2017 BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

The Katy ISD 2017 Bond Committee by tradition and board policy is a Board committee that is convened by the Board to study the prospect of holding a bond referendum.  As such, at least one Board member should be on the committee.  I find no Board members  listed on this committee.  That being the case, this is some kind of committee that is not a Board committee. It is also stated that this is not an administrative committee either.  It would be interesting to know why and how a "bond" committee has now become an "advisory" committee.  I'm guessing it's a matter of control--and not the Board's control! So in essence, the committee is just for show, it has no authority as a board or administrative committee, and one has to come to the conclusion that the school district is hiding what it is they want to do with $609,204,553! It appears that a maneuver to eviscerate even MORE Board authority over bond matters is a fait accompli, and no one but me even noticed!

I have always objected to the use of Board committees as I feel that they usurp the powers of the elected board members.  No board member in his/her right mind should relinquish his/her power in this manner. The BOARD should decide on the scope and cost of a bond referendum. If they are of reasonable intelligence, they should be able to decide this matter on their own. Now that there is yet another type of committee, it would appear to me that the Board has relinquished even more of its authority.  That cannot be good.  What happened to that oversight that was promised by our Board members?

The purpose of having a committee has always been to garner support and thus votes in favor of the bond's passage and to prevent the board members from having responsibility if things do not go favorably down the road.  It is an underhanded scheme, in my opinion.

BOARD INTERNAL ORGANIZATION BDB INTERNAL COMMITTEES (LEGAL) DATE ISSUED: 10/6/1998 1 of 1 UPDATE 59 BDB(LEGAL)-P The Board may from time to time as it deems necessary create committees to facilitate the efficient operation of the Board. A committee that includes one or more Board members and has supervision or control over public business or public policy is subject to the Open Meetings Act when it meets to discuss that public business or policy. A committee that includes less than a quorum of Board members is not subject to the Open Meetings Act if it serves a purely advisory function, with no power to supervise or control public business. However, should the committee actually function as something more than a merely advisory body with the result that it in fact supervises or controls public business or policy, it must comply with the Open Meetings Act to avoid depriving the public of access to the Board’s actual decision-making process. Education Code 11.061(c)(3); Atty. Gen. Op. Nos. DM-284 (1994), JM-1072 (1989), JM-331 (1985), H-3 (1973); see also Atty. Gen. Op. LO-97-058 (1997). [See BE(LEGAL)]

It does appear, however, that a committee of some sort was convened and has submitted a proposal to the School Board. This committee is called a "Community Bond Advisory Committee," and it is the Superintendent, apparently, who is being advised, and I would counter with the observation that the Superintendent has no need of advisement! So it's all just for show and it is an unnecessary committee.  We would all have more respect for the process, if the superintendent had just announced that he was going to do thus and so, that the complacent Board was going to approve his actions, and that there is nothing anyone can do about it. I would appreciate if someone would point me to the Legal Board Policy that authorizes this type of a committe.

This year's Bond Committee member list includes activities and organizations to which the member belongs or has belonged.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say. In past years I have gone to the trouble to try to identify the bond committee members as I think many of them had a vested interest in the outcome of the bond election, and the public needed to know what that connection was. So I thank the Administration for making my job easier by including a list of their activities or the lack thereof. It would appear that whoever convened this committee felt they could control it easily enough without stacking it as in years past with members of the Katy Area Economic Development Council--the group that stands to gain the most from massive million dollar spending. The president of that organization, Lance LaCour, will have to suffice as a token committee member.

Keith Carmichael was selected as the chairman of the committee by the Board president at the time, Rebecca Fox.  Carmichael is a pastor at Second Baptist Church and served in this position for the last bond. He has no other credentials associated with his name on the list, so his religious connection to the President of the Board seems to be the only reason for his selection. Considering the controversy that surrounded his activities the last time, I'm surprised that he would want to serve again.  However, his service brings up another point regarding equity.  If a religious figure is going to serve as the chairman of the bond committee, might not they ought to spread around this honor?  We have citizens who are Catholics, Methodists, Jews, Presbyterians, Islamists, Hindus, Lutherans, Buddhists, and Unitarians to name a few. Shouldn't the Board president seek to maintain a sense of fairness regarding the chairmanship?

