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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming HENDERSON ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Board Asked to Retroactively Approve Spending
The board is being asked to approve a $10,183.74 payment to a vendor for work that exceeded the approved purchase order, violating the district’s own purchasing policy at the time. While the district acknowledges the procedural failure, approving this payment after the fact weakens fiscal controls and accountability.
Response
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Contact the Henderson ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 8.C, who authorized work without a purchase order? Retroactively approving payments for work done outside of policy encourages vendors and staff to ignore the rules. Vote NO until accountability is established.’
💰 Impact: Weakened Fiscal Controls
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Taxpayer Funds Paid to Lobbying Groups
The district’s August check register shows payments to the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) and the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). These organizations lobby the state legislature, often against policies like property tax relief and parental rights that benefit taxpayers.
Response
QUESTION THE PAYMENTS: Contact the Henderson ISD Board. ‘Why is Henderson ISD using local tax dollars to fund political lobbying by groups like TASB and TASSP? Please justify these expenditures from the August financial report (Item 6.A).’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board is set to approve a new fee schedule for the use of school facilities under Item 8.B. However, the document detailing the actual fees is not included in the agenda packet, preventing taxpayers from seeing the new rates before they are approved.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 8.B attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to review the proposed fees. Demand the board postpone the vote until the full fee schedule is made easily accessible to the public.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Fees
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Board Member Reimbursements Lack Transparency
The district’s financial report reveals one board member, Jean Williams, was reimbursed for $11,609.48 in a single year. Over $3,400 of this amount is listed under a vague ‘Other’ category, obscuring how taxpayer money was spent.
Response
DEMAND DETAILS: Email the Henderson ISD Board. ‘Regarding the reimbursements in the School FIRST report (Item 5.A), please provide a detailed breakdown of the $3,455 in ‘Other’ expenses for Ms. Williams and adopt a policy requiring more specific expense categorization for all board travel.’
💰 Impact: $11,609.48 (One Member)
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board plans to approve the minutes from its September 8 meeting as part of the ‘Consent Agenda’ (Item 7.A), a bundle of items passed with a single vote. The text of these minutes was not included in the agenda packet, preventing public review before the vote.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 7.A attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether past spending or policy decisions are being approved without discussion.
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Scrutiny
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✅ Wins for Taxpayers
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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District Earns Perfect Score for Financial Management
Henderson ISD received a perfect 100/100 score and an ‘A – Superior Achievement’ rating from the Texas Education Agency’s financial accountability system (School FIRST). This top rating indicates strong fiscal management and transparency with taxpayer dollars.
How to Lock It In
ACKNOWLEDGE THE WIN: Contact the Henderson ISD Board to thank them for their strong financial stewardship reflected in the perfect School FIRST rating under Item 5.A. This sets a high standard for fiscal responsibility.
✅ Why It Matters: Excellent Financial Stewardship
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