What Do CISD, Two Creeks and $18,268.05 Taxpayer Dollars Have in Common?
For the second week in a row Cleburne ISD executives may find themselves up a creek. Sadly enough, I finally called Tom Bodet to tell him not to bother leaving the light on at Motel 6 for CISD because we ain’t coming. That's just not fancy enough for our tastes. After all, Paradise is closer than you think!
Three CISD meetings were held at Garrett Creek Ranch in Paradise, Texas. The tab for the three meetings was $8,440. Garrett Creek Ranch and Convention Center is in Paradise, Texas in Wise County.
According to their literature, the 460-acre working ranch offers a secluded, tranquil environment in which to attain your meeting goals. Everything on the property was designed with one purpose in mind, to create a high quality conference facility with top tier guest rooms, one that is perfect for productivity yet casual by nature. Please visit their website at www.garrettcreekranch.com for a full description of their sumptuous facilities.
On-site activities include an 18-hole championship golf course nearby, 23 acre nature trail, basketball, bicycles, driving range, exercise room, fishing, and hiking, horseshoes, jogging trail, paddle tennis, par course, putting green, swimming pool, volleyball and a whirlpool.
The documents described below are posted at CleburnePolitics.com.
Meeting #1 is for $5000 and is called a Cleburne Middle School retreat on PO-200401344 dated November 9, 2004. It was approved by CISD superintendent Robert Damron.
The Garrett Creek Ranch statement dated October 11-13, 2004 shows $4780.00 for Rooms with $220 for cancellations, making the total $5000. No other charges are noted on the statement.
A CISD check # 003353 dated 11/12/2004 is made out to Garrett Creek Ranch for approximately $5000.
Meeting #2 is for $3000 and is called Cleburne Middle School Staff Development on PO-T1050334 dated 6/7/05. It was approved by Joe Ripple and the OK was given by CISD superintendent Robert Damron.
Two Garrett Creek Ranch statements dated May 20-22, 2005 show $1600 and $1400 are marked Lodging and Meals for a total of $3000. No other charges are noted on the statement.
A CISD check # 004560 dated 6/9/2005 is made out to Garrett Creek Ranch for approximately $3000.
Meeting #3 is for $440 and is called the Travel Directors Meeting and Leadership Academy showing a date of October 6-7, 2005. The PO # is FED06016 and shows four attendees at $110 each. The only other notation is “Send check to Sp Ed.” I have to say "Way to go ladies for your cheap trip." It certainly sounds reasonable to me. Now ladies, you didn’t shoot any clay pigeons or buy any Gift shop Cows you’re not telling me about, did you? See Check here.
It’s easy to see that $5000 plus $3000 plus $440 totals $8,440. Hey kids, I did that without the calculator and I graduated way back in 1969.
Here again we have to ask ourselves "Is this a real need or just a want?" Is this the best use of taxpayer dollars to improve the education of our children? It looks like we are just finding ways to waste the excess in State Funds we didn’t really need. You know, “Free” State funds are the ones that don’t cost anybody anything. Yeah, the state has a money tree too, just like CISD, and it grows right out of taxpayers back pockets. Even the bad drought we had this year won’t affect the output of their money tree. They can always afford the water rates just by raising your property values.
To recap from articles in past weeks, we have one event at $9828.05 at Rough Creek Executive Retreat and Resort in Glen Rose, and three this week for $8440.00 in Paradise, Texas. Our total for the four events in two years is $18,268.05 taxpayer dollars wastefully spent. But that's not all. More retreats will be examined in future columns.
With this kind of leadership, it isn’t hard to understand why our high school for the first time in Cleburne history was deemed Academically Unacceptable (even though that was changed later after an appeal), we failed our AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in 2005 at CHS for reading (10th grades), our SAT scores are below state and national average, and our ACT scores are "mostly okay" which sounds very tentative. Parents are complaining that their children don't have textbooks.
For the Doubting Thomases and those who are told that this report is all lies and skewed to make the school district look bad, you can see all the relevant open records documents on the internet at www.cleburnepolitics.com. The invitation to inspect them in person is still open. Call me at 817.641.6933 to view them.
If it’s all "for the children" as Education, Inc. cries, then why are the kids the ones who are suffering most? Are these the best financial decisions that we can expect from a superintendent and three assistant superintendents that we pay over $435,000 a year? Does Superintendent Damron really need three assistants? I think we could do with only one and save over $180,000 plus on assistants alone.
If we didn't hire an assistant superintendent to replace Joe Ripple, we could spent the money on the kids and buy textbooks, or we could take some CISD executives and go to nine $10,000 retreats at Rough Creek.
Next week we'll check out the executive retreat digs at White Bluff Resort in Whitney, Texas. White Bluff Resort is a master planned 3,450 acre residential community perched atop beautiful Lake Whitney. White Bluff has something for everyone, including deluxe accommodations, upscale and casual dining, two championship golf courses, a spa and fitness center, private marina, conference center (of course this is the only reason we’re going), swimming pools, tennis courts, fishing lakes and much more. Golf Digest gives White Bluff four stars.
Sorry, CISD, I double checked. No 5-Stand SPT clays are listed, so you can't shoot clay pigeons there.
These facilities have their purpose when it comes to corporations which use their own money for executive meetings, but there are no executives in education. Using taxpayer and state education funding meant for our children for these lavish retreats is inappropriate if not outright fraud.
School board, we are trying desperately to work with you. However, it’s your responsibility to find the loophole that allows CISD central office administrators to waste tax dollars set aside for the education of all Cleburne’s children. Then use your power to change it.
Harold Gentry
604 Prairie Avenue
Cleburne, TX 76033
817.641.6933 gentry1895@sbcglobal.net
