WISD Trustee Candidate: Joe Langley

WISD Trustee Candidate Joe Langley

WAXAHACHIE — Joe Langley and six other candidates are vying for a place on the Waxahachie Independent School District Board of Trustees. Voters will take to the polls on May 9 to cast a ballot for their preferred choices to fill three of seven seats that are up for election.

Joe Langley

(Incumbent)

1) What personal background information would you like to share with voters, such as your family, hobbies, personality, etc?

I am married to Cheryl Langley. We have one son. I have pastored Park Meadows Baptist Church since 1986. I have authored one book and have another manuscript almost ready to send to a publisher. I enjoy participating in Waxahachie Community Theater productions.

2) What professional experience, community service and other qualifications do you have that would make you an effective trustee?

I have been involved on numerous civic boards and school committees over the past 25 years. These include YMCA, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Waxahachie Foundation, Friends of Sim's Library, and others. I have been a school trustee since 2000.

3) Do you currently have any children attending a WISD school or have you had any children attend a WISD school in the past and how long ago was it?

My son attended WISD since third grade. He graduated in 1999. I think it is good that parents serve on the school board; I chose to wait until my son graduated before I served. Both are good approaches; the board is stronger when both approaches are chosen.

4) How long have you lived in Waxahachie?

I have lived in Waxahachie since 1989.

5) What reasons made you decide to run for the Waxahachie ISD school board?

I am excited about the challenges and vision for the future of WISD. Education is one of the main factors for success for individuals and our community.

6) What experience do you have with complicated budgets?

I have received extensive training in overseeing large budgets.

7) In your view, what has the district done well over the last five years? What has the district done poorly that you would change?

District has done well: We have seen consistent gains in student achievement. Have done poorly: We allowed our teacher pay to fall to fourth in Ellis County. We were losing many good teachers. That has changed, but we must continue to monitor it.

8) If elected as a trustee, what do you plan to accomplish while serving the district?

I intend to serve the children and parents of WISD by providing the best possible educational opportunities. I want to emphasize career training in addition to preparation for college.

9) What do you feel are the top three issues facing WISD and what will you do as a trustee to address those issues?

Top three issues: Academics, community growth, fiscal management. I will seek to make good decisions to meet the challenges of all three of those areas.

10) What are the factors on which you will base your decisions as a school board member?

I will base my decisions on prayer, careful study of the options, cost effectiveness and what is best for the students of WISD.

11) If a parent or principal comes to you regarding, for example, a maintenance issue at a particular campus or a situation involving a particular teacher, how do you see your role as a school board member in resolving the issue?

In your example, there is one proper answer. I would encourage the individual to speak to the superintendent or his designee about the issue. A trustee's role is oversight, not day to day management.

12) What are your thoughts on the current WISD outstanding debt principal? According to WISD, the district currently has $115,092,535 in outstanding debt principal that represents debts from the 1997 bond issue through 2013 refunding bonds issued. Future repayment obligations through 2037 call for $131,375,577 in interest payments resulting in total payments of $246,468,111.
(Source: http://www.wisd.org/default.aspx?name=BUS_Debt)

I am very concerned about the amount of debt. Hopefully, future growth will help reduce the burden on each of us taxpayers.

13) Voters approved two bonds in March 2010 totaling $28,120,000 thus resulting in a property tax increase of 6.9 cents per $100 of assessed value.
(Source: http://www.wisd.org/docs/1-Bond%20Brochure%20color.pdf)

13a) What is your opinion of the 2010 Proposition One bond referendum? This bond totaled $22,175,000 and was used to renovate the softball field at WHS, renovations to Richards Park, renovations at the district's baseball complex and renovations and expansions to Lumpkins Stadium. Of the total bond amount, $20,139,780 was for Lumpkins Stadium alone. This resulted in a property tax increase of 4.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. This bond passed with a narrow margin of 78 votes: 1,042 FOR and 964 AGAINST.

I favored the first proposition. Injured persons had threatened action against the district because of the lack of hand rails and ADA compliancy issues at the old stadium. It is ridiculous that we were unable to make reasonable improvements without the ADA administration requiring a complete overhaul to the tune of 4-5 million dollars. The old stadium had served us well for over 40 years. I think it was the best approach to build a stadium that will serve us at least that long.

13b) What is your opinion of the 2010 Proposition Two bond referendum? This bond totaled $5,945,000 and was used for campus renovations to 11 of the district's 13 school facilities. The impact on the property tax rate was 2.5 cents. This bond passed by a margin of 750 votes: 1,372 FOR and 622 AGAINST.

I think the improvements included in the second proposition should have been done with fund balance monies.

14) What is your opinion on the $125 million bond referendum the WISD board members recently called that will result in a property tax increase of 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value if passed by voters? Are you for or against the bond and what are the reasons behind your position?

If the administration meets the burden of proof that they will wisely utilize fiscal responsibility in spending the monies, I favor the bond. It is the most cost effective way to address our student growth. If we don't provide the building space now, it will cost us more in the future. I do want to see specifics of the cost breakdowns and I want to make certain that taxpayers get what they were promised.