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Updated: 12:24 AM Dec 2, 2008
Sherman school board meets to discuss budget cuts
SHERMAN, TX ― The Sherman Independent School District is running on a $1.8 million deficit. Now school board members are set to decide what cuts they could be making. Monday night's board meeting concluded with several options to be considered. Posted: 6:44 PM Dec 1, 2008Reporter: Rashi Vats Email Address: rashi.vats@kxii.com |
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Posted by: curious
Location: Sherman
on Dec 3, 2008 at 03:08 PM
I have started reading this blog and I have a question. How many SISD employees are allowed vehicles to drive back and forth from home to work? I see trucks and a car that has SISD on the side of it often, and not at school functions, but at restuarants and other places. What determines who gets a school car? Do all department heads, or just some? Just people on call? Couldn't they drive their own vehicles to work, then use a school car if need be. That's how my company operates. Just wondering if someone can she some light. Might this be an area to be looked at for cost savings? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Mary
Location: Sherman
on Dec 3, 2008 at 02:51 PM
Anonymous on Dec 3, 2008 at 12:08 PM I will agree with that but that doesn't mean that just because Denison passes the TRE they have better schools or smarter kids. It's the people of Sherman that failed the kids this time and it had nothing to do with the schools directly, however the central office seems to have quite a bit to do with it. But, we will survive this and if they cut too much of what I think is important I will move to another district but it will be to the south and not the north. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: chuck
Location: sherman
on Dec 3, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Unlike private businesses and most government entities, the school is an institution where you can go to, unannounced, and see for yourself where most of the tax money is spent. So instead of sitting on your butts and crticizing, why don't you go to your neighborhood school or your grand-child's school or your niece and nephew's school and offer to volunteer. I'm sure they would be glad to let you help out with some activity and then you can see for yourself what goes on behind those walls. See what the teachers and administrators are up against as they try to teach your children. See what obstacles they have to overcome in dealing with state and federal mandates. See what kind of support system they have from a large number of parents. (hint: none) See the behavioral problems that walk into those shools everyday. See how many hours a day most teachers actually spend on school issues. (you wouldn't put up with it at your workplace) And then think about the economy. I bet you paid more [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Anonymous
on Dec 3, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Mary - Why am I kidding ?? The citizens of Sherman showed exactly what they thought about education when they didn't pass the tax increase to help these schools. People in Sherman just don't get it. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Mary
Location: Sherman
on Dec 3, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:28 AM HAHAHA LOL you've got to be kidding me.... [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Help me
Location: here
on Dec 2, 2008 at 05:40 PM
Where was the notification/agenda of this board meeting posted? It was not on the school website where it normally is and as of 5:30 Tuesday there are no minutes posted. WHY NOT????? If you read the Herald Democrat story, no one from the public spoke out, well maybe they didn't know!!!! [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Anonymous
on Dec 2, 2008 at 05:03 PM
Wonder if the board is going to try again to pass the TRE since they have all the employees scared to death. Guess they taught them employees a lesson uh? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: KW
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 04:59 PM
Way to go John Allen stick in and break it off in the employees. Thank you very much for fixing something that never would have happened under Dr. Hutto but then again he is not like Hambrick is he? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: End of the Bench
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 04:57 PM
One third of the workforce at the company I work for has been laid off. My insurance has gone up and my hours have been cut. I'm very thankful to still be employed (for the time being) but I've had to make drastic cuts to my family's budget. SISD really needs to look at their budget just as I have. And are you serious? Did the board give Mr. Hambrick an SUV??? Reminds me of the Big 3 flying in on their private jets asking for taxpayer money! [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Harry
on Dec 2, 2008 at 04:54 PM
If the school board really wanted to know what the employees thought of Hambrick and Burton they would do asurvey plain and simple. Question is do they really want to know or do they just not care? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: another taxpayer
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 03:32 PM
I, too, consider myself informed. And, I, too, voted again the tax increase. Most of us know people who work at SISD. We hear them talk about the waste, from the CO on down. Why is a school district any different from any other "company"? Answer is, it isn't. Schools must have money to properly educate students and they can't "select" which student they will take, they must take every one. BUT, egregious spending, be it an SUV, curriculum coordinators, Mr. Burton, healthcare carriers, whatever, the SISD needs to ask are these expenses TRULY needed. If it were coming directly out of the board's pockets, would they make the same decisions. The board president is correct, they are stewarding the tax money. However, it seems that, overwhelmingly, the populace does not feel it is "good" stewarding. I am still appalled that going back to the state for insurance coverage will save nearly $1MM. Why was it changed to begin with with that type of price tag? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Frustrated Tax Payer
