DISD Trustee Vows to "Challenge" Super About Number of People Working in Central Office

By Robert Wilonsky Tue., Jun. 8 2010 at 1:12 PM

Categories: Edumication News

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Dr. Lew Blackburn

There are a couple of comments worth pulling out frrom yesterday's item about Dallas Independent School District's $23 million budget surplus. Among 'em: Mike MacNaughton, founding member of Dallas Friends of Public Education, recaps yesterday's budget briefing at Albert Sidney Johnston Elementary School. Following Chief Financial Officer Larry Throm's PowerPoint, MacNaughton asked the CFO, so, like, where'd that money come from. To which Throm said by way of introducing a much longer answer, "I can't say with certainty till the year's over."

I found that verbatim response at the 58-minute mark of DFoPE's podcast of yesterday's briefing, to which Friend of Unfair Park TravisDad directs our attention. Having sat through one of these budget briefings a few weeks ago, I can't say it's the most riveting listen unless you've got a child in the district or just need help sleeping. But there is one highlight toward the end courtesy trustee Lew Blackburn, who teases Thursday's board briefing at 3700 Ross:

"On Thursday I'll be challenging Larry on some of those department costs, especially when it comes to payroll and the number of positions that have been added to the central office. I know we've lost some positions at the campuses, and I'll be challenging Larry and Dr. Hinojosa about not adding additional positions to the central office level."

Blackburn's also among those who want to give teachers a 2 percent raise -- the least the district can do, he says, after the last couple of years.

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Budget Musings: Every August all school districts, sort of like retail stores, have to have "cash in the register" before they open the doors to the customers. Texas says school districts should have between 15 and 22 percent of their operating expenses as their fund balance. For DISD that is $180M on the low end and $264M on the high end (of $1.2B). We currently have $37M in the fund. CFO Larry Throm said on Tuesday he believes he can add a $23M surplus to the fund at the end of June to bring the total to $60M. When pressed on where the money is coming from Larry said, and I paraphrase loosely, "it's money that was in the budget but wasn't spent." Larry says this should happen again next year! If money is budgeted correctly there wouldn't be a surplus of $23M. There might be a surplus of $28,000 if everyone toed the line and held down expenditures but the departments would be spending every last dime they were allowed because they would have been budgeted just barely enough to get by. Right? What this surplus tells me is that there is MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY for all the departments to spend whatever they desire AND THERE IS STILL MONEY LEFT OVER. This is not a zero-based budget. It is also a clear indication that DISD is an organization that has not tightened its belt but has bought ten more pairs of pants this year because they were budgeted for ten pairs of pants last year. The closet is full but really, how many pairs of pants does a guy really need in order to mow the yard?
Hey Joyce; any way to find out who owns the lawn service company? Maybe it's another inside deal like the contracts at Love Field.
I remember seeing a mowing schedule for my school where they were only coming out 3-4 times over the spring and summer. So the alums and parents have stepped up to do that in-between (not I). Is this service going to increase mowing frequency?
It is time that the board take their responsibilties more serious. For years there have been very few questions of the performance of Dr. Hinojosa. In a tight budget year, why would administrative staff be increased, stiphens increase, consultant cost increase, teachers be hired from other countries, Instructional leadership increase, Data Processing services increase, Supplies and Materials cost up, travel increase and purchases increase? The answer is that the board has allowed Dr. Hinojosa to act on his own and then come to the board for ratification. Thanks to Trustee Carla Ranger, some questions have been asked in the past, but she needs help from the other board members. I sat in amazement at the last board meeting when a contract for lawn service for 1 million dollars per year was voted on. The board was told that the contract would displace about 16 people who was doing that work. If the 16 people made $30,000 a year including benefits, that would be $480,000 dollars per year. The district currently owns the equipment and it is my understanding that the contractor will use DISD equipment. That does not make sense to me. An additional cost to the district for lawn maintenance of $500,000 per year. The district nor the taxpayers can not afford those kind of deals.
Unlike Amy S, I am an actual district employee. Unlike Amy S, I am not a personal friend of Hinojosa's who will believe anything he says because he seems "so sincere". Unlike Amy S, I--and my students--suffer the consquences of this idiot of a superintendent. My students don't have toilet paper to WIPE with; the supe has a driver and more than one secretary. My kids don't have AC; the supe never goes without it in his office. Wake up, Amy S. This is about more than you and your child. Conditions in many schools are 3rd World; so sorry you listen to Hinojosa instead of believing your lying eyes. Ever been to Truett, Amy?? Didn't think so. But you are first in line to defend the supe who lets Truett exist as is. Crime, fraud, nepotism, and cronyism are rampant. Tax dollars intended for kids are lining the pockets of relatives of and personal friends of the very people entrusted with educating children. Whites have fled and now every African American who can is also fleeing. But our tax dollars keep pouring in to a bottomless pit of kickbacks and corruption. Cut 3700/Buckner/etc. IN HALF. We on the campuses do not need them. Completely cut off the millionS going to consultants, unless they also teach a full-time load. FIRE this waste of a superintendent and hold the thousands at 3700 Ross accountable for the kids they're supposed to be serving.
Let's fire all the accountants. Instead of an accounts payable department we can just give everyone credit cards. Screw what the auditors want.
Central Office staff should be reduced.Starting at top.
If people only KNEW the hidden away failed admin employees and the incredible $$$ spent on consultants they would rise up in revolt. It's a shame the teachers and students are the ones to suffer.
Well, I for one, can answer both. I know where it went and I know where it didn't go. Try enormous salaries at 3700 Ross, 408 Haskell, and others combined with lucrative contracts for consultants. It was also stripped from campus budgets as in it didn't go there. As to where it came from...our collective pockets via property taxes. What is of concern is the response from a while back of, "The money is gone and there is nothing we can do about it".
So, in a couple of years we swing from "We don't know where the money went", to "We don't know where it came from". When I was a student in a DISD classroom, "I don't know" was pretty much an unacceptable answer...