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• Gridiron Cathedrals | December 3, 2004 19:21:50 **** High school football is a passion play in Texas, and some new stadiums are costing school districts more than $20 million. Bob McNamara weighs the worth of...

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Round Rock ISD Bonds: Too Much, Too Soon

I write as the "critic" who filed the ethics complaint against Round Rock ISD Superintendent Dr. Gaul, referenced in an Austin A-S editorial ("Was showing a video unethical? That's the wrong question" February 19, 2005).

Certainly, the question in the RRISD bond election is not about the video but about whether spending $350 million in a bond is necessary or extravagant. The answer is clear: $350 million is way too much, too soon.

First, the district's claim of only a "$4 a month" estimate of new tax burden is at least 700% lower than the true cost to today's taxpayers. The current district's indebtedness, according to industry standard Texas Municipal Bond Reports, is around $400 million. Adding $350 million, the largest debt referendum in district history, represents not a reasonable increase but a staggering one. Simple calculations prepared by a professional bond broker show the increased cost of $350 million in new debt to today's tax base is over $28 a month for the same $167,000 home that bond proponents insist will see only a $4 increase. The top three taxpayers in RRISD - Dell Computer, Cisco Networking, and Solectron Manufacturing -- are all high tech companies. As a high tech professional I know first hand that high tech job exports and potential high tech economic downturns still threaten not only corporate school tax payments but also the job income parents are depending upon to pay their property taxes.

Second, "fast growth," the term widely used to justify the bond, no longer exists. To the contrary, district growth has slowed dramatically since the dot com economic collapse. The district's own data shows that elementary school growth for 2004-2005 is only 1.4%. Should we really accept a 1.4% student growth increase as rationale for increasing the school debt by 87%?

Third, projected construction costs are way out of line with industry averages. The estimated cost of the $92 million high school approaches double what the typical new school should cost. Certainly, some new facilities are needed. Taxpayers should ask, however, why the cost per square foot of the proposed $92 million new high school is $227 a square foot, compared with a national average of $131.82 (as per the "Ninth Annual School Construction Report" (www.webspm.com).

Fourth, the bond package includes 3,000 laptop computers that bond proponents claim are essential to learning. I personally state from professional experience that, in earning a master's degree in engineering and enjoying 18 successful years in the high tech software industry, which requires constant learning of new technology, I've never owned a laptop computer. Children must be taught the basics of reading and writing and at least some analytical thinking. How will a computer help a student compose a critical essay for the SAT? With automated spelling and grammar checking?

The Project YES Committee has obscured the issues. It has taken the negative approach suggesting bond opponents are liars, in flyers paid for with corporate contributions of $5,000 from Bartlett-Cocke, the "construction manager at risk" for the proposed middle school and the elementary school in the Avery Ranch subdivision, and $1,000 each from Round Rock Mayor Nyle Maxwell's car dealership, Summit Commercial Properties, First Texas Bank and the University Federal Credit Union. We should ask who is really profiting most from this bond: children or contractors? The "Vote NO" campaign funding I'm responsible for has received nothing from corporate donors.

And about that infamous "instructional" district video … It makes no mention of the potential for district taxpayers to be stuck with expensive debt, underutilized schools like Cactus Ranch Elementary with administrative offices on its second floor instead of classrooms, and extremely high taxes in the future if we experience another tech downturn or optimistic growth "projections" fail to materialize.

So no, this election is not about the video. It is about poor fiscal management and misleading campaigning that presented a $27 million football stadium to voters as $16 million on the ballot. It's about a taxpayer demand for better fiscal decision making - one we should vote on in November, instead of an obscure non-uniform election date of March 5th.

I urge parents and taxpayers to vote NO.

Don Zimmerman
RRISD Parent-taxpayer and Founder, "Save Our Taxpayers," www.saveourtaxpayers.org

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Hopefully our representatives in the statehouse will implement reforms that increase efficiencies in school districts such as ours. Efficiencies that will result in more of our dollars reaching the classroom. Right now, only 50 cents on every dollar makes it there. To read more on competitive reforms; visit www.TexasPolicy.com or
www.AmericansforProsperity.org.

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MORE INFO:

RRISDparents.org

RRISD bond initiative article
See page 8 (jumps to 7) also please read page 6.

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