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From: S Bushart
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 4:13 PM
To: sbushart
Subject: Eanes ISD Community Update #15

March 30, 2006

Dear Eanes Friends,

This week I've sent you three updates illustrating my attempts to access contracts, proposals, requests,  and/or agreements, between the Eanes Independent School District and the Westlake Chap Club and/or Westlake Chap Club Inc. related to advertising income generated by the stadium signs, parking spaces and radio broadcasting. As mentioned in Eanes ISD Community Update #4,  I have also asked for information relating to advertising income generated by the Jumbotron.

Another Eanes taxpayer requesting similar documentation received a response from the EISD Records Management Coordinator on January 11, 2006 indicating that there were no documents held by the district reflecting advertising revenue from the stadium signs, gymnasium signs, jumbotron and/or radio broadcasting.* A letter was sent to our superintendent, Nola Wellman on March 23, memorializing the numerous unsuccessful attempts to access these financial records. This communication presented several questions and  disturbing conclusions.**

Nola Wellman has not responded.

The quest for this information was expanded to an internet search.  You can imagine my surprise to discover answers to some of these questions in an article published on the financial website Bloomberg.com. The article mentions Westlake Chap Club President Bill Orr and states:

"Orr, president of Westlake High's Chaps Booster Club, says his best fund-raiser included a golf tournament and auction that offered a guitar from the rock band the Eagles and Elvis Presley records. It raised $68,000. The club raised another $80,000 selling corporate-sponsorship space on the electronic scoreboard. A donation of at least $1,000 delivers a reserved parking spot at 12,000-seat Chaparral Stadium on game days. There were 50 sold this year." ***

Although this article claims the Westlake Chap Club raised $80,000 selling corporate-sponsorship space on the electronic scoreboard (Jumbotron), a document submitted to EISD by the Westlake Chap Club indicates only $52,416.68 was raised.**** Of that amount, the Eanes Independent School District received only $18,203.24 income. I don't have information clarifying what accounting fund EISD deposited the revenue into.

Questions for consideration:

-Why did EISD state on January 11, 2006 that the district had no documents relating to Jumbotron advertising income when they in fact had the Chap Club statement dated August 16, 2005?

- Why did EISD expend public education dollars on legal fees attempting to withhold documents relating to the Jumbotron contracts, proposals, agreements and income associated with the Westlake Chap Club.

- Why won't EISD and/or the Westlake Chap Club provide access to the agreement referenced in the August 16, 2005 statement?****

- Why didn't EISD provide any documents reflecting board consideration and/or vote relating to agreements with the Westlake Chap Club's association with the Jumbotron?

- Why is there a difference of approximately $28,000.00  in claimed Jumbotron revenue  between the internet article and financial accounting provided to our district?

 - Why is the Westlake Chap Club willing to discuss the organization's finances with reporters, yet unwilling to share the substantiating documentation with our taxpayers?

Once again I encourage both the Eanes Independent School District and the Westlake Chap Club to provide easy access  on their websites to information relating to the income and expenditures of public education funds allowing for clear understanding of our district's policies and spending priorities.

Wishing all the best for our students, our parents, our teachers and our taxpayers,

Susan Bushart

Questions relating to the revenue generated by the Jumbotron can be directed to:

Nola Wellman Superintendent  nwellman@eanes.k12.tx.us

Susan Pulis Assistant Superintendent Business Affairs  spulis@eanes.k12.tx.us

EISD Board of Trustees   trustees@eanes.k12.tx.us

Westlake Chap Club Board of Directors (Co-Presidents) Liz Ann and Bill Orr  sharyorr@yahoo.com ; billorr@orrholdings.com

__________________________________________________

*        See attachment  EISD response to ORR #1228

**      See attachment  letter to Nola Wellman

***    Orr, president of Westlake High's Chaps Booster Club, says his best fund-raiser included a golf tournament and auction that offered a guitar from the rock band the Eagles and Elvis Presley records. It raised $68,000. The club raised another $80,000 selling corporate-sponsorship space on the electronic scoreboard. A donation of at least $1,000 delivers a reserved parking spot at 12,000-seat Chaparral Stadium on game days. There were 50 sold this year.

The club recently raised $200,000 to buy equipment for the school's 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) weight room.

Link to article here  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aaqG21AIhLvM&refer=us#

****  See attachment  Chap Club Jumbotron collections

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