More than 1,000 Fort Bend Independent School District employees submitted to the district ideas on how to reduce the looming $18 million deficit budget, and included in the suggestions was postponing the proposed Global Center for Science and Technology or abandoning the plan altogether.
FBISD Superintendent Timothy Jenney sent an e-mail to employees at the end of last week, outlining the top ten suggestions that received the most comments from staff.
The total capital cost of the center – which is to include a planetarium, giant rotating lobby globe, interactive labs and a “Sci-Max” theater – have been estimated by a district-appointed feasibility committee at $26.4 million.
The George Foundation has pledged $1 million towards the project, leaving the district to fundraise the remaining $3 million needed to fund the 20 percent match the Board of Trustees required to go ahead with the project.
Jenney said in the e-mail to employees that he “agreed” with postponing the project, and will recommend the opening be delayed until at least 2012.
However, District Spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson previously told FortBendNow that “building of the Global Center would take two years from the time the Board gives approval to proceed, which means that the earliest it could open would be 2012, but more likely 2013,” suggesting 2012 was already the earliest the center could open.
“We will, however, continue with our planning for the Center so we will be positioned to move forward when financial conditions improve,” said Jenney in the e-mail. “Some of you suggested that the money we could save by not building the Center could be used to cover the deficit. That is not possible, as construction money can not be used for general fund expenditures.”
The agreement for building the center also requires the administration to find outside partners to cover at least half of the projected $572,000 annual operating costs of the building for at least three years.
Other ideas to reduce the deficit included reducing energy consumption by turning off lights, computers and copiers in all buildings when not in use; ensuring thermostats are working properly so buildings are not over-heating or over-cooling; turning thermostats up a few degrees in warmer months and down a few degrees in cooler months and reducing the use of campus and athletic field lighting at nights and on weekends.
Also high on the list was rethinking the best use of “helping teachers” and various subject area specialists. Many respondents said it might be better to switch these positions to regular teaching positions, which could help the district reduce the need to hire new teachers for new or vacant positions.
Reducing paper consumption was also suggested, and the Internet was suggested as a tool to address that issue. Many respondents suggested posting materials for various instructional programs on the district’s website, as well as posting testing and assessment documents, report cards, calendars, newsletters, handbooks, lunch menus, and other commonly printed documents online on the parent portal or district Intranet. Some suggested eliminating “nice” but not “necessary” printed information such as the annual Convocation poster sent to all teachers at the beginning of the year. Several suggested eliminating the use of disposable trays in the cafeteria.
Coming in at number four in the suggestions was reducing transportation costs, which included reducing or eliminating field trips and activity buses, reducing bus transportation for students enrolled in special programs, reducing bus route mileage through less stop by increasing the distance middle and high school students walk to their bus stops, ensuring buses are running with students load at or near capacity and reducing participation in out-of-district athletic events and strictly adhering to the two-mile limit.
Employees also suggested modifying summer work and school schedules. Many employees suggested using a four-day work week during the summer to reduce energy consumption. Also suggested was changing some employees on a 226 workday schedule to a 210 day schedule, closing the district down for one or two weeks in July, closing all campuses the entire month of July and offering one rather than two summer school sessions.
Several employees suggested the district look into the possibility of offering a retirement incentive to eligible employees, which the district says is no longer possible due to changes in the education code which disallow the payment of retirement incentives.
Many suggestions included reducing administrative costs by eliminating or combining administrative positions, reducing administrators’ salaries and not giving raises to administrators.
Several staff members noted that the district could save a significant amount of money by limiting the use of outside consultants for staff development training and other services.
Additional “miscellaneous” suggestions included re-evaluating the number of classes taught, eliminating food served at meeting, reducing or eliminating employee travel, postponing new building and renovation projects, postponing the opening of new campuses, rezoning students to campuses with smaller enrollment, eliminating the Employee Service Award Banquet and holding graduation ceremonies at Wheeler or Mercer stadiums rather than the Toyota Center.
“You can see we received a lot of suggestions, and I assure you we will consider your ideas as we develop final budgeting strategies,” said Jenney in the e-mail.
