I agree centexfan7, being from J-Bird, this is not the first time we have gotten a letter from the State. As I understood, if we followed all of our part of the agreement, we would be o.k. What ticks me off, is how the state just comes in and puts the letter out, and the media jump all over it like buzzards thinking the school is a bunch of screw-ups.
School Closings
- Thread starter Priceless
- Start date
Longhorn85
Six-man fan
Sad deal... My dad worked relentlessly to get Jonesboro back on its feet, after retiring from Gordon... but 5 years of substandard financial accountability ratings since he left, no excuse for that when the financial platform was laid out. Too much history there and the community needs to take accountability for this.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Smal ... 82951.html
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Smal ... 82951.html
CT6MFL
11-man fan
Old Bearkat
Six-man expert
Mount Calm had to close their high school in 1959 due to not meeting accreditation standards for several years in a row.
freeagent
Six-man pro
If I remember the article right, the TEA can close a school for two reasons -- not meeting academic or financial standards.
There was a local district several years back that was in deep do-do for the latter. Took them a couple years of juicing up the tax rate and rebuilding their reserves and now they're in good standing with the bureaucrats-in-Austin-who-wouldn't-know-how-to-find-a-classroom-even-with-a-map,-GPS,-and-a-guide-dog.
La Marque must be really rotten because I can pick out at least one local district that is a ... well, let's stop there before Granger bans me for life ... and even the entire Illuminati couldn't fix that one.
There was a local district several years back that was in deep do-do for the latter. Took them a couple years of juicing up the tax rate and rebuilding their reserves and now they're in good standing with the bureaucrats-in-Austin-who-wouldn't-know-how-to-find-a-classroom-even-with-a-map,-GPS,-and-a-guide-dog.
La Marque must be really rotten because I can pick out at least one local district that is a ... well, let's stop there before Granger bans me for life ... and even the entire Illuminati couldn't fix that one.
CoachPhillips
Six-man fan
If they were to close the schools wouldn't it be much better to do so in an alignment year? Think of the implications of closing 2 sixman schools at this time..leaving other schools scrambling to replace teams on football, basketball, track, tennis, golf, uil, ect schedules..some of these schools may be district chairs and in charge of organizing events and what not. Think of jrs who would lose chances to top of their class and to be apart of school traditions. Teachers, admin, staff scrambling to find not only new jobs but homes...alot of sixman people return home so now they are uprooted! This would be messed up to come in with 3 months left and say shut it down! Wow!!
For all yall talking about Jonesboro closing down. It is not closing down. As for what plans have been laid out in the past has nothing to do with what is going on. If you don't know the truth about our school then you should find out all the facts from the school super or prin. before you post things. The school is better now than it has been in the last 10 years. I no this info because I am a member of the school board. The news always jumps the gun and makes things out to be worse than they are. Thank you for all your support and concerns .
CT6MFL
11-man fan
Shad Kline
Six-man fan
Good to hear. Keep it up.eagle1987":th5ep9g4 said:
Little Doc
11-man fan
If the state would give the school districts the money they need and take care of the state funding issues that TEA keeps in the courts, some schools would not be in the financial mess they are in. Some have cut to the bare bones and unless something changes, more schools will be on the chopping block. Just what our state wants! Small schools are doing more with less, and the big beaurocrats don't like that!
Old Bearkat
Six-man expert
Little Doc":2vfvaz69 said:
Like all other states, there are many unfunded mandates that the public schools get from the state. Deleting these mandates and allowing the local school board to determine what the school will and will not offer will go a long way to solving the financial problems. Ignoring federal mandates by not taking federal funding will also help. Federal money usually costs a lot more than you get.
The following is an article from today's Gatesville Messenger regarding JISD:
Dossey: TEA is not closing JISD
Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Jonesboro ISD Superintendent Matt Dossey could say the same thing about reports that his school is closing.
In a letter dated Feb. 3, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told Dossey and JISD board
president Keith Taylor that the district must close, effective July 1 due to six consecutive years of substandard financial accountability ratings. However, Dossey is confident the district is not about to close its doors.