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 02:41 PM
Just for the record, I don't feel I am unimformed. I was against the tax increase for the simple reason that stopping tax increases has to start somewhere. It is time for the taxing entities to examine their finances and cut the fat. For far too long, we have been push-overs for every tax increase that comes along. Sure the SISD is going to cut those that will cry the loudest. It is to get the next tax increase approved when all the teachers are screaming. I am sympathetic to the teachers and their needs, however, I am tired of my standard of living deteriorating so that others can live better. It's time that all tax payers in this country make their voices heard, and let the politicians and administrators know we are through with out of control spending! Time to live like the majority of us, with less and less. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: ...
Location: ...
on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Some of you folks must have missed math class when you were in school. There is a big difference in BILLION and MILLION. First, the school district has a $55 MILLION budget to operate everything in the school district and educate nearly 7,000 children. There is a big difference between $55 MILLION and $66 BILLION. Second, in 2004, there was a $77 MILLION bond passed by Sherman voters to build news schools and do some renovation and maintenance on existing buildings. The bond $ can only be used for these purposes and cannot be used to balance the school's budget. Third, I hope that when people with common sense read these blogs that they remember that those posting their comments are very uninformed and would rather complain and grind axes rather than get the facts and try to find solutions to issues. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: wake
Location: up
on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Well Fed Up someone payed for you to go to school so don't act like a hypocrite yourself, We have to support education if not then why don't you go and live in a country that doesn't support education and see how far you go? Not going to church because of people is a cop out. Your supposed to go to church because you have faith in whatever it is you have faith in and you believe the word. Church is a social network, that's solely not the reason you go to church though. You have no clue what your talking about when it comes to the school and that makes sense since you have no intrest in education or the children that will be wiping your behind when you can't one day. Good Luck. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: ???
Location: sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:24 AM
$50,000 may not be much compared to billions, but what makes him so special that an SUV is given to him. He doesn't make enough money to buy his own vehicle? $50,000 would be a couple of teachers' salaries, wouldn't it? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: just wonderin'
Location: sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:21 AM
I want to know why the school district doesn't maintain their schools? They just let them get rundown, then go out, build a new one, and leave the old one to just rot away. Perhaps if they were to take care of the schools we have now and maintain them, they would save a lot of money. Just wonderin...... [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: fed up still
Location: sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Ann - the local hypocritical Christian. The reason I don't go to church is because of people like you. I don't have children and frankly don't care about the type of schools we have here. I totally agree w/ taxpayer. I don't have children but am forced to pay money for other people's kids to get educations. My money should be my money, not yours or anyone else's to spend. I'm not praying for anyone, I'll leave that to you Miss Hypocrite. You're probably a bleeding heart liberal too. Those that tell us to pray are the last ones to point fingers. Your kind has ruined churches and made a laughingstock of religion. We should probably pray for you! [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Dear
Location: Fed Up
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Do you have any idea how much 66 billion dollars is ? The auto makers are currently asking for 25 billion to bail out the auto industry. But, according to your numbers, Sherman ISD has a 66 billion dollar budget ? Maybe the big 3 should come to Sherman to get bailed out ? The idiocy of people amazes me. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Ann
Location: Denison
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:49 AM
I agree with OOTO 50K is really going to put a dent in a 2 million dollar deficit. The car was not given to Dr. Hambrick, you need to do some more investigating. You people don't have a clue and probably should be helping some way to make sure these children get a good education. You're pointing your finger in the wrong direction. Dr. Hambrick has done an outstanding job and he will continue to do a good job despite the fact that you hypocrites will continue to down talk him. You need to look in the mirror and get a life. You should pray for the Dr. Hambrick, the school board, the faculty and the children that everything will work out for them. I pray for each of you. May God bless you! [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Taxpayer
