Midland just passed a 1.4 billion dollar bond to build two new comprehensive high schools. That is the price of kicking the can down the road.

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agaberto said:

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George Costanza said:

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"A special election for two bonds, nothing more, that voters rejected twice before.

Bad school board."

What's crazy is I heard people complaining the last time that the school district "put it on the November ballot so it was buried at the end of the ballot." Some people just like to complain and imagine conspiracy theories.

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That's a stupid complaint.

A complaint about a school board not respecting our democracy by trying to push though twice rejected bonds in a low-turn out election is completely warranted and they should be held accountable by the voters.

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It's the school board's job to make decisions about what they think is best for the district. If that means putting bond election up to voters that's their job. It's the electorate's job to vote on those items. If you think the board member is doing a bad job, run for their spot on the platform that you would be better qualified to manage the district and its budget.

If failing in an election was grounds to never have that item up for vote again a whole lot of people who lost their first race for office would never get elected on their second or third try. Heck, there are a fair number of Presidents who would never have gotten elected.

UrbanDecay said:

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Midland just passed a 1.4 billion dollar bond to build two new comprehensive high schools. That is the price of kicking the can down the road.

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My daughter lives in Midland. They haven't built a comprehensive high school since 1961. If you're going to argue what costs more, stop alluding / pretending the time value of money doesn't apply, and pencil in your real cost of deploying capital 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago. Your "cost" likely becomes a savings.

I also don't understand being unable to host district track meets at either stadium. I had a kid who ran track, both stadiums hosted district meets within the last 10 years and CSHS hosted at least one area meet.

I played varsity sports, so did my dad and most of my relatives, I grew up immersed in athletic culture and so did my kids. I 100% support functional core infrastructure. I do not support jumbotrons, "all weather everything", and over the top broadcasting facilities, etc. I support athletics, not Disneyworld, and this culture shift is eroding the value and benefits athletics bring to the table to begin with.

There are numerous highly accomplished and distinguished individuals in our community who attended A&M Consolidated in the 1960s, I know a lot of them, and those from most other decades can't hold a candle to them. This was a time when the coaching staff and volunteers built the baseball field themselves, and helped build the football stadium and gym on Holik Street. Based on that "injustice", you would think it led those students to careers in coal mining or prison when framed against the histrionics we hear today.

The track meet was canceled at Consol because the track was deemed unsafe because chunks of it was missing.

Just in the last 4 months, 4 schools that I know of resurfaced their tracks. Rudder, Hearne, Magnolia and Mag West all did it. I gather it's one of those things that periodically has to be done as the surface ages and comes apart.

AgDotCom said:

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UrbanDecay said:

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Midland just passed a 1.4 billion dollar bond to build two new comprehensive high schools. That is the price of kicking the can down the road.

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I played varsity sports, so did my dad and most of my relatives, I grew up immersed in athletic culture and so did my kids. I 100% support functional core infrastructure. I do not support jumbotrons, "all weather everything", and over the top broadcasting facilities, etc. I support athletics, not Disneyworld, and this culture shift is eroding the value and benefits athletics bring to the table to begin with.

There are numerous highly accomplished and distinguished individuals in our community who attended A&M Consolidated in the 1960s, I know a lot of them, and those from most other decades can't hold a candle to them. This was a time when the coaching staff and volunteers built the baseball field themselves, and helped build the football stadium and gym on Holik Street. Based on that "injustice", you would think it led those students to careers in coal mining or prison when framed against the histrionics we hear today.

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I swear this town loves "We've always done it that way…"

Broadcast facilities, Jumbotrons…providing ways for students to cut their teeth in streaming live audio video production of games on YouTube and filming experience for the Jumbotron, game film, etc. Was that even considered or was it just thought of for fan entertainment? Have you ever watched the AVP production of a CSHS/Consol game on YouTube? For high school kids, its top notch. You have kids from both schools coming together and busting their ass to film a game that generally comes down to the wire and puts it on YouTube for everyone to see.

And for the record, my dad graduated from Consol in '68.

AgDotCom said:

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There are numerous highly accomplished and distinguished individuals in our community who attended A&M Consolidated in the 1960s, I know a lot of them, and those from most other decades can't hold a candle to them. This was a time when the coaching staff and volunteers built the baseball field themselves, and helped build the football stadium and gym on Holik Street. Based on that "injustice", you would think it led those students to careers in coal mining or prison when framed against the histrionics we hear today.

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Make sure to vote "no" to the bond, so your kids and and grandkids can play football, basketball and baseball in those facilities because by golly, they just don't make 'em like that anymore!!!

Once again...it's an LED videoboard...I don't recall people in Bryan or Temple crying over it when it was added to their stadiums and neither of theirs are over-the-top. Huntsville (new stadium), Navasota...I mean there are smaller and comparable schools with less that are not so called "taj mahals".

Can you explain why my tax dollars should go to an LED video board? What will the students gain?

They will gain the ability to use a scoreboard. The current one is so old that they can't get parts to repair it.

Yes!! In my previous jobs at A&M and TexAgs, we hired highly skilled kids out of these programs who were ready to hit the ground running and be solid contributors for our organizations. The AV-P teachers at both schools do a fantastic job of preparing these kids for the next level, should they choose to pursue it. Thank you for pointing this out.

cslifer said:

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Can you explain why my tax dollars should go to an LED video board? What will the students gain?

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Depends. Can you do some research on what the AVP clubs at A&M Consolidated and CSHS do? It runs both ways. This isn't 100% my responsibility. They have websites. Start there.

Did you know that both schools also have short film festivals? What if the winner could show their video on said LED videoboard next year to the community? Or better yet, have the festival at one of the stadiums.

I already explained how it provides the students hands on experience filming and working with media, camera and electronics. There are students who can benefit from this bond who may not be athletic at all or not like sports, but who are into media, editing, producing, directing, live streaming, etc who can benefit from this. This isn't just so we can berate an official because they got a call wrong after we see a replay.

These are LED videoboards for statistics, video and replay. They aren't ribbon boards and the like.

lockett93 said:

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KidDoc said:

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Tossed my early vote yesterday- no line took 5 minutes. The 2 bonds are the only thing on the ballot. Seems weird to me voting on a bond for the 3rd time and that is the ONLY thing we are voting on.

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Has anyone addressed why this was not paired with the runoff elections?

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I don't actually know, but my cynical side says having it be the only thing on the ballot means anyone who votes actually cares about it. The school is hoping that out of those who care enough, there's a higher percentage who want it to pass (every school employee). Putting it with another election would mean more negative votes from people who don't care or aren't informed but see "tax increase".

This is no doubt the exact reason and I don't blame them.

A lot of people vote emotionally, whether they will admit it or not, and a lot of the no voters are just mad at government spending of any kind.

So they'll have to actually go vote no instead of simply having the no vote available when they go pull the lever against their hated political rivals or whatever.

Too bad you aren't on the board of regents. You could have saved them a lot of money, too.

I guess you need a more extensive list for the video board
Halftime
Football
Special Olympics
Welcome to the pride
Track Meets
Soccer games
Band competition
Guard competition
Senior Sunset

"Product on the field"? Do you mean the level of football/track/soccer performance? Video boards have zero effect on that.
And I'm sorry, I will spend a lot of money on kids having nice things, but asking someone to pay more taxes so high school seniors can enjoy a nicer movie night than they currently have is ridiculous.
ETA: I was on the fence leaning towards yes, but the movie night thing rubs me all wrong. I am a solid no at this point.