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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming MANOR ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 10) |
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Failing Elementary School to be Handed to Charter Operator via Consent Agenda
Under Consent Agenda Item 11.10, the board is set to approve expanding its partnership with charter operator ‘Third Future Schools’ to take over Decker Elementary, a campus with four consecutive ‘unacceptable’ ratings. This major, multi-year decision, which transfers control of a neighborhood school and its public funding to a charter operator, is being passed without a full public hearing or discussion.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: This is a major decision being made without public debate. Show up Monday and sign up for public comment. Email the Manor ISD Board (contact info on district website): ‘Consent Item 11.10, the 1882 partnership for Decker ES, is a major policy decision that must be pulled for a full public discussion and a recorded vote, not rubber-stamped on the consent agenda.’
💰 Impact: Transfer of Public Funds
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| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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Board to Approve Undisclosed New Staff Hires on Consent Agenda
Item 11.8 on the Consent Agenda asks for approval of ‘New FTEs’ (full-time employees) for the upcoming school year, but provides no documents detailing the number of new positions, their roles, or the total cost. Approving new staff is a permanent and growing cost to taxpayers, and doing so with zero public information is a major transparency failure.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Email the Manor ISD Board (contact info on district website): ‘Pull Consent Item 11.8 for a full presentation and a roll-call vote. The public deserves to know how many new positions are being created and the total cost to taxpayers before they are approved.’
💰 Impact: Permanent New Salaries
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District Recommends Lawn Contract $25k Over Lowest Bid
The district is recommending approval of a $94,738 lawn maintenance contract with Keller Commercial, despite receiving a bid from JZ Landscaping for only $69,160. This item, buried in the Consent Agenda as Item 11.4, proposes spending over $25,000 more than the lowest bidder with only a brief, subjective justification.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Email the Manor ISD Board (contact info on district website): ‘I demand Consent Item 11.4 be pulled for separate discussion and a roll-call vote. Why is the district recommending a vendor that costs over $25,000 more than the lowest responsible bidder?’
💰 Impact: $25,578 Overbid
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Undisclosed Cost Increase for Special Ed Contract on Consent Agenda
Item 11.6 on the Consent Agenda seeks to approve an ‘Expansion of SESI Contract Services Expenditures over Currently Approved Amount’ for specialized student services. The agenda provides the master contract but fails to state the dollar amount of the increase, hiding the true cost of this expansion from the public.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Manor ISD Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item 11.6, what is the total new cost for the SESI contract, and how much has it increased? This item should be discussed openly, not passed on consent.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Cost Increase
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Undisclosed ‘Staff Cost Tracker’ on Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda item 11.2, ‘Consideration and Approval of the Staff Cost Tracker,’ has no attached documents or explanation. This vague item could represent a new tracking system, a report with financial implications, or a policy change, but taxpayers have no way to know what the board is voting on.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Manor ISD Board (contact info on district website): ‘What is the ‘Staff Cost Tracker’ in Consent Item 11.2? Please publish the supporting documents and pull this item for public discussion before any vote.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The agenda lists the ‘Monthly Financial Report’ under item 10.5, but the report itself was not included in the publicly available agenda packet. These reports are key to fiscal transparency and should be reviewed to ensure taxpayer funds are being managed properly.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) for Item 10.5 to confirm the district’s financial status and check for any unusual expenditures or fund transfers.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Financials
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