TEA to shed light on '65% rule' soon
Texas Education Agency officials said a draft of their much-anticipated interpretation of the so-called 65-percent rule will likely be released later this month. State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley (pictured) is putting the finishing touches on TEA's interpretation of the rule, which will define what will and won't count as classroom spending. The public and school officials will have a chance to comment on the draft interpretation and promote changes before it is officially adopted.
Gov. Rick Perry last year issued an executive order requiring school districts to spend 65 cents of every dollar in the classroom. The big questions for school districts and education officials has been: What expenses qualify as classroom spending? Neeley is expected to lean largely on the model established by the National Center for Education Statistics. For example, NCES counts teacher pay as classroom spending, but not the salaries of librarians or nurses.
In related news, a private consultant hired by education groups and school officials released a report this week that concludes Texas schools would have to shift about half a billion dollars to the classroom if the NCES' spending model is adopted. For example, Dallas ISD currently spends 63 percent of its funds on instruction, so it would have to devote $16.8 million more to the classroom once the 65-percent rule is adopted.
Frisco officials OK bond proposals worth $996M
Frisco ISD trustees decided this week to let voters cast their ballots on a $798 million school bond proposal in May to expand facilities in the booming Dallas suburb. At the same time, Frisco city leaders authorized a $198 million bond proposal for the May 13 ballot.
The package approved by school trustees includes funding for 19 new schools, land purchases, technology, buses, security and other expenses. About 86 percent of the plan would go directly to new schools. The proposal would carry the district, which has slightly more than 20,000 students, to about 52,000 students. The build-out numbers for the district hit 57,000 students, which means the officials may call for another bond vote before the school system is fully grown.
More than half of the $198 million city bond proposal is earmarked for street and road improvements. An additional $44 million would be used for parks and recreation facilities. And $31.5 million would buy new equipment and facilities for the police and fire departments.
New funding ideas floated for A&M pharmacy school
A letter sent this week from state Rep. Jim Pitts (pictured) of Waxahachie to the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System offered a possible solution to the funding crisis of the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy.
Pitts, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said state funding resources would be available to the pharmacy school if management of the school was switched from Texas A&M University-Kingsville to the A&M Health Science Center, which has campuses across the state. According to the letter, state Reps. Vilma Luna, D-Corpus Christi, and Gene Seaman, R-Corpus Christi, have been engaged in discussions with officials from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, the A&M System and the Texas A&M Health Science Center to determine funding solutions.
UT Med Center eyes $2B growth plan
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas has charted a $2 billion, 25-year plan to combine its two hospital facilities, recruit more faculty and treat patients in an enhanced setting. Under the $2 billion plan, UT Southwestern will replace the 285-bed St. Paul building with a larger hospital. It also will stop treating patients at Zale Lipshy and likely will sell that building, while adding 3 million square feet of research space.
While the plan is to invest $2 billion over 25 years, the expansion is already needed. UT Southwestern had an 814,372-square-foot "deficit of space" as of Aug. 31, according to a state board that calculates the space needed by higher education institutions. School officials are skeptical of securing state money, so they are moving ahead with plans to seek $2 billion in revenue bonds or debt financing over a period of years to cover the costs.
State to launch $4M mentoring program
Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday announced a $3.78 million grant to launch Amachi Texas, a statewide program to match trained adult mentors with children whose parents are in the state prison system. As a public-private partnership, the program will combine the expertise and resources of the Office of the Governor, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the OneStar Foundation. The Amachi Program was founded five years ago by the former mayor of Philadelphia, the Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode Sr. The program has since expanded to more than 100 cities across the nation.
San Antonio tries to hook Marlins
Bexar County has taken a bold step to lure Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins to San Antonio - offering to put up $200 million toward an estimated $300 million ballpark if voters approve extending a tax on hotel and car rentals. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff (pictured) reportedly faxed a stadium-financing proposal to the Marlins on Tuesday. The proposal hinges on county voters authorizing an increase to a hotel and car rental tax approved in 1999.
TXDOT: Federal funding less reliable
Texas transportation recently lost $159 million in federal rescissions. Over the last four years these cuts have totaled nearly $300 million. Based on that, the Texas Department of Transportation has released a new report on the increasing unreliability of federal funding and how it affects the agency's ability to deliver mobility projects. The report concludes that the federal Highway Trust Fund is precipitously close to reaching insolvency, and that TxDOT needs to rely more on innovative solutions that will help the state expand the transportation system.
