TEAM KATY MAKES ROBOCALLS:

 

  KISD: PAC, not district, made automated call

 The Rancher

Posted: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:00 am | Updated: 11:48 pm, Sat Nov 20, 2010.

By WES SWIFT

Katy school district officials quickly distanced itself from an automated phone call sent out Wednesday that urged voters to support a $459.1 million bond issue.

The call, the district said in a statement, came from the Team Katy PAC, a political action committee formed to encourage passage of the issue.

“On Wednesday evening, an automated call was placed to residents of Katy ISD regarding the 2010 bond election,” the district said in a statement. “This call was initiated and coordinated by the Team Katy PAC. Katy ISD was not involved in the coordination of the call, nor was any district resource used in the making of this call.”

The call, which was sent to parents, staff and volunteers who live within the district’s boundaries, reached people’s cell phones and work numbers.

The district said the PAC obtained the numbers through an open records request. The district was legally required to provide the numbers.

“Because the Public Information Act does not provide an exception for the district to withhold secondary numbers, such as cell phone or work numbers, and considers this information public, the district is obligated under law to release these numbers as well,” the statement said. “ In addition, the district, by law, is not permitted to ask a requestor why they are asking for the information, or what they intend to do with it.”

The call came as critics have slammed the district’s ability to manage the funds that would be generated by the bond issue.

Detractors have also said the district wouldn’t discuss with them whether the bond issue is too extravagant.

School district staff cannot by law encourage or discourage voters from supporting a bond issue. However, elected school officials may.

momatwo posted at 6:11 am on Sun, Oct 31, 2010.

Katy ISD does whatever they want to do. I listed my home phone as unlisted and they still gave out the information which IS BY LAW protected under the open records act. Nothing new since Katy ISD repeatedly acts as if the law does not apply to them. All of you fools that vote for the bond money, watch it carefully because it will not go to the new buildings and projects that were used in the elections lies. They did this to us before- remember the Merrell Center??? I pulled my kids out of KISD schools because the quality of education depends on the power of the principal to control the teachers. The grading system is crazy and the curriculum is too limited. I want my children to be able to compete once they get to college, not just barely get in to college

[As it turned out, there was indeed a connection to the District on this matter.  MM]