The District has very carefully shown that $705M will be funded for capital improvements, and in very broad categories, shown that $705M will be expended on page 2 of the Flip Book.
The District has also very carefully shown the costs of the new and replacement buildings and the improvements at each school.
However, when looking at the details, $15M in expenditures is missing.
Approximately $415M in detailed school projects (as outlined in the Flip Book), $66M in new construction, $64.5 in replacement schools, $56M to Charters and $86M in Contingency gives a total of approximately $690M.
Where’s the other $15M?? That’s over 2% of the total program and it is not a rounding error.
One could say that it was an innocent mistake. Or, one could also say that $15M in expenditures and projects was purposely left out of the Flip Book to prevent questions being raised about those projects.
In 2016, numerous questions were raised regarding the use of funding for renovating stadiums and transportation centers as significant funding was allocated to projects in these facilities. Obviously, those needs still exist, but they don’t appear in any discussions or literature put out by the District or Glass this year.
Does the District have plans to use the “missing” $15M for projects at other locations and subsequently conveniently “forgotten” to mention those projects or put them in the Flip Book to avoid having to answer questions about them?
Is that being honest with the taxpayers? Is that being transparent?
If this is indeed true, it is certainly not being transparent.
I would even go as far as classifying it as intentional deception on the part of Glass and the District and I don’t think deception should be rewarded.