Nederland is open, Barrow Resigns

[El Grande Ned]

Is there still the “Robin Hood” loophole that the district can use funds that would have gone into that system and instead put into the Interest and Sinking Fund? I know it was a tactic used by “wealthy” school districts to avoid losing the money and keeping it in their schools. And I don’t think there were many specifics on what that entailed.

[NHSBulldogFan]

3 hours ago, PN-G bamatex said:

School district boundaries don’t follow city limits. NISD has all of Nederland plus healthy portions of Port Neches and Port Arthur and all of Central Gardens and Beauxart Gardens. PN-GISD loses roughly a quarter of Port Neches to NISD and a fifth of Groves to PAISD, though it picks up two neighborhoods in Port Arthur.

It’s more like both districts have a town and a half; the number of residents and households the two districts have is almost always roughly even. When I was in school (PN-G c/o 2011), Nederland had about a hundred more students than PN-G.

The fact that PN-G is ~15% larger than Nederland now is significant. That’s the largest enrollment disparity between the two schools in at least 30 years, maybe longer. What you’re seeing is PN-GISD’s aggressive approach to replacing schools since 2008 paying dividends. Young families took notice.

And when we finally passed a bond we built a new high school that is sinking into the ground and according to the rumor and innuendo won't be ready for 2024-2025 school year either 

[Raider4]

So who do you think will be the next AD for Nederland? 

[Brubaker]

1 hour ago, PN-G bamatex said:

Not to add fuel to a growing fire or anything, but I would just like to point out that PN-G's higher level of property wealth per capita versus Nederland, owing to the former's more industrial tax base, also means PN-GISD loses substantially more state funding than NISD to recapture, better known as "Robin Hood." When all is said and done, the net per capita funding disparity is not as significant as one might think, and nowhere near as significant as it was before the Robin Hood plan was put into effect a little over 30 years ago.

It is also worth noting that Maintenance & Operation funding (i.e., money for day-to-day operations) and Interest & Sinking funding (i.e., money to pay off bonds) are two separate streams of tax revenue for school districts that are assessed as separate line items on your property tax bill. To PhatMack's point, the latter is totally dependent on the structure and amount of the bond proposed by the school district. I doubt there's much, if any, difference in the overall cost to the individual homeowners in PN-GISD and NISD over the lives of their respective bonds after inflation is controlled for.

Yeah, we use lots of excuses on this side of the track, people could read this and either wouldn’t understand or just disregard because it’s 2 paragraphs and requires some focus.

[TradenupBH]

1 hour ago, PN-G bamatex said:

Not to add fuel to a growing fire or anything, but I would just like to point out that PN-G's higher level of property wealth per capita versus Nederland, owing to the former's more industrial tax base, also means PN-GISD loses substantially more state funding than NISD to recapture, better known as "Robin Hood." When all is said and done, the net per capita funding disparity is not as significant as one might think, and nowhere near as significant as it was before the Robin Hood plan was put into effect a little over 30 years ago.

It is also worth noting that Maintenance & Operations funding (i.e., money for day-to-day operations) and Interest & Sinking funding (i.e., money to pay off bonds) are two separate streams of tax revenue for school districts that are assessed as separate line items on your property tax bill. To PhatMack's point, the latter is totally dependent on the structure and amount of the bond proposed by the school district, subject to rate caps and other mandates imposed by the state. I doubt there's much, if any, difference in the overall cost to the individual homeowners in PN-GISD and NISD over the lives of their respective bonds after inflation is controlled for, or at least little difference attributable to anything other than differences in the total, inflation-adjusted costs of the bonds.

PNG can use a loop hole in Robinhood like BH. For a small fee, our superintendent can show them.😁

[PN-G bamatex]

53 minutes ago, El Grande Ned said:

Is there still the “Robin Hood” loophole that the district can use funds that would have gone into that system and instead put into the Interest and Sinking Fund? I know it was a tactic used by “wealthy” school districts to avoid losing the money and keeping it in their schools. And I don’t think there were many specifics on what that entailed.

