|
Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming PALACIOS ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
|
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Dues Exposed in Check Register
The September check register reveals over $16,000 in payments to associations that lobby the state legislature, often against taxpayer interests. Payments include $11,760 to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and thousands more to TASA, TASBO, and other groups, with some line items explicitly labeled ‘LOBBYING FEE’. This uses local property tax dollars to fund political advocacy in Austin.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Palacios ISD Board (see official agenda for contact info). ‘Regarding Item 7.A, I demand the board explain why our local tax dollars are funding political lobbying in Austin through groups like TASB. Please justify these expenditures or cease these memberships.’
💰 Impact: Over $16,000 in Lobbying Dues
|
| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
|
Social-Emotional Learning Embedded in District Plans
The proposed District and Campus Improvement Plans (DIP/CIPs) formally embed Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the district’s strategy. The plans call for using ‘social-emotional learning resources,’ promoting ‘social emotional well being,’ and implementing ‘social-emotional skill development.’ This represents a shift away from core academics toward psychological programming in the classroom.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Palacios ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 6.B, I request a roll-call vote on the Improvement Plans. The focus should be on academic excellence, not psychological programming like SEL. Please remove all references to social-emotional learning from these plans.’
💰 Impact: Mission Creep from Academics
|
| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
|
Board Cedes Hiring Authority to Superintendent
Under Consent Agenda Item 10.E, the board is set to approve giving the Superintendent sole authority for ‘final hiring decisions and employment contract execution’ through the end of the year. This removes a key layer of public oversight and accountability, as the elected board will no longer provide the final approval for new hires.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Palacios ISD Board. ‘Pull Item 10.E from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and vote. The board’s final approval of hires is a critical oversight function that should not be delegated away from elected officials.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Accountability
|
| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
|
Ideological Books on Elementary Library Purchase List
The proposed book list for Palacios Elementary School includes titles that promote controversial social concepts to young children. Specifically, the list includes ‘A family is a family is a family’ and ‘A kid is a kid is a kid,’ which are known for introducing topics of gender identity and non-traditional family structures.
Response
SPEAK UP: Sign up for public comment on Item 6.A. Contact the Palacios ISD Board: ‘Parents expect the library to be a place for learning, not activism. Please remove controversial titles like ‘A family is a family is a family’ from the elementary school purchase list.’
💰 Impact: Politicizing the School Library
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
|
Board Stance on Tax Relief for Charitable Organizations
Under Consent Agenda Item 10.C, the board plans to approve a letter regarding its ‘stance on tax relief for charitable organizations.’ The specific content of this letter is not available, but any policy that gives tax breaks to certain entities could shift a greater property tax burden onto homeowners.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘Sanford Center Letter’ attached to Item 10.C in the Official Agenda (linked above) to determine if this policy will negatively impact residential taxpayers. Demand the board publish the letter before the vote.
💰 Impact: Potential Property Tax Shift
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 3) |
|
Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item 2 is a public hearing and presentation of the district’s FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) rating. This is a key measure of the district’s financial health. The presentation document was not included in the agenda packet.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘FIRST RATING REPORT PRESENTATION’ attached to Item 2 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the district’s financial integrity rating before the public hearing.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Financial Rating
|
|
|
“Freedom, Prosperity &
Opportunity”
TPPF is a conservative think tank whose mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation.
Contribute to the mission
Powered by Sentinel Engine |