thompson III who authored HB2564, but I have yet to verify this information. I certainly would not be surprised if it were true since I have already been convinced that J. David Thompson III is such a magnanimous legal genius and paid lobbyist.

While researching the amateur radio provisions of FCC licenses, 47 CFR 97 (Amateur Radio Services), Chris misses the fact that people can obtain a “non-amateur” radio license in the form of a Personal Radio Services (47 CFR 95) license. Besides, a license obtained under 47 CFR 95 does not require a test!

I have been told that some people who have already obtained licenses under 47 CFR 95 just to ensure their rights to obtain public information through the Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code 552).

Interesting that Susan has an interest in “particular families” but yet she has no regard for my family? For some reason, I don’t believe that Susan is sincere or honest in her new found compassion.

Why did Susan write this appeal? It all stems from my additional research into the events surrounding Gary Wrinkles departure.

I will not release the information that I obtained about these events^TPIA, certainly not because of the district’s malevolent lawyer, but rather due to the overwhelming volume of information.

Why did the LTISD decide to maintain so much information on this incident?

I have read the documents and have come to the conclusion, based on the evidence that I have seen, that Gary Wrinkle was not entangled in any wrong doing and that his resignation from the LTISD was motivated by some other “force.”

So just what happened? I think one person knows, Rocky Kirk.

Perhaps Rocky will come out and tell us just what happened?

Based on the documents that I have read, Rocky certainly could not have found Gary Wrinkle guilty of any wrong doing, but who am I to question Rocky?

Remember, Rocky often gets his facts confused with the truth.

I think I now understand why Susan Bohn wrote that letter. Just who’s family was Susan Bohn trying to protect? Or was she acting as an instrument of the Politburo?

Perhaps we know the reason for Susan’s tremendous salary increase over such a very short time.

Note to Susan Bohn: Look back at the pile of deposed Rocky loyalists who have ended up on his wrong side for even the slightest ideological deviations. Remember Comrade Bohn, in a “cult of personality,” no commissar is beyond sacrifice!

It must be important since it is “a multi-year collaboration project involving the Lake Travis ISD and eight other highly respected Texas school districts.”

But there is no information that I can find about this organization that Rocky claims to have “taken the lead in founding.”

Who are the “eight other highly respected Texas school district” members?

What evidence can be found that such an organization even exists?

Help us out Rocky and point us to some information to verify your self proclaimed achievements.

Why the secrecy about TSELC? If it were such a super duper organization, as fabled by Rocky, then why not aggrandize your accomplishment? Unless, of course the “Texas School Excellence Leadership Consortium” is not quite what Rocky proclaims it to be?

I’m sure glad to see that Rocky has all of that free time to be founding this alleged TSELC organization, especially with the LTISD rated “Academically Acceptable,” Serene Hills well behind schedule, a “land grab” (eminent domain) scandal, and … oh, don’t forget Rocky’s busy schedule lobbying the Texas legislature!

How does he do it all?

In addition, Rocky says: “Also in 2007, the Superintendent launched the first class of Leadership Lake Travis, a district-initiated program designed to annually bring approximately 25 Lake Travis community members into a year-long district/community collaboration project built around the value of relationships, understanding, partnership and trust.”

Again, we are underwhelmed by the complete and total lack of information regarding Rocky’s “Leadership Lake Travis.”

Rocky, where’s the beef? We want to know more about Rocky’s “extracurricular” activities, especially since suit of ‘integrity.’

Too bad for Rocky, we see the true character under the suit!

… but in the end, it’s still a pig!

Why does the LTISD Board go to the trouble to dress up and look serious and publish a pamphlet about themselves?

Could it be that they have an inferiority complex?

We already know that they have a credibility problem, just ask Mayo.

Do they believe that they can “dress for integrity?” I guess so, they even gave Rocky another pay raise even while the district languishes as “Academically Acceptable,” again!

Someone told me recently: “If you have integrity, you don’t have to around trying to convince people that you have it. People will know. If you spend so much time and energy trying to convince people that you do, you probably don’t have any!”

Why stop at dressing up and putting your picture on the web?

Why not create and distribute a pamphlet with your tax dollars to delude tax payers into the perception that they are diligent disciplined custodians of your tax dollars and trust?

Remember, this district can’t even construct ONE new school on time, yet they try to tell us that the LTISD is a ‘high growth’ school district?

Just how much of our tax dollars went into the creation and publication of “A Clear Vision …?” Stay tuned to find out more.

Using the LTISD’s own audit reports^TPIA from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, we can see a disturbing picture in the difference between revenue and instructional spending.

Oh how the money comes i