Money Over Mind

The school district of Aldine, Texas, on the outskirts of Houston, is a spectacular example of money over mind. Two years ago, the Aldine taxpayers' association got full control of the seven-man school board, and nothing but penny-pinching grief has resulted since. The Aldine district (pop. 45,000) has had three school superintendents in two years, turned over 9% of its students to Houston to save money. Last summer the board cut the proposed school tax from $1.58 per $100 property assessment to $1.35. Result: the town's twelve schools (9,000 students) temporarily lost accreditation: after their paychecks stopped last month. Aldine's teachers quit their jobs and the schools shut down entirely.

At that, even the board had misgivings, got special permission from the state legislature to raise $200,000 by selling short-term warrants to its Houston bank. As citizens cheered, the board voted to reopen the schools and even to boost the tax rate next fiscal year to $1.75. But trouble was far from over: the bank flatly refused to buy Aldine's warrants, and the schools stayed closed.

The next board meeting fortnight ago was an ugly brawl. To the high-school auditorium went 1,000 of Aldine's concerned citizens, anxious to hear three board members who had promised a new solution. But after a look at the crowd's mood (two earlier meetings had broken up in fist fights), the three board members decided to keep their plan to themselves, and another member moved to adjourn the meeting. "The time for solution is now!" cried one citizen, and with that a riot erupted. The angry crowd dragged two board members from the stage, beat them with chairs and anything else handy. With the auditorium a maelstrom of flying bodies, county police in 24 prowl cars moaned up to the school to quell the disturbance.

Last week, trying to reopen the schools by themselves. Aldine's citizens plunked down $85,500 toward the time warrants needed. At the same time, the Harris County (Houston) grand jury announced that it was looking into a charge that two board members had "pecuniary" interest in last year's purchase of a new school site. Whatever the outcome, the Aldine school system was already a proven mess. Many a weary citizen spoke out in favor of a sad but sound solution: give all of Aldine's schools to Houston.

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