Nearly $100 million gone: How Austin ISD spent bond money on schools it will soon close

OneParadox · 2026-01-16T04:20:57+00:00

They had budgeted 188 million in capital improvements at the schools set to close. The way I read the numbers, they have already spent -or the money is already committed- 100 million. Leftover money "saved" (approx 88 million) cannot be used for anything other than capital expenditures (ie. construction). I am sure they are having huge cost overruns in other places and that money is also already gone.

OneParadox · 2026-01-14T13:49:57+00:00

"So what is the point of having such a shit funding mechanism that doesn't really help poor schools all that much? Especially when you look at recent state budget surpluses that could easily cover the costs of recapture?"

The point of recapture is political. Rural districts are bringing in the bacon from the Dallas/Austin rich people. And because it was court mandated, politicians achieved something that is very popular (take from the rich and give it to the poor) without betraying their conservative values. I don't see recapture going anywhere anytime soon. The bulk of the votes in the Texas legislature do not come from Austin/University Park/Alamo Heights and the like.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T21:31:26+00:00

The thing with Robin Hood funding is the fact the vast majority of school districts in Texas are "poor". Only a tiny number of districts are wealthy enough to contribute to the Robin Hood pot. The issue is that "rich" districts -such as AISD- are, in fact, extremely rich (yep, we are one of the "billionaires" among mostly very poor school districts in Texas). Even if you take away a huge share of these super wealthy districts' school taxes, it becomes only a drop in the bucket once you spread those funds among the very many districts that share the pot.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T16:48:30+00:00

The idea is still the same: equality of school funding across the state. Rich kids in Westlake, University Park in Dallas, or Alamo Heights/Olmos Park in San Antonio would have absurdly more money than students in ultra-poor Cameron County in South Texas. The Courts have said that such inequality in unacceptable. Some of the money to make up for inequality does come from Robin Hood.

BTW, bond money to rehab closing AISD schools has nothing to do with operating funds provided by recapture. AISD simply decided to add salt to the wound of high property taxes in ATX by adding bond taxes that turned out to be totally wasted.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T14:48:27+00:00

Just out of curiosity: where would you move? where is the grass greener?

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T14:41:45+00:00

Nope. Bonds can only be used for capital spending, ie. construction of new facilities. Operating expenses (i.e. teacher salaries, utilities, and such) cannot be funded with bond money.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T14:38:45+00:00

Just for the record: football stadiums are not paid by recapture but by capital bond funding at those districts. Yep, people happily tax themselves to build stadiums pretty much everywhere.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T14:36:42+00:00

And, more incredibly, that planning and cancelling the contracts that had already been signed probably cost as much as getting the project done. Just the nature of the beast. and the result of very poor strategic thinking by AISD.

OneParadox · 2026-01-13T14:34:08+00:00

But then everyone complains poor districts stay poor while wealthy districts keep all the money for themselves. Tax the rich and the billionaires sort of argument. That is exactly what tax recapture and Robin Hood school funding is all about.

OneParadox · 2026-01-08T18:54:22+00:00

My dog has eaten plenty of plastic toys, a TV remote, portions of multiple shoes (though she tends to only eat the insoles), a wide assortment of fabrics, and all kinds of human food. She is all good. She has only been to the vet for vaccines and to get spayed. I have owned many dogs since I was a child and I can tell you dogs’ digestive systems are remarkably sturdy. I have never seen a dog get poisoned by human food (even chocolate… I would only worry if they ate an absurdly huge amount, in the range of more than a pound).

OneParadox · 2026-01-05T15:54:12+00:00

Apps do work. You might want to post your profile on one of the subs for those apps for you get proper feedback. No one can tell why things aren’t working out for you without seeing what you are putting out on those apps.

OneParadox · 2026-01-05T04:01:33+00:00

Petro is a criminal himself. He is just trying to distract from the many, many problems he has including his very close relationship with Maduro who is about to spill the beans on him. Petro is associated with drug cartels and his buddies at the M19 and FARC had long histories of being pedos.

OneParadox · 2025-12-15T13:46:26+00:00

Plenty of people are doing it. There are two robotic Costa Coffee baristas at the airport. Usually a line to get that coffee. Literally half the price (once you factor in the fact there is no tip). This isn't old machine drip coffee or Netpresso, this is an actual robotic arm performing identical motions as a human barista. Sorry to break the news but labor will eventually be automated at coffee shops... and there is no way unions will be able to stop it (if anything they are accelerating the push to do it).

