It has been brought to my attention that several people within our community have been misled with untruths and false statements regarding our facilities and the rumor of a bond referendum at Blanco ISD. The following article should clear up the misunderstandings.
Blanco ISD’s immediate needs and concerns with the mold issues at the elementary campus have been addressed, and hopefully our resolution to the mold issue will continue to be successful. As you are probably aware, there are other facility concerns within the district such as the portable buildings at the elementary campus and the historical building adjacent to our administration building. We are also considering the implementation of an energy consumption reduction plan that will save the district thousands of dollars in energy savings over a period of 10 – 15 years.
As most of you know, there has been an attempt to initiate a facility assessment within our district, with assistance from an architectural firm (at no cost), to address the district’s immediate concerns/needs and to assist us in creating a comprehensive plan for the future of Blanco ISD. This assessment would not have proposed a bond referendum nor would it have obligated the district to spend dollars. It was merely a process that would have assisted our district in making decisions regarding facility needs. Unfortunately, the implementation of this assessment was voted down by a 4-3 vote.
Having eight years of experience as a superintendent and implementing needs assessments, I have designed a process for school improvement, and a major part of this designed process is to establish advisory committees to assist with “need assessments” in the areas of *curriculum and instruction, *facilities, *finance, *student performance, *technology, *transportation, and *staffing needs; and fortunately I have always been successful in establishing an advisory committee for district’s facilities and grounds. These committees have always consisted of campus representatives, parents, and community members to assist with this assessment process. As a superintendent, I have always involved our community in this planning process and in developing a comprehensive plan, because I have learned through experience our success with this process relies primarily on the district’s ability to plan, communicate and execute an effective community-based plan of action. As you know, it also takes teamwork to be successful…everyone working together for a common cause to be successful. And working as a team will also create a consensus and ownership in the plan we develop. We will always make sure the initiative is a community initiative, not a school board or administrator initiative, by sharing the facts and allowing the community to help us decide where we need to go. I have learned that the foundation for a successful initiative is the credibility we have with our community. Making sure people know we are doing a good job is equally important as doing a good job. We will always encourage decisions that put children first.
This process takes time and patience as well as understanding, and by working together, hopefully in the future, we can develop a much needed comprehensive plan that everyone can appreciate and one that will address our children’s current and future needs.
Please do not hesitate to email, call, or come by my office should you have any questions, concerns, or comments. Your input is very important and always appreciated.
