Tioga ISD parents received notification Thursday night about a pending decision concerning the school’s financial accreditation.
On Tuesday, March 3 an informal hearing will be held in Austin to determine how Tioga ISD proceeds into the future.
It is no secret. The school district has struggled financially over the past five years due to mismanagement of a previous superintendent and Board of Trustees.
That has been reported.
Back then, accounts were not reconciled, funds were mishandled, stakeholders were misinformed and eventually the chickens came home to roost.
We all know this.
It has been reported time and time again over.
The current Tioga board and superintendent have worked diligently to right the ship, but you can’t turn an ocean liner on a dime.
A state appointed conservator has been monitoring the financial progress.
The district is on track to be solvent again in short order and the community has bought in.
Less than two years ago, a bond proposition passed by wide margin.
The funds generated were specifically earmarked for restructuring debt.
Financial ratings got better, but they haven’t been back at above a 70% yet.
Granted, the district recently scored a 68% financial rating — pretty close, but not close enough to pass. Still a damn sight more improved year-over-year.
All this time, the academic standard of success at Tioga ISD has not faltered.
The kids are still doing great things.
The teachers are still dedicated.
The parents are bought-in and that’s the story we need to tell.
Superintendent Josh Ballinger’s letter hit social media Thursday night like a firestorm.
Everybody has their opinion. I do too, but I can only base mine on what I’ve seen, what I know and what I’ve experienced.
If you cannot truthfully say the same, your opinion on this matter is not relevant.
Before I proceed, I will offer this disclaimer: I am not writing this as an unbiased journalist.
Not this time— not at all. In this case, I am biased.
I offer this opinion through the lens of a father, a husband, a college educator, a business owner, a newspaperman, a volunteer and a proponent of locally controlled public schools.
Our kids have been in Tioga ISD since kindergarten.
We now have three juniors and a sophomore.
We have been here for the expansive growth.
We have been here to see debt leveraged and buildings built.
We have waded through the troubled waters, and we will be here to see this through.
The ultimate outcome of the March 3 meeting is up in the air.
There are various scenarios.
The worst of which would be the state shuttering the school.
Most believe this is unlikely, though it is a fear worth entertaining.
If for no other reason than the current political climate in our state.
The political majority is clearly anti-public school and it is sickening.
Another possible outcome is heavier conservatorship and oversight— but still retain local control.
I pray for this because, like I said, Tioga ISD is on their way. We are doing all the right things and are on pace to cross the finish line.
Another possible outcome could dismantle the locally elected school board and dismiss the locally hired superintendent— all to be replaced by a state-appointed board of folks with no idea how our community works.
Folks who don’t see what we see every day.
Folks who don’t know what we know. Folks who don’t see what I see on a daily basis.
So let me tell you what I know and what I see.
When that email went out Thursday night, there was a record number of Tioga Elementary and Middle School BETA Club members at State Convention in Grapevine.
As we speak, there are Tioga FFA members competing in major stock shows and trade shows across the state.
And they are succeeding.
In the past three years, we have seen a record number of FCCLA members represent the state of Texas at Nationals.
We raised money to send kids to Seattle and Orlando, and they were impeccable ambassadors for our community.
I’ve seen Tioga High School graduate more seniors with associate degrees than any other school district in Grayson County.
I saw a Bulldog Band concert back in December that was standing room only in the high school cafeteria.
We welcomed more people than had ever been in that room for any event.
I’ve seen the tireless efforts of the One Act Play troupe.
I’ll witness history next week when a first-ever Tioga UIL team will compete in the State filmmaking contest.
I’ve seen lives changed forever for the better due to the proper special education intervention.
I’ve seen young men and women find their vocation in the ag shop.
I’ve seen SAT and ACT scores soar.
I’ve seen countless scholarship offers accepted.
I’ve seen athletes ink college deals.
But more than anything, I’ve seen dedicated students and faculty committed to the grind and pursuit of excellence.
Just last week, I watched a group of FCCLA students return from a three-day competition— after advancing to state— go home, eat dinner, take a shower and come back to school to work late into the night on the next project for the next organization.
I was picking kids up at midnight Saturday from the Tioga High School campus because they went back to work on extracurriculars.
And they weren’t there alone. They were there with dedicated Tioga ISD faculty who put in the hours and work right along with them.
Those are moments that appointed bureaucrats in Austin need to know about.
On Tuesday, March 3, superintendent Josh Ballinger and school board president Dallas Slay— along with four other people of their choosing— will go behind closed doors and plead for the future of our community.
It is not a public hearing. It’s not open to the press. It’s a very non-transparent process and, as such, you may feel helpless.
We are not.
If you know what I know and have seen what I’ve seen, let Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath know.
His office can be contacted at [email protected] or by mail at the Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78701.
He oversees public education, policy implementation and school district accountability.
And his office controls the fate of Tioga ISD. If you are proud of our kids, let him know.
If you support our educators, let him know.
If you believe Tioga ISD is on the right track and our locally elected officials need to finish the job, let him know.
Tell our story. Celebrate our achievements and invest in generations of success yet to come.
Austin Lewter is the president of the Tioga High School Band Booster Club and a former Tioga youth softball coach. He and his wife Jennifer own and operate the Whitesboro News-Record. Austin can be reached at [email protected]