By Peggy Venable Americans for Prosperity-Texas
Published: 10-09-08
The November 4 school bond election should be called what it is – a deferred tax increase. It would result in a property tax increase which current taxpayers – and future taxpayers – can ill afford.
I read a press release in which school board member Carmen Gonzalez said she had been brought up in poverty and she was happy to promote the school bond.
Does she not know who pays these off?
Currently Edinburg ISD is carrying a heavy debt of almost one-quarter BILLION dollars -- $221402611.00 (according to the Texas Bond Review Board a state agency that tracks local government debt.) That is before the proposed $112 million bond initiative.
With only 28677 students (according to the TEA website’s most recent posting) that is a significant debt load per pupil.
Let’s look at Edinburg ISD. According to the Texas Education Agency’s website the school district’s staff is 53 NON-TEACHERS – and only 47 are teachers.
The average professional support staff salary is $55628 and teachers make only $44651. Less than half their revenue is spent on instruction and the academic rating is only academically acceptable second from the bottom.
So I would suggest to the Honorable Carmen Gonzalez and the other school board members…don’t bring out the pom-poms and cheer this deferred tax increase/bond election too eagerly.
You may intend to leave our children a bright future but are really leaving them a legacy of debt.
To check your local government debt to the Texas Bond Review Board: http://www.brb.state.tx.us/ or to School District snapshot 2007 (go to “Detail District Search”): http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/snapshot/2007/
And while you are at it be sure you know what your school superintendent is making in base salary – some superintendents get more in benefits than their base salary – so this won’t include it all: Superintendent salary report: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/adhocrpt/adpea08.html
