Texas Government Insider
Volume 8, Issue 47 - Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

Increase public school class sizes?

 

Local teacher offers commentary on recommendation in Comptroller's report 

 

Class SizesOne of the largest money-saving recommendations in State Comptroller Susan Combs' recent report on school spending and student achievement turns out to be one that is also drawing the most criticism - especially from the state's classroom teachers.


Among the recommendations of the report, Connecting the Dots: School Spending and Student Progress, is that the state relax its current mandate on class size limits in public schools. In a press release touting the report, the Comptroller's Office notes that giving school districts immunity from the 25-year-old requirement that kindergarten through fourth grade classes have no more than 22 pupils "could help trim school spending without sacrificing educational quality."


Combs' report suggests that doing away with the class size limit could lead to cutting 12,000 elementary school teaching positions and save the state $558 million. 


From the report: "If all Texas public schools had an average K-4 classroom size of 20 students, the state would save $159 million annually. If all Texas K-4 classrooms averaged 22 per class, total savings would reach $557.5 million. These estimates do not include savings on employee benefits."

 

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More state budget cuts precursor to upcoming legislative session

 

Agencies ordered to make 2.5 percent additional cuts for current budget

 

Budget CutsThe "other shoe" dropped this week for Texas state agencies and commissions.


As expected, a letter from the state's leadership - Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus - was delivered this week to state agency boards and executives, state commission chairs, appellate court chief justices, executives at state-supported institutions of higher education and heads of legislative agencies. The letter asked those individuals to identify an additional 2.5 percent of their general revenue and general revenue-dedicated revenue for Fiscal Year 2011. This comes on the heels of a mandate in January for these same officials to identify where they could cut 5 percent from their current budgets.


The letter notes that although sales tax receipts are on the uptick, "overall state revenue receipts for fiscal year 2010 came in $2 billion below estimate," resulting in "insufficient revenue to cover general revenue spending needs in the current biennium."

 

Already as a result of the letter, the Health and Human Services Commission is anticipating reductions in reimbursement rates for providers who serve Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program patients. Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice escaped part of the January cutbacks, to the tune of about $300 million in exceptions. They are fearful now that a 2.5 percent cut would lead to staff reductions that could affect public safety. A major portion of the agency's budget is personnel for the system that holds more than 150,000 inmates in its various facilities. Other agencies and entities are putting pencil to paper to see how much deeper the cuts can go while continuing to meet the needs of the state.


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Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas' Lone Stars

Ed SmithEdward G. Smith, director, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M System

Career highlights and education: I joined AgriLife Extension's administrative staff in 2001, when I became the associate director for agricultural and natural resource sciences. My interview occurred on 9/11, leading me to an even stronger conviction that I could make my greatest personal contribution to our country through extension education. In Extension, we're part of a national technology transfer and outreach education system - an American innovation to help people prosper. Using research-based knowledge and scientific advances, we help people solve local problems and meet emerging issues. In 2005, I was appointed agency director, 30 years after starting my career as a county extension agent in Gaines and Terry counties. I am a proud Texas Aggie, with three degrees in agricultural economics - my last a Ph.D. in 1982. I worked almost 20 years as an extension economist in marketing and policy, often advising Congress and the federal government on certain issues and legislation. The Governor's Executive Development Program rounded out my preparation for the CEO job I now hold.  

What I like best about my job is: seeing extension educators and our extension-trained volunteers in action, and meeting the people they teach...like the youth in our 4-H program, participants in our workforce training and agricultural producers and natural resource managers at our demonstrations of new technology and best practices. Extension educators are known for their leadership, dedication, expertise, responsiveness and trustworthiness. Hearing that affirmed by the people we serve and partner with is very rewarding. Fortunately, my job doesn't isolate me because I have a great leadership team to help steer the course while I interact with clientele and stakeholders.

The best advice I've received for my current job is: Always practice what we preach in extension education - ask, listen and respond to what people say are their priority needs. Having worked with five extension directors in Texas and numerous directors in the national extension system, I've seen that our success depends on holding fast to this principle. Extension's program development process revolves around local needs assessments. That's the key to our ability to deliver research-based educational programs that are relevant to both individuals and the public good.

Advice you would give a new hire in your office: Always over-deliver on your commitments. Work with the best people you can and listen to them; don't be afraid to delegate and let others carry out their job without micromanagement. And remember, accountability and impacts are the coin of the realm.

If I ever snuck out of work early, I could probably be found: at a school or community athletic event, cheering on my grandchildren or my friends' kids. Otherwise, at an evening conference, the temptation to sneak away might be to watch or play a little Texas Hold 'em.  

People would be surprised to know that I: go all out for Halloween...special effects, costumes, the works. My wife and I are fully committed to making it memorable. About 500 kids make the Smith house a destination visit.

One thing I wish more people knew about my agency: Besides serving the public good, AgriLife Extension is an incredible public asset. Our statewide network of professional educators, volunteers and county offices provides a program delivery capacity and infrastructure that extend state resources and help avoid duplication of services. Hundreds of school districts, government agencies, universities, community colleges and other organizations attain greater outreach in collaboration with AgriLife Extension. We train and oversee a corps of volunteers, whose annual service to Texas represents an additional full-time workforce of 2,140 (valued at $84 million), more than doubling our agency's human capital. We leverage every appropriated state, county and federal dollar received - studies find that a dollar spent on research and extension yields more than a 40 percent rate of return. These assets significantly fortify the state's ability to address priority needs and emerging issues through practical education, with considerable benefits and economic impact.

  

Amajor named director of Council on Competitive Government
Chuks AmajorChuks Amajor (pictured), director of the Strategic Sourcing Division for the Texas Comptroller, was recently named the new director of the Council on Competitive Government. The job became available after former Director Dustin Lanier resigned to join the private sector.


In his new role, Amajor will work to improve state efficiency and effectiveness. Under Amajor's leadership in the Strategic Sourcing Division, the state will save an estimated $68.8 million this year.

 
Amajor, who holds a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, has worked as an analyst in management consulting and as a buyer-planner in the semiconductor industry.

 

Ho to step down after three years in solicitor general position

James HoAfter three years serving as Solicitor General of Texas, James Ho (pictured) is stepping down to go into private practice.


