(Addendum: the bond election passed with the largest number of voters in history voting against it, over 16,000 voters! The money spent on the election also is a record. Over $116 per vote was spent by bond supporters for each "Yes" vote cast while an estimated 12.5 cents was used for each "No" vote cast. The questions below are more important than ever!)
- In 2002 and 2008 the bond planning committee had meeting
minutes and attendance records taken and specific recommendations they
voted on. Why was the 2015 Future
Facilities Task Force started under Mike Miles allowed to operate with no
minutes, no attendance records, no recorded affirmation of votes taken for
the bond plan components, and virtually no record of the specific process
and the details and sources for their recommendations? Why do members say
that they did not vote on the 2015 Plan?
- How is DISD going to fill a new 1,500 student
Pk-8 school that is still on the public 2015 Bond Plans for West Dallas
without closing any West Dallas elementary schools? Due to the public uproar it was promised
no schools would be closed. Is the real plan to draw students away from
West Dallas Schools with a brand new Pk-8 until several of them are
actually closed due to being underutilized? Why build one new $64 million Pk-8 and
not invest that money in middle school facilities at current West Dallas
Pk-5 schools to create Pk-8 schools closer to student homes? Many parents want that.
- How is DISD following the priorities outlined in
the 2013 Parsons Report by ignoring Facility Condition Index (FCI)
measurements to spend $41 million to tear down and rebuild Rosemont, a
school listed in “good” condition (11.74% FCI), and in better condition
than 96 other DISD elementary schools, 25 middle schools, and 21 high
schools? Should the FCI scores be
ignored to this extent?
- Why is not a fraction of the $41 million
allocated to tear down and rebuild Rosemont being used to correct the problems
at Rosemont, and restore this historic treasure as identified by
Preservation Dallas? Then the
remainder of the $41 million could be used to help build middle school
facilities for other Pk-5 schools where parents want to transform their
child’s school into a Pk-8 school! Could that not take the
enrollment pressure off Rosemont, and serve as many as three times the
students with the same $41 million?
- Since less than 15% of “choice schools” in DISD
are currently filled to capacity, how does DISD know there is a need for
more such “choice” schools? Choice schools are more expensive per
student and DISD parents are apparently showing that they prefer their own
neighborhood school if it is getting the needed attention to keep it up to
date. Or, is the focus on “choice
schools” part of the strategy to decimate more community neighborhood
schools?
- Since the first Pk-8 transition school is filled
to capacity, and turning away students due to their open enrollment
policy, and it is the highest rated
non-magnet school in all of DISD, why aren’t DISD staff meeting with
parents at other DISD schools to advise them of Pk-8 alternatives so the
parents could decide if they want such a transition for their schools?
- Why isn’t the focus of the 2015 Bond Program on neighborhood
community Pk-8 schools instead of the much more expensive and less in
demand “choice” schools? Pk-8
schools are generally better supported by research as being very
successful and are less expensive per student than “choice” schools.
- Since the increase in Pre-k enrollment at DISD
has been less than 350 students over the past two years, less than 2% each
year, and this year alone DISD has suffered over a 1,100 decrease in
Kindergarten enrollment, over an 8% decrease below any year in 18 years,
why is there urgency to create new Pre-k classrooms? Since Kindergarten enrollment went down
this year over 300% more than Pre-k enrollment went up, where is the
urgency for Pre-K in 2015 Bond?
- When the general decline in DISD enrollment for
students younger than second graders is mentioned, some say there are
severe pockets of need that still demand the 2015 Bond moneys for Pre-k
space. Where are those schools?
- Total DISD
enrollment is now down over 3,000 students below projected
enrollment! Most of this decline is in the kindergarten class which is down over 1,000 students from last year alone. Kindergarten enrollment is now the lowest enrollment in over 18 years by over 1,000 kindergarten students! If this decline
continues, what corrections are needed for the 2015 Bond? Why aren’t such corrections listed in
this current 2015 bond plan?
http://www.Dallasisd2016bond.com
