In response to a discussion of a committee by district business office head Larry Kaiser during a July 28 school board meeting, board member Colleen Jones agreed with the idea of a committee with that could monitor the progress of approved school bonds but said the committee should be appointed by and report directly to the school board, not district administration.

A bond oversight committee could track expenditures, monitor the quality and timing of work and build trust between the taxpayers and the board, Jones said.

“The ultimate purpose of the committee [would be] to ensure that the bond projects remain faithful to the scope of work that is approved in the bond,” she said. “It is the cornerstone to demonstrating both accountability and transparency.”

Jones said that she believed the appointment of a community bond oversight committee could strengthen the trust of the local community for the school district and its board of trustees, if the committee were a function of the school board.

“The trustees are responsible for the bond, so both the formulation of a bond as well as the oversight are primary functions of the trustees,” she said. “Therefore, (a) community bond oversight committee should be appointed by the board and should report to the board and the community.”

Jones said such an oversight committee is only effective if given some authority and responsibility.

“To make the committee a mechanism of the administration may give the illusion to the public of accountability, but not succeed in actually creating accountability and transparency,” she said.

School board member Clint Sayers also supports the idea of a citizen inclusive committee to monitor progress on district bonds.

“The committee would review the status of capital projects, bond expenditures, project schedules and the timelines of bond projects and ensure that bond funds are spent wisely on projects outlined in the bond program,” Sayers said. “The committee’s work and presentations to the board in the public view would enhance the public’s trust and confidence.”

Sayers said the committee framework should be decided by the board prior to calling for a bond in November.

“To ensure independence, the committee should be appointed by the board and report directly to the board,” he said.

There are always changes between what a district expects when it initially designs bond framework and the cost and completion of projects, Jones said.

“I think we need to be responsible for those changes, and I think the public has the right to know why those changes were made,” she said. “You can’t overeducate a community when you want a bond proposal to be passed. Not only will [an oversight committee] help with this bond, it will be a huge help with other bonds down the road.”

District administrators and board members will meet in special session on Aug. 3 to try and finalize the specifics for November district bond propositions.

This is the second consecutive year that all Eanes schools and the district have received that distinction.

“We continue to be proud of our staff and students, as this achievement is not an easy standard to meet,” district superintendent Nola Wellman said. “It takes hard work and diligence to attain a rating such as this, and we are thrilled with the result.” Statewide, 31.1 percent of all schools statewide were designated as exemplary. Fewer high schools were able to earn the top exemplary rating, only 11.4 percent statewide, with Westlake High School being one of the largest high schools to earn the designation, said Claudia McWhorter, district director of communications. Approximately 20 percent of middle schools statewide earned the exemplary ranking along with the local district’s two middle school campuses – Hill Country Middle School and West Ridge Middle School. The ratings are based primarily on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and state-developed alternative assessment test results and include five subject areas: reading/language arts, writing, social studies, mathematics and science.

At least 90 percent of the students in a school and in every sub-population with enough representation to qualify must meet the standard on the test for a school to be rated exemplary, McWhorter said in a statement released Friday.

“To accomplish exemplary ratings district-wide for two consecutive years is a remarkable achievement,” Wellman added. “Our students are well-prepared for academic challenges, including various assessments, thanks to the diligence and commitment of our teachers and staff.”

Total expenses for the district next year are estimated at $119.29 million against expected revenues of $115 million, resulting in a projected deficit of $4.29 million. The dip into the fund balance may not cut quite that deep, according to Kaiser, who said he expects the district may need to draw closer to $3 million from the general fund balance to provide the missing necessary maintenance and operating funds. The reason for the difference in the paper deficit and the actual eventual pull from the fund balance – public school districts are required to estimate expenses high to avoid any shortfall in funding of programs and operations mid-year, Keiser said.

“Our district has a long history of budgeting conservatively,” Keiser said. “Our staff is conservative in spending, and we budget some expenses, like legal fees, high.”

Actual revenues can change during the year, he said.

“A couple of things happen – people don’t spend everything we budget and our revenues change,” Kaiser pointed out. “For example, if our (attendance numbers) go up or go down, our revenues change.”

