Early Voting Has Started-- VOTE YES FOR KATY ISD BOND!

Early voting has started.  Since this is a November election, you will vote at the early voting sites OF YOUR COUNTY. 
Information about Early Voting Locations in Harris, Ft. Bend and Waller Counties is HERE.  GO VOTE!


Last Monday, the School Board discussed what would happen if this bond is defeated.  The Chronicle has a headline in today's paper saying Katy is "ready if voters say no".  YIKES!!  

Of course the District and its staff and teachers will "rise to the occasion".  That does NOT mean the schools and student experience won't change.  There WILL be changes:  Overcrowded schools will have to be the priority, as the district is required by law to educate every child who shows up.  That means Operating Fund money (the same pot of money that pays teacher salaries) will have to be used to do things like buy additional portables, rent and build-out additional facilities like shuttered retail space to be classrooms or offices, rent out-of-district stadiums for sporting events, and buses will have to be re-directed to take children to those out-of-neighborhood facilities.  Older schools will not be renovated so will continue to serve their students poorly (e.g. Memorial Parkway Jr. High) or not as securely (e.g. Mayde Creek HS).  Secondary teachers will not be assigned a classroom and will have to have their planning period in the teacher's lounge.  While it ensures every inch of space will be used every minute of the day, why would a talented teacher stick around if they are not even given a desk?  
This bond was carefully crafted to NOT require a tax increase.  The risk is a tiny 1/2 cent per $100 valuation.  To put it in "homeowner terms", we are basically borrowing against our equity, with no increase in our mortgage payments. 
If you, like so many people, moved to this district BECAUSE of the wonderful schools, why would you risk the value of your home by voting to change those schools dramatically for the worse??       

The School Bond vote is near the end of the ballot.  Be sure to scroll down and cast your vote!

I will vote "YES" on the Katy ISD School Bond, and encourage you to, as well.  I served on the Bond Committee and am proud of the package we developed.

This bond will provide:

• Six new schools (1 high school, 2 junior highs, and 3 elementary schools) (47.7% of the bond)
• Six comprehensive renovations of our older schools: Mayde Creek High School, Memorial Parkway Jr. High, and Memorial Parkway, Golbow, Cimarron, and Pattison Elementary Schools (18.1%)
• Additional component replacements at 43 other schools and 3 district facilities. (5.6%)
• Program Support Facilities: An additional stadium and Ag Sciences Center (both scaled back from what was proposed and rejected in the Nov. '13 bond) (10.8%)
• Expansions to Miller Career Center and 5 Junior Highs (4.9%)
• Technology (6.7%)
• Security upgrades (1.7%)
• Other items, including design and planning fees for 2 additional elementary schools, buses, portables, etc. (4.5%)

Of critical importance to the Bond Committee was including as many necessary projects as possible with little or no tax increase risk.  This bond accomplished that goal with an addition potential tax rate increase of 1/2 cent.  Additional facts and information can be found HERE.

I believe we need this bond, and we need it now.  The district has already delayed this bond by over a year, due to concerns at that time about the flagging economy and how that might impact our growth.  Thank goodness those concerns did not come to pass here in Katy— we have growth and plenty of it!  The 70,000th student enrolled this year, and about 3000 new students come to Katy every year.  They come for excellent schools and programs that provide a well-rounded education for our students. The projects in this bond will address that growth, as well as provided badly needed renovations for our older schools. 

Do You Believe In Public Education? If So, VOTE FOR HODGE!

First, I recommend you read George Scott's article about what impact Schofield's election will have on education legislation next year.  George and I don't see eye-to-eye on some things, but he is spot-on that Schofield is NOT a friend of public education.    

Secondly, Run-off Reports have been filed by Schofield and Hodge and they are every bit as interesting as the earlier reports, showing once more that Schofield is more connected to Austin than to District 132, Cy-Fair or Katy.  

Schofield's report shows that between February 23 and May 17, he received 85 contributions.  Of those, two are from District 132; 37 are from Austin, and 35 are from Houston zip codes that are NOT in District 132 (zip codes in District 132).  Most are from "downtown" attorneys or PACs, and the remainder are from other cities.

Contrast this to Ann Hodge's report, which contains 93 donations in the same time period.  Of that, 42 are from District 132 zip codes, 17 are from other Houston zip (but checking the names I recognize many of them as being from or having businesses in the Katy area).  Fifteen donations are from Austin zips.  The remainder are from other cities.  

Take a look at who the contributors are, as well.  This will help you know the candidate's interests and where they will spend their energy.  Schofield's largest contributor ($25,000+) is from Texans for Lawsuit Reform.  Ann Hodge's largest contributor is Texas Parent PAC, for about $5,000.  They are a non-partisan organization committed to strengthening Texas public schools.  If you are concerned about public education, you need to vote for Ann Hodge!  This is a notoriously low-turnout election, so please forward this and my previous post to everyone you know in District 132, and make sure the district has a LOCALLY FOCUSED representative!  Early Voting continues through Friday; Election Day is Tuesday.  Polling places etc are here.

