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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming HURST-EULESS-BEDFORD ISD agenda and found 7 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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District to Adopt Official Lobbying Agenda
The board will vote to approve its official ‘Legislative Agenda.’ This means the district will use taxpayer money and staff time to lobby the Texas Legislature for specific policies, which may not align with the interests of local taxpayers.
Response
INVESTIGATE & SPEAK UP: The ‘Legislative Agenda’ document is not attached in this briefing. Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to demand it be published online before the vote on Item 9.03. Ask the board: ‘Which specific bills will you lobby for or against with our tax dollars?’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Adopting Pre-Packaged TASB Policy Updates
The district is reviewing ‘Board Policy Update 127’ provided by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). This allows an outside organization, which lobbies against taxpayer interests like property tax relief, to write the district’s local operating policies.
Response
DEMAND LOCAL CONTROL: Contact the Board (see district website for contact info): ‘Regarding Item 6.01, our policies should be written by our elected board, not by the TASB lobbying group. Please review these policies independently and stop paying TASB for this service.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Lobbying Fees
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Presentation on New District Bond Debt
Financial advisors from Hilltop Securities will present a ‘Planned Bond Issuance.’ This is the first step toward the district taking on significant new debt, which will be paid back by property taxpayers for years to come.
Response
MONITOR THE DEBT: This is a presentation, not a vote. Contact the Board (see district website for contact info): ‘Regarding Item 6.03, please ensure any future bond proposal is transparent, avoids bundling luxuries with necessities, and is put before the voters for approval.’
💰 Impact: Future Property Tax Hikes
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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More Pre-Packaged Policies from TASB
In addition to another TASB update on the agenda, the board is reviewing ‘Board Policy Update 117.’ This further entrenches the influence of the TASB lobbying group in local governance, using pre-written policies instead of developing them locally.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 7.01 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the source and content of these policy revisions. Ask the board why it relies on an external lobbying group for its policies.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Lobbying Fees
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Renewal of Student Surveillance Software
The board will vote to renew ‘GoGuardian and GoGuardian Beacon,’ software used to monitor students’ online activity on school-issued devices. Beacon is specifically designed to scan student communications, which raises significant student privacy and data collection concerns.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board (see district website for contact info): ‘Regarding Item 8.03, what specific data is GoGuardian collecting on our students, who has access to it, and how are parents notified? Please publish the district’s data privacy policy for this software.’
💰 Impact: Student Data Privacy Risk
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Accepting Federal Funds with Potential Strings
The district is considering accepting ‘Title I, Part A Federal Funding.’ While federal grants provide short-term cash, they often come with long-term mandates for curriculum, staffing, or data reporting that local taxpayers must fund forever.
Response
ASK ABOUT THE STRINGS: Contact the Board (see district website for contact info): ‘Regarding Item 7.05, what are the specific conditions and future financial obligations attached to this federal funding? Will this grant require the district to hire staff or continue programs after the money runs out?’
💰 Impact: Future Unfunded Mandates
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Budget Transfers and Amendments
The board is reviewing undisclosed budget transfers and amendments for the general fund. Without the attached documents, taxpayers cannot see what money is being moved, from where, or for what purpose, potentially hiding spending on non-essential or controversial programs.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 7.02 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to see where taxpayer money is being reallocated. Demand the board explain any large or unusual transfers before the vote.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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