One has to also consider the possibility that having Keith Carmichael associated with the bond as the committee chairman as well as being associated with Second Baptist Church which has very large congregations in two Katy locations with one of them being across the street from the Cross Creek subdivision, is simply another means of garnering votes. (Cross Creek Ranch is where the new $206 million dollar high school is supposed to be built if the bond referendum passes.)

While the District on their web site suggests that there are about 150 committee members, there are only 114 listed.  KISD always seems to have a hard time with numbers with regard to bond committees! I have to wonder who the 36 people were who declined the opportunity to serve. Here is the District's statement about the composition of the Committee: 

"Organization

The CBAC shall be comprised of approximately one-hundred and fifty (150) members reflective of the diverse skills, backgrounds, cultures and geographic regions found within the Katy community. The Committee Chair shall be appointed by the Board President. A total of twenty-one (21) members of the CBAC are to be appointed by the Board of Trustees (3 per trustee). The CBAC will also consist of sixteen (16) teachers, four (4) principals, six (6) students, while approximately twenty-five (25) members of the CBAC will be comprised of members of the community who have served on previous bond committees. The remaining members of the CBAC shall be chosen from applications submitted by members of the Katy ISD community and appointed by a selection committee led by the Committee Chair. The CBAC shall function as a fact-finding, deliberative, and advisory, but not administrative, committee and is responsible to the Superintendent of Schools and to the general public."

Some day it would be nice if they just drew the names for this committee out of a hat, and that mostly they were just parents and citizens who care about the academic education of their children.  I was asked to be on this committee, and I declined the honor. I will never serve on a KISD bond committee when I believe that the bond issues are already decided and that this committee is just for show.  Out of 114 members, 11 appear to have Hispanic surnames.  Considering that our minority district (meaning that there are more ethnic minorities attending KISD schools than Anglo students) is 35% Hispanic, there should be at least 39 Hispanic members on this committee.  A statement of the ethnicity of the committee should accompany the online list. [To see the District's ethnicity report go here:  http://www.har.com/20535-manette-dr/sale_38386474 ]  About a fifth of the committee, however, consists of 21 KISD employees. Can anyone say "stacked"? Employees should certainly have input, but they should not be on this committee in my opinion unless they have a direct responsibility for construction of school buildings. I'm guessing there was at least one KISD employee sitting at every committee table for the discussions.

The fact that many but not all of the committee members are active PTA members suggests that Rebecca Fox, the Board president when the committee was established and before she was shunted to the end of the dais, put all her PTA buddies on it.  (I am opposed to the PTA because of their stance on gun control.  They are in opposition to the Second Amendment to the Constitution, so forgive my predilection for leaving PTA supporters off of school district committees.) Twenty-five of the committee members have served on a bond committee previously--that goes toward knowing who will follow like sheep and then signing them up again. Looking for fairness, I counted the number of representatives from the various high schools--one from Morton Ranch, two from Tompkins and Mayde Creek, five from Taylor and Cinco Ranch, eight from Katy but TWELVE from Seven Lakes.  Anyone else see the reasoning behind these numbers?  Regardless of who will be attending the new 206 million dollar high school that is a part of this bond proposal, all of the rest of us will get to pay for it and should have an equal say in this bond referendum and should have been more fairly represented on the bond committee.

These buildings that they are getting ready to construct are supposed to enhance the education of our  children.  Ask yourself, when you have seen the architectural drawings for the proposed structures, who it is that is benefitted by them.  I think the answer is obvious.

Add to all of that that the school district brought in a paid facilitator, Michelle Hughes, who was paid a substantial amount, to Delphi the bond committee group so that they would reach a preconceived decision.  There is no other reason to have brought her in, so citizens of the District need to keep that FACT in mind. 

The ruse that "every child needs a nice place to spend the day" was the bogus left-wing liberal impetus twenty-five years ago used to set up glamorous, over-priced School to Work edifices in our midst. Surely by now most of us have seen the errors inherent in the liberalism that was prevalent in our Country for the last forty years. Public schools used to offer an academic liberal arts education, and it served all of us who got one very well. I'm sorry that most of you - parents and their school aged children -  have now been cheated out of what used to be your right as an American citizen.