Proposed budget adds $4B for border security
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn from Texas, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, applauded a move made Wednesday by the Budget Committee chairman to allocate an additional $4 billion in the federal budget for border security in the Fiscal Year 2007 budget. Cornyn (pictured), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Border Security and Immigration subcommittee, said the allocation "shows a serious commitment to homeland and border security."
The proposed budget by U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire provides an additional $4 billion for border security above the President's budget request. While the Budget Committee's role is not to allocate the increased funding to specific programs, the additional $4 billion can go to various aspects of border security, including modernization of Customs and Border Protection, more border patrol agents, improved technology, training, and communications tools. The President's FY07 budget request includes $7.9 billion for Customs and Border Protection, which is $536 million above current level.
Perry makes appointments to key boards
Gov. Rick Perry recently made three key appointments. Amarillo Mayor Debra McCartt (pictured-left) will replace Lance Bruun on the board of the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR). Dionicio "Sonny" Flores (pictured-right), a Houstonian and chairman of PEC Corp., was appointed to the board of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. He replaces Pat Gordon and his term ends in 2009. Houstonian James H. Lee of E*Trade Group Inc. was appointed to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Board of Trustees. He replaces James Fonteno and his term ends in August 2007.
Ex-Gov. Richards upbeat as she begins bout with cancer
Former Gov. Ann Richards has cancer of the esophagus and will undergo treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Doctors are reviewing the results of tests conducted earlier this week and will schedule admission to the renowned medical center to discuss the course of treatment. "The really great news is that I have a very treatable kind of cancer," Ms. Richards told the Dallas Morning News. "They know what to do. So I'm really pretty sanguine about it."
Tarrant Co. proposes $433M bond initiative
Tarrant County officials will ask voters in May to approve a $433 million bond package, the county's largest ever. County commissioners decided Tuesday to place five propositions on the May 13 ballot. The package includes $108 million for a new jail, $200 million for roads, $62.3 million for county and district courts facilities, $36.3 million for a new juvenile justice complex and $26.5 million for new medical examiner's office and crime lab.
N. Austin suburb eyes $300M bond package
Leander school district trustees agreed to put a $300 million bond package, the largest in district history, on the May 13 ballot. The first proposition, for $286.1 million, would pay to build eight schools, purchase land and add technology and bus replacements. Two fine arts facilities and improvements to athletics facilities are also included. The second proposition includes $6.9 million in renovations to the district's only football stadium. The stadium upgrades would add 113 women's restrooms and 58 men's restrooms and bring the stadium up to building code. It also includes a press box, ticket booths, sound system, replacement of artificial turf and concession stands. The third proposition is for a $7 million natatorium, a large indoor pool facility proposed by the Williamson County YMCA that the district, the City of Cedar Park and the YMCA would share. Leander's most recent bond package, for $189.9 million, passed in 2003.
Round Rock names economic development leader
Joe Vining, a veteran employee of the city of Round Rock, has been hired as head of economic development for the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. Vining spent more than 25 years with the city of Round Rock, most recently as executive director of community development. He will become the chamber's vice president of economic development on April 1.
Arlington to launch new permitting Web site
The City of Arlington is moving forward with a plan to launch a Web site this spring that promises to save the city time and money while enhancing its relationship with builders and residents. City officials said ArlingtonPermits.com should be up and running by April 17. The site will enable property owners, contractors, engineers and architects to apply for permits, check their status and view inspection results online.
Downtown Fort Worth Inc. hires new leaders
Downtown Fort Worth Inc., a nonprofit improvement association, has hired a new director of downtown development and a new director of marketing and communications. Jim Johnson is the downtown development director, and will serve as DFWI liaison to the Tax Increment Finance District No. 3 board of directors and the downtown housing committee. He previously served on several city advisory boards and commissions. Stacey Pierce will serve as director of marketing and communications, overseeing DFWI's overall marketing, branding and communications programs. Pierce previously served as the Fort Worth Zoo's first director of development and corporate sponsorship.
