episd bond decision

modernization plan — which includes rennovating aginig schools, creating additional pre-k-8th grade campuses, and consolidating half- empty elementaries. but as abc-7’s ashlie rodriguez reports — what should have been a smooth process turned ugly. she’s live to explain why? one of the modernization projects is creating a pre-k-thru-1st at vilas elementary — rebranding it the mesita early childhood center. the center is set to open this fall — which is a little too fast for some people at tonight’s meeting: The term of the managers is coming to an end and i know its as scary for Dee Margo as handing your car keys over to your son, but its time to hand them over the the people of this district and the elected trustees. you could cut the tension with a knife. Mr. Cabrera, he’s not an educator, he doesn’t attend communtiy meetings…. he claims to have the heart of an educator …he doesn’t do jack. this all started last wednesday, when the district asked the 2007 bond committee to hand over some of its left over money to pay for new projects– including money to open the mesita early childhood center this fall — about $1.9 million- dollars total out of the $2.1 million the committee has in contingency funds. We have more flexibility with general fund money …..when we have those bond funds sitting there. that’s what they are there for. but the committee voted unanimously to hold off on handing over the money — opting to wait for the elected board of trustees. the board of managers overruled their recommendation. Im pleased, that everything is in place at this point in time to continue. mesita principal layla ferris will oversee the new mesita early childhood campus. she’s confident that even if the board had sided with the committee’s recommendation — the school would be ready . The work has to be done, the campus has to be ready for the children come august. but not everyone saw it that way — believing it best to wait for the elected trustees to resume office in may — and vote on episd’s projects on behalf of the people who they represent. The seem to think they can ramrod things through with two months left…that only benefit contractors and architects. It further deteriorates the trust and transparency within the community and employees within episd. i asked these folks if it helped that elected -trustee bob geske is now a manager on the board. he was sworn in today– filling in for blanca enquirez who recently resigned. they said no — although geske had said the decision should wait for the board of elected trustees — he voted to use the bond money alongside the other managers — the mesita schools being apart of his district. two and a half years in prison. that’s the sentence handed down