List of Bond Advisory Committee Members

1.  Kristin Abel - Taylor High School - PTA - GT - Athletics - Previous Bond Committee Member

2.  Robin Acevedo - Williams Elementary  - Beck Junior High -   PTA - GT - Previous Bond Committee Member

3.  Joseph Alessi - Davidson Elementary - No activities listed - 

4.  Deeanna Antosh - Wolman Elementary - PTA -

5.  Sylvester Anyanti - Alexander Elementary - PTA -

6.  Yamilet Arroyo Beliz - Employee  at Griffin Elementary - Seven Lakes Junior and Senior High

7.  Christopher Bailey - Employee at Nottingham Country and Memorial Parkway

8.  Susan Banks - No children in the schools and not an employee

9.  Carolyn Bauerschlag - No children in the schools and not an employee

10. Jamie Borham - Memorial Parkway Elementary - PTA- Special Education -

11. Alexa Bowers - Creech Elementary - PTA - GT

12. Martha Brown - Employee - Previous Bond Committee Member

13.  Brent Buchanan - Katy Elementary - Watchdogs

14.  Ebony Buckner - Williams Elementary - Tays Junior High-

15.  Samantha Bueniello  - King Elementary - Katy Junior High

16.  Clen Burton - Memorial Parkway Junior High - Watchdogs

17.  Karen Callicott - Student - Seven Lakes High School

18.  Tiffany Callicott - Seven Lakes High School - PTA

19.  Keith Carmichael - Previous Bond Committee Chair

20.  Dawn Champagne - Taylor High School- PTA

21.  Marla Chavez - Employee

22.  Jaclyn Clements - Employee

23.  Stephanie Click - Board Member Appointed

24.  Rhedonda Cox - Fielder Elementary - Cinco Ranch Junior High School- PTA

25.  Melanie Dubendorff - Wood Creek Junior High, Katy High School - PTA

26.  Eddie Dugger  - Previous Bond Committee Member

27.  Jamie Fallon - McMeans Junior High

28.  Kerri Finnesand - Employee

29.  Robert Fling - Board Appointed -

30.  Kandace Fogle - Beck Junior High -

31.  Katherine Galpin - WoodCreek Elementary- PTA

32.  Sherry Gannon - Seven Lakes Junior High - Tompkins High School - PTA

33.  Jennifer Gawne - Seven Lakes High School

34.  Cheryl Glasser - Employee at Franz and Morton Ranch

35.  Heather Gower - Employee [place not given]

36.  Richard Grassau - Rhoads Elementary - Cardiff Junior High - Mayde Creek High School - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

37.  Aaron Groff - Randolph Elementary - Seven Lakes Junior High- Previous Bond Committee Member

38.  Beth Anne Gunn- Griffin Elementary - PTA

39.  Dean Haefner - Seven Lakes High School- PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

40.  Maddie Grace Hardegree - Student - Cinco Ranch High School -

41.  Maria Hardegree - Cinco Ranch High School - Previous Bond Committee Member

42.  Deb Haring - Board Member Appointed -

43.  Christopher Harris - Board Member Appointed - Katy Elementary - Katy Junior High - Katy High School - Special Education -Previous Bond Committee Member

44.  Jonathan Hart - Exley Elementary - No activities

45.  Mark Hopkins - Former KISD Chief of Police

46.  Jay Jackson - Employee

47.  Allison James - Hayes Elementary - McMeans Junior High - PTA

48.  Michelle Jeffrey - Employee at Pattison and McMeans Junior High

49.  Liz Johnson - Hayes Elementary - Memorial Parkway Junior High - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

50.  Davina Joshua - Rylander Elementary - Cinco Ranch High School -

51.  Malcolm Junior (Guessing that's not his real last name...)  Board Member Appointed

52.  Alexa Keller - Student - Seven Lakes High School

53.  Kelly John - Beckendorff Junior High - Miller Career/Seven Lakes High School - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