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:44 AM
Why does the school district constantly need more and more money every year? This is just like any other area of government... if you temporarily give them a bigger budget of the taxpayers' money, they get addicted to more spending and then act like us taxpayers are jerks when we finally declare that enough is enough. Jason below is a perfect example. I own my home and pay taxes for schools when I don't even have any children, but I'm the villain for wanting the school district to reign in their spending and cut their budget like I've had to do in this economic crunch. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: OOTO
Location: Texoma
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Yeah....50K puts a real big dent in an almost 2M deficit. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Anonymous
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:28 AM
hahahhha..I live in Sherman,and this is exactly why I would never send my kids to Sherman schools. My kids go to Denison - where people care about education. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: chuck
Location: sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Thank you Dr. Steven Johnson. Do you have any plans to rollback your cost of services? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: fed up
Location: sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:03 AM
Check your facts, Jason. Why did they spend $3 million to fix a school building only to tear it down the next year? Why does the band need over a $100,000 semi to haul their equipment? When I was in school we used a bus. Are they too good to haul their stuff in a bus? 66 BILLION dollars and they've already blown it? What happened to the millions that was budgeted for landscaping? Crutchfield still looks ghetto. Start w/ giving back the SUV, then fire all those crooked and/or incompetent boardmembers and find some new people that know how to budget. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Amazed
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:51 AM
I would like to know what Dr. Hambrick is going to be giving up. Teachers will have larger classes, some employees will lose job,costs for insurance will be more now tell me WHAT IS HAMBRICK GIVING UP? [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Wilson
on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:25 AM
Way to go Board praise Dr. Al and stick it to the teachers. I have not heard any mention of Hambrick's SUV guess that was not on the table. You people dont get it but the general public knows what is going on. To bad all board members are not up for relection this year. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Businessman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:21 AM
To Jason- Why do you think that voters in Sherman have closed minds? Is it because they wanted some fiscal responsibility from Dr. Hambrick when it comes to taxpayers money. Dr. Hambrick has seen fit to spend spend spend and now he is having to go back and rid the district of some of the fluff that he injected. Kids will not suffer if he and the board make the right decisions but one thing is surethe teachers will suffer. This is s shame as these people are expected to teach our children and now Dr. Hambrick and the board have put additional pressures on them. My hat goes off to them. It seems that the board blames the teachers for THEIR doing as they still don't get the point that the TRE failure was a vote buy the community of no confidense in Dr. Hambrick and his leadership but they will find this out in the long run. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Jim
Location: Sherman
on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:20 AM
ya take his car back. Thats a start [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Jackson
Location: Sherman High
on Dec 1, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Lets start by cutting the budget wuth the SUV that the schol board so graciously gave Dr.Al... However , we wouldnt be in such a crunch if the city of Sherman would collect on its delinquent Hotel/Motel taxes. Not sure why I pay taxes on time and they dont!!! [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: Hugh
Location: Sherman
on Dec 1, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Once again the board praises and defends Dr. Hambrick. They just don't get it. Any body with any common sense out there want to run for the board this spring? Things are not going to get any better as long as Hambrick and Burton are running things. No misinformation here just look at the last two years. The board is not going to do anything about Hambrick as they don't want someone who might question them. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: a Teacher
Location: Sherman
on Dec 1, 2008 at 08:58 PM
As a symbolic gesture why doesn't Dr. Al Hambrick take a cut in pay. That or he could give back the $50,000 vehicle that was given to him last year. I'm dead serious...it starts with Al. [ Report Abuse ]
Posted by: jason
Location: 13th street
on Dec 1, 2008 at 07:32 PM
well i hope sherman voters are happy now..people are so closed minded sometimes it is a shame that students in sherman will not have the same education as other students in the area.. i am sure all the hot heads will reply that i am an uneducated moron .. i do know what the students in this town will lose now.. [ Report Abuse ] |
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hi
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So, you say the department heads do not have SISD vehicles? Then who's SISD vehicles are parked in their driveways all night?
