Was it ever really for the kids?
From the very day the EPISD bond was made public, it was clear to me that it was never for the kids.
El Paso taxpayers are currently staring down the barrel of a gargantuan school bond that failed to address the most important issues facing our city’s students—the quality and effectiveness of their very education along with the support and financial compensation of their educators.
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Texas is ranked 43rd in the nation for education quality and opportunity.
EPISD continues to receive less Texas state funding for investment in the quality of our students educations.
EPISD receives poor marks from the Texas Education Agency targeting several schools throughout the district.
The bond instead “laser-focused” on external issues that had no impact upon their ability to learn or addressed the desperate issues their educators face daily.
It “laser-focused” on dumping millions into re-turfing football fields. Dumping millions into buying buses. Dumping millions into into I-pads for every backpack. Dumping millions into into consolidating buildings. Dumping millions into into construction, repair and renovations to a handful of high schools.
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They told us it was “for the kids”.
EPISD’s PAC, El Paso Rising spent close to $500,000 sending us false and misleading propaganda telling us it was “for the kids.”
A very orchestrated campaign of half-truths and outright falsehoods designed to touch El Pasoans’ hearts and convince us that this bond was worth voting yes to.
The EPISD black magic worked and the bond somehow passed despite an incredible amount of vocal opposition surrounding it.
And now Cabrera flies his true colors.
He is being hailed an education hero for being at the wheel when the $670,000,000 bond passed.
When offered the “pay bump” Superintendent Cabrera had the opportunity to simply say “Thank you but I will gratefully REFUSE IT. Let’s make El Paso’s students educational quality and their educator’s support and compensation our next priority.”
Now that Fenenbock and the EPISD board has rewarded him with a $45,499 yearly raise to supplement his $303,000+ annual salary and his $112,000+ annual benefits package...maybe he’ll stick around instead of looking for greener (as in $$$) pastures.
His acceptance of his $45,499 “bump” reveals an important aspect of his character that is worth remembering.