As the state's chief appellate attorney, Ho oversees criminal and civil litigations before the state and federal appeals courts, represents Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court and serves as the top legal advisor to the Attorney General.


Ho, a graduate of The University of Chicago Law School, has worked for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and worked at the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

 

Comptroller delivers $435M in sales tax revenue to local entities

Local governments across the state will soon receive allocations from November sales tax revenues, which totaled $1.87 billion - up 8.7 percent compared to a year ago.


Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said growth in a range of sectors, like oil and gas, retail trade, restaurants and manufacturing, led to the increase. 


Local tax districts will receive a combined $435.8 million in allocations, a 4.5 increase from a year ago. Texas cities will receive $290.9 million, up 4 percent compared to a year ago; Texas counties will get $27.5 million, up 11.9 percent; local transit systems will collect $98.6 million, up 2.2 percent; and special purpose taxing districts will take $18.7 million, up 15 percent compared to last November.


Although up for the month, the local tax revenue for the entire year, which totals $5.6 billion, was down a fraction of a percent from 2009.


To view the tax allocations by city, click here. To view the tax allocations by county, click here.

 

Texas Forest Service's Tom Spencer wins Regents Award
Tom SpencerTom Spencer (pictured) of the Texas Forest Service was recently honored for decades of work protecting people from deadly wildfires.

 

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents awarded Spencer, who heads the Predictive Services Department, with the Regents Fellow Service Award, which is given to researchers who have created large and lasting benefits to Texas and beyond.

 

Spencer, a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, has spent 11 years developing tools that help predict when and where wildfire will occur. 

 

TRS investment team awarded $9.7 million in performance bonuses
Performance bonuses totaling $9.7 million were awarded this week to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas investment team. Among the big winners - Chief Investment Officer Britt Harris - who earned a bonus of more than $444,000. He is also due another bonus in excess of $343,000 based on the fund's 2009 performance. The bonuses were based on investments earning $2.3 billion more than what the markets produced and for surpassing its target 8 percent earnings return by 4.6 percent.


In spite of the large bonuses, retired teachers in the state have not had a monthly increase in their checks over the last decade. The fund, which has only 83 cents for every dollar needed to meet its long-term obligations to both active and retired school employees, benefit increases by law cannot be given to retirees unless the trust if fully funded. 

 

December Workshop

UTMB seeks changes to prison health care plan
The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston wants to get out of a 16-year contract that calls for the medical school to run in-prison clinics that provide medical care for the 154,000 state convicts. The in-prison clinics are expensive to run - costing the school as much as $60 million in the coming year, UTMB officials have said. 


UTMB, which provides care for about two-thirst of the state's prison units, lost about $19 million to the prison system last fiscal year. Texas Tech University, which cares for the other third, lost about $3 million.


UTMB has suggested that the state contract with private specialty companies that show interest in providing the medical service. UTMB has overseen medical care in Texas prisons since the managed health care model passed the Texas Legislature in the 1990s.

 

Texas Enterprise Fund awards $865,000 for Conroe facility
The Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) recently awarded $865,000 to Jyoti Americans to create a manufacturing facility in Conroe. The new manufacturing facility for high-voltage lattice-power transmission towers is expected to create 157 jobs and generate about $34 million in capital investment once a local incentive agreement with the city of Conroe is approved, according to TEF officials.

 

Plans call for the new facility to fabricate and galvanize 36,000 tons of power transmission towers annually. The United States currently has no similar facilities for the manufacture of the transmission towers used to send alternative, renewable electricity to consumers.


The Greater Conroe Economic Development Council worked with the Greater Houston Partnership and the Governor's Office of Economic Development to bring the new facility to Conroe, said Tom Stinson, director of the Greater Conroe Economic Development Council.

 

Mendelsohn stepping down as M.D. Anderson president
John MendelsohnJohn Mendelsohn (pictured) recently announced plans to retire next August as president of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the nation's premiere cancer hospital.


During his nearly 15 years in the top spot, Mendelsohn, 74, has doubled the size of the hospital by most measures: patients, employees, square footage, research and budget.


He will continue as co-director of the Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, which aims to determine the genetic abnormalities of a patient's cancer and then prescribe the appropriate therapy.


A search for Mendelsohn's successor, just the fourth president in M.D. Anderson's 70-year history, will be launched in January.

 

Lone Star College System accepting applicants for vacant position
The Lone Star College System, the fastest-growing community college system in Texas, is accepting resumes for a vacant spot on the board of trustees.


Chris Daniel stepped down as Trustee Position 2 after he was elected the new Harris County District Clerk. Daniel's successor will hold the position until May 2012, the next regularly scheduled election.


To be a trustee, applicants must be a registered voter, Texas resident for 12 months, and resident of the college district for six months. If interested, submit resume by mail or email to: Helen Clougherty, Special Assistant to the Chancellor/Board Liaison, Lone Star College System, 5000 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381. E-mail is helen.clougherty@lonestar.edu. Deadline for submission is Jan. 3 at 5 p.m.

 

Want to stay ahead of the competition in local government sales? 


Find out how in SPI's 'Selling to Local Government in Texas' workshop Dec. 14

SalesTime is running out! Register now and learn how to double your local government sales revenue in 2011. You can "learn from the experts" by attending Strategic Partnerships Inc.'s "Selling to Local Government in Texas" workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The half-day workshop (1-5 p.m.) will be at the SPI Training Facility in Austin.
 
Participants will hear from and interact with former public officials, procurement consultants and researchers charged with identifying upcoming 2011 opportunities. The SPI Team has been helping clients find and capture government contracts over the last 15 years.
 
Experts will share time-tested strategies for winning new government business from cities, counties, school districts, colleges, universities, etc.  And, participants will benefit from learning about a number of upcoming opportunities that will be analyzed and discussed.
 
For more information and to register online, click here.  

 

 

Tony ZavaletaZavaleta resigns position with UT-Brownsville, TSC
Antonio (Tony) Zavaleta (pictured) recently resigned as associate provost for The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. His resignation was effective on Nov. 14.


Zavaleta plans to return to the faculty on Feb. 15 as an anthropology professor and as director of the Center for Border and Transnational Studies at UT-Brownsville. 


