AFTER WEEKS OF PAY-RAISE HYPE, BISD BOARD PULLS THE RUG

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

If you are employed by Brownsville Independent School District, your hopes for a decent pay raise after working during a worldwide pandemic were dashed on June 24 at the board meeting. 

After weeks of hype and speculation fostered by Superintendent Rene Gutierrez and the Board Budget Committee, the end result was to put lipstick on a pig. Without actually knowing what monies would be available, employees were led to believe that the board and superintendent of the district would take care of them. The actual result was dismal and disappointment, quite possibly the lowest raise in the entire region.

If not for one time stipends and summer program raises fueled by federal stimulus money, BISD employees would have very little additional money in their bank accounts. In fact, a region-wide survey shows that BISD received more stimulus funds than any RGV school district but for some reason doled out much less in stipends to its employees than the other Valley districts.

What should infuriate employees was the victory dance and tone deaf congratulatory remarks made by  Gutierrez and Budget Committee Chair, Dr. Prisci Roca Tipton, who attempted to distort reality by patting themselves on the back and lauding their lame accomplishments. It was a false demonstration for employees who initially heard talk of much larger raises and stipends combined with the one time stimulus payments.

When you look at the progress of the last couple of years of teacher pay, it is the classic one step forward, two steps back. BISD teachers continue to be woefully underpaid when compared to their counterparts in other RGV school districts. 

One wonders if BISD teachers will ever catch up.

Roca-Tipton and another Budget Committee member, Denise Garza, have made it known that they will run again in the next BISD Board election. Word is that both will be challenged by several viable candidates. Raising expectations and failing to deliver in the area of employee compensation contributes to the current trend of voting out incumbents and starting fresh. BISD employees and their families should take note of the slap in the face delivered by the Budget Committee Members.

Tipton, who sports a doctorate from an online diploma mill can be spotted at any graduation in her scarlet cap and gown where she stands out like a peacock among many other professionals who hold doctorates from more established universities. Garza is barely known as she seldom speaks and has already demonstrated a tendency to flip flop her vote based on whoever has spoken to her last. Daniela Lopez-Valdez completes the Budget Board trio.

The question BISD employees should ask, "Are we better off today than we were a month ago?" or "Where's the beef?"