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Ann, If Dr. Hambrick was not given a vehicle and it does not belong to the SISD, just who does it belong to? Are we to assume all this stink is being made ove a vehicle that Dr. Hambrick bought himself? Just trying to clear the air. If you really work there like you say, then I am sure you know. We, the taxpayers did not hurt the teachers and children. the administration has a choice in how to make budget cuts, and what they choose is to hurt the teachers and children. That is the easiest way to get support for the next time they want to raise taxes. You need to know the facts before you start making accusations. I can make a lot of cuts in the SISD that will not have a negative impact on the students.
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Dr. Hambrick's vehicle was not given to him and it does not belong to SISD. The department heads do not have a SISD vehicle. The people on this webiste is lying about the cars. This is not true because I work there. If you want to know, please come to the board meeting and ask. Please come to the schools and subsitute, volunteer to work at the campus and you can find out everything you want to know. When Hutto was here, did you ever see him on TV? No, because Hambrick was running the show. You people are clueless and talking out of the side of your neck. There is no truth to all of these lies. I see why it wasn't passed because of people like this. What's so sad you didn't hurt Hambrick or Burton. You hurt the teachers and the children. This is something that you all will have to live with.
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Anonymous, Dec 4, 10:40 AM. First things first. Sherman is NOT the metroplex. We are much smaller and do not have near the problems. Second of all, the principal is an administrator. I went through Sherman schools and most of the time you only ssaw the principal in the hall or at assemblies. Their job is to oversee the rest of the school staff. Not to watch after kids. If there is an assistant principal, then their purpose is to build a bit larger power base for the principal and make sure the principal has less to do. Sherman is overloaded with administrators at every level. It's time they studied to be LEAN adn eliminate a bunch of adminstative layers. Get more teachers so we have a reasonable student/teacher ratio, and cut the fluff up top.
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Well Bells taxes went up again just as usual. I want to know if Bells leaders are taking action in cutting anywhere. The only cuts that I see are into my income to pay for their spending. We have the best looking schools in the USA but the kids comming out of them can's spell or read, but they can sure play sports. Man what a bang for out bucks.
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I would like to know what has happened to all the money the lottery was suppose to bring to the schools and why our taxes just seem to raise every year to support the schools. They need to start at the top when they start getting rid of people. We need the teachers instead of all the administration.
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Well, let's see....Hambrick, Burton, Barnett, Edwards, Allison...and all either have no SISD identification on the vehicle, or it's subdued and barely visible. Maybe the board should disclose exactly how many have take-home cars - it should be public information. Our taxes are paying for them. They should also disclose which ones the district provides gasline for, too.
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Well, ALL metroplex schools have asst. principals in the elementary schools. This isn't 1978 anymore...Too many idiots have kids these days for one principal to handle them all.
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Are you kidding??? "Most all department heads have take home vehicles"?????? Who would that be?????? Ignorance is rampant around here.
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I've volunteered at a Sherman elementary and it opened my eyes. I suggest getting rid of some of the administrators. I'm a former teacher and I never heard of having an assistant principal for an elementary school.
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Hey Hendricks can I work some overtime and get a car and cash in some days to help pay my insurance? Or do you need to check with Sue first?
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Come on Dr. Hambrick give the car back and show a little leadership. At least they couldn't complain about that anymore.
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Most all department heads have take home vehicles. Some of the trucks you have to look closely at because the SISD logo is camoflauged (misspelled, I know) - dark gray with maroon lettering. Purposely done I'm sure so that it can be driven and look like a personal vehicle when not on school business. If you go to the next board meeting you can ask the question during open session just how many employees are provided with take-home vehicles. After all, your taxes are what is paying for these vehicles...
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Another Taxpayer: Problem is, most of those things that you say the district can cut are mandated by stupid state or federal laws such as that innane "No Child Left Behind" act.
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