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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming SAN ANGELO ISD agenda and found 9 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 10) |
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Placeholder Agenda Item Hides $333,570 Cost
Agenda Item IX.A, titled ‘Consider Transfer Guidelines,’ has a placeholder attachment with no details but lists a cost of $333,570. This is a major transparency violation, asking the board to consider an action with a significant, unexplained price tag attached.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: This is a major red flag. Email the Board (contact info on district website) and show up to demand Item IX.A be tabled until a full, detailed proposal explaining the $333,570 cost is made public.
💰 Impact: $333,570 (Unexplained)
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| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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District Pays Lobbying Groups to Work Against Taxpayers
The district’s check register for October 2026 confirms multiple payments to organizations that lobby the Texas Legislature for higher taxes and against parental rights. Payments were made to TASB ($1,365 and $2,925), TASA ($2,708), and TASBO ($610, $1,385, $5,885), using local property tax dollars to fund Austin lobbyists.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Board (see official agenda link for contact info): ‘I demand the district end its membership in TASB, TASA, and other groups that lobby against taxpayer interests. Please justify these payments from the check register during the finance report under Item VII.A.1.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Lobbying Fees
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Board Member in Business with District for $166,534
A disclosure in the district’s financial integrity report reveals $166,534.10 in ‘business transactions’ between the school district and Board Member Bill Dendle in the last fiscal year. While disclosed as required, this large financial relationship raises serious questions about potential conflicts of interest that taxpayers should question at the public hearing.
Response
ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS: Attend the Public Hearing for Item VI.D and ask: ‘Regarding the disclosure of business transactions with board members, can you provide details on the $166,534 paid to Board Member Bill Dendle’s business and what safeguards are in place to prevent conflicts of interest?’
💰 Impact: Potential Conflict of Interest
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District Prepares 2027 State Lobbying Platform
Under Item VI.E, the board will begin discussing its ‘Legislative Priorities’ for the upcoming 90th Texas Legislative Session. This is the first step in creating a taxpayer-funded lobbying agenda, which often includes calls for higher taxes and less local control. Taxpayers must engage now to ensure the district’s platform reflects community values.
Response
SHAPE THE AGENDA: Contact the Board (see official agenda link for contact info): ‘For Item VI.E, I urge you to adopt legislative priorities that support lower property taxes, parental rights, and an end to taxpayer-funded lobbying. Please make the draft priorities public well before the December vote.’
💰 Impact: Lobbying Against Taxpayers
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Massive, Undetailed Software and Curriculum Spending
The district’s check register shows massive payments for software and curriculum with little public discussion, including $279,300 to IXL Learning, over $125,000 to Raptor Technologies, and $74,631 to Imagine Learning. These large, bundled expenditures deserve public scrutiny to ensure they are cost-effective and that student data is protected.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Board (see official agenda link for contact info): ‘Regarding the large payments to IXL, Raptor, and Imagine Learning in the October check register, what is the educational and financial justification for this spending, and what student data are these vendors collecting?’
💰 Impact: Over $475,000 in contracts
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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District Spends $49k on Bus Surveillance System
The October check register includes a $49,647.60 payment to Zonar Systems, a company specializing in GPS fleet tracking. This technology, likely for the district’s bus fleet, tracks student movements to and from school. Parents should be fully informed about what data is collected and what their rights are.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board (see official agenda link for contact info): ‘Regarding the payment to Zonar Systems, please provide the district’s policy on student data collection via bus GPS. Are parents notified, and is there an opt-out process?’
💰 Impact: Student Data Collection
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Report on Large Purchases Not Publicly Viewable
Agenda Item VII.B is a ‘Purchase Order Report’ for purchases over $20,000. However, the file containing this list of significant expenditures was not included with the public agenda packet, preventing taxpayer review before the meeting.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘POs Over 20K’ attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm what large purchases are being approved. Email the Board and ask why this document was not easily accessible in the main packet.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Spending
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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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Win: District Earns Top State Rating for Financial Management
For the 24th consecutive year, San Angelo ISD has received a rating of ‘A’ for ‘Superior Achievement’ on the state’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST). This consistent high performance in financial management is a significant win for taxpayers, demonstrating effective stewardship of local funds.
How to Lock It In
AMPLIFY THE WIN: Show up to the public hearing for Item VI.D to thank the board and administration for their consistent high marks in financial management. Get this success on the record to set a high standard for fiscal responsibility.
✅ Why It Matters: Fiscal Responsibility
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| Major Win (LEVEL 7) |
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Win: New Library Book Process Boosts Transparency
Under Consent Item VIII.C, the board will approve new library books following a process that includes a 30-day public posting of all proposed titles. This procedure, required by state law, is a victory for parental rights and ensures the community can review materials before they are purchased with taxpayer money.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THE WIN: Email the Board to thank them for implementing the transparent library book review process. Ask them to ensure the public posting is highly visible and easy for busy parents to find on the district website.
✅ Why It Matters: Increased Parental Access
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