Hays County to spend almost $1.7 million to upgrade parks
Hays County commissioners recently approved spending $1,697,256 on four parks and open space projects. The funding is from a $30 million bond proposal voters approved in May 2007. About $100,000 in bond funds are remaining to be allocated by new county commissioners who assume office in January, county officials said.


The approved projects include $800,000 for the Trust for Public Lands that is seeking 589 acres to add to the Purgatory Creek Natural Area in San Marcos, $310,000 for the Bradfield Park Trail Project in Buda, $140,000 for the Buda Skate Park project and $447,256 for the Hays Youth Sports Complex Improvements project.


Fort Bend ISD may close three schools to save money
Officials of Fort Bend Independent School District recently notified residents that to save money, board members are considering closing an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. While the three schools under consideration for closure are Colony Bend Elementary, Willow Ridge High School and Christa McAuliffe Middle School, district officials are looking at several options. If the schools are closed, the district will re-zone the students to other campuses.

 

Texas November Bond Election

Lamar University welcomes new Dishman Art Museum director
Jessica DandonaArt historian Jessica Dandona (pictured) recently took over as director at Lamar University's Dishman Art Museum in Beaumont.


Dandona, also an LU assistant professor in the Department of Art, plans to host shows that appeal to people outside the art community, like exhibits of quilts or comic book art.


Dandona, a Michigan native, earned a bachelor's degree from Brown University, completed graduate research as a Fulbright Fellow at Universite Laval in Quebec, and this year earned a doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley.

 

WTAMU names dean of College of Ag, Science, Engineering
Don TopliffLeaders at West Texas A&M University recently promoted Don Topliff (pictured) from associate dean to dean of the College of Agriculture, Science and Engineering, which is comprised of about 1,560 students in four departments.


He succeeds James Clark, who is retiring. Topliff has spent more than 10 years in higher education administration and more than 30 years in higher education teaching. He has worked at Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University in College Station, and came to West Texas A&M in Canyon in 1998.

 

Topliff earned an associate's degree from Colby Community College in Kansas, a bachelor's from Kansas State university, and a master's and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

 

CPS to conduct interviews for vacancy on board
The five-person board of San Antonio's CPS Energy, a municipally owned utility company that provides gas and electricity, will soon fill a trustee vacancy from among four candidates.


The finalists, who were selected from a pool of 44 applicants, are vying to replace Stephen Hennigan, who steps down in January after serving the maximum two five-year terms.

 
The new trustee will be chosen by a simple majority, which includes both Hennigan and Mayor Julian Castro.


The finalists are: Nora W. Chavez, managing director of an investment banking firm; Laura Ehrenberg Chesler, co-founder, co-CEO and chief investment officer of a financial planning company; Dacia Hammerick Napier, a radiologist and partner at a radiology firm; and Stephen S. Penley, retired as senior vice president and chief financial officer of a San Antonio aeronautical company.

 

UT Pharmacy helps ensure proper use of meds for foster kids
Lynn CrismonCollege of Pharmacy researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have teamed up with the state to create a guide that helps protect foster care children who have been diagnosed with mental 
 health disorders.


The new guide gives health professionals recommendations for the best use of psychotropic medications for disorders like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, disruptive behavioral disorders, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder.


Foster children need this additional protection for several reasons, which include missing patient and family history, attachment difficulties that may overlap psychiatric disorders and living in areas with poor mental health services, said Lynn Crismon (pictured), dean of the College of Pharmacy.


"These multiple factors serve to complicate making the appropriate diagnosis and treatment," she said.

 

2011 Planning

Force Protection Detachments train to improve mission readiness
Target PracticeCivilian intelligence professionals recently spent a week training at Camp Bullis in Bexar County, where they practiced language skills, use of concealed weapons and combat life saving.


The civilians are members of Force Protection Detachments, a group created to protect Department of Defense personnel and units in transit. The detachments were set up by the Cole Commission, after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole at the port of Aden in Yemen.


The detachments training in Bexar County are with the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade and assigned to missions in eight different Latin American countries. In the accompanying photo by Gregory Ripps, a 470th Military Intelligence Brigade Force Protection Detachment (FPD) agent takes target practice on a range at Camp Bullis. FPD members from eight countries returned to the United States the week of Nov. 15 to practice some basic skills they might need to use.  

 

Chris Daniel moves on transition of district clerk office hires
Harris County District Clerk-Elect Chris Daniel, who will be sworn in Jan. 1, 2011, recently announced two members of his incoming administrative team.


Deputy Harris County Clerk Kevin Mauzy has been named chief deputy. He has worked 30 years in the county clerk's office and brings a thorough knowledge of Harris County government to the new administration.


Mikki Edwards, who has worked 19 years in the district clerk's office, will be administrative assistant. She has worked in the civil courts, family courts and the ancillary court. 


GPS technology set to speed up bus rides for MetroRapid riders
Linda WatsonAustin city buses will soon hit more green lights, reducing travel time by an estimated 20 percent, thanks to new buses stocked with technology that "talks" to traffic lights.


The new bus line, dubbed MetroRapid, will initially serve two busy corridors - North Lamar-South Congress and Burnet-South Lamar - when it hits streets in 2013. The buses will be equipped with GPS that alerts traffic lights that it is approaching, said Capital Metro CEO Linda Watson (pictured). The lights will then change so that the bus can get through.


Capital Metro, Austin's transportation authority, recently received a $38 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and will put up an additional $9 million to get MetroRapid riders through lights faster.

 

McKinney to proceed with hotel and convention center project
After winning a two-year battle over a stalled hotel and convention center project, McKinney city officials could seek new bids next year for the 90-acre Gateway project located at SH 121 and the Central Expressway.


Construction stopped on the Gateway hotel and events center project in October 2008 after the California-based developer in the formerly public/private development filed for bankruptcy. Settlement of a lawsuit between the city and developer provided the city ownership and full control of the entire Gateway parcel and any work already completed, the city attorney said.


Once an engineering report is completed, city officials will decide whether to continue with the original plan for the project, modify the plan or ignore the old plan and start over, the city attorney said. 

