Trustees ‘Officially’ Turn Down Tea Party, Say They Will Hold Three Public Bond Meetings Instead

In what has been termed an “official response,” the Katy ISD Board of Trustees turned down the Katy Tea Party Patriots’ invitation to take part in a planned October informational meeting on the district’s proposed $459 million bond issue.

In a statement e-mailed yesterday by Katy ISD spokesman Steve Stanford, board members told Tea Party President Jennifer Danel Heiden they had decided to instead hold three public meetings to provide information on the bond issue.

“We agree in regard to the need to get more information out to the public concerning the bond referendum. Therefore, we will host three additional public meetings for this purpose,” the board’s statement read. “In addition to the trustees, staff will be present to ensure that participants’ specific questions are answered and result in an opportunity for more in-depth public understanding of the bond referendum package.”

The board statement also noted the poor attendance at two public forums hosted earlier by the bond task force.

“The School Facility Referendum Planning Task Force process, which developed the package, included two public forums as well as an opportunity to give input online. Unfortunately attendance was very light as of the 500 guests anticipated; only 60 attended the public forums and only 80 inputs were received online. Those who attended in person were able to ask questions and engage in conversation about the projects resulting in better understanding of the project items,” the statement said. “We prefer and will offer this type of conversation to the entire community rather than just one group targeting their membership. We appreciate the invitation. However this matter goes beyond the membership and must be provided for the entire community.”

In a response to the board’s statement, Heiden said her organization was “encouraged” trustees were willing to provide additional information about the bond issue.

“We are encouraged that KISD is willing to expand the discussion concerning this bond beyond the limited access allowed at the school board meetings. We also agree that this information needs to be made to the broadest audience possible,” Heiden said. “We selected our date and time – a Saturday afternoon in late October – with that intent as our focus. Later October allows for significant time to inform the community about the forum and a Saturday allows for the working class citizens of this community to attend unencumbered by work obligations and commutes.”

Heiden stressed, however, that any informational sessions hosted by the district needed to provide residents with the opportunity to “freely” pose questions or the Tea Party would continue to “pressure the board” for a more open forum.

“As long as the format allows for open questions that can be asked by the citizens ‘freely’ and allows for maximum participation from the public, we will be satisfied that our membership requests have been met. However, if KISD has these meetings on a weekday with obscure timeframes and/or the public is not able to ‘freely ask and discuss’ this issue, we will continue to pressure this board to give the public the ability to do so,” Heiden said. “We do sympathize with the board of trustees and understand that they are under strict legal guidelines at times. We appreciate their willingness to listen and work to provide information that is open and accessible to the public so that they can make informed decisions when they vote for or against this bond in November.”

Heiden went on to say the Tea Party had requested specific details on the promised public meetings and is waiting on the board’s reply.

“Until we receive such details, we will continue to encourage our membership to write, call, post comments to their area newspapers, attend the KISD board meetings and make continuous requests for them to do so,” she said.

The school board’s group response to the Tea Party, as well as the revelation it has decided to call the three public meetings has raised questions – and eyebrows – over just how trustees were able to make those decisions outside of a scheduled school board meeting.

Katy ISD resident Leslie Babin, who has been a frequent critic of the board, was among those asking whether board members violated the open meetings act in agreeing to the joint statement and calling of the three public meetings.

“Exactly when and where did the school board come up with this statement? When did they decide to call the three public meetings instead to going to the Tea Party’s meeting?” Babin asked. “Did they call each other by phone or meet behind closed doors somewhere? They certainly haven’t talked about it during a public school board meeting.”

Babin said she could see only two possible scenarios.

“Either they’ve held an illegal meeting or this whole thing – the statement and the idea of having their own meetings – was actually done by (Superintendent) Alton Frailey or some other school district staffer and they put the board’s name on it,” Babin said. “Either way, it, once again, calls the ethics and honesty of this school board into question.”

The Tea Party invitation has not appeared on any school board meeting or work study session agenda and has not been discussed trustees at any of those meetings. Additionally, according to the school district’s website, trustees have not held a specially-called meeting since June 21.

By state law, a school board can only act during a legally-called meeting, and all decisions must be made in open session.

A request for clarification on the board’s statement and decision to call the additional meetings has been made to the district. So far, no response has been received.