NO. SAISD Still Hasn’t Made the Case for $145 Million in Bonds

SAN ANGELO, TX -- I graduated from Lake View High School in 1981.  I had great, passionate and effective teachers, coaches and administrators.  I’m proud that I graduated in the top ten percent of my class and I couldn’t have done that without the outstanding professionals who worked at Lake View and the resources that were provided by the San Angelo ISD board of trustees.  

In 1996, I moved my stepsons from the San Angelo ISD to the Christoval ISD so I could have a greater impact on their education.  I was a school board trustee there when they graduated and I proudly handed both of the boys their diplomas upon graduation. I was a school board trustee for nine years.  During that time we successfully passed a bond to build a badly needed middle school and cafetorium.

I know and understand public education finance and the pressures on educators and administrators.  Every two years the Texas legislature moves the target and changes the rules and school districts are left to play catch up to comply with vast swings in funding and expectations.  I don’t envy anyone who serves on a school board or works in an administrative capacity and I admire all those who selflessly serve students as teachers and coaches and support staff.  

I totally agree that the San Angelo ISD has aging facilities that need attention.  I also agree that school safety needs to be addressed. And I agree with the long range planning committee that Central High School needs a new gym that can seat all 2,500 or so students who attend class there every day during the school year.

But I cannot agree with the two bond proposals before voters now and I strongly oppose them.

As a recovering politician, I understand the process which leads to the proposal to get as much funding as you can if you are going to ask taxpayers to approve higher taxes.  

A district that is $89 million in debt with the ability to spend around $3 million per year in maintenance and operations funding on facilities can easily address facilities needs over time.  

Don’t get me wrong.  I would gladly support an $89 million bond.  The impact to tax paying homeowners and renters would be minimal and a bit more manageable.  And doubling the district’s bonded indebtedness would raise the tax rate by half of the current proposal.  San Angelo homeowners and renters can more easily afford $10 a month more in property tax or rent than they can $20 per month and are much more likely to support such a request.     

As an employee who works on salary for a small business entrepreneur who pays property tax, I cannot support either of the current bond proposals.  I can’t ask my employer for a raise to cover the increase in my rent and they are under no obligation to provide that additional salary. Well, I guess I can ask, but that would be a double cost to them; first their property tax goes up and then their employees want a raise to cover their increase in mortgage or rent cost because of the property tax rate increase.  Business owners are facing a double whammy!

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made property tax reform a priority when the legislature meets in January.  Property tax in Texas is driven by school finance.

If you look at your property tax bill, the largest portion by far goes to your local school district; the second highest portion goes to city government, and the smallest portion goes to fund county functions.  

The Texas House of Representatives is looking for a new leader and San Angelo’s Drew Darby is at the top of the list.  That’s one of the many reasons this election is so critical.

The Texas Legislature has tried and failed time and time again to fix public school finance. And this session will be no different. Ask Senator Charles Perry who represents San Angelo in the Texas Senate.  Ask Representative Drew Darby who speaks for San Angelo in the Texas House. The legislature may pass a school funding formula, but before the ink is dry, dozens of special interests and lawyers will file suit to block its implementation.  

That’s how the legislature works.  In the meantime, decades old school buildings are crumbling, neglected facilities like Lake View Stadium are deteriorating and taxes continue to rise.

When the Texas Legislature passes common sense solutions to school funding and finance and returns power back to local school districts, I'll consider supporting reasonable bond proposals.  But not now.