YISD Christmas Program Expenses Being Questioned

Children?s smiles look like million watt light bulbs when they hear, and see, the Reindeer Revue program put on by the Ysleta Independent school districts.

Similarly, teachers fire up when they hear about the price tag.

According to the Ysleta Teacher Association, more than $180,000 was spent over the past three school years for Superintendent Michael Zolkoski and dozens of his employees to be bused around the district and put on shows like professional entertainers.

?It doesn?t actually benefit the children school-wise,? said Arlinda Valencia, the president of the YTA. ?It?s just a time of relief, or enjoyment.?

Valencia said she?s a lover of music. In fact, she earned a degree is music, but questions how the district can allot staff hours, money for travel, and costs for costumes at a time when many districts are tightening their budget.

Zolkoski sees the issue differently. Actually, he doesn?t see an issue at all.

?Whether you have the ?Reindeer Revue,? or not, you still have the 65 employees,? explained Zolkoski. ?Plus, they didn?t work the full eight hours, we worked until 2:30 on some days, got back and worked until 5.?

Zolkoski admits that he used staff to perform the show in 2009-2011, but adds that each employee was still responsible for their work despite attending 39 school concerts over a five day period. He disagrees over the $180,000 figure being floated by the YTA, because it?s based on salaries, which he said means the money isn?t available for other spending.

The YTA sees the issue differently, and points out the gas, costume costs, and stage decorations also cost money. Zolkoski didn?t refute those claims, but downplayed them stating some of the costuming come from his personal collection as he?s put the show on for 20 years at school districts across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

Regardless of the final dollar amount, the scariest claim, perhaps, is that teachers at YISD schools don?t have enough left in the budget to purchase paper for their children. Valencia said it?s a complaint she?s heard from multiple teachers, putting the extravagance into question.

?Teachers see that and say, ?Come on, I need paper for these children to do their work on,? it just doesn?t balance itself out,? said Valencia.

Zolkoski said the claims of teachers without paper were news to him, adding that numerous principals will have a surplus in their budget at the end of the year.