Voters will be asked to consider an increase of 13 cents in the maintenance and operations portion of the current tax rate, to $1.17 per $100 property valuation. The increase would amount to a $346.71 tax increase on an average home in the district
DSISD Board President
Tim Kurpiewski
For more details, read the press release from the school district at this link: http://www.dsisd.txed.net/index.aspx?NID=2545. Click on the last title under August 2011, DSISD to Move Forward with Two Items on November Ballot.
Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Peter at pstern@austin.rr.com, to DSISD Board President Tim Kurpiewski at tim.durpiewski@dsisd.txed.net, 512.894.0007, to the superintendent's office, mard.herrick@dsisd.txed.net, 512.858.3002, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story
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DSISD Board Voted to Take Your Homes From You
By Peter Stern
Guest Commentary
The Dripping Springs School Board has voted to increase the tax rate to the highest level under the law during one of the worst economic depressions ever in the state. How does the Board justify doing so? This is going to hit residents hard.
Superintendent Mard Herrick resigned on the same night the Board voted to raise the tax rate. Hays County currently has the highest home foreclosure number in its history. It is raising taxes when Texas has the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. The DSISD Board continues to show that it is out of touch with the residents it serves.
Public education is supposed to serve the community, NOT destroy it.
This is a bad move by the Board. If other school districts follow suit, it will enable opposing forces to challenge the very existence of public education. Some of those forces are an increase in home schooling, public education will be unaffordable for many more poor and middle class residents, there may be a surge in home foreclosures in the district, a school voucher program may be passed this time when the Legislature convenes that will draw tax dollars from school districts that will enable parents to use their school taxes to pay for their children’s private and charter school education.
Texas already is at the bottom of the list of states providing a quality education for its children. With this latest ploy, the DSISD Board is striving to be last on the list.
Property owners would be wise to challenge the Board's decision.
Peter Stern, a Vietnam war veteran, is a Driftwood, Tx – based columnist. His writings about Texas education issues and politics appear in a variety of publications.
24 comments:
We only have our state Republicans to blame for this. Their budget cut so much from public education that property tax increases are the only option to keep schools running adequately. You can thank Rep. Isaac for the tax increase election next time you see him.
Texas unemployment is at 8.4%. That's the highest since 1987, not the great depression. Still a major problem but let's get our facts straight Mr. Stern.
Anonymous also needs to get his unemployment stats clarified, if not straight.
The "official" unemployment rate used by the Fed's BLS and the states omits so many types of unemployed or underemployed as to make those "official" stats almost meaningless.
If we were to add in those who have quit looking for work, those who are working part-time but cannot find full time work, and those who are being paid wages that are inadequate to live on without going into debt, the real unemployment rate is closer to double the manipulated "official' stats.
That is true at the national level and the Texas state level.
And yes, Katie is correct about one of the main reasons for the districts' education budget shortfalls.
This is how the no taxes on the rich, privatization-minded Texas State legislators get away with little blame for our crappy public education system in Texas. They make sure to "starve the public beast" and force local school districts to engage in desperate attempts to “survive” by raising local property tax rates.
Republican legislators (and a growing number of Democrats as well) at the Federal and State level – with their selective budget slashing - are fast becoming public health hazards to all of us and public education hazards to our children and their future.
When all the neocons and the Tea Party types start to see how the people they trust are manipulating them against their own interests and will eventually hurt their own families and their ability to earn fair wages and benefits, that is when some real right wing betrayal anger will be on full display.
Mr. Stern does not pay any property taxes. He has exemptions. But isn't it nice that he is so concerned to look after everyone else?
Katie, When was Representative Isaac elected to the School Board?
Rocky, In your "real world" calculation, would it be appropriate to include the illegals who ARE working here as an offset to those citizens who are not working because of them?
First anonymous has no idea what he is saying, much less correct Stern on his accurate statement.
Since Rocky already stated some of the realities, I will only add one statistic that alludes the REAL unemployment numbers:
What about the millions of Texans who have been unemployed for one year or more? Where do they fit into the quoted unemployment numbers?
Easy... they aren't counted!
Stern is corrent. The unemployment numbers are the highest in Texas since the Great Depression.
And furthermore, so are the home foreclosures! Now with this latest tax increase, along with the increase for the road bond issues and also the coming property value increases, we will be in deep doo-doo.
