Katy Citizen Watchdog$

We’re Taxpayers. It’s Our Money.

An E-Mail To Our Community

 

Back To “Watchdog Archives (“In The News”)”

 

NOTE TO OUR READERS:  The Watchdog$ received this e-mail from a member of our community.  It should be noted that this individual is not a member of the Katy Citizen Watchdog$.  This person has, however, obviously spent a great deal of time studying the facts surrounding this bond initiative, as well as all the arguments on both sides of the issue.  We thought you might be interested in hearing what this person has to say on this bond referendum.  For privacy reasons we are not going to show the name of the author.

 

 

To all,

 

I debated for a long time on weather to send this e-mail or not.  Most of you know me pretty well and know I very much like to voice my opinion.  I have gone back and forth with this for a while now.  Knowing all of you are thinking adults and will do what you feel is right I decided to give my opinion.

 

I am voting AGAINST the bond on May 13th.  After chairing the Nottingham Country Elementary Building Improvements Committee in 2002, working hard to get Nottingham the addition and needed repairs, and being on the Memorial Parkway Junior High Building Improvements committee and presenting Dr. Merrell and other KISD personal with a list of needed work for MPJH, I have seen first hand how the Maintenance and Operations of KISD works.

 

Here are my reasons: 

*Nottingham was done because we were the squeaky wheel.  With Vicki Davies years (3) of documentation the district could not neglect the school any longer.  But had we not had a Vicki Davies NCE would never had seen any improvements.

 

*The original bond presented to the bond committee in Feb 2006 only had 10% of the funds allocated to older schools.  After the committee pushed as hard as they could that % then went up to 20%.  And yes, MPJH is supposed to get a new 1.3 million dollar roof (the MPJH building improvements committee presented about 13 million of needed work - that sounds like a lot but it is work that can't be ignored).

 

*The temporary buildings at MPJH have been there for about 15 years and are projected to be there another 10.  That is 25 years of a temporary buildings!!  Where is our building for kids that already exist (the board wants us to build for kids that are not even here yet but our kids are in portables?????).

 

*I think the home builders should donate the land for new schools.  This happened for Fielder Elementary and happens in many other districts (Cy Fair).  Why is our district footing the bill for the land when the home builders are who benefit from the new schools, which help sell their homes.  Remember the land on Kingsland and Baker - I think that was donated by a builder to KISD and KISD did not want to use it??????? 

 

*I also think with Wolf Elem at about 450 students, West Memorial Elem at about 700, Patteson Elem at 850, Memorial Parkway Elem at 600, and Nottingham at 800 (these numbers are not exact) I think the lines should be redrawn and we should keep all older schools at capacity and yes put portables until the demand for a new school is overwhelming.  (Remember MPJH has portables and our kids do just fine).

 

*I think the maintenance of the older schools is better now than 3 years ago but still needs improvement. 

 

Here is the bottom line:  If you vote FOR the bond, (then yes there will be money for improvements (like what Nottingham got) but that took an unbelievable amount of work for something the district should be doing on its own) then you should commit to making sure MPJH gets the other 11.7 million that it needs (if this passes the district will not magically give more to MPJH)!!  I will admit the district having the money could mean improvements for us and the district not having the money definitely means no improvements.

 

Or you can vote AGAINST it and the district will start the bond committee process over again and they will try and get it passed in Nov.  Hopefully the new bond committee will ask for more for the older schools (maybe the 20% could go to 30%!!)

 

By the way, most bond committees work for about a year to take the districts proposal and finalize it.  This committee was put together in February for a May election.  Why so fast?????????????????????

 

By the way,

 

I did ask to be in the committee and so did Vicki Davies.  Why would they not want people who are familiar with how KISD maintenance works to be on the committee??????

 

Dr. Merrell sold his house in KISD and moved out of our district.???

 

I have another belief I will share - I believe board members should have term limits.  I believe most people run for school board because they have a cause.  They should be on the board, make a difference and move on.  We have a board member who has been on the board for 28 years.  Jackie Birkel (who was an NCE parent) would not come to Nottingham even here about our situation in 2002.  She was elected and then "forgot where she came from".

 

My last assessment is about Taylor.  Taylor High School is not even mentioned in the bond.  Take a walk from the 9th grade center into the original building and take a whiff.  I hope the bricks don't fall off, like at Stratford.

 

I do appreciate the hard work of the people who were on the bond committee.  I know it was many hours of learning and debating.  And I thank them for the increase of 10% for older schools.

 

I fell like with the committees I have been on and the amount of time I have given to KISD I needed to let others know where I stand.  Thanks for your time,

 

 

 

A Katy Resident

Date: 05/05/2006