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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