I for one, think it's GREAT that Mr. Stern is looking out "for everyone else."
I wish more people would do that.
What have you done for us lately, arrogant anonymous?
Katie, it is both parties that have done this to Texans. As Peter Stern stated, Perry and legislators diverted the State's responsibility for financing our public education system.
Every year they turn more of it over to county government and it gets pushed onto homeowners to deal with.
So many homeowners have lost their property because they cannot keep up with their tax payments. It is totally unfair and it is getting worse as the commentary by Mr. Stern points out. Is there no end for overburdened taxpayers?
I'd be interested to hear what our Commissioners think about this increase. I know they are not responsible for what the Public School Districts decide, but still, how will the school tax increases affect their decision re: the tax rate and other bond issues?
And of course there is the consideration for all Hays County that if the DSISD Board did this, will the other districts follow in their footsteps?
Anonymous of says:
"Rocky, In your "real world" calculation, would it be appropriate to include the illegals who ARE working here as an offset to those citizens who are not working because of them?"
No, illegals are not counted as an employment "offset" since the falsehood behind your assumption is that legal workers would do the hot sweaty low paid work the illegals do - workers that American employers hire illegally.
It is very xenophobically convenient to blame illegals for wanting a better life instead of arresting and prosecuting the American employers who hire the illegals.
It is kind of like ignoring the illegal activities of American bankers who hide or launder mexican drug money or the US gun lobby and their salespeople who sell weapons to drug lords raising hell across the border in the name of gun ownership rights.
Make sense? Of is that not "real world" enough?
Anonymous says:
"Katie, When was Representative Isaac elected to the School Board?"
Hey smartass Anonymous, if you would learn how to read with any type of cadence, you would know what she means.
Is this the only way you know how to argue what you don't want to read?
This increase is not a done deal until the voters stand up and get counted. Of course the soccer moms and renters will certainly vote for the increase so their little cup cakes can waste more of our money on band, art, cheer-leading, etc. VOTE NO ON THE THEFT BY TAX HIKE!
Does anyone know the "justification" for the proposed tax?
Is it because State has cut a percent of its financing and the district wants to make it up from homeowners?
Although it wasn't directly stated, the article makes it sound like the Superintendent quit because he didn't agree with the Board? Is that what really happened.
I would really like to hear some legitimate answers if anyone could provide some. Thank you.
they didn't get that indoor football practice field for free, now it's time to pay it off.
Indoor football practice field in Dripping Springs? Oh, I wish you hadn't revealed that fact for the Wimberley ISD to read. Now they'll be wanting an indoor practice field, too, to go along with their Astroturf!
While I am not a proponent of illegal immigration, it has been my experience that very few of the jobs Mexican workers do in our economy are ones legal workers are clamoring for.
Try to find a (sober)white or black guy who wants to dig holes for your trees, clear brush or any number of other really hard work Mexican workers are quite willing to do...and well.
The economic relationship between the U.S. and Mexico is what drives workers to leave their homes and families to seek hard, low-paying jobs in this country.
Fix the economic disparity caused by our trade relationships with Mexico and I assure you, those workers will stay home, with their loved ones, in their own towns.
They do not want to live here, they are just trying to survive and support their families.
This is a reality we will all face someday when all or OUR jobs are shipped overseas. We will be moving illegally to India or the Philippines to get call center jobs.
just saying, what makes the illegal issue the top dog of all our problems?
Jail and fine those who hire the illegal workers and the problem will be resolved.
Truth is that we have bigger fish to fry.
When people believe a man like Rick Perry and his BS, we need to recognize that we have a good many problems that have been placed on hold.
It took a long time to get our nation to this point, along with a lot of ignorance and laziness.
Our politics is knee deep in crap. The wealthy have had control long enough. We need to get back on-track before it's too late. It may be too late already.
Hey Very Obvious,
You eloquently ask:
"Is this the only way you know how to argue what you don't want to read?"
Well, I certainly can't respond to that?????
By the way, did YOU read where Hays ISD does not have to increase taxes to meet their budget this year?
Who should get credit for that?
The Hays ISD Board should get credit for that, along with the Superintendent, administrators and staff.
Kill the bill in November!!!
To Ruth P:
Since no one responded to you, I will try to.
I personally think that the DSISD Board tries to get as much of our tax dollars as it can. It used to be more sensitive to the wallets of homeowners, but no longer.
