“Let’s Make a Deal”

Dear Editor,
    Austin School Board Member Jayme Mathias’ statement that the East Austin community is relying on history to help make decisions on the bonds is fairly accurate because we don’t want to repeat the past ["Saving the School System," News, Sept. 8]. Segregated schools like in the past have led to inequities in faculty, education materials and in inadequate facilities. Dr. Mathias has allowed his district to be treated as a second-class citizen. He has refused to listen to the community’s recommendations and has decided that only he knows what is best for East Austin.
    The school board’s “Let’s Make a Deal” approach to getting the projects in the bond that get them the most votes is a disgrace and a disservice to the community. By closing the three Eastside elementary schools and Allan, the district makes it certain that there will not be sufficient students to justify a new high school at the Old Anderson campus.
    As a plaintiff in the original desegregation lawsuit, DOJ v. AISD in 1970, I can tell you that these same tactics were being used by the school district almost 50 years ago. The school district is systemically creating a model for segregation with this proposed bond.
    Closing Eastside schools that are centrally located and spending more money on new facilities like Mueller and the New Anderson High School doesn’t make sense. Living beyond your means doesn’t make sense. We have over $8 million in current debt from prior bonds, and adding another billion-plus is not prudent. Saying that “it will not increase our property taxes” is very misleading. You are creating a major tax liability for years to come. As ALL the taxing entities decide to increase their tax needs, the property taxpayers will be hit again with higher taxes. Many Eastside property owners cannot afford these increases in property taxes. Many residents have been forced to sell their homes and move to suburban areas that they can afford. Thus, you have a systematic gentrification of the Barrio.
    Another bad move is to relocate LASA to Eastside Memorial at the Johnston Campus. The school population (LASA) will now be predominantly white, and the predominantly minority school will be moved into a mostly minority new school (90%). If the school district is determined to move LASA, why not mix the two populations and not build another unnecessary high school?
    Using Allan as a middle school, instead of building another middle school at Mueller makes more sense. Allan is only 2-3 miles from the Mueller neighborhood. This would provide a neighborhood feeder school for Eastside Memorial and help integrate Allan.
    If the bond passes as is, I predict that more East Austin students will move to charter schools that are opening all around them. This will affect the district’s annual revenue and could require a major tax increase to meet the almost $2 billion debt payments.
    The school board president’s statement that the position of the SEAS-PAC is non-negotiable is not truthful when in fact it’s the school district that is not listening to its constituents. The deals that have been cut by the school board to gain the votes has placed the school district in a "take it or leave" position with the Eastside community. The school district’s priority should always be to service all its students. The only winners with this costly proposed bond seem to be the building contractors and campaign donations recipients.
    “TIME to start being educators, not real estate developers!”