10-11-2022 Patron Presentation, Damon Barone
Greetings, Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.
I have been a registered Alief ISD volunteer and mentor since 2010, in fact my volunteer number is 265, which means that there are only 264 people that have been registered volunteers longer in this district than I have been, if they even still exist or are actively engaged.
I have also consistently attended Alief school board meetings and public meetings since 2016.
With all things considered, I believe my concerns have not been properly understood. I am fully aware, based upon reading the board’s agenda, that during these special called meetings for the superintendent search, that you all’s intentions are to go straight into executive session, which is not for the public’s engagement.
You all have also made this abundantly clear, on the record, in your public comments; however, by law, the patron presentation portion of all public meetings do belong to our community.
On September 01, 2019 House Bill 2840 was passed requiring that all public meetings allow patron presentations, this also includes all safety and security meetings.
During the March 22, 2022 school board meeting this board unanimously voted to shorten the community’s patron presentation times to speak from 5 minutes to 3 minutes in you all’s alleged desire to expedite the school board meetings.
During the August 31, 2022 Safety and Security meeting President Ann Williams, Trustee Rick Moreno, and Trustee Pastor Gregg Patrick did not allow the public the opportunity to conduct patron presentations, and I was asked to leave without presenting, which violated the open meetings act.
You all continue to make it clear what times and places that this board does not desire our community to be actively engaged, or do not want our voices to be heard.
Please share with us publicly when and how you desire for us to be engaged and how you want our voices to be heard, other than when it is time to vote on you all’s elections, or bond referendums.
My last concern is that during each school board meeting, and these closed executive session special called meetings, the least number of Alief ISD police officers that I have seen so far has been three officers, sometimes more; yet when I attended college night on October 6, 2022 with my family, we only saw ONE police officer there.
When two children were nearly abducted during recess at Best Elementary, and the teachers were assaulted trying to save those children in November and December of 2021, there was no police presence and the fence was not erected for another 7 months.
My question is, what is the board so afraid of that you all continue to use our tax money to protect the seven of you all in a greater manner than you do for our children, staff, and community members?
Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.