Examiner exposes that athletic complex 50 percent over budget

The article says that Dr. Thomas said the price was always $44 million and that people just don't understand how the construction process works. However, documents show that the original price that was presented to voters was $29.8 million.

This excerpt is partifularly interesting from the story: "The internal financial documents obtained by The Examiner show that Thomas approved a $14.2 million change order and cost increase on April 21, 2009. The notation was made electronically in a computer file that is not accessible by the public, despite promises made by Thomas that BISD would provide full disclosure to the public regarding how the district was spending bond money.


It also shows that Regina's temporary campus cost more than $4 million - NOT the $2.5 million number being thrown out. No wonder they want Sallie Curtis to go to Regina's portables! They went overbudget on that too.

The Examiner
BISD sports complex nearly 50 percent more than proposed

Financial documents outlining costs for the Beaumont Independent School District's multi-purpose athletic complex appear to indicate that the project is nearly 48 percent over the $29.8 million budget that was sold to taxpayers, who voted for the district's $389 million bond initiative in November 2007.

The cost of the project is now listed in excess of $44 million.

But BISD Superintendent Carrol Thomas says the complex was always planned to cost $44 million and the increase is due to architectural fees and other costs that were not itemized by Parsons, the project management company overseeing construction, when the plans were presented to the board in 2007.

"When you include all the inflation figures and all those things in there - that would be $43 read entire story here.

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Newspapers critical of recent BISD moves, support petition drive

It seems there is a momentum and support to get this on a ballot to have two at-large seats on the board and the Enterprise is critical of the $1 million scoreboard change. The Examiner's editorial supports a change to the board as well and calls for the board to be more open about how the bond money is being spent and stop hiding it.

Unlike what Dr. Thomas likes to think, not everyone thinks things are rosy at BISD.

Beaumont Enterprise Editorial
2 more at-large seats would help improve BISD board - Anything that makes the Beaumont school board more responsive and accountable to taxpayers is welcome. In that regard, voters should support a move to add two at-large seats. Currently, all seven members represent single districts.

But the proposal faces a stiff petition requirement, and it won't be the magic bullet that some taxpayers may be hoping for. The board and administration seem to suffer from deeper problems, from wrong priorities on the bond issue (athletics before academics) to a read the rest of editorial.

Beaumont Enterprise Editorial
Big scoreboard, small problems - If everything works out, the Beaumont school board won't be spending more for a scoreboard at the athletic complex than it budgeted. It set aside $100,000 for the scoreboard and plans to cover the actual cost of $994,625 with advertising revenue that it will generate.

But that's not what voters were told when they were considering the bond issue. Last week's decision continues the drip, drip, drip of confusion and mistrust following the bond issue. The South Park issue remains snarled in the courts, and parents at other campuses are saying they aren't getting what was advertised.

The drive for one of the biggest and best stadium scoreboards also reinforces the impression - a wrong one read the rest of the editorial.

Beaumont Enterprise Column
By Christopher Clausen

BISD needs to show more numbers on bond sooner - Wednesday's meeting in the Jefferson County Jury Impaneling Room should draw a crowd.

The goal of that 3:30 p.m. assembly is a reconfigured Beaumont school board that is more responsive to taxpayers.

The group needs 12,000 signatures on a petition to get an election they must win, and a school board attorney advises, the U.S. Justice Department's approval.

The spark for the petitioners is the delay in the construction of eight elementary schools, as promised in the successful campaign for a $388.6 million school bond.

Thursday's school board read the rest of the column here.

Examiner Editorial
Time for change - A grassroots movement to change the way taxpayers are represented on the Beaumont Independent School Board is the right move for the citizens of the district and should be supported by everyone.

The move comes after years of concern about how the district is being run and how taxpayers' money is being spent. By switching to a system that allows for two at-large positions and five single-member districts rather than seven single-member districts, it will give taxpayers, i.e. voters, a greater say in how their children are educated.

Since taxpayers voted to approve a $389 million bond initiative to improve schools on the heels read the rest of the editorial here (on righthand side).

But again, this must go back to Dr. Thomas saying that the media is perpetuating lies in the community. Right?

What do you think? Is the scoreboard worth spending $1 million on? I suppose it's okay to spend $900,000 extra on a scoreboard, but not "extra" money to get Sallie Curtis built as scheduled as promised to voters. Since neither were in the original proposal to voters, I guess it's only a sign of what is to come.

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When you make bad decisions, blame everyone else

When you are a public official or run, let's say, a school district, you are going to be open to criticism. But in yesterday's board meeting, Dr. Thomas seemed to think the media is to blame and that people are happy with what he's doing, it's just the media who is spreading lies. See story and video here.

It's the media's JOB to make sure that government and educational agencies are held accountable for what they have said and are saying. If Woodward and Bernstein only reported "positive" news. Nixon would have remained in office and a president may have easily been involved in a break-in scandal with no accountability or repercussions for his actions.

The same applies here. They have people ON TAPE or on the record saying one thing months ago and saying something else later.

If you make decisions that people think or in poor or ill judgement, people are going to talk.

If you ignore the taxpayers, they are going to talk.

If you keep changing your mind and give out random facts that don't add up, guess what? People are going to talk.

And eventually as bad choices are continuously made, they will get angry and take action.

So let's say we spend $900,000 more for a SCOREBOARD. Last night, the board approved a $1 million scoreboard for the stadium that will be one of the largest in the state. Only $100,000 was budgeted, but they expect that ad revenue will pay for it. In the latest figures on an Enterprise poll, 78 percent said it was not necessary.

What do you think? That is $1 million coming out of the BOND money not from advertisers. When the advertising money does come in, where will it go? To buy books and computers? To build playgrounds at the schools? When the money goes toward something that we don't approve of and the media reports it, how much you want to bet instead of taking a look at what BISD is doing wrong, the leaders will blame the public and the media?