“We got the same letter last year,” Dossey said. “Last year, when I appealed the decision, I told them there would be one more year because of the way the system is set up.” Dossey explained the district’s latest Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) is based on data from the 2012-2013 school year. Although the district would have qualified for a superior rating in every other aspect, because their debt liability was greater than the fund balance, the score was “zeroed out.” Last year, the district entered into an agreed abatement order that required the district to have a fund balance of at least 10 percent of operating expenses and to finish paying off its debt by the 2015-2016 school year. Those goals were easily met and Dossey sent a packet to TEA in December, outlining how the district met its goals.
Two weeks later, the district heard back from TEA that their rating had been changed to accredited-probation.
After 2012-2013, the district’s fund balance was $126,000 and the debt was over $200,000.
A year later, the finances had improved to a fund balance of $478,000 and the debt had been reduced to $100,000. In the last three and a half years since Dossey became superintendent, the district has had a swing of over $1 million in its financial status. At the same time, the district has been able to add back staff that had been reduced because of declining enrollment and finances.
This year, the district hired a principal for the first time in three years. Next year, Dossey plans to add a full-time counselor. In addition, each grade on the elementary level has its own teacher rather than having combined classes as in recent years.
Enrollment has grown from 127 students in 2010-2011 to 180 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, plus 17 more in pre-kindergarten. “I have no fear of this district closing,” Dossey said.
Dossey has already spoken with the commissioner and officials at TEA and said he may not even have to make a personal appearance to appeal the decision by Williams.
Dossey: TEA is not closing JISD
Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Jonesboro ISD Superintendent Matt Dossey could say the same thing about reports that his school is closing.
In a letter dated Feb. 3, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told Dossey and JISD board
president Keith Taylor that the district must close, effective July 1 due to six consecutive years of substandard financial accountability ratings. However, Dossey is confident the district is not about to close its doors.
“We got the same letter last year,” Dossey said. “Last year, when I appealed the decision, I told them there would be one more year because of the way the system is set up.” Dossey explained the district’s latest Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) is based on data from the 2012-2013 school year. Although the district would have qualified for a superior rating in every other aspect, because their debt liability was greater than the fund balance, the score was “zeroed out.” Last year, the district entered into an agreed abatement order that required the district to have a fund balance of at least 10 percent of operating expenses and to finish paying off its debt by the 2015-2016 school year. Those goals were easily met and Dossey sent a packet to TEA in December, outlining how the district met its goals.
Two weeks later, the district heard back from TEA that their rating had been changed to accredited-probation.
After 2012-2013, the district’s fund balance was $126,000 and the debt was over $200,000.
A year later, the finances had improved to a fund balance of $478,000 and the debt had been reduced to $100,000. In the last three and a half years since Dossey became superintendent, the district has had a swing of over $1 million in its financial status. At the same time, the district has been able to add back staff that had been reduced because of declining enrollment and finances.
This year, the district hired a principal for the first time in three years. Next year, Dossey plans to add a full-time counselor. In addition, each grade on the elementary level has its own teacher rather than having combined classes as in recent years.
Enrollment has grown from 127 students in 2010-2011 to 180 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, plus 17 more in pre-kindergarten. “I have no fear of this district closing,” Dossey said.
Dossey has already spoken with the commissioner and officials at TEA and said he may not even have to make a personal appearance to appeal the decision by Williams.
smokeyjoe53
Six-man pro
Just read that Brookesmith hired a new superintendent. He was principal @ Loop.............
smokeyjoe53":ka0qt2fw said:
Interesting. I read a year or so ago that Brookesmith was advertising for students for students to come there from Brownwood or other nearby towns. Seems like they were touting their teaching quality and smaller classes, small town atmosphere and maybe adding free buss rides from the BW area. Maybe this and that can save them.
Johnny South
Six-man pro
They didn't get rid of anyone, he retired. They were also in a large amount of debt before he got on and he worked hard to get them in the black. Brookesmith has been advertising for years and running buses into Brownwood for even longer. Their test scores will be back up this year and they will no longer be on probation. All of this was due to Dr. Smith, not the incoming superintendent.
Johnny South
Six-man pro
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