 

The Procurement EDGE

Medical Center Hospital in Odessa proposes new building
Bill WebsterOfficials of Medical Center Hospital in Odessa are seeking support for a new building, which they hope will recruit locally trained doctors and nurses.

 

The new building, which does not yet have a price tag or financial plan, would be for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at the Permian Basin. The center includes a school of medicine, school of nursing, physical therapy program and physician assistant program.

 

MCH chief executive officer Bill Webster (pictured) said the new building's state-of-the-art facilities would help Odessa educate and keep well-trained health professionals. The building, which would include classrooms and a simulation lab, could also be used by Odessa College, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin and the city for training. 

 

Pine Tree ISD names committee to study bond issue
Marian StraussPine Tree Independent School District trustees recently created a Bond Development Committee to help decide whether to call a bond election in May 2011 to pay for facility improvements.

 

Committee members are scheduled to meet weekly throughout December and January before presenting their recommendation on a bond package at a board meeting in late January of next year, said Superintendent Marian Strauss (pictured).


Voters in May defeated a proposed $19.99 million bond proposal to build a new football stadium and renovate facilities throughout the district. Trustees appointed half of the members of the bond committee and a lottery draw determined the 16 members from 40 candidates who had applied to serve. 

 

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Tarleton to construct new housing to accommodate growth
Wanda MercerJust one year after the opening of a new residence hall, Tarleton State University leaders have decided that increasing enrollment numbers signal a need for another campus dormitory.


The Texas A&M University System regents OK'd a new 300-bed facility, which will be ready for students by next August. The $13 million building will be paid for with money collected from student room rates. Tarleton's increasing student population - expected to grow by at least 3 percent annually - needs on-campus housing to succeed, said Wanda Mercer (pictured), vice president for Student Life.


"Studies have shown that students living on campus are more likely to complete their degrees," she said.

 

Texas Medical Center in Houston reporting expansion plans
The Texas Medical Center has grown beyond its Southeast Houston boundaries and set up a West Campus, which is anchored by two side-by-side hospitals on Interstate 10 at Barker Cypress.


Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, which opens in spring 2011, includes a 294,000-square-foot inpatient facility and a 221,000-square-foot outpatient clinic - one of the largest suburban pediatric hospitals in the country.


Methodist West Houston Hospital includes a 478,500-square-foot hospital and a 150,000-square-foot office building. Together, the new hospitals represent an initial investment of more than $500 million.

 

Temple ISD moving forward on possible bond election in May
Robin BattershellTemple Independent School District trustees recently began discussion of the district's master plan as part of the process of deciding whether to ask voters to approve bonds in May 2011.


Board members reviewed information from architects that indicates which schools need the most improvement and provides several options for allocating any proceeds from a bond election, said Superintendent Robin Battershell (pictured). The architect's report provides the council with time to analyze the information and make any changes before a public meeting on the bond proposal is held in mid-January.

 

Did you miss S&L Pipeline?

Akin named development officer for academics at ASU
Angelo State University graduate Jamie Akin has been tapped to raise funds for her alma mater as a new ASU development officer. The position became available when her successor took another job at the university.


In her new role, Akin will work to meet university goals, such as raising $25 million by 2012, increasing the number of donors and expanding planned gifts.


Akin, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from ASU, has worked as advertising and marketing director at a local newspaper, online sales director for a publication company and account executive for a nationwide laundering service.

 

Canutillo ISD seeking members for facilities maintenance group
Damon MurphyCanutillo Independent School District board members recently agreed to form a committee to explore ways to improve district facilities.


At least half of the proposed 12- to 20-member facilities committee will be comprised of taxpayers who will serve along with teachers, district staff and business owners, said Superintendent Damon Murphy (pictured).


Plans call for the committee to explore maintenance and operation issues such as building renovations, sewer and wastewater plant improvements, and whether the district needs more buses and vehicles for the maintenance department, Murphy said. Trustees will select members of the facilities maintenance committee from the applicants, Murphy said.

 

Soto selected to serve as U.S. marshal for superior court
Esteban Soto IIIPresident Barack Obama recently nominated Esteban Soto III (pictured) of McAllen to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.


Soto began his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Houston and began service as a U.S. Marshal in 1983 and served as an assistant chief in the McAllen office and as U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico before retiring from the service. He currently serves as an instructor at South Texas College. He attended Texas Southmost College and The University of Texas at Brownsville.


In his duties, Soto will oversee security for the federal courts in Washington, D.C., one of the five functions of the U.S. Marshal Service, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Marshals investigate domestic and international fugitive cases, oversee the Witness Security Program, provide security for federal courts, transport prisoners as well as seizing, managing and disposing of property seized by the justice department. The U.S. Senate must confirm the nomination before Soto assumes his new position. 

 

Interim director named to lead UNT Dallas institute
Next month, Richard Smith will begin serving as interim executive director of the Caruth Police Institute at the University of North Texas at Dallas.

 

Smith is currently the associate director for training and education at the institute, which aims to support the Dallas Police Department by training new leaders and developing successful crime-fighting strategies.

 

The institute, which was started with a $9.5 million grant, is a partnership between UNT Dallas, The University of Texas at Dallas and the Dallas Police Department.  


Fort Worth discussion on streetcar system comes to an end
Joel BurnsFort Worth city leaders recently voted against continuing a three-phase study on the feasibility of an $88 million streetcar system through downtown.

 

Construction of the three-car, six-mile system would have been paid for through a combination of federal grants, the Trinity River Vision Authority and Southside tax increment financing districts (TIFs), a funding method that uses future gains to finance current improvements.

 

Mayor Mike Moncrief and other critics questioned the reliability of TIFs, but were most opposed to future plans that called for taxpayers to finance the system's estimated $1.6 million annual operating cost. However, the issue is not off the table. If another funding option is found, the streetcars could be resurrected. 


"This is not the end of the conversation about streetcars and the related transportation needs of this city," said council member Joel Burns (pictured). 

  

Houston mayor, HISD superintendent propose green initiatives 
After working together during an environmental leadership summit in November, the Houston school superintendent and mayor have announced plans to partner on increasing energy efficiency in Houston schools.


Last month, Mayor Annise Parker and Superintendent Terry B. Grier attended the Greening of America's Schools Summit at the Redford Center in Sundance Valley, Utah. They were joined by other city-based teams of mayors and superintendents, who discussed how schools and cities could work together to build healthier environments.