The district has said a plan will be presented to employees by the end of this month.
21. February 2010 at 7:10 pm
Very good point indistrict and one not wasted on the public. Generally using these funds for campus based projects would garner support but they seem dedicated to keeping these GSTC funds away from the campuses.
I wonder if most even realize that the 1-2 million dedicated each year to keep this building running will be competiting with campus programs and personnel costs on the operations budget?
17. February 2010 at 5:26 pm
That’s ok “indistrict”, we can all just move to the next latest and greatest development and watch as we burn out those taxing districts bonds to pay for the latest and greatest. It’s called master planned but it’s a master joke on us. After-all it isn’t their money, it’s free money for the taking, or so many politicians would have you believe. Just follow the money folks to your favorite elected official and see which string is pulling whose arms & mouth and just move across the river as they want so they can “build out” another area!
17. February 2010 at 4:45 pm
This is such a total waste of money, I don’t care if some of it came from donations. Those donations would be better spent elsewhere. Why don’t we use some of that “construction” fund to construct classrooms on to our schools so our kids don’t have to have class in run down T-shacks where the floors are buckling, heaters and a/c’s break down every two weeks, walls are cracked, ants coming up through the floor, and mold growing on the walls!! Why don’t organizations donate money for that. This is gross misappropriation of funds! I am very disappointed in the way this district is handling its finances. As a taxpayer, I am disgusted. It would be very interesting to see an investigation showing where all of this money is being spent.
One place that costs definitely do not need to be cut is in the direct instruction of the students of Fort Bend. But, of course that is where the higher ups want to cut first, less teachers, meaning more students in each classroom. That is only going to affect the quality of education for the students. Let’s face the facts, a teacher can give quality instruction to 17-20 kids per class, not 30-40. I am glad my kids are out of public education, because if my kids were still school age, I would be paying for private school. That’s sad, because Fort Bend used to be a great school district.
17. February 2010 at 1:40 pm
I seem to remember that last year them saying that they weren’t going to open the center until 2012 when it was discovered that the plans for the district science center were almost an exact duplicate of the Houston Museum for Natural Sciences-Telfair satellite campus.
16. February 2010 at 2:33 pm
Is he really delaying? If he plans to open in 2012, doesen’t it take a couple of years to build a building. This means the district would have to start construction in 2010? Where is the delay?
Science teachers are being told to buy soap and papertowels out of budgets meant for science supplies and equipmment. If we are shortchanging students by buying soap and paper towels instead of supplies and equipment, how can the district possibly consider building a 20 plus million building. It does not make sense to me!
16. February 2010 at 6:13 pm
Very good observation lewis and probably quite accurate but it does give us at least two election cycles to pull his board out from under him and then they can kill this project. Naturally you will have to watch the money in these races and not just the issues. More than likely you will read more like was heard last cycle. “I can’t judge something I know nothing about”….that was a popular theme for the “insider” candidates. Let’s hope the public is paying closer attention this time and DOES vote issues as is often not the case and turn-out picks up, otherwise we will keep getting what we’ve got.
15. February 2010 at 10:59 pm
Oh, a hundred million here and a hundred million there and pretty soon you’re talkin about real money…
15. February 2010 at 8:16 pm
Most assuredly question everything that this superintendent says. Listen very carefully and then double check what he has told you. Very important observation made by many in here who has had direct dealings with him. It’s the only way to end the vendor feeding, reduce the debt load and keep the ever increasing taxes in check. Make sure the money stays were it belongs, in the classrooms and on the campuses.
15. February 2010 at 6:20 pm
Actually resident Jenney is again misleading the public as he has been caught several times doing over the last few years. When the funds are in a construction account they can only be used that way, but when they are moved to the “contingency accounts” as they are from the bonds, they can be used for some aspects of the operations budget.
As Mr. Cain and many others have learned over the years, it is important to check everything he says. Just a few days ago he was claiming he didn’t turn over the information on the foundation contribution because it was not a corporate gift but he knows as well as I that the information requests was not specific for corporations it asked of all major givers. Even if he got away with that one the foundation is a NON-PROFIT CORPORATION. So you see he is being very misleading intentionally. Of course this will be added to the ongoing district attorney investigation as proof he is still with-hold documents ordered released by the Texas Attorney Generals office last year.