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Thomas says parents happy with bond

Read this story to see what Dr. Carrol Thomas had to say about his perception of what BISD parents think about the bond proposal. In his mind, we are a pretty content bunch. What do YOU think?

KBMT-12

B.I.S.D. Superintendent Says Parents Support Bond Program - Despite on-going criticism about the way the Beaumont Independent School District is handling the construction of new schools, the superintendent says a majority of the parents are happy with the bond program.

Dr. Carrol Thomas made this comment during an interview with 12 News Saturday, October 10 at the district's read the rest of the story here.

After you read the whole story at KBMT, comment below and let us know if you agree or disagree with what he had to say!



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Sign the petition to change the board!

As some of you may know, Andre Cokinos has been working on the petition proposing to change the way our school board members are elected. In short, the board would be set up much like our city council. Instead of seven board members, there would be five board members and two "at-large" board members.

Please email lizcokinos@gt.rr.com to find out how to sign this petition or if you would like to take petition sheets out to get signatures.

We have to take charge and make a change!

We need 12,000 signatures total and anyone who signs must be a registered voter within the Beaumont Independent School District.

This is NOT just a Sallie Curtis deal. This should be a concern to every taxpayer within our school district, whether or not their children attend public schools. If we want Beaumont to fluorish and attract new residents, then our school district must be well represented. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you think would be interested!

Let's show our children that WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

See two stories about the petition:

KBMT-12
Some BISD Parents Petitioning School Board - A group of Beaumont parents have started a petition. A petition that they say could change the way Beaumont Independent School District board members are elected. Andre Cokinos, who is leading the petition, says he wants the board to be set up like Beaumont City Council. Instead read the rest of the story here.


Beaumont Enterprise
Parents group to meet about remake of BISD board - A group of Beaumont ISD taxpayers hopes to change the way its members are represented on the school board.

Andre Cokinos, a Beaumont resident and father to one Sallie Curtis Elementary student, is spearheading click here to read story.

Are you going to sign the petition? If so, why? If not, why not? Comment below to let us know what you think!

Read more here

Want to make a change to the BISD school board?

It can start by changing the makeup of how we elect members.

We can petition the BISD board to have an election to change the positions that our school board members are elected to.

The law allows us to require the school board to call an election to change from 7 single member districts to 5 single member districts and two at large positions (just like Beaumont City Council).

The school board would be in charge of re-zoning the boundaries. Under the Education Code, the lines should be drawn so that they contain roughly the same number of voters in each district and each district should be "compact and contiguous."

However, the current boundaries do not comply with this mandate and if someone were to challenge the current boundaries in Federal Court under the Voting Rights Act, they would probably win.

If this is something you are interested in, you can contact Mike Getz at MDGetz@aol.com or call 832-3381. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how to sign the petition or get more involved!

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More criticism of BISD

There are two opinions below that were in the media as well as a recent article talking about how the stadium is on schedule, but the schools are behind.


The Bayou Blog
BISD's Thomas gets squirrly - It is a most magnificent Friday. A cold front in moving through, banishing the 600 degree temperatures we've been blessed with AND we explore yet another 'metaphor meltdown,' otherwise known as "Doc" Thomas's weekly "Nuggets of Wisdom" (the title, it slays us!) column. Read more here.


Here's what was written as an editorial in The Examiner:
When the Beaumont Independent School District sought support in 2007 for a $389 million bond initiative to rebuild schools in the district, the first issue raised was the matter of trust.

The Examiner met with Superintendent Carrol Thomas in a private, one-on-one meeting and explained that the only way the newspaper would support the plan was if BISD pledged to be honest, open and fiscally responsible.

Thomas promised that he would open the books and place everything on the table for review. He promised to provide data on costs and expenses in detail to show BISD was being a good steward of taxpayer money and that work was being completed on time and on budget. To gain the support of voters - and this newspaper - he gave his word the district would live up to the promises they made.

Since that time, very few of those promises have been realized. Yes, there is a Web site where documents are posted related to the bond but it is so cumbersome and tedious that many people simply give up looking. Those using a Mac instead of a PC cannot even log onto the site.

With regards to promises of fiscal responsibility, we now know some projects are already over budget and their scope has changed since being presented to voters. A prime example is the Multi-Purpose Athletic Complex, with an original price tag of $29 million. Just this past Wednesday, a BISD press release said the sports complex would cost $38 million - a full $9 million over budget.

As for meeting deadlines, the district is months behind on construction work. And while some of that can be blamed on Hurricane Ike, not all of the delays can be linked to a natural disaster.

Then there is the final promise, where Thomas said that every project would get done. BISD has already strong-armed school principals into agreeing that some projects aren't needed at all and others in an altered form from that presented to voters. For example, the auditorium at West Brook High School was supposed to be built for 2,600 people. The new plan is for a theater of less than half that size.

Evidence presented in recent courtroom testimony makes clear the promise was made that South Park would not be demolished. But the district doesn't want to live up to that promise, either.

Was Carrol Thomas authorized to make these promises? Or was he just paying lip service while harboring a secret plan to pursue another agenda?

The community came together to pass the $389 million bond issue because it needed to be done - for the children and the future of our city. It is past time for BISD to honor their commitments and get on with the task at hand, because what is currently being demolished is not some building but the public trust.


The Beaumont Enterprise

BISD athletic site takes shape; schools to see progress in weeks - A large crane hoisted pieces of the Beaumont ISD stadium into place Thursday as district administrators and project managers watched. If other projects in the district's $389 million bond package have seen some delays, the district's athletic complex is not one of them. Read more here.

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