Aledo Focus On The Kids

01/17/2020

While the TML generally plays in the municipal sandbox, do not think for a moment that their influence doesn't extend into public-education as well.

Speaker Straus’ former chief of staff has been hired by the taxpayer-funded Texas Municipal League to lobby against taxpayers in 2021.

11/05/2019

Do you think Aledo ISD is being a good steward of our property tax dollars?

Vote AGAINST the proposed $149,950,000 Aledo ISD bond and ask the school district to come back in May with a smaller and more fiscally responsible bond proposal and a reduction in our property taxes!

Did you know that the Aledo ISD has had two chances this year to lower our tax rates, but did not do it?
The enormous increase in appraisal values and tax revenue have given our school board two opportunities to reduce our property taxes below the state-mandated rate reduction. Instead they chose to significantly increase spending. M&O revenue will increase by more than $7.1 million this year versus last year.
1 - We petitioned the school board for an additional tax cut that would have still left them with $5.6 million to fund significant teacher raises but they ignored us. AISD still could have given the 6.5% raises to our teachers AND provide additional tax relief.

2 - Likewise, the school board could have used excess Interest and Sinking (I&S) tax revenue to fund a reasonably priced bond ($50-60 million) to build a new middle school AND significantly reduce our taxes! Instead, they proposed borrowing an additional $100 million on projects that could wait several more years!

But, please don’t take our word for it. Do your own research. More info at AledoFocus.org.

We Can Do Better!

11/05/2019

Parents, teachers and anyone else living in Aledo ISD – Please, do your own research before you vote and don’t let the school district or the pro-bond crowd intimidate you or pressure you over the proposed $149,950,000 school bond.

Focus on the Kids believes that parents and teachers are the key to a good education which is why we have ALWAYS supported raises for teachers. We believe that quality education is not found in excessive facilities or gadgets but in the quality of our dedicated teachers. But we also believe strongly in the importance of educating our community about the current AISD debt and hope to foster good stewardship of our property tax dollars.

We are going to post several reasons why Focus on the Kids opposes the current bond proposal here on our page. You may also visit our website (AledoFocus.org) for more information.

Focus on the Kids is not going to be intimidated by the slander and down right lies put out by the pro-bond crowd but are going to continue being a voice for anyone in our community who wants to shine a light on the current affairs of the school district and bring attention to facts not highlighted by the school district.

11/05/2019

Don’t fall for the false choices! There is a better alternative:



The school district is scaring parents and teachers giving the impression that if this $149,950,000 AISD doesn’t pass, the students will be stuck in portable buildings and that the money to pay for those buildings will come out of the maintenance and operations (M&O) side of the budget.



This is a false choice! Here are two inconvenient facts:



1 – The school district can come back with a smaller bond proposal for a reasonable priced new middle school in May AND at the same time reduce our interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate.



2 – The school district could use the I&S fund to pay for portable buildings instead of the M&O fund if needed. The district has already used I&S funds to buy smaller items such as iPads.





We Can Do Better!



Please vote AGAINST the proposed $149,950,000 Aledo ISD bond and ask the school district to come back in May with a smaller and more fiscally responsible bond proposal and a reduction in our property taxes!



Election Day is Tuesday, Nov 5, 2019 from 7 AM to 7 PM





Please visit AledoFocus.org for more info.



Pd. Pol. Adv. by Focus on the Kids PAC

11/05/2019

Currently, Aledo ISD owes bondholders more than $162 million. Because of this large debt, our school district currently spends more than $15 million per year just to pay of existing debt. If this bond passes, our debt will almost double and debt service payments will soar! If you are upset with your property taxes, you need to vote tomorrow AGAINST this fiscally irresponsible bond.



Election Day is Tuesday, Nov 5, 2019 from 7 AM to 7 PM



Specific debt info may be found at Aledo ISD Business Office Debt Transparency (http://www.aledoisd.org).



Please visit AledoFocus.org for more info.



Pd. Pol. Adv. by Focus on the Kids PAC

08/30/2019

Thank you everyone who signed our petition!


Unfortunately, our request to reduce our Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate by $0.04 (in addition to the reduction mandated and funded by the state) was rejected by the school board. Our plea was based on the following financial data: M&O total revenue will increase by more than $7.1 million (from $51,244,237 to $58,434,550) this coming fiscal year versus last fiscal year. This represents a 14.0% increase!! Student growth is projected to be less than 6%! Our ask of $0.04 would have reduced that increase by $1.6 million leaving the school district with enough surplus to fund very significant and much-needed raises for the teachers. It is our understanding that the budget that passed Tuesday night provides for teachers with a 6.5% raise and staff a 5% raise. Whereas Focus on the Kids supports the 6.5% raise for teachers, we believe the 5% raise for staff is too high considering that the struggling property taxpayers who are funding these raises are not receiving these types of raises themselves!

08/27/2019

If you live in Aledo ISD, you have the opportunity to sign an online petition (below) asking the school district to lower your tax rate! They will be voting on the tax rate during a public meeting tomorrow night at the Aledo ISD Admin building located at 1008 Bailey Ranch Rd in Aledo. The meeting starts at 6:00 PM
This is your LAST opportunity to affect your the largest component of your property tax

Sign Our Petition!   Aledo ISD is poised to realize a large excess in their budget this year due to dramatically increased property values. Rather than keeping all of this money we believe that Aledo ISD should give a small portion of it back in an M&O rate tax reduction. Fight Higher Taxes! We, th...

11/08/2017

Aledo ISD voters firmly objected to more debt, higher property taxes and overpriced construction cost. We want to thank all Aledo ISD residents who voted in the bond election.

Unofficial results from Nov 7, 2017 Aledo ISD bond election

PROP A
FOR 1,020 (29.36%)
AGAINST 2,454 (70.64%)

PROP B
FOR 1,190 (34.32%)
AGAINST 2,277 (65.68%)

http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/news/aledo-isd-voters-reject-million-bond-package/article_d0bceca2-c426-11e7-a8f5-2bc923fef297.html

https://www.parkercountytx.com/DocumentCenter/View/4312

Aledo ISD voters rejected a $72.9 million bond package in the Nov. 7 election.