A large part of the reason for the district deficit next school is the state’s persistent under-funding of public school operating costs. Legislation froze the amount the state contributes to the running of public school districts several years ago, despite the fact that inflation and teacher salary increases force the cost of operation to increase significantly each year. With limits on the property taxes districts can levy on voters, districts have few option other than to look at cutting staff and programs each year.

Another reason for the district shortfall is the falling area real estate market. Revenue from property value for the Eanes school district is expected to fall to 94.1 million next year, down 5 percent from the $99.4 million collected last year. The Eanes school district sends most of that money to the state to help fund property-poor school districts.

“Roughly 56 cents of every tax dollar we get currently goes to the state for Robin Hood recapture,” board member Ellen Balthazar pointed out during the meeting.

The school board is also expected to approve the property tax rate for the coming school year on Aug. 25. Administrators are recommending no change to the tax at this time. The current tax rate is $1.2025 per $100 taxable property value, including $1.04 for maintenance and operations and $0.1625 for interest and sinking or debt service. Approval of that tax rate could give the Eanes school district the lowest tax rate in Central Texas, unless the Austin school district comes in slightly lower with a $1.2000 rate.

Board member Clint Sayers said that, while the district’s tax rate may be one of the lowest in the area, housing values are among the highest, still resulting in significant taxes for local residents and business owners.

The Eanes school board will hold a special session to discuss a possible November bond election on Aug. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the administration building, 601 Camp Craft Road.

BELOW: Eanes school district business services head Larry Keiser talked to board members about the budget for next year and the extent to which the district will need to pull from its fund balance to cover operating costs.

Haught shot a 76-78-80 234 to finish 18-over in the ages 15-18 bracket. Jessa LaBarbera of Allen carded a 77-76-78 231 to win the event.

Incoming Westlake senior Brenden Redfern finished fourth in the Texas Boys Junior Championship, which also took place at Horseshoe Bay. Redfern fired a 77-70-72 219 to finish six strokes behind victorious Curtis Reed of Castroville.

Chaps shine at city championships

Meg Healey, Christine Campbell and Vania Shapiro, who are all members of Westlake’s girls golf program, swept the top three spots in the ages 15-16 bracket at the at the City Junior Championships Wednesday and Thursday at Morris Williams Golf Course. Healey, an incoming junior at Westlake shot an 82-76 157 to tie incoming Westlake sophomore Campbell for the top spot. Healy captured the tournament title in a playoff.

Shapiro, an incoming junior at Westlake, fired a 107-101 208.

Healy, Campbell and Haught were in the fivesome that won Westlake’s first state girls golf championship in May.

Paul Campbell, an incoming senior at Westlake, finished third in the ages 17-18 division at the City Junior Championships with a 76-76 152. Campbell joined Redfern in Westlake’s starting fivesome that won a second consecutive boys state golf championship in May.

But the times, they have a-changed, and through the years, athletes – not just football players – have started earlier and earlier as they prepare for a new year. Many schools have adopted summer conditioning programs, including Westlake, which is wrapping up its Summer Circle of Champions conditioning program this week.

The Summer Circle of Champions, one of the various camps offered through the Eanes school district this summer, gave district students, many of them athletes at the middle or high school level, an in-depth look at conditioning, how to get in peak shape and how to retain that level of training.

“Our program is a seven-week progressive program designed for athletes,” said Steven Womack, Westlake High School’s strength and conditioning coordinator. “It focuses on the whole body, physical strength, mental strength, holistic and functional training. Our goal is to allow all of these kids to become leaders.”

Participants from all sports and from across Eanes have spent either their mornings or late afternoons pounding the track at Chaparral Stadium or moving iron inside the weight room at the high school. They were divided out by age and gender. The largest group of high school boys worked out from 7-9 a.m. Girls and middle school boys worked out from 9:30-11:30 a.m. High school boys who couldn’t work out in the morning attended a 5-7 p.m. session.

