Dallas' Community College District Can't Issue $1.1 Billion In Bonds Because of a Lawsuit

[TexasTowelie]

In May, voters overwhelmingly approved a $1.1 billion bond package for the Dallas County Community College District. Plans for those dollars are ambitious. Chancellor Joe May talked about an expansive downtown higher ed and innovation hub to tie together the district’s work with four-year universities and Dallas ISD high schools. The district will include downtown student housing and a new El Centro College campus in their plans. The new hub is expected to cost $535 million.

But those plans have screeched to a halt. Six months since the bond passed with 71.5 percent in favor, DCCCD hasn’t seen a penny. A lawsuit contesting the results of the election is now a road block in the way of the district’s plans. With ongoing litigation implying there’s even a chance the result could be reversed, the district can’t get approval to issue bonds.

That means the first set of projects—$200 million to $300 million toward planning and executing the downtown hub—is on hold indefinitely, DCCCD confirmed in an email this week.

“As long as the election contest suit is pending or until a final, non-appealable judicial order that does not overturn the election has been obtained, the district is unable to issue bonds or finance a public project(s),” reads the emailed statement. “The district will be able to issue bonds after the bond-related litigation is favorably concluded.”

Read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2019/11/dallas-community-college-district-bond-package-lawsuit/?ref=mpw

[Soapboxmom]

1. DCCCD Our Tax Dollars at Waste

I attend Richland College. Knowing what I know now I would never have voted to approve that bond. Much of Richland is in extremely poor repair. Fannin Hall has had serious leaks throughout the building that have been repaired numerous times. After all the money spent the leaks have only been reduced. The supposed big renovation was not much more than new sound proofing in the two large rehearsal halls, new lights in the performance hall and some work in the theater department. The soundproofing and new soundproof doors for the practice rooms were never installed. Fannin Hall is basically a dump. Not to mention there are only a fraction of the practice rooms needed for the number of students enrolled and those few rooms are filled with broken pianos missing many key covers. Richland's Music Department Head waste thousands of dollars on trips, expensive meals out for his classes and the Carnival of Steel Festival that has been a total bust for years, but necessary things for a music department to function are not funded.

The Richland Music Department Chair and Choir Director pretty much turn everyone who walks into the building into a music major. Music students are told not to go to Career Services, the advising center or Transfer Center as the music advisors want to fill the music chairs with no regard to the needs of the students. That leads to students exhausting their financial aid eligible hours on music crap that will not transfer or lead to gainful employment. Students that do try to transfer will be dozens of hours over what is on a degree plan and are likely to have to pay out of state / non-resident tuition at a 4 year Texas University.

All those non-transferable hours are a bloodbath for the taxpayers and students lives are being ruined by dirty advisors who are using students to fill music chairs. I have properly informed all levels of the administration at Richland, in DCCCD and the DCCCD board itself. DCCCD is a disorganized mess and communication is almost non-existent. DCCCD has armies of staff for all sorts of things like Asian Student Success, Male Achievement, Student Life, TSI advisors and much much more. DCCCD can boast that it is a huge employer in Dallas. But, the students and taxpayers are not being served. Problems simply do not get addressed.

Until there is much better communication and accountability, I would not give DCCCD a dime. Student enrollment has declined for years and online course offerings have greatly increased. Funds should be spent to repair the existing facilities. Funds should be spent to see advising is fixed so that students utilize Career Services, advising and the Transfer Center to get job training and classes that will actually lead to gainful employment.

DCCCD is a disaster!

[TexasTowelie]

3. Welcome to DU!

I lived near North Lake for over ten years. I reviewed the course catalog and I saw nothing offered that would have persuaded me to enroll. It would have been difficult for me to take classes during the spring semester due to the workload at my job, but there were a few times that I could have fit a class in during the summer or fall semesters. When I was on the campus, I never saw any joy in any of the students--they were the textbook definition of the word "melancholy." I frequently wondered what happened to those students after North Lake--did they enroll in a four-year university or were they able to find a job in the field that they studied?

As far as music majors are concerned, I strongly recommend that they get a teacher certification or take courses in accounting or computer science to enhance their employment prospects.

[Soapboxmom]

2. Open Records Requests Reveal DCCCD's Issues

https://realscam.com/f16/dcccd-richland-college-music-advising-derrick-logozzo-melissa-logan-out-state-tuition-nightmare-5481/

I have done several Open Records Requests. The advising in the Richland College Music Department is totally unethical. The music advisors were instructed by VP Donna Walker to follow the Guided Pathways / Degree Plans, but the student records clearly show that is not happening. Students are in dozens of credit hours that do not apply to any degree and will not transfer costing the taxpayers a fortune!

[Soapboxmom]

4. DCCCD Our Tax Dollars at Waste Students Advised Into Financial Disaster

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article101438492.html?fbclid=IwAR2Jdkf7bMl_0sSIhq-bYldW5ep5OGoD3VphBi8fH4bQACqDThfava3T7Cg

Richland Music students don't have to change majors to end up paying out of state tuition at the 4 year Texas College they transfer to. Derrick Logozzo, the Music Department Head and Melissa Logan will exhaust students financial aid and in state tuition hours with dozens of excess credit hours of music nonsense that apply to nothing. The advising just keeps getting worse. Derrick Logozzo, who is an alumnae of UNT, is claiming that students can transfer something like 140 credit hours and that students needn't worry about out of state tuition. The linked article tells the tragic stories of UNT students that have excess hours.


God forbid DCCCD gets its hands on the bond money to blow. DCCCD is a disaster and tax dollars are being wasted while students are being harmed financially that will never recover. Time to clean out that corrupt and totally useless board.

[Soapboxmom]

5. Dallas College Richland Campus NASM Accreditation Revoked

The Dallas College Richland Campus has had its NASM (National Association of Schools of Music) accreditation revoked. The predatory advisors are still loading students with dozens of hours of music nonsense that exhausts their financial aid and will land them in out of state tuition at their own Texas Universities. Until there is a huge change in leadership DCCCD should not get to spend a penny of the taxpayers' money. What a disaster!

[Soapboxmom]

6. Student Records, State Law, University Policies on Video

[link:https://vimeo.com/503622734|

[Soapboxmom]

7. DCCCD / Dallas College Disorganized Mess No Refunds for Cancelled Classes

DCCCD / Dallas College is a disorganized mess. Cancelled classes still show as ongoing in Blackboard and Econnect so we cannot get refunds. The predatory advisors are still running loose and students are not getting the accurate information and real help that they need.

Unfortunately, DCCCD now has the bond money to waste. The voters need get the long-time board members out and vote in a board that will provide proper oversight and handle our money carefully. Dr. May and all of the incompetent administrators under him need to be replaced.