It's Not Just About Kids

The Albuquerque Public School District campaigned  for an additional $616 MILLION dollars for school projects including facilities. They convinced 70% of the voters to Celebrate Kids, by voting yes on this bond measure. And they won.

That's right, according to APS it's all about kids.Well, it isn't all about kids. It's also about taxpayers, and common sense economics, to say nothing of the other "projects" that will be funded through these millions that have absolutely NOTHING to do with school facilities.

Sure, the voters will see "face lifts" on school facilities throughout the county, but while those "face lifts" are being done, other of the bond monies will be used for miscellaneous, unidentified, unpublicized, unapproved, unspecified "projects". The bond measure was worded in such a way that the district pretty much has carte blanch in how they use these funds over and above the "master planned" facility improvements itemized and publicized so carefully for voters.

It's also possible that some of these funds will land on the bargaining table and be used to compensate teachers and staff. Not a good thing to do since the money from this bond is not guaranteed for perpetuity, and a raise in salary pretty much is. Where's the district going to get funding for projects and salaries in the future? Another bond measure? You bet they are.

I don't mean to suggest that APS was purposely deceptive, they were simply purposely strategic in their campaigning. They said what you wanted to hear. They included the information you asked about. And they were conveniently quiet, or circumspect, or very general in their comments about anything beyond the "face lifts" to your neighborhood schools. They told you what you wanted to hear, what you NEEDED to hear to vote "yes" and give them $616M.

Don't worry, you will like what you SEE, it's what you won't see that worries me. What else will our money be used for that isn't so visible to the taxpayer eye? I would venture a guess that it most certainly will not be used only for school facilities, or even only for kids. Collective bargaining, administrative perks, and other non-kid related "projects" come to mind.

Kids are important, but so are the taxpayers of Bernalillo County who already pay 25% higher property taxes than the top 10 cities in New Mexico.

And when 63% of Bernalillo county construction is school related, but we don't even graduate 63% of our kids...we need to pay close attention to where and how that $616 million dollars is spent. It's our money, you know...although we have now voted to give it to APS, without too many strings attached.

I guess the bottom line is this. Would you give a large monetary gift to your own child without knowing exactly where all that money is going? Would you give a large monetary gift to your own child to make exterior improvements on their home, when they don't have food or a healthy environment inside? I mean, nothing could be more about kids then giving money to your own kid. But that doesn't mean you would do it, does it?

Probably not. But you voted to give a HUGE amount of money to APS. So unless amazing changes happen in the teaching styles, available curriculum, and classroom environment (stemming from teacher personality and discipline, not new paint) our kids still may not graduate, but they will be more comfortable while failing.

Wonderful.

That's just not common sense at all. And in the end, it's not about kids either. It's about money.

Congratulations to APS on running a fabulous campaign.