Texas could lose $100M from new Medicare program
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said that he expects Texas will lose an estimated $100 million over the next four years due to the Bush administration's implementation of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan. In an effort to address the concern, Abbott, along with attorneys general from four other states, has filed a motion with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking permission to file a complaint with the court against U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt.
Abbott and the other attorneys general claim in their motion that the federal government violated state rights when it required states to foot part of the bill to fund the drug program. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which became effective in January, mandates that states pay a portion of drug costs to people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Fort Bend ISD seeks new superintendent
The search for a new superintendent at Fort Bend Independent School District will start with at least one workshop on how to conduct the search.The FBISD Board of Trustees voted Monday night to hear from up to three organizations on conducting a superintendent search - the Texas Association of School Boards, Region 4 Education Service Center, and the Center for Reform in School Systems. Betty Baitland, who served as FBISD superintendent since 2002, will officially retire in January 2007, but is on paid leave until then. Dr. Manuela Pedraza was named acting superintendent in December when the board accepted Baitland's retirement arrangement.
State committee for windstorm coverage formed
Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and Speaker Tom Craddick this week released the names of Senate and House of Representatives appointees to the Joint Select Committee on Windstorm Coverage, which was established to study the use of rating methodologies in determining windstorm rate adequacy in Tier I and Tier II coastal counties. The Committee will also closely examine and recommend ways to minimize the impact to the state's general revenue in the event of a catastrophe and study the creation of a state windstorm reinsurance facility and trust fund.
Sen. Mike Jackson (pictured-left) of La Porte and Rep. John Smithee (pictured-right) of Amarillo will co-chair the committee. Senate appointees include Sen. Robert Duncan of Lubbock, Sen. Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay, Sen. Kyle Janek of Houston, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. of Brownsville, and Sen. Royce West of Dallas. House of Representatives appointees include Rep. Warren Chisum from Pampa, Rep. Joe Driver of Garland, Rep. Allan Ritter of Nederland, Rep. Gene Seaman of Corpus Christi and Rep. Larry Taylor from Friendswood.
UT libraries take $1M gift
The University of Texas Libraries today is expected to announce the acceptance of a $1 million grant - its largest single gift. The gift from Jan Roberts, who graduated from UT in 1948 with a sociology degree, was given to honor her late husband, Richard "Dick" Roberts, a 1948 UT business administration graduate who worked as a travel editor at the Texas Department of Transportation. The money will be used to establish an endowment to enhance public programs at UT's Fine Arts Library as well as acquire materials and upgrade the facility.
Keller to hold bond election for new library
On Tuesday, the Keller City Council in North Texas unanimously called for a bond election May 13 to raise funds for a $7.6 million public library in Town Center. After they trimmed $1 million from the original proposal, plans call for a 35,000-square-foot building nearly three times the size of the current library on Johnson Road. Officials said the bond's passage would not affect the city's property tax rate.
UT Southwestern accepts $1M gift
UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has received a $1.5 million donation from philanthropists Elloine and William H. Clark to support Alzheimer's disease clinical research at the university. The gift will be matched to create a $3 million fund that will be part of UT Southwestern's new Endowed Scholars Program in Clinical Science. The program aims to improve the university's efforts to translate basic research discoveries into improved diagnosis and treatment for patients. UT Southwestern said it will use the funds to recruit to the faculty a series of new assistant professors who will devote their research and clinical careers to Alzheimer's research.
|
Projects in the pipeline
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
SPI's Research Division is constantly scouring the state for business opportunities in the public sector and uncovers dozens every day. Click here for this week's hot opportunities.
Municipal government veteran joins the SPI team
Strategic Partnerships Inc. is pleased to announce that longtime city-government executive Robert Powers has joined SPI as a senior consultant. Powers, who recently worked as the city manager for the booming City of Cedar Park, will assist SPI client initiatives with local governments. Click here to read his full bio.
College Station selects city manager
Glenn Brown was unanimously selected Thursday to serve as College Station's city manager. Brown had been serving as interim city manager since July, following the departure of Tom Brymer. Prior to that appointment, Brown was College Station's assistant city manager for about five years. He has about 30 years of experience in city management, including 14 as Kerrville's city manager.
UT center steps up bioterrorism training
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio received a $100,000 gift to help train a new generation of public health professionals to fight bioterrorism. Baylor University professor and psychologist A. David Mangelsdorff donated $100,000 to the local university to create a new endowed professorship in public health preparedness and biomedical research.
