Audio By Carbonatix
Schutze is at 3700 Ross Avenue, and he’ll provide a wrap-up from the board meeting during which the trustees and superintendent Michael Hinojosa will likely declare a state of financial emergency following last week’s $64-million budget shortfall revelation. That said, Allen Gwinn’s very, very good at this kind of thing — and he too is live-blogging. Thus far:
“Obviously this is a very difficult period,” Hinojosa said.
“I’m ultimately responsible for everything that happens in this District.”
Awwww! Hinojosa said that since the budget has been overrun by 5%, he’s going to take a voluntary 5% pay cut.
Hinojosa points out that people have gotten salary increases so the deficit will be bigger next year. Possibly as high as “$84 Million.”
Essential, for those not in attendance. Update: Of course, you could just watch the thing live. –Robert Wilonsky
Update x2: To those watching online, especially fellow DISD parents, a question: Do you also feel a little sick to your stomach?
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Update x3: As you no doubt are aware, the feed’s crashed. But not before Ron Price refused to discuss even discuss cutting anything out of athletics. And not before Jack Lowe either called the budget “caca” or something resembling “cockamamie.” Either way …
Update x4: After the jump, from Allen G., the latest update at 3:50 — and, perhaps, the most telling.
Update x5: At 4:22 p.m., the feed is back up.
“We have excess [teachers and administrators] who aren’t teaching [or administrating]” Lew Blackburn pointed out. Col. Olson is talking about how the District has people on the payroll who aren’t working.
She notes, in essence, this is contractual.
“We let them get paid for doing nothing,” notes Blackburn.
“We’ve been throwing money out the window for awhile.”
Hinojosa said this problem is addressed in the proposal on the table.
Our question: so why has it taken this long? Why was this situation allowed to exist in the first place?
