REARRANGING THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE USS BISD

By Juan Montoya

And you though the scandal involving the Brownsville Independent School District serving students rotten barbacoa meat processed in Mexico stunk?

Take a gander at the agenda for the BISD agenda for next Tuesday.

There are some items there that bear watching. Take item 11, for example.

1. Recommend approval to reclassify the position of Coordinator for Finance at Pay Grade 3 for 226 days to Pay Grade 4 at 226 days on the Employee Compensation Plan effective February 3, 2016. (D.G., C.V., M.A.A.)

 It is an item to reclassify an administrator's (Coordinator for Finance) position and pay grade between budget cycles. IS this a new move by incoming interim CFO Lorenzo Sanchez to hand out goodies to his buddies? Sanchez is a favorite of trustee Joe Rodriguez, who has a majority on the board so it will pass. The fact that these changes are usually made each June conjunction with the annual approval of the compensation plan matters little to this bunch. Looks like Sanchez and Rodriguez are making sure their buddies are covered and students be damned.

Or how about Item 12?

12. Discussion and consideration regarding job duties and the renaming of titles of both District Internal Auditors to Co-Auditors for the BISD Board of Trustees.

Now the question that comes immediately to mind is: Why does the BISD need two auditors?

Is it because the original one, the award-winning Margarita Pizano Flores, is honest and the board majority (and administration) need the new guy to rubber stamp questionable deals?

Or how about this intriguing Item 41?

41. Recommend approval of Memorandum of Understanding between Brownsville Independent School District Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Local, County, or State Law Enforcement Agencies for the reimbursement of Joint Operation Expenses from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund.

Just What The Fudge are these civil forfeitures carried on by the BISD Wannabe Cops?

Is the district now getting in line with the Cameron County DA's Office and the feds to get in on taking people's stuff without due process. And what joint operations are they conducting?

And if you are covered with the BISD's Health Insurance Plan, take a look at Item 27.

27. Recommend approval of changes to the BISD Self-Funded Health Insurance Plan Document to reduce and curtail insurance costs. The changes to be retroactive to January 1, 2016 for any procedures completed January 1, 2016 to February 2, 2016.

What? retroactive? And you thought your procedure was covered, but it's not?

These are just a few of the juicy tidbits in plan for your favorite school district courtesy of the board majority and the Esperanza Zendejas administration.

Along the way, take a look at the number of llegal and architectural and insurance payments tat will be approved Tuesday. Is it any wonder no one is making a peep? Everyone is getting theirs except for the teachers and the students.

You know, right about now that spoiled barbacoa seems to be small potatoes and the least of BISD's problems.