54.  Jerry Kroll - Previous defeated School Board Candidate - Previous Bond Committee Member

55.  Valerie Kuykendall-Rogers - Seven Lakes High School - PTA

56.  Lance LaCour - President Katy Area Economic Development Council - Previous Bond Committee Member

57.  Becky Latta - Previous Bond Committee Member

58.  Jacob LeBlanc - Employee  Cinco Ranch High School -

59.  Carrie Lowe ry - Employee

60.  Jennifer Lowry - Shafer Elementary - PTA

61.  Kenneth Martinec - Randolph Elementary - Seven Lakes Junior High - PTA

62.  Jeffrey Martinez - Employee -

63.  Shani Matheson - Board Appointed - Alexander Elementary - Beckendorff Junior High - Seven Lakes High School - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

64.  Bridget McDonald - Rylander Elementary - PTA

65.  Michala McWhirter - Employee

66.  Sindu Menon - Seven Lakes High School -

67.  Douglas Miller - Katy Elementary - Watchdogs

68.  John Mitchell - Katy High School

69.  Clauvis More - Golbow Elementary

70.  William Morgan - Employee  WoodCreek Junior High and Katy High School

71.  Stan Moskal - Kilpatrick Elementary School

72.  Maurice Mullaly - McMeans Junior High - Taylor High School

73.  Veronica Mullenix -  Previous Bond Committee Member

74.  Melissa Nixon - Cinco Ranch High School - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

75.  Dennis Nuss - Tays Junior High - Tompkins High School

76.  Devin Ota - Seven Lakes High School

77.  Kristi Panshi - PTA

79.  Atzimba Peterson - Wolman Elementary - PTA

80.  Paul Patterson - Taylor High School - Previous Bond Committee Member

78.  Tao Park - Pattison Elementary - PTA

81.  Mark Pazioni - Jenks Elementary - WoodCreek Elementary - PTA

82.  Lee Pena - Randolph Elementary - No Activities

83.  Vincent Pena - Morton Ranch High School/Paetow

84.  Nannetta Ray - Cinco Ranch High School -

85.  Jacob Redland - Student - Taylor High School

86.  Anthony Rivera - King Elementary

87.  Dizaree Sandburg - Employee

88.  Ed Sarlls - Taylor High School - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

89.  Jennifer Schneider - Holland Elementary - Beckendorff Junior High - PTA

90.  Karri Schneider - Katy High School

91.  Dionne Selig - Employee - Katy High School-Previous Bond Committee Member

92.  Karla Selman - Cinco Ranch High School

93.  Scott Shields - Wolman Elementary - WoodCreek Junior High - Katy High School

94.  Jennifer Skelton - Katy High School - PTA

95.  Andrew Smith - Wilson Elementary -

96.  Grant Smith - Employee

97.  Joel Soto - Exley -

98.  Gregory Spichiger - Randolph Elementary

99.  Leslie Starcke - Employee - WoodCreek Elementary

100. Ledes Stock-Lopez - Winborn Elementary - PTA

101.  Phillip Skimbu - Seven Lakes Junior and Senior High  - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

102. Tammy Stringer - Employee

103.  Tina Thadhani - Seven Lakes Junior High - PTA

104.  Felicia Thomas - Winborn Elementary - Katy Junior High

105.  Flora Tiedt -

106.  Margaret Valli - Employee - Katy High School - Previous Bond Committee Member

107.  Rosendo Villareal - Nottingham Country - Memorial Parkway Junior High

108.  Lillian Wanjagi - Seven Lakes Junior High -PTA

109.  Kendrick White - Schmalz Elementary School -

110.  Robert Willeby - Board Member Appointed

111.  Jessica Wilson - Board Member Appointed

112.  Leah Wilson - Randolph Elementary - Seven Lakes Junior High - PTA

113.  Lisa Martinez - Mayde Creek Junior and Senior High - PTA - Previous Bond Committee Member

114.  Jennifer  Wauhob  - Wolman Elementary -

 

Any names that are misspelled or are otherwise incorrect may be reported to me, and they will be corrected.  The print size for the school district's Internet bond committee chart is mighty small and hard to see.  I'm guessing that's by design!

 If you wish to see the school districts' on line list with more of each person's activities, go here (before they remove it):   http://www.katyisd.org/sites/bonds/Documents/2017_Bond_Committee_Members.pdf