Approximately 200 students ranging from middle schoolers to WHS varsity athletes paid for the opportunity to spend four days a week for seven weeks working harder than they’ve worked before. In two-hour workouts, they’ve run laps around the track and up and down the bleachers of Chaparral Stadium. They’ve pushed blocking sleds, worked on plyometrics and listened to lectures about nutrition. They’ve sprinted, sweated, lifted and stretched.

“We’ve focused on different muscle groups each day to allow for full recovery between workouts,” Womack said. “Each day has started with an extensive warm-up and stretching program that is designed to reduce the risk of injury and enable the body to move faster.”
The instructors have been impressed.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to find another group of kids who have worked as hard this summer as these kids have,” said Larry Embrey, who teaches and works in athletics at Hill Country Middle School.

“It’s been amazing to see how the kids have adhered to what we’re doing,” said Womack, who ran a similar program at Odessa Permian before joining the staff at Westlake last spring. “These are very smart kids, and they are very enthusiastic about what we’re asking.”
The work is all part of a plan that should help them hit their fall season – no matter the sport or the school – in top shape and armed with the basic knowledge of how to stay in shape.

“The program allows the kids to come into their sport of choice with a better understanding of their conditioning,” Womack said. “Taking care of conditioning in the summer allows everyone to start in shape and means athletes are less likely to suffer an injury. They are more likely to be quicker, stronger and faster.

“And it allows the individual coaches to focus on their sport and not so much on conditioning.”

The primary seven-week session ends this week with a celebration at Deep Eddy Pool catered by Abel’s on the Lake, Womack said. He was quick to point out that he’s worked with the restaurant to plan a healthy menu, taking one more chance to reinforce the nutrition aspect of the program.

“We’re going to have fun and celebrate what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “But at the same time, we want to reinforce that it is possible to make good choices even when you’re eating at a restaurant.”

Womack said the program has been such a success this summer that he’s opening up a shorter three-week August session up to all students who want to register. Previously, that had been planned for middle schoolers only.

Registration forms can be found on the Westlake High School web page at whschaps.com.

The legal representative for bands including Los Lonely Boys and The Steps wants to restore the 40-acre prairie in the park back to it’s natural habitat by weeding out the aggressive takeover by such invasive species as King Ranch Bluestem, Bermuda and Johnson grasses and mesquite trees.

“These types of plants are wrong for the area and absolutely not conductive to the species the park supports,” Fair said. “They are too thick, providing no soil access. They crowd out native species that local wildlife has evolved to depend on.”

Fair is a big birder. He’s been going to Commons Ford for eight years. In fact, he found the park so alluring, he moved to the adjacent Lake Hills community seven years ago. In his frequent trips to the park, he has documented more than 200 different bird species – migrating raptors, warblers, breeding painted buntings, more than 15 species of sparrows and many more.

What Fair hasn’t seen are native species he would expect to find in the park such as the Bob White quail and the wild turkey.

“They should be in the prairie, running all over the place,” he said. “I’ve never seen a single one out here.”

Fair thinks restoring the native habitat will bring back the missing local birds and keep the ones still out there coming back. To this end, he has organized a group called the Commons Ford Prairie Restoration Organization, operating under the charitable umbrella of the Austin Parks Foundation. The group has received a small grant from a local conservation nonprofit organization to get started and is hoping to get a second larger grant that will let them hire the Native Prairies Association of Texas to draw up a plan for removal of invasive plants and the reintroduction of native species. The CFPRO has already conducted a prerestoration plant survey to document what currently covers the park prairie. A fundraiser, Big Day in the Park, is planned for Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to sunset to help raise money for the restoration project. Volunteers will raise funds by getting donations for every species of bird they identify during a 24-hour period. The celebration will include two-hour bird walks; nature walks where people can learn about trees, shrubs, wildflowers and park wildlife; a children’s nature walk; and other children’s activities.

The restoration project volunteers hope to remove invasive plants in the summer of 2011 through herbicide treatments and a prescribed park burn. The planting of native species should begin in the fall of 2011.

Fair said the restoration of the popular park will not only enhance its natural beauty and preserve wildlife, particularly grassland birds, but will also help control erosion and enhance rain capture and natural watering.

