This past Tuesday Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Rene Gutierrez and Dr. Nellie Cantu went before the City of Brownsville Commission asking for a $1.2 million cash gift handout to the district from their $10.2 million share of federal CARES anti-COVID-19 fund.
The BISD reps – who said the district had already spent $5 million on Dell computers, WIFI "hotspots," and other devices – wanted the city and Cameron County to chip in $566,438 each which would then be matched dollar for dollar by the Texas Education Agency to total another $2.2 million for more hardware.
But, alas! the county has no money since it received only $1 million, unlike its rich cousin to the west, Hidalgo County, and could not contribute. The city commission promised to help but deferred until their next meeting on October 6 to give them the amount they could chip in to help the BISD.
While the city said it may be able to cut back on civil service, hazard pay for firefighters, and some retrofitting of its facilities, it may not be able to shoulder the total $1.2 million "partnership" share alone. Where to get more funds?
And why does the BISD have to go begging to the city and county when it splurged $1.4 million for a deluxe scoreboard so that then-trustee "Coach" Joe Rodriguez could brag about Brownsville being at the "cutting edge" of scoreboard technology. They also used millions ($7 to $8 or more) to carpet football and soccer fields with synthetic turf, also to please Rodriguez and his proteges, especially Tom Chavez, at Rivera High School. It made the vendors happy (and generous?).
Were the board members and administration short-sighted in the use of the funds acquired by a voter-approved TRE election for such luxuries? Now Rodriguez wants to get back for seconds and is running for the board.
Here's an idea. Why not auction the Sams score board at a discount and give a $200,000 discount to the winner? That $1.2 million would buy a truckload of Dell computers and Ipads for needy BISD students. And the BISD would stop going around the county like a pediche.
By the way, the scoreboard made a dandy advertising tool for then-trustee Erasmo Castro during graduation ceremonies (see graphic) who is now running for election after he resigned over a DWI charge. He is now on probation, though.
Uno no sabe por quien trabaja!