October 2020
Patrons of Garland ISD,
The Garland ISD communities of Garland, Rowlett and Sachse have been my home for most of my life and all my adult working years, and I ask for your support to enhance my service to the students and citizens of these cities as a Trustee. Serving on the GISD Board of Trustees will allow me to become much more active in the district and be a representative of our community.
I worked in the banking industry in Garland for 47 years, and I believe these years of experience provide me with the business-related skills required to serve as a Trustee. My experience working with CEOs, CFOs, directors, committees and direct involvement with lending, audit and compliance functions aligns with the requirements and functions of an effective trustee. Also, the large dollar values associated with our district are not abstractions, they are real dollars that the citizens entrust to the districts for the benefit of the community. I ask that you give special consideration to my experience of managing financial portfolios with the large number of projects and billions of dollars entrusted to this position.
One of my earliest memories as a community supporter was in the early 60's when I worked at the First National Bank in Garland, which supported the Garland ISD FFA/Agriculture program and the annual FFA Auction and Sale. In those days, the FFA Show was held on the grounds of Garland High School.
I share great memories with many of you as we invested time and shared our experience with those students and teachers though the years.
There were a few educational facilities and programs that did not benefit from the 2014 bond program, and I will champion and encourage their consideration in the next bond. The district continues to catch up on aging facilities as a result of deferred maintenance during a time when bond programs were not pursued by the district. GISD is at the end of the 2014 $455 million bond program, and current assessments indicate that the district needs approximately $1.5 Billion. I do believe that the district should purse a bond program. If the district does not stay on an aggressive bond program, facility needs will only fall further and further behind. Updating and modernizing facilities will provide the students, teachers, and administrators with the tools for success.
As always, I feel that total transparency and precise details of what the bond program will provide to the district is particularly important. Interest rates are at a record low, which makes borrowing money under a bond program very advantageous for the district and its taxpayers.
Part of my vision for the students of the district would be a new Agriculture Training Center and Horticulture Training Center with up-to-date equipment, teaching and training programs. In addition to the Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs now in place, the district should strive to provide as many new or enhanced CTE programs as possible for students in the district.
Garland ISD is fortunate to be in an area that is not feeling the economic effects of declining real estate values, but we may not see values go up at the historic rates that we have seen in the past. Garland ISD is fortunate to have the combined strength of three cities that make up the district. The tax base and infrastructure provided by Garland, Rowlett and Sachse are especially important to the operation of the district. The SRO programs that are a partnership with Garland, Rowlett and Sachse Police Departments are important to the safety and success of the district.
The COVID crisis has created challenges in the teaching and learning process across our nation. Getting students back into school and assessing where they are in the education process, partly due to the disruptions of the COVID crisis, will be extremely important. I believe the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) reports provide trustees valuable information to be informed on this progress.
The district has placed a Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (TRE) item on the November ballot.
I support the approval of the TRE.
I would appreciate you vote in the upcoming election.
Thank you,
Bob Duckworth
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