“We’ve had some great angels working with us on this project,” Fair said.. “We are hoping to attract more.”

Fair is hopes to raise at least $5,000 during the October event.. That $5,000 would cover nearly 10 percent of the total cost of the project. Most of the project costs come from the purchase of seed.

Membership in the Commons Prairie Restoration Organization is free.

To find out how to join or to make a donation, drop an e-mail to CommonsFordPro@gmail.com.

Bone, Leslie Davis and Kelli Carlton applied for the seat that was vacated when Bill Hamilton was elected mayor in May.

The four sitting council members were divided between Carlton and Bone, who were both in the audience Wednesday night. Alderwomen Sara Hutson and Roxanne McKee supported a motion to name Carlton to the council, while Shanthi Jayakumar and John Hinton supported Bone. Mayor Bill Hamilton, who votes only to break a tie, cast the deciding vote.

The city had the option to appoint an alderman or call a special election in November to elect someone to the empty seat. Hamilton emphasized the need to have a fifth council member during the upcoming budget discussions in which a property tax rate will be set for the city.

“I’ve had a number of comments from residents that we should wait and call an election in November,” Hamilton told the council and audience. “I used to be on that position. We will need to adopt a property tax rate and budget in September. We need four council members present for that, and there is a risk that an emergency could keep someone from being here.”

If the rate and budget are not set in September there is a risk that the city may not have a budget in place for the start of the new fiscal year in October.

During a contentious debate, McKee and Hutson criticized Bone’s past actions and a blog about city politics that he runs.

“This blog had a lot of sarcastic and very biting remarks against neighbors,” McKee said. “We need everyone to come together.”

She also criticized Bone for announcing earlier this month that he was resigning from the utility commission and that he would not be filling an application for the alderman position because of work commitments, only to file the application a few days later.

Bone explained that he was in pain the night of his announcement from a broken heel. He said his foot and leg were in an immobilizing boot Wednesday night, and that stress from work had caused him to withdraw prematurely.

“I should not have said that,” Bone told the City Council. “I started the blog because I thought the information presented to the public [by the city] was inadequate.”

Jayakumar was clearly upset by the negative comments about Bone.

“I can get along without going negative. I truly believe we need to move forward positively,” she said.

Jayakumar said that she supported Bone over Carlton for his professional expertise in finance, which the council is currently without and would come in handy during the upcoming budget discussions.

Alderman John Hinton agreed.

“We are going into the hardest budget year this city has every had,” he said. “Barry’s skill set will help us get through this budget season.”

“I reluctantly choose to support this motion,” Hamilton said, adding that he supported Bone for his financial skills as well.

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” he said during the discussion.

Bone will serve the remainder of Hamilton’s term on the council and will come up for re-election in May 2011.

“It’ll play itself out, because it always does,” he said.

Well, “it” – Westlake’s first full-blown quarterback controversy since an injury to Mark Oliver threw the position in shambles in 2002 – doesn’t have play anymore. Senior Preston Dewey has transferred to St. Andrew’s, junior Lewis Guilbeau will start, junior Blake Box will see limited time under center, and the Chaps will go retro in 2010.

The formations will look different than those 1980s wishbone teams of Ebbie Neptune, of course. The play calling will have different terminology, the players will wear tighter jerseys, and they won’t get grass stains on their pants.

But when Guilbeau scampers through the middle on a quarterback keeper, it’ll hearken back to the days of Jimmy Saxton rather than Nick Foles or Drew Brees. Have no doubt, Chap faithful: This year’s team will run, run, run, and then pass to set up another run. You will not see a QB throw for 2,643 yards, like current Wake Forest signal caller Tanner Price did last year.

Westlake’s coaches care more about stats like 38.8, which was the Chaps’ scoring average in six playoff games a year ago. Don’t expect that number to slip too far with Guilbeau getting the majority of snaps. The compact junior (listed at 5-10 and 184 pounds, but take away an inch and add a few pounds for accuracy) possesses dynamic quickness, enough power to pull through a linebacker and the speed to outleg the secondary.

