Hink Seeks Position 6 On KISD Board

The Katy Courier - March 17, 2006

by Catherine Brown

As a charter member of The Katy Citizen Watchdog$, an organization which polices the activities of the Katy ISD Board of Trustees, Fred Hink is running against incumbent Robert Shaw for Position 6 on the KISD Board of Trustees because he wants a change.

"My primary concern is that the school district seems to continually spend money without really taking any serious look at the consequences for spending that money," Hink said. "The effects of passing the bond and of continued borrowing and spending on the board's part is going to start putting a crunch on teachers, a crunch on programs in the schools and ultimately the students — our children — are going to suffer."

In Hink's initial campaign statement, released on Wednesday, he said the district's debt is $1.5 billion, but they can't pay off that debt because the 2005-2006 revenue is $380 million while expenditures are $400 million. "It's obvious this board cannot pay the current debt and keep a balanced budget," he said.

Hink also sees potential problems for taxpayers if the board continues its "irresponsible spending," — the first being bankruptcy.

"Ultimately, this wonderful image that our district has right now is going to be extremely tarnished," he said. "We won't have to worry about growth anymore, because people won't want to move out here because the schools will be declining and we'll be in debt up to our eyeballs."

Hink, who has earned the endorsement of the Watchdog$, feels his 15 years of experience owning a management and marketing consulting firm will aid him in his efforts to reform the board's spending.

"I saved my clients millions of dollars by identifying ways they could do things better," he said.

Hink said he will use his experience from his consulting firm to question everything that the administration puts before the board for expenditures.

Hink also said he has proven his leadership by leading a group called Katy Zero Tolerance last fall.

"We confronted the district on the need to change procedures in the discipline policy, and they refused," he said. "We took our case to Austin, and I led an intense lobby effort against the educational establishment.

"We passed a bill in the legislature unanimously, which is an extremely hard thing to do," Hink said. "We were able to stand up to big money education lobby and win. I think that's proven leadership. I won't back down, and I'll stick to my convictions — leadership and action."

Even though Hink's opponents may point out that both his children are in private school, Hink said he thinks that provides him a unique perspective.

"I'm in a unique position where I've had my children in Katy ISD and private school," he said. "I can see the differences, and I can compare and contrast. Not everything in the private school is what we expected, and Katy ISD was better, and vice versa. I think it provides for a unique perspective that none of the other candidates can provide."

Hink also pointed out that he is still a taxpayer and wants to protect his property value and reduce property taxes for himself and others.

If elected, Hink wants to open the lines of communication between the board and the taxpayers.

"I want to engage the taxpayers, the teachers, the parents and have more of an open relationship with them than what is being currently done on the board," he said. "They're very closed about the information that the let out.

"Part of it is the taxpayers' fault," Hink said. "No one has questioned it. As a board member, I need to open up that information to people for them to be able to understand what is going on."

Hink also feels the board members have lost touch with their constituents.

"There's an underrepresentation on that board for the common parent and employee," Hink said. "The board members have not been responsive to the public, so I want to represent the people who elect me unlike what is being done now."

Hink also hopes the bond up for vote in May will be defeated, so the board can rework a more fiscally responsible bond if he is elected.

"We have to fund new schools, so we need to come back with a much more responsible bond in November," he said. "It will be a line item type bond, so citizens can look at and vote on individual items that need to be done."

The election for the seven-member board is on May 13, with early voting beginning two weeks earlier.