Texas posts large job gains in '05
Texas posted the third-largest job gains in the nation for January and 2005. The Department of Labor reports that the state saw a net increase of 269,800 jobs in 2005. Texas added 13,400 jobs to the nonfarm payrolls in January. The state unemployment rate also dropped to five percent in January. Nationwide figures for February will be released later today.
Survey: D/FW is the world's best cargo airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was named the best cargo airport in the world by global cargo industry magazine Air Cargo World. D/FW was ranked ahead of Memphis International and Fraport Frankfurt, which ranked No. 1 in Europe, and Hong Kong International, the best in Asia.
Commissioner dies on day of his re-election
Brewster County Commissioner J.W. "Red" Pattillo died Tuesday, the day he was re-elected for another term, after a months-long illness. The 80-year-old had served on the county commission in West Texas since 1986 and ran unopposed in Tuesday's Democratic primary.
| Ask the experts |
|
Q:I have a woman-owned business. Are there any programs in the state that can help me? I really want to be a partner to another firm on some of the projects I read about on your site.
A:The Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) operates the Statewide Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program for the state of Texas to ensure full and equal access to state procurement opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. The HUB Program promotes the utilization of HUBs in state contracting according to certain goals (percentages) based on the type of contract. Each state agency is to make a good faith effort to meet or exceed these goals and assist HUBs in receiving a portion of the total contract value of all contracts that the agency expects to award in a fiscal year. Eligible vendors need to be certified by TBPC as a HUB. For eligibility requirements, applications and other information, click here.
-Mariann H. Morelock,
Director of Information Services at Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
Have a question for one of SPI's government affairs experts?
Drop us a line!
|
Procurement articles online
Click here to view recent articles on government procurement authored by Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., and published in the Austin Business Journal and Houston Business Journal.
[Editor's note: Mary Scott Nabers' procurement columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal and the Dallas Business Journal]
| ONLINE POLL |
|
Do you favor giving voters the power to choose a new form of local government that would consolidate city and county governments?
(Non-scientific results next week)
Last week, 53% of respondents said they favor financial incentives from the government for private companies seeking to expand or relocate here. 47% were opposed to the idea.
|
HAVE A STRONG KNOWLEDGE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
Strategic Partnerships, Inc., a full-service research and consulting firm based in Austin that specializes in government procurement consulting, governmental affairs services and customized research, is seeking a senior research analyst that can be the company's "go to person" for federal information. This individual will be responsible not only for conducting research but also presenting information to consultants and clients on the federal government. Job requirements will call for establishing relationships with governmental entities for information exchange. Click here for a full job description..
Event Links
HUB Forums in March
Upcoming Executive Women in Texas Government events
DIR's Internet Security Forumn - 3/28/06
TASSCC Technology Education Conference - 3/29/06
CAPCOG's Austin-San Antonio Conference on Entrepreneurship and Regional Competitiveness - 4/7/06
Fiesta Informacion 2006 - 4/24/06-4/27/06
TCEQ's Environmental Trade Fair and Conference - 5/9/06-5/11/06
TAGITM Annual Conference - 5/16/06-5/19/06
Texas Hurricane Conference - 5/23/06-5/25/06
Texas Government Insider Archives
Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 Archives - 11/7/03 - 3/10/06
Resources
The Role of States in Immigration Enforcement - NEW!
HRO’s Interim News- NEW!
Senate Interim Charges
House Interim Charges
2006 Election Calendar
Texas Fact Book '06-'07
LBB's Fiscal Size-up '06-'07
SAO report on full-time state employees for fiscal 2005
Texas Human Resources Management Statutes Inventory
TBPC Vendor Guide
State Budget Resources
HUB Forms Library
State Contract Management Guide
State Procurement Manual
Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address
Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle
WANT TO DO MORE BUSINESS WITH CITY & COUNTY GOVERNMENTS?
Contact Reagan Weil, SPI's business development manager, today to ask how Strategic Partnerships Inc. can help your firm secure more business on the local level. Reach Reagan at (512) 531-3917 or rweil@spartnerships.com.
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services.
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.
6034 W. Courtyard Dr. #100
Austin, Texas 78730
|
