“Kelly acknowledged that BISD officials were surprised by the parking problems that have plagued Champion High School since opening day because the new school has 79 more parking spaces than Boerne High School did last year and the number of students is virtually unchanged.Kelly said he now realizes that Boerne High School has better pedestrian access than Champion High School and that the streets around BHS provide alternatives to on-campus parking. Because Champion High School is relatively isolated, Kelly said students have fewer off-campus parking alternatives, thus there is more demand for on-campus parking at Champion this year than there was at BHS last year.“I feel that I should have anticipated this different setting as we planned parking for Champion High School; thus I feel it is necessary to correct our problem now,” Kelly said.”
Are you kidding me? BISD selects a site on a major highway, outside of any residential neighborhood, continues to resist building the required sidewalks (causing students to walk on the highway shoulder) and Kelly says he was surprised that the different setting created problems?!!
In addition to this expense, a BISD newsletter reported a while back that the school district
had to purchase additional buses (more drivers and fuel) for students close in to the school who would normally have walked to the old high school but can’t walk to the new one, due to its location on a major highway.
The average Kendall County resident looked at Kelly’s choice of a location when it was announced and saw problems. Why so close to the existing high school? Why put it on a major highway that is already expected to have congestion problems, with essentially one entrance in and out?
Mr. Haberstroh, who is both the Construction Bond Manager for BISD and sits on City Council, wears two hats on theses issues, which currently include failure to build a sidewalk, addressing proper road drainage so the City can take over Charger Boulevard and enforcement of the no parking agreement. How does he avoid potential conflicts of interest?
But the really astounding thing in this ‘problem,’ is the amount of tax dollars (by far our biggest county tax hit and growing every year!) we fork over and that those who are managing it did not ‘anticipate’ such an obvious problem in their choice of location.
Remember the public outrage at the per acre cost for the BISD land and being told that it was a ‘deal’? Was part of that deal related to the fact that at the same time this school location was being considered, two nearby properties were being planned for future development- The Trails of Herff Ranch and the Hagee property (now Esperanza)? Engineer, Mike Coyle, was hired by both The Trails of Herff Ranch and Esperanza. He was also sitting on City Planning and Zoning.
Didn’t this school location become a financial enhancement for these developments and their associates?
Before dismissing this idea, remember that Dr. Kelly wrote a letter, on BISD stationary, to the State Natural Resources Committee, supporting the approval for Esperanza’s water district. Dr. Kelly later attempted to downplay this letter of support as having been written by someone else and that he simply signed it. He has apparently stated he was not representing BISD. Dr. Kelly’s letter, in which he identified himself as the BISD Superintendent and was written on stationary with the district’s letterhead, was presented and read at the State Committee hearing by Mike Coyle.
A Boerne Star column, written by Dr. Kelly in support of Esperanza, is currently being used on Marlin Atlantis’ website as a glowing endorsement for their development corporation from a school district superintendent.
Is this simply sour grapes about development or no growth rhetoric? Not hardly - this is about cold hard cash- ours! Residential development, unlike commercial or even undeveloped land, costs taxpayers more in services than it brings in. Add to that cost poor location planning and you have to ask if taxpayers are underwriting private interests. There’s a lot of that going around these days!
Dr. Kelly says it is necessary to ‘correct our problem now.’ The ‘correction’ he is going to make is to spend more of our money- we will pay for his ‘failure to anticipate’. Taxpayers should ask if the school district- who works for us- has demonstrated common sense in future planning, school placements and whose best interests have been served.
Anonymous
7 comments:
There's an article today in the San Antonio Express News about the financial problems at BISD. Here's an excerpt:
"He (Kelly) said $1 million or more in cost overruns on the high school renovation, higher utility rates and the recent purchase of 10 new school buses because of surging ridership have cut the district's reserve fund to about $5 million, the equivalent of one month's operating expenses for the district of 6,380 students."
Surging ridership? Didn't anticipate it....it seems there are many instances where the BISD decision makers decide to go a certain direction (based on what criteria - accomodating 'key players' in the community?) and then try to make the financials fit.
