Letter: On the WISD bond

To the Editor,

Fact: The Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) did not have representation from every school.

Fact: The LRPC meetings were not open to the public.

Fact: The video tapes of the LRPC meetings were edited.

Fact: WISD superintendent Jeremy Glenn stated last fall that the Wilemon building could be used for administration (long before he began making it sound as if it's necessary for it to become an elementary school).

Fact: Last fall, Jeremy Glenn made the threat to close Global High. He was quoted by Neal White of the Daily Light. He then stated he was misquoted. There were many people in the room when he made that threat. So, he lied about being misquoted.

Fact: Jeremy Glenn got rid of the Assistant Principal at Global. When asked, he stated it was due to financial reasons. The district could simply not afford to keep that position.

Fact: Jeremy Glenn called Global a "Flagship" and a "Luxury" — in the SAME meeting. I was there and it was not taken out of context, regardless of the spin he put on it later.

Fact: Jeremy Glenn personally apologized to myself and Shannon Moyers for all the things he said about Global High and asked what, exactly, he could do to make it up to us. He did this, in public, on the night the school board announced Jon Kitna. Channel 8 News was on-hand downstairs.

Fact: Jeremy Glenn communicated with us about holding a meeting with parents, students and staff at Global High to see what he could do to alleviate our fears regarding the moving/closing of Global.

Fact: Jeremy Glenn promised us that if we were not happy with moving to the High School building on Hwy 77, that we would not have to.

Fact: After giving a tour of the High School, he no longer offered to honor the promise of letting Global remain in the Wilemon building. In fact, it is part of the Bond proposal to move Global to that building.

Fact: Mark Price signed the contract for John Kitna on January 12th (long before he was "offered" the job and long before the school board had a vote to approve him). Mark Price also questioned the bond during the school board meeting that addressed approving it. Mark Price is not running for re-election. Mark Price was a no-show at the last school board meeting.

Fact: Jim Phillips of KBEC was the only holdout on the LRPC for bond approval.

Fact: NOW there is a "YES" sign in the front of KBEC.

Fact: Jon Kitna gave a non-negotiable demand for the uniforms to be changed to all Nike and it was APPROVED.

Fact: Jon Kitna's salary is $95,000.

Fact: The salary range for the Principal of Global High School is $73K - $95K.

What kind of message are we sending? That it's okay to lie and do anything to get what you want? That we SAY education is most important, yet we don't show it? There is, of course, more to this story but I'm sticking with the facts. These are items that are public record. None of this is rumor or speculation.

The Chamber of Commerce has donated $5,000 to promote the "Vote Yes" campaign for the bond. They take pictures of children holding the signs, as if a "Yes" vote is somehow for the children.

This bond was the brainchild of a man who has lied repeatedly in order to get it approved. It is, in many ways, not at ALL pro-education. It is pro-spending, pro-building and, because of the recent acquisition of large, imported, highly-paid, family-affair of a coaching staff (delivered like a cherry on top), it is also very pro-athletics.

A bond should be voted on based on its merits, not because of scare tactics (portable buildings are the devil) or the threat that it will cost more to approve the bond if we don't do it now. That's about the stupidest reason to vote YES that I can imagine!

Do we need more schools to accommodate our needs? Yes. Does the bond address the most streamlined, financially responsible and education-based way to do this? No.

Are athletics important? Yes. Are athletics so important that we should, as a district, be okay with over-paying coaches and their entourage? Agreeing to non-negotiable requests that will cost the district money that could be otherwise used for teaching positions? No.

Should we vote NO on the bond at the upcoming election? Yes!

- Sandi Perry, Waxahachie