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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming RICARDO ISD agenda. There are 5 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| 🚨 Alert (LEVEL 10) |
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Final Vote on Property Tax Rate and Budget
The board is scheduled to hold its most important financial vote of the year: adopting the 2026-2027 budget and setting the property tax rate. The agenda provides no information on the proposed rate or whether it will be above the ‘no-new-revenue’ rate, which would result in a tax hike for property owners.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: This is the most important vote of the year for your wallet. Attend the meeting and sign up for public comment. Demand the board publicly state the proposed tax rate and the no-new-revenue rate before the vote, and urge them to adopt the no-new-revenue rate to prevent a tax increase.
💰 Impact: A potential property tax increase, the amount of which is not disclosed in the agenda.
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 8) |
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Library and Parent Complaint Policies Hidden in Consent Agenda
The board has bundled ten different policy updates, including sensitive topics like ‘Library Materials’ (EFB) and ‘Student and Parent Complaints’ (FNG), into a single vote on the consent agenda. This tactic is often used to pass potentially controversial changes without public discussion or a separate recorded vote, limiting transparency and parental oversight.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Ricardo ISD board and demand that Item VIII.H be pulled from the consent agenda. Each policy, especially those affecting library books and the parent complaint process, deserves its own discussion and a separate roll-call vote.
💰 Impact: Loss of public debate and accountability on key policies affecting parental rights and curriculum.
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 8) |
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District Seeking Exemption from Armed Officer Mandate
The district is voting to declare a ‘good cause exception’ to the state law requiring an armed security officer at every campus. This major school safety decision is placed on the consent agenda, meaning it could be approved without any public discussion about why the district is unable to meet the state’s safety requirement.
Response
DEMAND ANSWERS ON SCHOOL SAFETY: Contact the Ricardo ISD board and ask that Item VIII.G be pulled from the consent agenda for a full public discussion. Parents deserve to know why the district is seeking an exception to the state’s armed officer requirement and what the alternative safety plan is.
💰 Impact: A potential reduction in campus security below the standard set by state law.
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Raising the Limit for Spending Without Competitive Bids
Buried in the consent agenda is a vote to increase the district’s ‘micro-purchase threshold.’ This change allows administrators to spend more taxpayer money on individual purchases without going through the formal competitive bidding process, which reduces transparency and opens the door to potential waste or favoritism.
Response
PROTECT THE BIDDING PROCESS: Contact the Ricardo ISD board and insist that Item VIII.F be removed from the consent agenda. Ask them to publicly justify why they need to raise the limit for spending without competitive bids, a key safeguard for taxpayer money.
💰 Impact: Reduced accountability and potential for overspending on no-bid contracts.
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague Plan to Shift Money from District Savings
The board is voting on a resolution to move an unspecified amount of money from the district’s fund balance (its savings account) into a vaguely named ‘Assigned Category.’ The agenda provides no details on the amount of money or its intended purpose, preventing public scrutiny of how reserve funds are being spent.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Ricardo ISD board before the vote on Item IX.D. Ask for a public explanation: How much money is being moved from savings, and what is the specific purpose of the ‘Assigned Category’ it’s being moved to?
💰 Impact: An unknown amount of taxpayer savings could be committed to a new purpose without public knowledge or input.
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