This is the part where even I start to get confused. I don’t pretend to understand exactly how that works, partly because it’s only gotten more complicated as the state has started throwing large amounts of money into property tax relief (a process known in policy circles as rate compression). But, as I understand it, the district isn’t actually keeping the cash, just redirecting it away from the state in favor of bond projects, and the sums saved from Robin Hood aren’t as large as you might think. It might be better termed a subsidy than a rebate.

[Gtj007]

It's easy to throw opinions out there about how certain ISDs spend their money and how well they manage it.  This is straight from TEA 2022-23 school year.

"The state's school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve these practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes."

[outanup]

1 hour ago, Gtj007 said:

It's easy to throw opinions out there about how certain ISDs spend their money and how well they manage it.  This is straight from TEA 2022-23 school year.

"The state's school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve these practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes."

Exactly................School financial integrity rating of Texas (First) and TEA gave the Injuns a B......Poor old Ned got an A from both.

[outanup]

Uncle Larry did fairly well with Rotten Press Boxes, grass fields, and long lines at the restroom......Not long ago he was begging for new jerseys while other teams had 2 different helmets with several uniform choices, (and colors). Not everyone can afford or is willing to pay for all new. . Ned's problem is not about fluff.....It's LEADERSHIP in the Athletic program. Academics are fine, WIN and they will come,

[Razor]

It is about players as well, however, and if people are not choosing NISD or leaving NISD because of the quality of facilities, then that impacts all programs…unfortunately, the numbers and some of the statements made here indicate that to possibly be the case…on a positive note, the last bond passed, upgrades are being made and hopefully they have an impact…time will tell

[AggiesAreWe]

4 hours ago, Raider4 said:

So who do you think will be the next AD for Nederland? 

Scott Rich

[BleedBlackandGold]

2 minutes ago, AggiesAreWe said:

Scott Rich

Where is he from?

[AggiesAreWe]

Just now, BleedBlackandGold said:

Where is he from?

QB coach at Katy High.

[PN-G bamatex]

4 hours ago, Gtj007 said:

It's easy to throw opinions out there about how certain ISDs spend their money and how well they manage it.  This is straight from TEA 2022-23 school year.

"The state's school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve these practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes."

This metric doesn't work the way I suspect you think it does. The grading rubric TEA uses to determine these ratings has several "ceiling indicators," which are factors that can cap the maximum possible overall score assigned to a school district if a particular condition isn't met, even if the school scored the maximum possible points with respect to every other factor for consideration. You can confirm that for yourself by viewing the rubric

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

PN-G's FIRST report, available

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, indicates the district scored a 96 out of 100 and would have been given an A rating but for the failure to satisfy one ceiling indicator. According to the data considered with respect to that factor, the district's fund balance fell 25.4% over three years. The factor only allows for a maximum 25% reduction before the grade cap is triggered. I would bet good money that the decline in the district's fund balance was caused by special arrangements the district had to make due to the delays in the construction of the new schools caused by COVID, though I can't say that for sure. Whatever the case may be, failure to meet that condition capped PN-G's highest possible grade at 89, instead of the 96 PN-G would have otherwise scored.

Interestingly, Nederland also scored a 96. NISD's FIRST report, available

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, and PN-GISD’s are identically scored in every way except for with respect to that one fund balance criterion.

In any event, this is an academic exercise that I don't think really addresses PhatMack's point. He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was saying that the Nederland bond was more expensive and less effective at reducing NISD's long term operational expenditures than PN-G's bond packages have been and/or will be. I think he's probably correct. PN-GISD's latest bond package consolidated six schools into four, as PhatMack aptly pointed out. Less obvious is the reduction in utility and maintenance costs brought about by both PN-G's 2019 and 2007 bond issues, which altogether replaced eight old schools that were energy inefficient and costly to maintain with six new ones that are much more efficient and less maintenance-intensive, and achieved similar cost savings at the high school through extensive renovation. NISD's bond issue didn't consolidate any schools and only replaced one, though it included some renovations to a handful of others, too. I don't think there's much debate to be had that PN-G's bond issues will save the district considerably more money in the long run.