The Choices for District 132

I’m dusting off “Musings From Katy” for some comments on a very important election: The Republican Primary Runoff for District 132 (Ann Hodge vs. Mike Schofield).  Early voting starts on Monday May 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 27.  ANYONE can vote in this election (except those who voted in the 2014 Democratic Party Primary last March).  Frankly, this election will be decided in this run-off, so if you want your voice heard, you need to get to the polls for this election.  Your choice is between a 30-year community resident business leader and a district-shopping professional wanna-be politician.  

Ann Hodge’s resume is impressive, including being appointed by several Texas Governors to the Texas Workforce Investment Council, the Texas Council on Vocational Education and the Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness.   She is neither a professional candidate nor an ideologue.  Many entities and individuals, including the Houston Chronicle, have endorsed her.   See the list here.  You’ll notice it’s your neighbors and people who love Katy and Cy-Fair.  Her 30 years of living in and working for this area will serve District 132 well.

Mike Schofield, in contrast, has just moved here to run for office.  Don't misunderstand me; we are growing and I welcome our many newcomers.  The question is WHY did they move here?  What concerns me is that Mike Schofield has continuously been raising money for SOME State Rep job—he doesn’t seem to care which.  (See the bullets below.)  The Texas Constitution created a part-time, so-called citizen legislature, which meets for a relatively brief 140 days every other year.   I understand Mr. Schofield has no day job but has been going door-to-door through the district charming people into putting his sign in their yard.  Ann Hodge has a job—running our local Chamber of Commerce.  She is what the Constitution had in mind—because she lives in, works in, and betters our community.  She will be a true Citizen Legislator.  Also, she knows the area well enough to know that wide swaths of Katy ISD and Cy-Fair ISD, while not in District 132, are important to District 132.  Bill Callegari understands this, as does John Zerwas and Glenn Hegar.  Mike Schofield has not spent any time learning about the broader Katy and Cy-Fair areas—they can’t vote for him so they are not worth his time.  

Mike Schofield has been funded and endorsed by lots of folks with zip codes other than those from our area, and has a long history of “District Shopping”.  The information below is from the Texas Ethics Commission.  Candidates who have any campaign funds on hand are required to file reports semi-annually (In January & July) and before elections.  They are a wealth of information about a candidate, sometimes in the questions that are raised by what they DON’T say. 

·       In his January 15, 2006 campaign finance report, he doesn’t know what office he is filing for (Box 12), but has $60,000 contributed to get him elected SOMEWHERE.   His address is listed as 10714 Overbrook Ln, a home near Westheimer and the Beltway, which property records list as owned by a Norma Garbizu in 2006.

·       In the 30 Days before the Election report, he finally reports he is running for State Rep for Dist. 133, near the Galleria.

·       His July semiannual report filed after he lost the primary election in 2006 shows he spent over $186,000 trying to win District 133.

·       All filings (annual and semi-annual) through Jan. 2012 continue to list his address as the house on Overbrook and that the office he is seeking is for District 133. 

·       Schofield eventually files to run for District 136, in the Memorial area.  In November 2011, maps are redrawn and District 136 is rolled into District 133.  Schofield does not appear on the primary ballot.  

·       In the January 2012 report, his address changes to an office address in Greenway Plaza, which is the same address as Blakemore & Associates, a political consulting firm.  He does not list any office that he is seeking.  However, he raises over $67,000 and spends nearly $34,000.  Why would people give money to him without knowing what office he is running for?  Or does he tell them what he’s running for but omits that information on the report?   His expenditures show he spent money for “travel in district” and for Filing Fees to the Harris County Republican Party, but we don’t know which district?!? 

·       In the July 2012 report, people are still donating but he doesn’t list an office that he is seeking, his address is still the office in Greenway Plaza, he’s traveling in the unnamed district and spending money on print advertizing (which you’d think would mention WHAT office he is running for).

·       For January 2013 and July 2013, he is sitting on about $20,000.  No change in address and he still doesn’t know what he’s running for.

·       On September 23, 2013, Bill Callegari announces he is retiring from District 132.  On September 25^th, Schofield rents a house in District 132. http://coveringkaty.com/2014/03/16/candidate-mike-schofield-covering-katy-investigation/

·       In his January, 2014, filing, Schofield finally lists District 132 as the one he is going after.  His address on campaign reports remains the Greenway Plaza office address. 

 

So, in 8 short years, Mike Schofield has moved to and filed for office in three different districts.  Do NOT let Mike Schofield use us this way!  Get out and VOTE!  Remember, you do not need to be a “registered Republican”—it doesn’t work that way in Texas.  Unless you voted in the 2014 Democratic Primary, you CAN and SHOULD vote in the Republican primary run-off. 

Early Voting is Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 23, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Locations are here: