Texas ISD’s Owe Staggering $111.5 Billion in Debt

[Forever_frost]

FLYNN: Texas ISD’s Owe Staggering $111.5 Billion in Debt

Capital Appreciation Bonds circumvent current spending, borrowing limits

Texas Insider Flynn, Dan 1-23-12Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – “Texans deserve transparency in local bond elections involving schools and other governmental bodies. Texans deserve the right to know how much debt there is, and I hope my legislation will help shine light on this vital issue,” said State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van,) presenting support for his Transparency Legislation, HB 114 and HB 1378. The information appeared troubling to many in the audience, when it was revealed that total school district municipal debt is more than $112 billion, with 20+ Texas ISD’s carrying over a billion dollars in debt.

Flynn’s legislation would require transparency to ensure Texans are fully informed of each ISD’s actual debt level, its consequences, as well as putting limits on Capital Appreciation Bonds. Those type of bonds are used often as a tool to help school districts but are also very susceptible to abuse.

“Many Texans are concerned when they learn their ISD’s are indebted in the billions of dollars.

“It appears the overuse of this tool (Capital Appreciation Bonds) could be an open invitation to get around current limits on spending and borrowing, and there is an urgent need to reign in this type of abuse.” said Flynn.

More worrisome, Texas has extremely high levels of local debt. Some of the highest in the nation.

According to the Texas Bond Review Board, local governments have almost $200 billion in local outstanding bond debt, comprising a full 83% of all public debt in Texas.

Flynn, Dan ISD Debt Service as of 8-31-14

According to Flynn,

“To ensure voters are adequately informed about any new debt they are being asked to approve, transparency of the levels of debt, payments and per capita Dan Flynn4-16-13burden need to be disclosed on a regular basis.

“These transparency requirements should apply to all political subdivisions, including cities, counties, school districts and special taxing districts,” Flynn said.

HB 1378 and HB 114 seek to enhance the transparency of political subdivision debt obligations as a means to allow the citizens of Texas a method to see what they are voting for, and what it does to debt on themselves and their child and grandchildren, before they vote.

http://www.texasinsider.org/texas-is...llion-in-debt/

[sc281]

So let me get this straight.

They get shit loads of tax money from us, borrow fuck loads of bond money, get donations from box top programs all the way through the texas lottery, claim to not be able to afford toilet paper - getting parents to pay for that too. All of this to provide a piss poor education...... and STILL BE IN THE FUCKING RED?!?!


Nope. No problem there.

[BP]

Originally Posted by sc281

So let me get this straight.

They get shit loads of tax money from us, borrow fuck loads of bond money, get donations from box top programs all the way through the texas lottery, claim to not be able to afford toilet paper - getting parents to pay for that too. All of this to provide a piss poor education...... and STILL BE IN THE FUCKING RED?!?!

Nope. No problem there.

Don't forget about underpaying teachers and nurses.

[juiceweezl]

Originally Posted by BP

Don't forget about underpaying teachers and nurses.

I can't speak for nurses, but most teachers are not underpaid. Again, my wife teaches, and she'll agree with me on this one. She is also one who spends a ton of hours at home grading papers and preparing for classes, not the PE teacher who does nothing outside of roll a ball out and watch the kids during class. Keep in mind most teachers work 9 months out of the year. If you prorate it out, many make upper 70's to 80K a year, often more. That's not too shabby, and is not underpaid.

[lowthreeohz]

Originally Posted by juiceweezl

I can't speak for nurses, but most teachers are not underpaid. Again, my wife teaches, and she'll agree with me on this one. She is also one who spends a ton of hours at home grading papers and preparing for classes, not the PE teacher who does nothing outside of roll a ball out and watch the kids during class. Keep in mind most teachers work 9 months out of the year. If you prorate it out, many make upper 70's to 80K a year, often more. That's not too shabby, and is not underpaid.

wat? you're nuts.

[juiceweezl]

Originally Posted by lowthreeohz

wat? you're nuts.

How do you figure? Please enlighten me.

[racrguy]

Originally Posted by lowthreeohz

wat? you're nuts.

No shit, right!? Teachers don't get paid during the summer months unless 1) they're working or 2) they elect to have their pay lowered during the school year so that the district pays them the difference through the summer.

[slow99]

Originally Posted by juiceweezl

I can't speak for nurses, but most teachers are not underpaid.

I don't know if I'd say they're underpaid either ... I'd probably go with fairly paid. I did see something going around Facebook the other day that we should increase teachers' pay to a "living wage" ... wtf.

[juiceweezl]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Crowder

I think he means it different then it came out.

Lets say for example a teacher makes 55k/yr.

if they "only work 9 months" then 55k divided by 9 is 6111/mnth.

if they make that a month, in nine months,then at that rate of pay, if worked 12 months, would be 73k.

This...

Originally Posted by slow99

He said prorated, salary divided by .75

$55k = $73k.

...and this.

Originally Posted by slow99

I don't know if I'd say they're underpaid either ... I'd probably go with fairly paid. I did see something going around Facebook the other day that we should increase teachers' pay to a "living wage" ... wtf.

Exactly. In fact, some are overpaid. My wife teaches writing/language arts. She spends a lot of time prepping lesson plans, leading her team (which often means doing all their prep too), and grading papers at home. In contrast, there are many teachers that barely do any planning (because they use someone else's lesson plans or otherwise) and do not have to do extra work after school or at home like grading papers. If you look at it on a pay per hour perspective, those teachers are overpaid to be honest. She doesn't complain though because a) she chose to teach ILA and she enjoys it; and b) if she was upset, then she'd change areas or jobs instead of complain.

My wife also works during the summer teaching seminars, writing curriculum, etc. By the time we pay a sitter for the boys, she barely nets anything from those hours. As Brent suggested, it's nowhere near the normal pay rate. She doesn't do it for the money though. She felt like she needed to pay her dues, and she enjoyed the work. Now, she feels it's someone else's turn. She's helping some during the summer, but she's also letting those opportunities pass to others that may want them.

If teachers are lacking anywhere, it's in the benefit department, but that and ACA don't belong in this thread.

[BP]

Originally Posted by juiceweezl

I can't speak for nurses, but most teachers are not underpaid.

They get paid pretty well if you use the same 12/9 criteria. My niece is an RN and works as a nurse in a local elementary school. She took a good 30% pay cut vs working in a hospital but she gets 3 months off a year and a relatively stress free environment with normal office hours. That and none of her patients have died.

[Broncojohnny]

Every ass clown thinks they are underpaid.

[kingjason]

Originally Posted by juiceweezl

I can't speak for nurses, but most teachers are not underpaid. Again, my wife teaches, and she'll agree with me on this one. She is also one who spends a ton of hours at home grading papers and preparing for classes, not the PE teacher who does nothing outside of roll a ball out and watch the kids during class. Keep in mind most teachers work 9 months out of the year. If you prorate it out, many make upper 70's to 80K a year, often more. That's not too shabby, and is not underpaid.

Careful about the PE teacher that does nothing. My wife is a athletic trainer and she has three classes of PE. Most of the people that are over PE are coaches or trainers. During football season my wife goes to work at 6am and sometimes she doesn't get home until 12pm or later. The school district she works for now does this with all athletic trainers except the head guy. She had health, and then some of them teach athletic training and it was terrible during the major sports season. So there is a reason they give those people PE and other classes of that nature. I would actually say her hours are on par for the year as most working adults. Her salary is good for her line of work.

Same way with my job. I work almost half a year technically by days off. However, when I am at work, I am there a long time. Don't get me wrong, I loveeeeeee 12 hour shifts and all of the days off. It is just a beating sometimes on the long week ends.

[juiceweezl]

Originally Posted by kingjason

Careful about the PE teacher that does nothing. My wife is a athletic trainer and she has three classes of PE. Most of the people that are over PE are coaches or trainers. During football season my wife goes to work at 6am and sometimes she doesn't get home until 12pm or later. The school district she works for now does this with all athletic trainers except the head guy. She had health, and then some of them teach athletic training and it was terrible during the major sports season. So there is a reason they give those people PE and other classes of that nature. I would actually say her hours are on par for the year as most working adults. Her salary is good for her line of work.

Same way with my job. I work almost half a year technically by days off. However, when I am at work, I am there a long time. Don't get me wrong, I loveeeeeee 12 hour shifts and all of the days off. It is just a beating sometimes on the long week ends.

My wife used to coach, and I've coached high school baseball. I'm very familiar with coaching structure and responsibilities. Yes, there are those like your wife that are putting in long hours and likely getting paid accordingly. There are also many coaches teaching PE that do nothing -- I know many personally. I also know what football coaches get paid in TX, and yes, they are overpaid to coach a sport that is far less important than the classroom.

For the record, teachers like my wife don't get an off season to teach PE because they had to work long hours during football season. I get your point and agree to an extent, but I'm still not going with underpaid.

[GeorgeG.]

Originally Posted by BP

Don't forget about underpaying teachers and nurses.

And IT folks...

[ceyko]

Originally Posted by GeorgeG.

And IT folks...

Yeah, millions spent yearly with no significant training or pay for the IT staff. If they paid more or trained more, they'd not need to spend millions on new stuff when the old is fine.

[big_tiger]

Originally Posted by ceyko

Yeah, millions spent yearly with no significant training or pay for the IT staff. If they paid more or trained more, they'd not need to spend millions on new stuff when the old is fine.

Districts don't understand that if you pay more for one person salary you wont need to spend as much as in contract labor, because the person on staff has the knowledge to do the task themselves.

I see this problem daily.

[Sean88gt]

Seems that betting on constantly increasing property values without giving a single concern to fiscal responsibility isn't working out too well.

At least texas public education is at the top of the nation...

[GhostTX]

Originally Posted by Sean88gt

Seems that betting on constantly increasing property values without giving a single concern to fiscal responsibility isn't working out too well.

At least texas public education is at the top of the nation...

Well heck, with the math scores, seems reflective of the admin then...

[SBFORDTECH]

Originally Posted by Sean88gt

At least texas public education is at the top of the nation...

That's like winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics, you're still retarded.

[Sean88gt]

Originally Posted by SBFORDTECH

That's like winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics, you're still retarded.

"Kid with downs wins the race, even though he stood in place, olympics.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS!"