[Brubaker]

19 hours ago, PN-G bamatex said:

This metric doesn't work the way I suspect you think it does. The grading rubric TEA uses to determine these ratings has several "ceiling indicators," which are factors that can cap the maximum possible overall score assigned to a school district if a particular condition isn't met, even if the school scored the maximum possible points with respect to every other factor for consideration. You can confirm that for yourself by viewing the rubric

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

PN-G's FIRST report, available

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, indicates the district scored a 96 out of 100 and would have been given an A rating but for the failure to satisfy one ceiling indicator. According to the data considered with respect to that factor, the district's fund balance fell 25.4% over three years. The factor only allows for a maximum 25% reduction before the grade cap is triggered. I would bet good money that the decline in the district's fund balance was caused by special arrangements the district had to make due to the delays in the construction of the new schools caused by COVID, though I can't say that for sure. Whatever the case may be, failure to meet that condition capped PN-G's highest possible grade at 89, instead of the 96 PN-G would have otherwise scored.

Interestingly, Nederland also scored a 96. NISD's FIRST report, available

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, and PN-GISD’s are identically scored in every way except for with respect to that one fund balance criterion.

In any event, this is an academic exercise that I don't think really addresses PhatMack's point. He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was saying that the Nederland bond was more expensive and less effective at reducing NISD's long term operational expenditures than PN-G's bond packages have been and/or will be. I think he's probably correct. PN-GISD's latest bond package consolidated six schools into four, as PhatMack aptly pointed out. Less obvious is the reduction in utility and maintenance costs brought about by both PN-G's 2019 and 2007 bond issues, which altogether replaced eight old schools that were energy inefficient and costly to maintain with six new ones that are much more efficient and less maintenance-intensive, and achieved similar cost savings at the high school through extensive renovation. NISD's bond issue didn't consolidate any schools and only replaced one, though it included some renovations to a handful of others, too. I don't think there's much debate to be had that PN-G's bond issues will save the district considerably more money in the long run.

In other words, NISD, even when you think you win…. you lose because you did it wrong.  you get an A for the operation of a Ford Escape, while PNG got a B for operating a Bugatti 

[Razor]

too many concerned with how someone else does it

 

[Bigdog]

On 2/3/2024 at 3:38 PM, Razor said:

It is about players as well, however, and if people are not choosing NISD or leaving NISD because of the quality of facilities, then that impacts all programs…unfortunately, the numbers and some of the statements made here indicate that to possibly be the case…on a positive note, the last bond passed, upgrades are being made and hopefully they have an impact…time will tell

The decision during the bond process was made to replace the high school vs replacing all 4 elementaries.  I don't necessarily agree with that , but its done so lets move on.   The upgrades on the elementary schools look pretty good as well and are designed to last for years even if the rest of the school is replaced.  Which is why they are separate from the older parts of the schools.

[GoPro]

It should be the DC from Desoto , but they will mess this up 

[Razor]

if he didn't apply, not sure how he can be considered?

[EaglesFootball]

Who all applied for the job?

[GoPro]

24 minutes ago, Razor said:

if he didn't apply, not sure how he can be considered?

Maybe he didn't , but I heard it was down to him and the Katy guy, 30 total applicants. but who knows 

[Rez Ipsa]

39 minutes ago, GoPro said:

It should be the DC from Desoto , but they will mess this up 

I haven’t heard as much about the Katy guy, but re: the Desoto coach, the idea of a local guy who was DC at the best team in the state last year sounds too good to be true. Maybe when we learn more about the Katy guy, he’s just as good. If I had a vote, I’d be falling over myself to hire the de Soto guy. 

[BleedBlackandGold]

1 hour ago, GoPro said:

It should be the DC from Desoto , but they will mess this up 

Do you think Todd D. will mess it up?  I could see if it was just the district selecting, but I am hoping we get the best candidate like PNG did with TD advising.

[chorizo]

my opinion,only an opinion,the coach doesnt matter if the players and community does not buy into the program..

[AggiesAreWe]

Scott Rich