How Does the TEA Action Benefit the Community?

by Alden Nellis
July 30, 2008

I have been asked “How is the TEA action going to help me? I already pay too much in taxes,” and “Where is the $362,000 restitution to the feds coming from? We shouldn’t have to pay the $362,000 twice,” and “Has the CISD taken any steps to fix the problems found by TEA?” and “Is the TEA investigation over, or is there more to come?”

I don’t know anyone who would disagree with the feeling that we pay too much in school taxes. The TEA actions will result in a more efficient, less wasteful school district. There will be no more $35 glasses of tea, no more $908 dinners, no more $400 per night stays in posh hotels, no more $300 skeet shoots, and no more $10,000 overnight retreats in Glen Rose. A more efficient school district will mean a smaller tax increase than if the district were to continue its reckless spending of the past. A tax cut is almost too much to hope for, but not impossible.

In the larger sense, the local taxpayers will not be paying the $362,000 twice. It was originally grants from federal funds. It was spent (and misspent) for CISD functions. The TEA audit revealed that it was not spent by federal guidelines, so the TEA says CISD must pay it back to the federal fund. One way to look at it is that this was a loan from the federal fund which we must now pay back – without interest. That would be a bargain but for the fact that it was irresponsibly spent by the CISD administration and school board because they considered it free money.

The $362,000 will come out of the CISD general fund. The fund at the end of the past school year had an unallocated (excess) funds balance of $11.2 million. Since then the school board irresponsibly approved about $2 million for an indoor practice / sports facility. The money is there and payment of the restitution should in no way affect tax rates.

The fact that CISD had a surplus of $11.2 million at the end of the school year indicates that they are already charging more tax than they need.

CISD is finally taking some steps to cure the problems found by TEA. They continued their irresponsible spending during and after the TEA investigation, but when the Preliminary TEA report arrived, the school board finally began to listen to the citizens who had been trying to get them to listen for 2 ½ years. At that point Superintendent Damron was forced out and Interim Superintendent Dr. James Warlick was hired, and finally changes began. They are on the right track but still have a long way to go.

The TEA is not done. Read the final report at the CISD website or at CleburnePolitics.com. In the long run, there may be criminal charges filed against some of those responsible for some of the misspending. There may also be restitution against those same people.

There will be more audits, which will result in more restitution of misspent funds. Depending on the extent of the audits, the restitution could be sizeable. Just look at is as a note that has been called. We will have to pay it back but it is money that we had interest-free.

Any federal grants we apply for may be denied or, if granted, will be monitored closely by TEA. That may be a blessing. Remember that if we do not have any federal programs, we do not have to answer to federal audits, we do not have to do all the federal paperwork, and we can reduce the staff, thus cutting costs.

We may be assigned a Conservator. He / she will be assigned by and answer to the TEA, but we will have to pay the salary of $60.00 per hour (maximum $480.00 per day). The Conservator will take total charge of the school district. Every three months the TEA will evaluate to see if we must continue under the Conservatorship or if we can return to local control.

None of this would have happened if CISD had had competent administrators who adhered to rules. It is the school board’s responsibility to oversee the CISD operation, approve expenditures and the hiring of administrators. They are prohibited from receiving a salary or gifts. Being a board member is not an easy task and carries a lot of responsibility. Boards and administrators of the past have failed us. Let’s hope the present board and administration have learned from the failures of the past.