Parker and Grier's ideas include: Creating more student-built gardens around the city, hosting a local green schools summit for area districts and sharing information about green initiatives through the mayor's director of sustainability. 


NLC elects president; two Texans named to board of directors
Julian CastroHenry WilsonSan Antonio Mayor Julian Castro (right) and Hurst City Council member Henry Wilson (left) were among the 40 people recently elected to the National League of Cities board of directors.


Members of the Washington-based non-profit group, which aims to strengthen and promote municipalities, also named Charlotte, N.C., City Council Member James Mitchell the new president, Bluffton, Ind., Mayor Ted Ellis first vice president, and Avondale, Ariz., Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers second vice president. 

 

Brownsville ISD hires architects to design four new projects
Brownsville ISD trustees recently approved contracts with architects to design four new facilities carrying a $25 million price tag.


The four projects now being designed are a $7.7 million campus for the Brownsville Academic Center, a new $6.1 million campus for the Brownsville Early College High School at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, a $7.4 million fine arts performance auditorium with facilities for instruction at Hanna High School and a new $3.8 million instructional wing at Porter High School.


The new campuses and building additions as well as a new $14 million elementary school currently under construction are being paid for using a combination of the state's Facilities Allotments program and federal stimulus funds. This option will result in the school district paying only 27 cents on each dollar spent on the five almost $40 million construction projects, said the district's chief financial officer. Trustees opted to finance the projects through Qualified School Construction Bonds because the district did not have sufficient time to stage a bond election before deadlines passed for using federal stimulus funding, he said.

 

VIA purchases former credit union's headquarters
Keith ParkerThe San Antonio public transit authority recently purchased a $4.8 million downtown building, a 70-year-old former train depot, with plans to create a West Side transportation hub.


The 27,000-square-foot building is currently occupied by a credit union, which has 24 months to relocate, but will become a large terminal where numerous bus lines, taxi services and the anticipated Austin-San Antonio commuter rail line will converge.


The upcoming Bus Rapid Transit system, a mode of transportation that combines the speed and service of rail travel with the flexibility of bus service, will transform the old depot into a transit center, said VIA Metropolitan Transit President and CEO Keith Parker (pictured).


The center is expected to spark nearby retail and residential projects, boosting the West Side economy. 


Some Bexar County offices moving to new location
Several Bexar County departments are in the process of moving from the crowded courthouse to the new 10-story, $66 million Justice Center Tower, which they praise as both beautifully and intelligently designed.

 

The departments - the district attorney's office, commissioner's court, district and county clerk among them - will now provide services like issuing marriage licenses from the new building, which has been planned for years.

 

All public servants, who must continue working during the hectic move, should be moved in by February. 

 

Gregg County loses $700,000 to hackers, recovers $500,000
A mistake by a Gregg County Tax Assessor's office employee recently resulted in international cyber hackers diverting nearly $700,000 from that office. The office was able to recover nearly $500,000 taken on Nov. 23 when an employee accidentally allowed hackers into the network while electronically transferring funds to school districts and cities in the county.


The tax revenue was were being transferred electronically to seven different entities, including Sabine ISD, Longview ISD, Kilgore ISD, White Oak ISD and the city of Kilgore, said Kirk Shields, Gregg County tax assessor. Several Gregg County school districts and city officials stated concerns that they may not be able to recover the missing funds taken by the hacker.


Local and federal investigators tracked the hackers to Moscow, Russia, but said it is unclear whether they will be successful in recovering the nearly $200,000 still missing from county coffers. Shields also said his office will now send only paper checks to county school districts and cities. 


Pine Tree ISD bond group asks for more information
Melinda BurnsPine Tree Bond Development Committee members recently asked Pine Tree ISD officials to provide them with a long-range facility plan and a list of all capital improvement needs for the district. Charged with presenting a recommendation on a proposed May bond election, committee members said they did not want to ask voters to approve bonds and then return in two or five years with another bond proposal.


The president of the board of trustees, Melinda Burns (pictured), responded that the board began developing a long-range plan in 2003, evaluated every facility and decided it would be too overwhelming to ask voters to authorize so many projects at one time and, instead, focused on academic facilities for the last bond election.


Trustees had given the 30-member committee a list of high priority items to consider, with the highest priority being a new stadium. District officials also listed theater renovations, a field house for tennis, softball and other sports and remodeling a wing of the high school for art and culinary arts classes. Committee members plan to meet several more times before presenting a bond recommendation to board members in February. District officials agreed to provide a complete facility improvement list to the committee at their next meeting.

 

Socorro ISD group reports $431 million in facility needs
The Facilities Advisory Committee of the Socorro Independent School District recently reported that the district may need to spend as much as $431 million on new buildings, additions and renovations to meet rapidly growing student enrollment.


Approximately 67 percent of schools in the district are at more than 90 percent of capacity without using portable classrooms, members of the 25-member committee reported. The priority projects should be completing East Lake High School and El Dorado Ninth Grade Academy, building new science labs at high schools and middle  schools and upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at elementary schools.


Although not included in the priority list, committee members also said the district may need a new varsity football stadium because the present student activities complex may not be able to accommodate the district's six comprehensive high schools. The district also needs more multipurpose rooms at more elementary schools to use for meetings and physical education classes during bad weather.

 



Leadership Fusion Summit taking reservations for February event

"Leading with Vision - Igniting to Action" is the title for this year's Leadership Fusion Summit, scheduled for Feb 16-17, 2011, in Houston and sponsored by the Region 4 Leadership Solutions. Extraordinary leaders from both business and education will share a variety of best practices aimed at helping accelerate learning and success in school leadership. Among the speakers is Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 15 most influential business thinkers in the world. The first 300 to register will receive a free copy of Goldsmith's "MOJO - How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It." Registration is open now and there is a reduced Early Bird fee through Dec. 17. For more information, click here. For the agenda, click here.

