MISD Board Meeting Comments 1/21/25
I was going to comment directly on several agenda items tonight but realized it was more important to address them indirectly. I may come back to my direct comments later if time permits, but they are available on my McKinney I S D Reform website at https://sites.google.com/view/misd-reform.
Here’s what’s more important. I think that months ago McKinney ISD passed a tipping point. We all know that they closed the last school year with a deficit of $17 million and this year they are budgeting a deficit of $27 million. We have watched the enrollment at a number of our elementary and middle schools decline over several years and I warned a year and a half ago that redistricting was needed. A few months ago the board appointed a committee to look into this and report back, but not until January 2026. The board has also taken a couple of lame steps to fill its excess capacity by proposing a limited form of open enrollment and by opening some of these below capacity schools to preschool. None of these steps indicate a real seriousness on the part of the board to address its financial difficulties.
I also realize that the redistricting plan I submitted, which has the largest deficit reduction potential, does not come close to $27 million in annual savings. So the financial problems of the district are so serious, so beyond the tipping point, that MISD may not be far from insolvency and a state takeover of the system. It can be expected that the board will seek additional funding through general obligation bonds or taxes as soon the election in May.
But we have to ask ourselves if the board hasn’t taken any meaningful steps to address its problems and bears responsibility for drastic increases in the deficit, why should taxpayers approve any additional funding? The board and the administration may be made up of well-intentioned individuals but they are failing the students, teachers, parents and taxpayers. A state takeover may be the best answer and taxpayers would be wise to withhold new funding of the system until the state can bring MISD finances under control.
I don’t know what it takes to trigger an intervention by the state but someone should be contacting them as soon as possible.