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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming SCHERTZ-CIBOLO-U CITY ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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District Confirms Sending Trustees to TASB Lobbying Convention
A report on board member training (Item XVI.A.10, Attachment 19) confirms trustees attended the TASA/TASB Convention. Taxpayers are funding travel and conference fees for an event hosted by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), a group that actively lobbies in Austin against property tax relief and for policies that grow government spending.
Response
DEMAND AN END TO TAXPAYER-FUNDED LOBBYING: Contact the Board via the district website: ‘TASB lobbies against taxpayer interests. I demand the district withdraw its membership from TASB and stop using our tax dollars to fund their political advocacy.’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Vote on Major Construction Cost with No Price Tag
The board is scheduled to approve a ‘Guaranteed Maximum Price’ for high school light pole replacements, a major construction expense. However, the agenda provides no attachment or dollar amount for Item XVI.D.2, preventing taxpayers from seeing the cost before the vote.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file attached to Item XVI.D.2 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the total cost. If no file is attached, email the Board: ‘Postpone the vote on Item XVI.D.2 until the Guaranteed Maximum Price contract is made public. Taxpayers have a right to see the cost before you approve it.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Approving Large Purchases Without Individual Review
The board is asked to accept a report of all purchases over $100,000 made by the Superintendent without prior board approval for each item. This practice, hidden in the consent agenda, removes a layer of public oversight on significant taxpayer spending.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board via the district website: ‘Pull Item XVI.C.1.c from the consent agenda. The public deserves to see a detailed list of all purchases over $100,000 before they are approved.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Oversight
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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$500k in Spending via Pre-Approved Vendor Lists
Under Consent Item XVI.C.1.d, the board will approve ‘catalog bids’ that pre-authorize spending with a list of vendors, estimated at $500,000 annually. This streamlines purchasing but can reduce competition and lock the district into specific vendors without public review of each major purchase.
Response
REQUEST THE LIST: Contact the Board via the district website: ‘Regarding Item XVI.C.1.d, please make the full list of the sixteen newly proposed vendors and their services public before approving the catalog bid awards.’
💰 Impact: $500,000 Annually
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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District Monitoring State Legislature for Lobbying
The Superintendent will provide a ‘Legislative Update.’ This is often the first step for a district to use taxpayer resources to lobby Austin on issues like property taxes and school funding, often against taxpayer interests.
Response
ASK A QUESTION: Contact the Board via the district website: ‘Regarding Item XVI.A.1, will the Superintendent’s legislative update include any recommendations for the district to take official positions on legislation, and will any taxpayer funds be used to advocate for these positions?’
💰 Impact: Potential Lobbying
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| WATCH (LEVEL 3) |
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Process to Move Items to Unscrutinized Consent Agenda
Item XVI.A.11 establishes a formal discussion to decide which future action items can be moved onto the ‘Consent Agenda.’ While framed as efficiency, this process can be used to bury controversial spending or policy changes in a single, unread, up-or-down vote.
Response
MONITOR: Pay close attention to which items under ‘New Business’ are selected during item XVI.A.11 to be moved to next month’s consent agenda. This is an early warning for items the board prefers not to debate in public.
💰 Impact: Reduced Scrutiny
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