 

TASSCC planning December State of the State Conference
Raymund A Paredes, commissioner of higher education with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and former Chief Deputy Comptroller Billy Hamilton will be among the speakers for today's Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications State of the State Conference. The 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. conference will be  held at the Austin Sheraton Hotel. Paredes will discuss higher education in the state and Hamilton will give an overview of what to expect in the upcoming legislative session. There will also be sessions that discuss the value of information technology, communicating in a maritime crisis and e-Health. A panel of experts from the Texas Department of Information Resources will also participate. To view the agenda, click here.

 

TxDOT Business Outreach & Program Services hosts webinars
In fiscal year 2010, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Business Outreach & Program (BOP) Services implemented a series of webinars offering technical business development opportunities to small, minority and women business - in the field of construction and professional services in the state of Texas.  The webinar series topics ranged from how to become a pre-qualified bidder on TxDOT contracts, TxDOT Plans Online, How to Market Your Business To Prime Contractors, Construction Industry Bonding and much more.  Each session's goal was to provide valuable information to contractors, suppliers and small businesses on how to do business with TxDOT, how to increase business capacity and improve opportunities to bid and obtain contracts with TxDOT. The final 2010 webinars concluded in August, but the 2011 fiscal year webinar series planning is under way and will be announced later in the 2010 calendar year.  Each free webinar is limited and registration slots are on a first-come-first-serve basis.  More information on each webinar can be found here. Questions should be forwarded to TxDOT-BOP-Webinars@dot.state.tx.usor call 1.866.480.2518, Option 2 for more information. 
 
TxDOT announces three Small Business Briefing conferences
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Business Outreach and Program (BOP) Services has announced three upcoming FY 2011 Small Business Briefing conferences. An April 20, 2011, conference is slated in Fort Worth and a July 20, 2011, conference is planned for San Antonio. The conference goal is to provide small and minority-owned business communities an opportunity to learn more about contracting opportunities with TxDOT.  Information will be available to help them do business with the agency and the State of Texas.  The sessions not only allow small businesses to be introduced to TxDOT and other state agencies, but also allow them to learn more about the economic development opportunities in their regions.  It also gives agencies a chance to show the myriad of prospects available for small and minority businesses in the state. For more information and to register, click here or call 512.866.480.2519, Option 2.


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A sweeping trend worthy
of note...

Mary Scott NabersBy Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.


If the current trend of replacing traditional hardbound books with e-Textbooks continues, book bags and backpacks could soon become endangered species.
The reality is that there may soon be no books for students to transport. Bookstores on college campuses are reporting declining textbook sales. Students prefer to download e-Textbooks. Digital textbooks appear to be the future.

e-Book sales continue to increase and experts predict that conventional textbooks will be completely displaced by digital versions in the near future. Price is one consideration but e-Books seem to also be preferable because of the convenience they offer and the familiarity students have with all things high-tech.

A recent study predicts that e-Book sales this year will total $966 million, and by the end of 2011, that number will increase to $1 billion. That may be only a small portion of the $35 billion publishing industry, but the telling tale is the percentage of sales growth in one year - up more than 175 percent from 2009's mere $169.5 million.

 
 
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space?

Click here.

 

City of Galveston OKs $766,000 for computer upgrade package
Galveston city officials recently OK'd the purchase of a $766,000 computer package to upgrade the police department's dispatch and records operations.

 

The new system, which the city is getting at 40% off the usual $1.3 million price, will allow officers to get to incidents faster and track criminals across cities because it allows GPD to link to other police departments including League City. The links to other cities expire in five years, as does a contract for software maintenance. "Every wish list you could think of, this system does," Capt. Jeff Heyse said. "We really need to switch." 


King tagged as new chief financial officer for Dallas ISD
Alan KingDallas Independent School District officials recently selected Alan King (pictured), a deputy superintendent for Lewisville ISD, as the chief financial officer for the district. King will replace Larry Throm, whose last day on the job for Dallas ISD is Dec. 17.

 

King previously served as the chief financial officer for Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District and Harlingen Independent School District before joining Lewisville ISD 13 years ago. 

 

Pennington resigns as finance director for Palestine
Bobby Pennington, finance director for the city of Palestine, recently resigned to accept a position as management analyst for the Fort Worth city manager's office.


Pennington, whose resignation is effective on Dec. 17, begins his new job on Dec. 20.  He has bachelor's degrees from Harding University in Arkansas and the University of Houston-Clear Lake.


City officials plan to name an interim finance director within two months, said Interim City Manager Mike Ohrt. No decision has been made on whether to hire a search firm to help find a new finance director, Ohrt said.

 

At&T

Huckabee to serve as Whitehouse asst. city manager
Whitehouse City Manager Mike Peterson recently appointed Kevin Huckabee, a police detective for the city, as assistant city manager.


Huckabee previously served as a deputy sheriff and investigator for the sheriff's office in Cherokee County, an advisor to the Afghan National Police General in southern Afghanistan and as a business owner. His new duties include working with city department heads and the city manager on budgets, Peterson said.


Beaumont ISD rejects proposals for planned hotel complex
Robert ZingelmannAfter receiving only three responses to a request for qualifications (RFQ) to develop a public/private partnership for a planned hotel and arena at the Carrol A. "Butch" Thomas Educational Support Center, Beaumont ISD officials rejected all three proposals.


None of the three firms that submitted RFQs met all requirements included in the request, said Robert Zingelmann (pictured), the chief business officer for the district. District officials are now revising the RFQ and plan to release the new RFQ within the next 10 days, Zingelmann said. The new RFQ is expected to permit more developers to submit a RFQ, he said.

 

City Manager Escobar to stay

on with city a little longer
Corpus Christi City Manager Angel Escobar, who had planned to retire by January, will stay with the city an additional 60 days. Escobar will serve as interim city manager until his replacement is named. A search firm is working to find his successor.
 

 

21st Century Technologies

Galveston approves $37,000

for land for sewer lift station
Galveston City Council members recently agreed to pay $37,000 for two lots to serve as the site for a new sewer lift station. The new lift station is part of a $6.8 million project to extend sewer services to 200 existing homes and 300 lots on the west end of the island. 
 

 

Miller selected as new superintendent for Cleburne ISD
Timothy MillerCleburne Independent School District trustees recently selected Interim Superintendent Tim Miller (pictured) as the district's new superintendent. Miller replaces former Superintendent Ronny Beard, who resigned from that position.
 


