http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/public/detail_wrapper.cfm?MeetingKey=MjAwMzExMTQ%3D

Some “ups”- class size, legal expenses, number of administrative positions and their salaries, compensation for athletic positions (25-36%),number of transfer students

Some “downs”- revenue deposited into the general fund from Jumbotron proceeds, gifted and talented services, students identified as special needs (to a level that is not statistically probable).

Every candidate needs to carefully consider these facts. I vote for change.

Here is my problem with http://www.keepeanesinformed – there is a level of factual reporting and then a level of interpretation that is based on the reporter’s bias – (which is clearly very very anti-Wellman and anti-trustees) – but tends to be reported as fact). For example:

True Fact: The District has 200 transfer students (I made that up because I don’t know how many they actually have but it is what it is and it is a fact).

Keepeanesinformed Fact: (And I quote)
“Surely, if the transfer students are specifically screened for their stellar grades and achievement, many will compete for those coveted top ten percent spots as seniors. We won’t know unless the district tells us. So as the Eanes ISD leadership continues to wave goodbye to a diverse population of district students, and recruit “cream of the crop” out-of-district students to transfer into Westlake High from surrounding districts.”

Interpretation: Dr. Wellman and the trustees are gaming the system by running off EISD residents in order to bring in better out of district students to pad their scores and those students will take top 10% places away from our kids.

My Fact (from experience nothing else): When my child was in kindergarten at Eanes Elementary, there were 4 elementary school classes with 17-19 students each (3 at 19 and 1 at 17) – 74 total per the yearbook). Three years later, there were 3 classes of 14 each (52 total about) and more declines in sight. Teachers were let go. The school was under capacity and issues of closure were bandied about if enrollment continued to decline. The next year the district implemented the transfer student policy and brought in new students to fill out the vacancies. All were screened for grades and attendance records as parents were concerned about out of district students coming in. The district received $$ for each student – say some $2-$3K each (not sure actual amount but an inflow of cash).

Interpretation: School is now at capacity and District budget gets money inflow during a difficult time. All in all, this seemed like a good plan – bring in money for the district, keep from closing a school, good kids that want a good educational setting get to come to Eanes, teachers hired back. Transfer students are on one year contracts so no guarantee they can come back each year if there isn’t capacity. Transfer students are nice kids (friends of my child). Are transfer students taking top 10% spots – don’t think there are any this year except maybe teachers’ kids, but maybe there will be in upcoming years. How many? Don’t know but it never seemed like a signifcant number. Was it worth it to keep from closing a school – probably. Were Dr Wellman and the trustees “gaming” the system? Not in my view.

Big difference in interpretation. All taxpapers just need to be careful to separate true facts from interpetation (on both sides).