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Content from our friends over at Best Southwest Citizen

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Lancaster ISD’s balance of power shifts following elections

by Brian Allen of Best Southwest Citizen

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The May 10 election placed three new members onto the Lancaster ISD Board of Trustees, but the true effects of those changes couldn’t be known until the first meeting of that new board June 2.

Those changes proved swift and decisive. The board’s first official action was electing Carolyn Morris as its president, replacing Ed Kirkland. The two are nearly always in opposition, Morris being an outspoken critic of Superintendent Larry Lewis. Kirkland is usually a supporter of Lewis’ policies.

That vote was 5-2 with Kirkland and Marie Elliott voting for Kirkland to retain the seat. After that new board members Joe Kana and Cheryl Wright were elected first and second vice president respectively, with Marjorie King being named secretary. Morris also appointed Kana and newly elected Irene Meija as delegates to the Texas Association of School Boards, despite a recommendation from that organization’s president to select experienced board members.

TASB President Robert Seward was in attendance and gave well wishes to the new board members. Seward, a pretty good doppleganger of former President Bill Clinton, also livened up the audience with some impersonations.

The new board members weren’t the only major change as the board voted unanimously to terminate LISD Police Chief Sam Allen. As is often the case with personnel matters, it was discussed in executive session and the only discussion outside of that session was the vote itself.

Before the change of power, outgoing board trustees shared some of their thoughts. No words that evening held more resonance than those of Shelia Stanmore. Stanmore’s belief that the district was moving in the right direction likely cost her the District 5 seat. Her opponent, Kana, called for more fiscal responsibility. The rigors of the campaign pale in comparison to the trials Stanmore has endured in recent weeks. Her husband, William Kevin Stanmore, was killed May 12 in a standoff with Grand Prairie police.

As a longtime LISD parent and supporter, she spoke to that extended family before she stepped down.

“I serve an awesome God,” she said. “I know he’s going to see not only me but my three children and son-in-law through this.”

Stanmore said despite the struggles and even though she was no longer on the board, she would keep working for LISD students.

“I will continue to support this district, not from this seat but from one of those seats,” she said, gesturing toward the audience.

Russ Johnson said he did not seek re-election because he doesn’t choose to make a career out of being on the board “like some people do.” He cautioned parents to take a greater role in the children’s success and again called for the passage of a bond to help students.

“The school district can only do so much,” Johnson said. “The parents make or break their children.”

Sue Mendoza has come under fire for selling Lewis his home, a fact the superintendent noted before presenting all three outgoing board members with plaques. She, like Johnson, opted not to seek reelection. She and Johnson have been the subject of criticism even for that decision, some whispering that they were getting out before the TEA takes over the district.

Mendoza challenged the naysayers to go volunteer at LISD schools to learn first hand what is going on.

LISD observers will be watching to see what policies this new board institutes. They’ll also no doubt be glued to the reversal of fortune that put Kirkland in Morris in opposite seats. Their discourse has grown increasingly terse in recent weeks and one wouldn’t think these developments would improve that. But trying to predict the latest developments where this school district is concerned is a Herculean task.

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Anonymous

interestedcitizen, says:

Now that it is a reality that a conservator is coming, I can imagine the spin coming from Vick, Kirkland, Johnson, Stanmore, and Mendoza.

"If we had just passed a bond, we wouldn't be in this condition."

"Lewis was working to correct the problems and was making steady progress."

"Every district has financial problems and we weren't in any worse condition than other school districts."

"We were in terrible shape when Ted Warren left. Lewis was making steady progress to correct his mistakes."

"At least we were better off than we were under Bill Ward."

"Lewis raised our year end fund balance from a negative to a positive."

Stanmore: "We are a thriving school district."

Lewis: "The best thing a struggling school district like ours can do is to pass a bond."

Johnson: "Anyone who knows anything about school finances knows that it is smart to use bond money for maintenance expenses and free up maintenance and operations money for the classroom."

Johnson: "I've been in education over 40 years and I still can't understand these financial reports."

Johnson: "The reason I don't say anything during school board meetings is that I study my materials and get my questions answered before we meet and when we disagree with each other during school board meetings, the children lose."

Mendoza: "At least I voted against taking over Wilmer Hutchins."

Lewis: "We made a terrible mistake by not taking over Wilmer-Hutchins and capturing a tax base that was growing at the rate of 82% a year."

Mendoza: "This administration inspired me to teach."

Vick: "If you had just kept me on the board we wouldn't be under a conservator."

Lewis: "It takes the ability to see the invisible to do the impossible."

Lewis: "Give me $75 million and in five years I will give you the best school district in the nation."

Lewis: "If you believe it, you will see it."

Lewis: "This is based on lies and misinformation by the naysayers. They will just give you opinions and conjecture. Everything we say is based on the data. If you disagree with us, show us the data. We always tell the truth."

Lewis: "Arnie Knecht told me not to let anyone run me out of town because I was sent to this community by God."

Lewis: "It's all about the children."

Lewis: "We implemented the recommendations of the Legislative Budget Board. Now we need to hire the Cambridge group for $100,000, to begin work now which will be paid for in the 08-09 budget, to go to the next step."

Anonymous

1 year, 5 months ago
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interestedcitizen, says:

According to an article in the Dallas Morning News posted at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, it has not definitely been decided that a conservator will be coming to Lancaster.

We know this. Carolyn Morris stated with a high degree of credibility that a TEA official definitely told her a conservator would be coming to Lancaster. She named the time and the person with whom she spoke.

By Lewis' own words, he spoke with TEA officials Wednesday after Morris' conversation on Tuesday. He wouldn't reveal the name of the person with whom he spoke or the substance of his conversation. The position of the TEA apparently changed after Larry Lewis spoke with the TEA.

We, the public need a complete transcript of the conversation between Larry Lewis and the TEA official with whom he spoke. Then we need to know who communicated with the TEA spokespersons to develop the spin that the TEA gave to press.

Finally, the TEA speaks through a spokesperson, not through the TEA official who spoke to Carolyn Morris. We need to know what Ron Rowell is now saying. We need to hear it straight from him, not through a TEA spinmeister.

Because Carolyn Morris named the person with whom she spoke and the time, she is the most credible. Lewis' silence on the details of his conversation with TEA officials makes him less credible. When the TEA speaks through a spokesperson instead of through the official with whom Carolyn Morris spoke, it has the appearance of spin.

Anyway, apparently a definite decision has apparently not been made to send a conservator to Lancaster.

It seems to me that from now on, we are going to all have to start recording our conversations with government officials, so that these government officials can't backpedal and deny what they said.

This is starting to stink.

As for Lewis' saying he's praying to God to bring this community together, he has used God words for too long to manipulate people in this community. He's going to be unmasked, and the soonner the better.

Just think of the people who have used God words to manipulate people in the past. Jim and Tammy Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, Jim Jones. The list is endless. The truth is going to come out eventually. Lewis can't hide behind his mask forever.