Austin Community College

celebrates solar energy project
The Austin Community College District recently held a dedication ceremony at Eastview Campus for a new solar panel system that was mostly paid for through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 

The system, which is at the Eastview and Northridge campuses, will save about $44,000 each year in energy costs. The system, dubbed the ACC Energy Project, has an annual environmental impact of driving 460,000 fewer miles or planting 8,900 trees. 

 

Winters ISD superintendent Hutton will be leaving in June
Superintendent David Hutton will leave the Winters school district, located in
Runnels County, at the end of June under a voluntary separation agreement. Hutton, who has led the district for four years, still has two years left on a contract.

 

School board President Doug Wheat, who did not attribute the separation to any specific event, said the district needs a leader who will take Winters in a new direction. The board will begin a superintendent search soon, he said. 

 

Fort Worth transportation fee another step closer to reality
Jungus JordanFort Worth city leaders recently directed staff to continue plans for a transportation fee, which is projected to raise about $31 million for transportation projects each year.

 

The city needs new infrastructure to address increasing traffic problems, but doesn't have the money - and can't count on an equally strapped state for help.The fee, which would pay for about 60 percent of an estimated $1.8 billion worth of transportation needs in the coming 10 years, would hike nearly every city water bill by $5.80. The city council is expected to vote on the fee in July.

 

"Obviously, I'm concerned about increasing fees or taxes," said District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan (pictured), who supports the fee. "But we are in a situation where we have no bonding capacity in our budget situation." 


Task force announces county

indigent defense grant awards
The Task Force on Indigent Defense, which aims to promote justice and fairness to all poor people accused of criminal conduct, recently gave Texas counties $20 million to pay for system improvements to indigent defense programs. Every county must have a system that connects a lawyer to a poor person who needs one.

 

Counties that submit these system plans, plus other reports, are eligible for task force grants. Money is awarded based on county population and the cost of the programs.
Across the state, the cost of indigent defense programs is on the rise: more than $193 million in fiscal year 2010, which is a 3.6 percent increase from the previous year. Counties can use the grant money to provide court-appointed lawyers to more defendants.
 

 

Maximus

Grape Greek ISD formally hires Hale as new superintendent
Grape Creek Independent School District trustees recently approved a contract with David Hale to officially become the new superintendent. Earlier this month, trustees selected Hale as the sole finalist to replace former Superintendent Frank Walter, who resigned in June.


Hale currently serves as superintendent at Roby Consolidated School District. He will assume his new duties in Grape Creek on Jan. 3, 2011.

 

New chief agent named

for RGV Border Patrol
Rosendo HinojosaLaredo Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Rosendo Hinojosa has been named the new chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley sector, which shares more than 316 river miles with Mexico and includes 34 Texas counties.


When Hinojosa takes over in January, he will be managing more than 2,400 agents at nine stations, three traffic checkpoints and an intelligent office.


Hinojosa, an Edinburg native, started his career in San Diego as a field agent. He has held several administrative positions including assistant chief at Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

Skidmore-Tynan ISD clears

field for new school
Skidmore-Tynan Independent School District officials recently began clearing 27.5 acres of undeveloped land near FM 797 for a new elementary school.


Preliminary plans call for the new school to have 25 classrooms, a media center/library, covered play area or multi-purpose gym, a kitchen, dining area and stage, storage and a parking lot. It is designed to accommodate about 400-450 students. Once the land is cleared, the architect will recommend the best location on the new site to place the school to ensure safety and accessibility to roads, district officials said.


Construction on the new school could begin as early as spring 2011 and be completed in August 2012, district officials said.

 

LeFleur Transportation

Institute, technology company

to work to assist businesses

Joseph PickenAn institute at The University of Texas at Dallas has teamed up with a major technology company to provide guidance, mentoring and other support to young businesses.


As a network partner, the Institute for Innovation ad Entrepreneurship (IIE) at UT Dallas will help provide startups with software, support and visibility during their first three years.


IIE Executive Director Joseph C. Picken (pictured) said the initiative "demonstrates and enhances our continuing commitment to research commercialization and business community outreach efforts."

 

Denison narrows field of city manager candidates to eight
Denison City Council members recently narrowed a field of 81 applicants for city manager to eight semi-finalist candidates. Plans call for council to narrow the pool even further in December and begin conducting interviews in early January of next year, city officials said.
 

 

Austin police seek $250,000

for downtown cameras
Austin police officials recently requested city council to approve approximately $250,000 to buy cameras to be used in the downtown and Rundberg areas to improve safety and security.

 

The Downtown Austin Alliance provided a $250,000 grant to the city to purchase approximately 23 cameras for downtown, said Assistant Chief David Carter. If council approves the request, the cameras can be installed and operating within 60 to 90 days. The cameras will be visible, but Carter declined to identify the exact location where the cameras will be placed. Council members are expected to vote on the camera request on Dec. 16. 

 

Grand Prairie to borrow $7.3 million for capital improvements
Grand Prairie City Council members recently agreed to borrow about $7.3 million through certificates of obligation to pay for a new fire truck, replace an ambulance, make street repairs and upgrade city parks.

 

Plans call for the sale of the certificates of deposit to take place in February and for the city to spend $4.76 million on street repairs and extensions, $1.5 million for a new ladder truck and ambulance replacement and $1 million to upgrade city parks in 2011.

 

Longview street panel pares projects for possible bond vote
Dan DroegeThe Longview Streets Task Force recently began paring down a list of street projects totaling $162 million to include in a $60 million bond proposal city officials are considering. City staff had compiled a list of 10 projects totaling $66.1 million, but task force members favored reducing the amount even further.


The task force plans to spend two more months deciding on a final list of street improvements to recommend to city council members in February, said Dan Droege (pictured), chairman of the task force. Task force members also plan to meet with residents to gather more information before making the recommendation to council, Droege said.
 

 
Hill & Wilkinson

Houston ISD to spend up to $15 million on computer security
Following a breach of computer security at Houston Independent School District that exposed personal data of students and employees, district officials recently agreed to spend from $10 million to $15 million to upgrade the district's computer security, said Superintendent Terry Grier. 
 

