Over the years we’ve brought you stories of profligate, irresponsible spending, and often from truly dirt-poor school districts, such as the poor district that built a jumbotron at the football stadium that cost over a million dollars.
The stories extend to the paying off, to the tune of hundreds of thousands, superintendents who were let go for sound reasons to incurring long term debt for short term expenses like building maintenance and buying computers.
KGBT reports: “After four years of planning, the La Joya Independent School District opened its Sports and Learning Complex, which features the first school-owned water park in the state of Texas. The 90,000 sq. ft. water park will not only be for La Joya ISD students and their community, but the entire Rio Grande Valley, as well.”
“It’s very exciting. I think it’s a dream come true and it will provide a lot of opportunities for kids,” said La Joya ISD Superintendent Dr. Alda Benavides.
But wait, there’s more: “But the park is not the only new water attraction at La Joya ISD; The district is also opening up a state-of-the-art 21,993 sq. ft. natatorium..,” KGBT reported.
But wait, there’s even more: “But it doesn’t stop there for La Joya’s Sports and Learning Complex,” KGBT reports. “We’re super excited because we’re not only going to provide new opportunities for our swimmers, but we have a golf course,” said coach Mark Bullard. “We are the only school district in the state of Texas that owns their own golf course, as well as tennis courts. We’ve never had a tennis program in La Joya ISD.”
Yep, public schools are being starved by the state funding formula.
Funding formula is starving Texas school districts?
The stories extend to the paying off, to the tune of hundreds of thousands, superintendents who were let go for sound reasons to incurring long term debt for short term expenses like building maintenance and buying computers.
But maybe this is most emblematic of all: La Joya ISD opens first school-owned water park in state of Texas.
KGBT reports: “After four years of planning, the La Joya Independent School District opened its Sports and Learning Complex, which features the first school-owned water park in the state of Texas. The 90,000 sq. ft. water park will not only be for La Joya ISD students and their community, but the entire Rio Grande Valley, as well.”
“It’s very exciting. I think it’s a dream come true and it will provide a lot of opportunities for kids,” said La Joya ISD Superintendent Dr. Alda Benavides.
But wait, there’s more: “But the park is not the only new water attraction at La Joya ISD; The district is also opening up a state-of-the-art 21,993 sq. ft. natatorium..,” KGBT reported.
But wait, there’s even more: “But it doesn’t stop there for La Joya’s Sports and Learning Complex,” KGBT reports. “We’re super excited because we’re not only going to provide new opportunities for our swimmers, but we have a golf course,” said coach Mark Bullard. “We are the only school district in the state of Texas that owns their own golf course, as well as tennis courts. We’ve never had a tennis program in La Joya ISD.”
Yep, public schools are being starved by the state funding formula.
See this update: La Joya Wastes More Than You Imagined