He also claimed they do not keep financial records on the superintendent but we have seen these with several other districts so we know these records DO exist and so does he.
15. February 2010 at 4:09 pm
GOP majority needs to provide first the public school funds, before opening other new school facilities, to pay more school staff employees.
We voters need to replace incumbent Gov. Perry for poor misleadership, Perry falsely says State Of Texas has a surplus budget, an FBISD is in $18M debit or going bankrupcy.
15. February 2010 at 3:38 pm
The GSTC was a bad idea in good times and a worse idea in bad times. It takes a village, not a village idiot) to lead our kids. Let’s put our tax dollars into the classrooms, labs, and teachers, and not into big building projects and then claim “the need”, because we are not paying attention to reasonable classroom sizes and onsite attention to the students and the teachers.
15. February 2010 at 2:30 pm
Good Post, Jaghund.
We do not even need to spend the taxpayer’s money on this or any other building. But, if the Board is dead set on spending building funds, there is always another school construction planned, and some of that money can go into labs that make their science program better. And, then the other schools that have deficient lab facilities can be upgraded. The GSC is truly a boondoggle that must be postponed indefinitely. Don’t forget folks, the Sugarland Branch of the Museum of Natural History is just down the street. We have to all work smarter these days.
15. February 2010 at 1:45 pm
Always go to your employees to figure out how to make more money or save more money, they are on the front lines and they see it in action. It’s up the the admin’s to make the ideas work within the guidlines. Good luck with solving the deficit.
15. February 2010 at 1:02 pm
I just want to congratulate all the individuals and groups that have worked so hard to keep the pressure up on the senior administration to slow or stop this project at this time. It was ridiculous to think of moving forward while proposing to cut over 400 essential employs from the system. Well done all!
15. February 2010 at 11:49 am
Facts:
“Some of you suggested that the money we could save by not building the Center could be used to cover the deficit. That is not possible, as construction money can not be used for general fund expenditures.”
From The Houston Chronicle:
“Some information requested by Hentschel, such as the superintendent’s financial filings, doesn’t exist, Jenney said, adding that the district recently responded timely to her second request for information.
“Guess what? Superintendents don’t file financial documents, school board members do,” he said. “She knows that. It’s game-playing. It’s false, misleading. That seems to be her style.”
““If you would like to go out, you can go out,” Broxson said as his patience appeared to be slipping. A district police officer in the room began to walk toward Calvin.
“That’s fine, just another taxpayer thrown out of another public meeting,” Calvin responded as he left the boardroom before the officer reached him.”
15. February 2010 at 10:54 am
Where does Ft. Bend teachers union stand with its new BOT officials leadership,elected officials from previous candidate endorsement selected bt the teachers union of previous annual FBISD elections before 2010 election online todaye
15. February 2010 at 10:52 am
It is great to see the teachers saying the same thing about this incredible waste of taxpayers money just to have a show piece. He finally listened to the community for a change.I wonder if it was because several large board elections are coming up this and next year?
15. February 2010 at 10:06 am
I agree we should propose postponing and delay the opening of new facilities? rezone for travel transportation?
15. February 2010 at 9:33 am
Putting this thing on hold is what Ms. Henschel, Mr. Cain, Bruce Albright, Mr. Rosenthal, Lee and many other advocated for all of this and last year. It generated candidates for the ‘09 elections and now Jenney admits it probably isn’t a good time to do this project. Amazing!
As far as the construction funds being moved around, technically he is right about that, but the board can repurpose “contingency funds” that they move over from unused portions of the bond elections. They’ve been doing this for years so once again Jenney is being deliberately ambiguous about all this. Yes THE BOARD CAN REPURPOSE THESE FUNDS AND/OR UTILIZE THE 90 MILLION DOLLAR FUND BALANCE TO TIE THE DISTRICT OVER THROUGH THIS CRISIS!!!