 

Rusk County tags Brown as first public health coordinator
Rusk County commissioners recently selected Kamila Brown, R.N. as the first public health coordinator for the county. Her duties include coordinating outreach efforts for health screening and education and working with school districts, cities and health providers in the county to increase awareness of healthy lifestyle options.

 

A one-year grant from the Texas Department of Health Services is funding the position and may not be renewed for a second year, county officials said. 

 

Kilgore group gives $125,000

to city for parking at city park
Jeff HowellKilgore Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recently agreed to donate $125,000 to the city for construction of a new parking lot at Harris Street Park.


The new lot will be on Hunter Street and is part of a series of park upgrades in recent years. The funding from the Kilgore EDC are from sales taxes collected for economic development under an allocation used for "Type B" parks and beautification projects, said City Manager Jeff Howell (pictured).

 

The timetable for beginning and completing the parking lot project will be determined by the weather as applying asphalt requires warmer weather, Howell said.

 

SPI on Twitter

Dallas Public Library allows  support by buying books

The Dallas Public Library is looking for "Book Heroes" who will buy recently released books, CDs or DVDs, plus a processing fee to expand the permanent collection.


Philanthropists, who get first dibs on their tax-deductible purchases, can select from a list of current bestsellers or new releases. For more information, or to suggest a title to buy, email librarycustomerservice@ dallaslibrary.org.
 

 

Houston agrees to allow mayor

to order mandatory furloughs
Confronting a nearly $30 million budget deficit, Houston City Council members recently approved an ordinance to allow the mayor to order mandatory furloughs of city employees.

 

The mayor recently began a voluntary furlough program that asks city workers to take at least one unpaid day off in December. Mayor Annise Parker said she has not yet decided to order mandatory furloughs and is still reviewing the budget to decide how many unpaid days off a city employee may be ordered to take next year. 

 

Strategic Partnerships seeking additional outside consultants

SPI is seeking additional outside consultants who have experience in county/city government in Texas.

 

Currently, there is a need for procurement consultants who are retired or former county or municipal elected officials, experts in healthcare, K-12  in the DFW, Houston and El Paso areas. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Ashley Nauert at anauert@spartnerships.com

 

 
Recent Reports
Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 1-8 Archives -1/8/04 - 12/3/10

Wichita Falls seeking state, federal grants to upgrade airports
Wichita Falls city councilors recently gave thumbs up to city staff to apply for up to $35 million from the federal Military Airport Program grant to pay for improvements, including a new terminal at the Wichita Falls Municipal Airport. City councilors also agreed to apply for another grant, $50,000 from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), to pay for upgrades to the Kickapoo Downtown Airport.

The Military Airport Program allows grants for capital improvement projects such as parking lot improvements, runway, taxiway and airport apron renovations and for upgrading access roads over a five-year period. The grant also can be used for a new terminal if the project increases passenger capacity at the airport. To qualify for the grant, the city approved a new 50-year lease with Sheppard Air Force Base in which the city agreed to continue operating the municipal airport after spending more than $5 million in federal and local funding to improve a taxiway and a runway. The city's recently adopted airport plan concludes the municipal airport needs a passenger terminal with 38,000 square feet of space to replace the 17,000-square foot passenger terminal now in use.

If approved, the grant for the Kickapoo Downtown Airport will be used for routine capital improvement and maintenance projects. The grant from TxDOT's Airports Division requires the city to contribute matching funds.

Job Board

Tidehaven ISD names Seigrist lone finalist for superintendent
Andrew SeigristTidehaven school district trustees recently named Andrew Seigrist (pictured), superintendent of the Motley County district in Matador, the lone finalist for superintendent in Tidehaven. The school board is scheduled to vote to hire before Christmas.

 

Seigrist began his 22-year public education career in Oklahoma as an instructor. He moved to Texas 11 years ago to move into administration. He has served as a principal in Allison and Blue Ridge school districts. 

 

Nueces County DA hires Loeb as first assistant district attorney
Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka recently hired Gail Loeb, a former chief felony prosecutor, as first assistant district attorney, his second-in-command at the office. She was one of three applicants for the position, Skurka said.


Loeb is board certified in criminal law and spent nearly 20 years with the Nueces County DA's office before she resigned from her position in April of this year.

 

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Crawford to retire as city secretary in Elkhart
Elkhart City Secretary Margie Crawford recently announced she plans to retire from that position on Dec. 31. Crawford worked for the city for more than 25 years as a billing clerk and as a city tax collector before becoming city secretary in 1985.

 

Elkhart city officials selected Donna Surber, a city employee who worked with Crawford, to replace Crawford as city secretary. 

 

 HISD board approves all-male preparatory school
The Houston ISD Board of Education this week approved creating an all-male college preparatory school that will be located at the site of an existing education center. The school will open next year and will include only sixth and ninth grade students. Seventh and eighth grade students will be added the following year and additional grade levels could be added later. Curriculum for the school is described as "instructionally rigorous" and will include pre-advanced and advanced placement courses, all aimed at preparing students for college and university acceptance upon graduation.
 

 

Austin approves $2.5 million renovation for E. Austin apts.

Austin city leaders recently OK'd spending $2.5 million toward apartment complex renovations that have drawn criticism from many of the building's East Austin neighbors.

 

The complex's new owners - an Alabama housing company and an Austin nonprofit - plan to spend $2.2 million restoring the rundown apartments, then rent 20 of the 100 federally subsidized units to homeless people. Some neighbors worry about safety issues the homeless tenants could cause.

 

But, council members - who want to create hundreds of long-term housing units for the homeless by 2014 - see this project as part of the solution to Austin's homelessness problem. "Everyone wants us to do something about homelessness in Austin, but no one wants it done near them," said Council Member Mike Martinez (pictured). 

 

The Texas Government Insider is a free weekly e-newsletter detailing important happenings throughout the state and summarizing current political issues relevant to individuals interested in government.
  
Publisher: Mary Scott Nabers
The Insider is published by Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI), a research and consulting firm. Founded in Texas in 1994 by former government executives and public sector experts, SPI has developed a national reputation as the premier marketing partner dedicated to helping companies secure contracts in the $1.5 trillion state and local government marketplace.
To learn more about SPI services click here or contact our sales department at 512-531-3900.
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