Analysis and Commentary of October 2, 2012

Starting with Mr. Myers’ first published post. Tuesday, October 2, 2012.  

This is actually not his first post.  He closed his blog during the time he was a candidate for the Allen school board during the spring of 2013.  Some the original posts started as early as December 2011 where he includes copies of emails sent to Dr. Helvey, Allen ISD Superintendent. 

Why did I start with his 2012 posting and not the current posts?  The posts tell a story and the earlier posts are the basis for his current positions as well as the diatribe he has against the school district, Dr. Helvey and the Trustees.

Dissecting the post of Tuesday, October 2, 2012:

Myers Claim:   One high school with 5800+ students:

Analysis:   The AISD Budget Book of 2012-2013 indicates enrollment at AHS to be 4147(1).  

Myers is incorrect.

Score:  Facts 1 - Myers 0 

Myers Claim:   Population of 75,000+

Analysis:  City of Allen Facts and Figures – population 87,157(2). While Allen ISD and the City of Allen do not have the exact same boundaries, the number quoted by the CoA is more accurate than Myers.

Score: Facts 2 - Myers 1 

Myers Claim:  1500+ Freshman Students

Analysis:  According to AISD Budget Book(1), the Freshman enrollment is 1545. 

Score: Fact 3 - Myers 2 

Myers Claim:  Refers to Lowery as a dilapidated building. 

Analysis:  According to Merriam Webster, the definition of dilapidated is: decayed, deteriorated, or fallen in partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse.(3) 

Myers is incorrect.

Score:  Fact 4 - Myers 2

Myers Claim:  Lowery is invested with rats and cockroaches.

Analysis:  Okay, I’ll presume he meant infested not invested…  The district periodically sprays for inspects, I’m sure if staff and/or students had observed anything they such as this it would have been dealt with accordingly.  Now it is quite common for office buildings throughout Texas to have those plastic rodent traps next to the exterior of the building.

Claim undocumented.

Score:  Fact 4 - Myers 2

Myers Claim:  Overcrowded hallway at the big high school.

Analysis:   Yes, the hallways at the high school can be crowded in between classes. But is that really a good reason to build a new high school? Also, crowded hallways do not indicate crowded classrooms.  A suggestion to incoming sophomores, pay attention to the location of your classes and don't schedule back to back classes at opposite ends of the building.

Score: Fact 5 - Myers 3

Myers Claim:  Thanks to this school board Allen is a national embarrassment

Analysis:  I will presume he is referring to AISD and not the City of Allen, but it's difficult to tell based on his past 2011 postings where he confuses the City Council and the Allen School Board as if they are one entity.  If Allen ISD and/or the City of Allen is a national embarrassment, then why did Texas Vs The Nation sign a five year contact to have their game in Allen at Eagle Stadium?  Why did Maryville University choose to be a founding sponsor in Eagle Stadium?  Why did Doc Severson invest three days teaching our music students prior to his performance at the Allen Performing Arts Center?  Why did the graduating class of 2013 have over $20M in scholarships?

No basis for claim. 

Score: Fact 6 - Myers 3

Myers Claim: 25000 gallon fuel tanks of gas, propane and diesel

Analysis:   The final decision was made in March of 2013, two 12000 gallon tanks will be above ground but with a berm on the west side of the tanks. Tanks will be bullet proof and stronger than below ground tanks.

Score:  Fact 7 - Myers 4

Myers Claim:  "Too bad they don’t have a school member living within a half mile of the facility."  This is more on an insinuation than anything else.

Analysis:  Partially correct.  At the time the land on Malone was purchased two trustees lived within a mile of the location. All board members voted to purchase the land on April, 27, 2009.(4)  So the accusation the Board members didn't want the service center near their homes is false. False.

Score:  Fact 8 - Myers 4

Myers Claim: 800 people showed up for the $100M bond.

Analysis:  False, 3712 people voted in the election, the bond election results were 2363 voting FOR the bond and 1349 voting Against the bond; or 63.66% of the voters approved the bond package.(5)  False again. The bond was actually $119.4M not $100M (6)

Score: Fact 9 - Myers 4

Side note: Mr. Myers did NOT vote in AISD Bond election of 2009.  Myers has only voted in two local elections, May of 2012 and May 2013.(7)

Responses to general statements:

He asks why the location was not in the Bond election?  The Bond election was about the district asking the voters for authorization to borrow money (issue bonds) in order to finance the construction of three school facilities (Stadium, Performing Arts Facility and the Service Center).

To include the location of any such facility, the Board would not only be forgoing their legal duties to make decision regarding the purchase and sale of land, but very possibly result in the price of the land to go up, then causing the district to spend more money than necessary.

Final Analysis:

Myers claims are wrong 55% of the time.  Additional claims are more accusations than fact based and appear to be said to harm the reputation of the district.

We can't expect him to get the facts right 100% of the time, but given his current diatribe against the school district and the Trustees, he needs to understand the issues and be correct 100% of the time.

The misinterpretation of the district numbers, the student data, facility conditions and how a bond package is assembled, all appear to be part of the base of Myers current rant against the district and the Trustee's actions.  

Source Documents: 

1. Allen ISD Budget Book, page 99, pdf page 113. http://allenisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001197/Centricity/Domain/23/FINAL%20Budget%20Book%20for%202012-2013.pdf
2. City of Allen Facts and Figures, pdf page 6. http://www.cityofallen.org/documentcenter/view/157 
3. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilapidated
4.  AISD Board Book https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?mk=20028728&fn=minutes.pdf
5. Collin County Election Results for the AISD Bond Election: https://www.co.collin.tx.us/elections/election_results/2009/050909/050909CAT.htm
6. AISD Bond History http://www.allenisd.org/Page/174
7. Collin County Election Administrator voter database.