Fans sampled Guilbeau’s skills in that spring game, when he ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Coaches noticed, too, and named Guilbeau the starter over Dewey.

Westlake’s power spread offense offers plenty of opportunities for the QB to pick up yardage on the ground. Glance back at last season, when Price took advantage of Westlake’s scheme to rumble for 1,108 yards rushing. Guilbeau possesses more inherent running skills than Price. The 20-yard runs that Price ripped off last season could become 80-yard scores for the speedy Guilbeau. However, can Guilbeau complete those 20-yard passes that Price delivered with consistency?

Affirmation could determine whether Westlake matches last season’s run to state. Allman stresses that Westlake must have offensive balance. If a quarterback can’t throw, he says, he won’t be on the field.

However, the Chaps will define balance by the possibility of a passing attack rather than its production. Westlake will generate most of its offense on the ground in 2010, but Guilbeau must emerge as, at the least, a threat to pass in order to keep defenses from stacking nine in the box.

If safeties must stay honest, then the Chaps will chew up chunks of yards on the ground and grind out a series of wins. And at Westlake, there’s nothing ever controversial about winning.

“We looked at a revised list of possible items within the framework of three buckets or possible bond proposals,” said Ellen Balthazar, school board vice-president. “We looked at items in terms of two questions – ‘Is this the right move for our educational programs at this point in time, and are these the right numbers to go along with it?’ ”

Most of the discussion during Monday’s meeting focused on the items up for consideration in the district’s first bond proposal that covers “urgent things absolutely necessary to continue our educational programs,” Balthazar said. The revised list reduced the scope of Proposition 1 to $73.6 million, down 17 percent from the original $88 million estimate of the cost of those items.

“Numbers continue to be revised on cost estimates,” Dale Whitaker, district communications director said. “It’s a continuation of getting better numbers.”

“The aging of our district has really caught up with us,” Balthazar said. “We are looking at things that are not particularly sexy, things like the replacement of HVAC [systems].”

That $15 million worth of HVAC repair and replacement is included in Proposition 1, along with $17 million in technology updates, $5.7 million of Americans with Disabilities Act modifications, $4 million in new roofing and a gamut of other facility repairs and replacements.

Balthazar said the replacement of Valley View Elementary School with a campus closer to its student population and the renovation of Eanes Elementary School are still viable components of Proposition 2, the bucket of items pertaining to elementary schools. That proposition is still moving forward and will likely be presented to voters come Election Day on Nov. 2, according to Balthazar.

Board members asked Superintendent Nola Wellman to have her staff provide more information on the revenue projections and the estimated operating costs of the extracurricular facilities from the district vision plan that could form a third proposition in the fall election.

“We wanted more information on the revenue possibilities and the likely long-term operating costs of those facilities, including the likelihood of partnering with municipalities on some facilities” Balthazar said.

In past board discussions, district administrators have hinted that the city of West Lake Hills may have an interest in helping to fund the building and operation of an outdoor swim center, a facility now missing from area communities.

“It’s not just about having facilities where you minimize expenses,” Balthazar said. “It’s also a matter of understanding where you can maximize revenue and partnership opportunities.”

Balthazar said board members are keenly aware of the impact of the current economy on voter psyche and the relative cost of bond dollars compared to tax dollars. Because of the economic downturn, rates in the bond market are at an all-time low, and construction costs are very favorable, she said. All of those things are factors board members are considering while tackling the complicated set of bond options in front of them.

“The power of bond dollars is almost double that of maintenance and operations tax dollars,” Balthazar said. “Because of [the state] ‘Robin Hood’ [recapture program], over half of those tax dollars go back to the sate for redistribution. When we pass a bond, that money stays local – 100 percent.”

Board members will hold a special meeting Tuesday where they are expected to make a final decision on whether or not to hold a bond election in November and the content and price tag of any bond proposals.

Photo by Esther Robards-Forbes

Where there’s smoke

Crews from Austin and Westlake fire departments responded to Trinity Episcopal School Tuesday morning. Assistant Chief Mike Elliot said that two motors in an air conditioning unit had burned out, causing a small amount of smoke and a burning odor to come out of vents in the school.