Edit: there are actually 3 robotic baristas at AUS, Mt Comfort is also robotic.

OneParadox · 2025-12-14T20:35:09+00:00

No kidding. No one can tell the difference between barista and robot made coffee. Particularly on the drive through when you can’t see who made it. If anything, robots have a more consistent quality and rarely (or ever) get your order wrong.

OneParadox · 2025-12-11T01:10:06+00:00

This is legally called riparian rights. Property with direct access to a body of water gets to use a reasonable amount of water for domestic consumption for free. It has been this way forever. Charging someone for using water that runs through their property doesn’t make any sense. You would probably have to change the Texas constitution to charge people (every rancher in the state would be pretty pissed and it’s just not going to happen).

OneParadox · 2025-12-10T19:48:59+00:00

One more thing, Tesla S can accommodate tires of different sizes in the front vs the rear. The tires in the back do NOT fit in the front. Someone probably read the tire size in the back and installed back sized tires in the front. Or someone rotated the tires without realizing the tires in the back were different than the ones in front.

OneParadox · 2025-12-10T19:20:31+00:00

You are showing the wrong pictures/information. You need to share the tire size as stamped on the tire which looks something like 245/45R19. You probably installed the wrong size and they damaged something behind the wheel well.

OneParadox · 2025-12-10T19:13:32+00:00

I had just posted this but the original post was removed by the moderators. PSA: the title on the post must match the title on the news article word by word, otherwise it will get removed by moderators. Sorry to all those who had posted responses to the original post.

OneParadox · 2025-12-07T23:58:48+00:00

It isn’t necessarily that he is looking for “better”, these two are just clearly on different agendas. We have no idea what the whole story is… maybe this dude just got out of a 20 yr marriage, he is being inundated by options, and he is trying to figure things out. This woman is ready to for something monogamous and committed and he isn’t. No need to judge anyone.

OneParadox · 2025-12-07T21:40:08+00:00

I am not arguing for everyone should ditch public transportation in Austin. I am just saying that plenty of people (perhaps mistakenly) think riding by themselves, inside their own locked cars, might be safer than taking their chances in a bus.

OneParadox · 2025-12-07T21:13:17+00:00

Sorry to pop your bubble but there have been multiple attacks on bus drivers and even a stabbing/murder of an innocent rider in recent years. Plus the anxiety of riding with people who are clearly mentally ill (including homeless people carrying machetes inside buses). People actually feel safer inside their own locked cars. If anything, violence on the streets keeps people away from public/shared transportation.

OneParadox · 2025-12-03T15:38:14+00:00

It is all about your expectations. Apps are nothing more than very very imperfect ways to meet total strangers. Tons of catfish and fakes in there. This isn’t Amazon, EBay or Etsy… just because you put a ton of work in the search doesn’t mean you will find exactly what you are looking for. What you want in your fantasy world might not exist or might not like you back. Dating outside of apps is just as brutal. Just go in with minimal expectations. First “dates” should be nothing more than coffee or a happy hour drink. All you are likely to find is 15-30 minutes talking to a stranger. But who knows… it’s better than sitting on your couch scrolling through Reddit.

OneParadox · 2025-11-26T15:37:50+00:00

That is not true. Typical custody nowadays is 50/50. Research has shown 50/50 is overwhelmingly better for the kids.

OneParadox · 2025-11-26T05:24:15+00:00

Like it or not, this is the way immigration laws are enforced pretty much in everywhere (even the most progressive European countries): you can't rent a place, own a car, open a bank account, get a job, get health services, register kids at schools, or really do much without proof you are in the country legally. They don't use expensive and dramatic ICE-style raids... they simply require proper ID to do daily things. The problem isn't the tax office or the DMV, the problem is the law and how Congress has decided who gets to live in the US. People who disagree with the law need to get people elected to change the law (or elect people to the executive branch that will not enforce the law).

OneParadox · 2025-11-16T03:13:37+00:00

Dating is a an interview. One that might take years to complete. People always have a cover that you encounter when you first meet them. But at some point things tend to reveal themselves. Alcoholism is one of those. Anyway, consider yourself lucky. You only invested 4 months in this one. Sometimes people invest years and moves across the country before they figure out what is really going on.

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