Was the Superintendent's active endorsement for Esperanza(newspaper, official letter to the State Committee, and speaking at the City Council hearing)the pay off for getting land for schools in Esperanza? Schools in their development only enhances Esperanza's bottom line anyway.
Second-guessing the actions of public officials is both a right and a necessity. But criticizing fellow citizens by name while hiding behind a cloud of anonymity can easily be perceived as malicious and petty. Likewise, it does little to promote the credibility of Boerne Together.
Probably few will be more impacted by this oversight, by the way, than Dr. Kelly himself, who not only pays school taxes but will also have to struggle to make ends meet amidst the challenges our citizens have imposed through their expressed preferences concerning high schools.
Might this particular issue have been prevented through better planning? Maybe. But if you are to highlight this mistake, then you must likewise credit Dr. Kelly for his leadership in helping make Boerne ISD a great place to educate our kids.
Yes, this issue is one that could/should have been anticipated. What concerns me more is the impending financial crisis for BISD and its impact on teacher quantity and quality. Lack of foresight on this issue will harm Boerne for years to come. We are rewarding Dr. Kelly on trailing metrics, e.g. last year's performance, but are overlooking the lack of planning, both physical and financial. I support Eric T. in his efforts for more transparency at BISD.
If we have this lack of planning regarding parking (which should be pretty straight forward and readily anticipated,) it causes one to ponder and wonder what lack of planning and wisdom should we expect or are we suffering in the area of the quality of education our children are receiving or fiscal management in general!
Mark Figart said: "But criticizing fellow citizens by name while hiding behind a cloud of anonymity can easily be perceived as malicious and petty. Likewise, it does little to promote the credibility of Boerne Together."
Blogs most often suggest using fictitious names as a matter of safety. Add in here the fear parents may have of potential repercussions in a small town and school district, then posting unfavorable but factual information anonymously is not unusual at all.
What's missing in Mr. Figart's response is addressing the facts presented. If this were simply name calling for the sake of name calling, then that would be malicious. However, this is about actions, choices, decisions that would be verifiable by newsletters, newspapers, records, etc.
If Mr. Figart believes something as common as anonymous postings of fact or opinion about BISD could undermine the credibility of Boerne Together, I would expect the information presented to rate at least some concern about the credibility of BISD planning. The fact that Dr. Kelly will be affected by mistakes as well, does little to resolve the problems that created them. While civility and sensitivity to the feelings of others is important, so is the truth. However, as long as speaking up about problems with BISD is labeled as malicious or petty, it will probably continue to be done anonymously.
I would like to see a discussion of the information contained in the posting and a productive solution.
Wow, I guess I shouldn't be surprised people don't keep the facts straight. I have kids in the schools and read the whole articles. Let us think a little harder.
The parking problem is not a multi million dollar problem. Let's not exaggerate. They could solve it with an extra lot or telling the sophomores to not drive. But come on, do you really think the parents would support their kids not having the privilege to drive. The parents would want more parking. Blaming all of the parking on Dr. Kelly is a little lame. The school was designed by architects, and built by construction managers, who have built schools all over Texas. These people did not anticipate the problem either. Dr Kelly just has the integrity to take the heat for it.
The Champion site is beautiful and easy to get to even though it is a drive for me personally. There are committees that worked selecting the site. Dr Kelly did not "pick it". That's ridiculous. I love the site and so do my kids. My tax money was well spent.
The bus purchases also were because when they split the elementary and secondary kids, more kids started riding. Elementary parents felt better about their kids getting on the buses and secondary parents left for work and their kids got on the buses on their own. This was in the paper!
In regard to Dr. Kelly's article he wrote on Esperanza 2 years ago, you can read on Dan Ochoa's website what occurred. Dr. Kelly reprinted the article in the form of a letter and signed it. The article, still on the BISD website, is an opinion piece obviously. Last I heard the first amendment is still intact. You may be dismayed that someone else is using his words for their advantage, but isn't that what's happening here.
The entire country in now reeling from bad decisions made by highly paid executives and their consultaqnts and advisors. It is time that Dr. Kelly is made accountable for his missteps. Reduse his salary.
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