To all residents of the La Feria School District.
I just read an opinion on another site on Facebook that suggests that the superintendent is trying to rush this bond (May 7) for facilities improvements through in order to solidify his legacy as some sort of savior for the CE Vail campus.
No matter what happens at Vail I really doubt anyone is going to canonize the superintendent considering many of the issues that are occurring on other campuses (especially one) within the district.
That being said, the fact is the improvements at the current Vail campus are greatly needed.
Yes, there will be many more improvements that will be needed but we have a chance to coordinate this first remodeling effort with improvements that can be done two years down the road if the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) finds it feasible to grant La Feria the money needed to make these much needed upgrades.
There will be that much less to be done at that future date.
And those future improvements will only happen if the legislature allocates money to IFA. There is no guarantee that will happen in two years.
Every journey begins with a single step.
We have to make the effort of improving this campus a step at a time. There is not going to be some generous benefactor falling from the sky handing us $40-plus million to reconstruct a new campus at any time.
We cannot stand by the side of road and hope and pray that everything comes our way and for free.
We have to face reality. We have to seize these opportunities as they become available.
At least 70 percent of this $14 million bond will be paid by the state and the amount of taxes that we will pay are next to nothing (average cost per taxpayer is about the price of a Whataburger and Coke a month). How’s it possible that there is so much negativity toward this bond.
Is it that people just don’t trust the current superintendent?
How quickly we forget the administration that was here before.
Mr. Cortez came close to bankrupting our school district as he had done in other districts.
I do not agree with everything that this present administration has don. However, at least we are not in the red when it comes to our finances and teachers and employees in this district have finally received a much-needed raise.
This attracts more qualified educators and administrators to our district.
A past superintendent (Joseph F. Wenke) has given his endorsement of the bond (click on my name on Facebook to view his recommendation).
Let’s do what’s right for the kids.
Vote yes.
Thank you.
Respectfully, Gene Castillo La Feria