It is true that the State's financing has dcreased over the years and the county has had to pick up the slack.
At one time, 10 or more years ago, the State paid up to 80 percent of the budget for public education while the county made up the 20 percent.
Currently, it is almost opposite with the county paying almost 70 to 80 percent to operate public education. Now, approximately 80 percent of home property taxes goes to public education in the district.
Unfortunately, under the "Robin Hood" clause perpetrated 10 years ago by the court system, a big chunk of tax dollars in our district goes to other districts viewed as "poorer" districts.
So, even though homeowers here pay more in taxes, the schools here don't get all the money homeowners pay out. It's a stupid system. The thought behind it was to equalize the education and financing in each district. However, it really does NOT work that way.
I recall 5 years ago the DSISD first took more tax dollars via increased home and land values and then immediately removed the optional school exemption for homeowners. Doing so created a sort of double tax increase in the district. Many homeowners could not afford such an increase within a 1-year period.
Foreclosures started escalating dramatically and continued almost every year to its current highest number ever in the history of the county and in the state.
So, the answer is that yes, the DSISD Board is trying to get more tax dollars due to the State diverting its constitutional responsibility for public education onto county government, but also, it is a way for them to bring more dollars into a system that is failing our children. DSISD has been more successful than many other districts, but public education as a whole is failing.
Gov. Perry and many legislators are pushing to privatize public education. Some elected officials sit on the Boards of private and/or charter schools. Men like millionaire Dr. Leininger are trying to push through a school voucher program that will take away children and tax dollars from public education. In my opinion, it is a movement that will help along the failure of public education.
During the past decade there have been many Committees on Public Education that were formed to resolve many of the problem issues, but none were successful in doing so.
Too many people believe that throwing more tax dollars at public education will save it. I am not one of those. The system must change and tax dollars used to promote better learning outcomes.
Well, it seems as if there is enough opposition to the proposal that it will not pass anyway. I'm voting against it.
Well I think reasons many of the poster concerns are really caused by a higher level of government manipulation and politics. Education requirements to push everyone into college, when many do not even have a desire to go is one root of the problem. We get compared to economies such as China, they do not even educate over 50 percent of the population. So much of what we hear about our education standards are bogus or apples and oranges. The truth I believe is that we buy products from countries we have shipped our jobs and manufacturing over...jobs many of our kids would rather have than get a college education. Rationalizing illegal immigration is not helping. Illegals are keeping the pay scale down on many jobs like construction that DID PAY ADEQUATELY decades ago. Again, jobs many NON College bound kids would rather do. BTW, farm jobs are just 1 percent of the jobs illegals have. I do not believe one minute that ALL the jobs they have we would not work. Also their kids educations, health care and government benefits cost...sheez wake up there. To sum up, our government at the local and US level are pushing unrealistic expectations on a system that perhaps only 50 percent really want and will get a degree in college and we are pushing standards on every child regardless if they and/or their parents even care. The growing number of illegals are costing us more than they save us because they have become a political identity too promoting entitlement and calling us racist because we want to control our immigration. Rule of law has been out the window for a long time now. I am going to vote for what DISD is asking for even though I do not have kids in their schools. They do a great job and have the results to prove it. I do not want the lack of State funds regardless of the stupidity of the Texas Legislature to ruin our communities obvious care for a SUPERIOR EDUCATION. Yes folks, you have to pay for what you get and also for the actions of a broken government and illegal immigration. Maybe we could reduce the costs, if we did not try to make everyone college bound.
Mike,
Never vote with the crowd. Vote for what you think is the right thing to do after you have given good thought. As some US congress folks have said, "we have a spending problem", I say true, but by worse, we have a political corruption problem that has gotten us in the jam we are in. To break that, vote your heart, NOT who will likely win. That way, the folks that have been getting the biggest campain contributions will be more challenged to do the right thing. Start with this simple plea for money by DSISD. I am going to vote for it regardless of what this blog says based on mostly fact and my goal.... overcome the state stupidity of creating tax systems and promises they broke, while pushing a more costly standard. Remember, Texas is just about at the bottem of paying for education and we all better remember that before we go comparing with other districts... in Texas. My kids are no longer in DISD, but I am willing to pay this. I work around the world and the world is putting in more dollars into education regardless of how we want to rationaize this. The world is a very tough place. Lets not hold them back because of stupid politics...lets get those folks out of office.
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