School Districts answer the questions

School Districts answer the questions

Wednesday, 07 June 2006

With this issue, Community Impact begins a new feature to bring information to the readers about the school districts. We asked two parents for questions they might have for their district. We welcome readers to send in questions they might have for future PopQuiz features to ckincaid@impactnewspaper.com.

Pflugerville ISD

Norah Bowers is a parent of a second grade student and kindergarten student in the Pflugerville Schools.

Her daughter received an invitation in the mail to attend a meeting about a new charter school. She and her daughter attended the meeting. A parent asked how they had gotten the names for the mailer and the response was that they had purchased them from the school districts in the area.

What is PISD’s policy on selling kid’s names to other groups or public interest groups?

Randy Reese, Asst. Superintendent for Communication & Operation: Under the freedom of information act, we are required to give out the names, address and phone numbers to individuals or companies. Parents are given the opportunity to request that their personal information be deleted from the file, but the child’s name remains on the list. What do you charge? What do you do with the funds collected?

Reese: Vendors pay $5 a CD for an excel copy. The funds pay for the labor and materials used.

Do you sell the lists generically, or will you sell specific labels – such as gifted and talented.

Reese: No, we aren’t able to do this.

Round Rock ISD

Donna Brooks has two children in the Round Rock schools. She visited with other mothers to find the questions they wanted answered. We answer three here.

What did RRISD learn from the failed bond proposal?

Raymond Hartfield, RRISD’s 2005-2006 board president, indicated that the feedback he received focused on the following: • “Sticker shock” from the size of the previous bond package. • Not enough choices - it was an “all or nothing” package. • Some felt the district rushed the effort. • Public perceptions that previous bond expenditures were not frugal. • Communication to the public wasn’t adequate.

What is RRISD doing about planning for the possible bond election in November?

Based on feedback after the prior election, Dr. Jesús Chávez, RRISD superintendent, points out several changes that have been made including:

• Membership in the Citizens Bond Committee was expanded to approximately 100 community members. Everyone who expressed interest in participating is a member of the group and works on a subcommittee.
• Only projects needed within three years are being considered rather than over a five- year span, which will provide a smaller bond amount.
• The planning process has been expanded through the use of the subcommittees study ing specific areas including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, district projects, finance, communications, and ad hoc costs. Information from every planning step is posted on the district’s Web site www.roundrockisd.org. More materials will be available in English and Spanish including information on the Web site.

What does RRISD see as the most immediate needs for the high schools?

These needs were identified by the high school subcommittee:

• Address changes in curricular needs such as installation of additional science labs and classrooms at each high school to support expanded science requirements.
• Renovate out-of-date facilities.
• Provide relief from overcrowding by adding a fifth high school.