Jenney continues to receive raises as FBISD lays off teachers, closes schools, cuts vacations.

When Dr. Tim Jenney of Fort Bend ISD was hired in 2006, his starting pay was $240,000. He has had a three percent increase in salary at least twice.  Once was in 2009 when his salary went to over a quarter of a million dollars.  Some board members cite undocumented increases in academic advances and continue to claim that Dr. Jenney points FBISD in the "right direction".  According to a January 2009 Chronicle article, Dr. Jenney claims to be in a "very supportive" environment - and that he is - at least on Lexington Avenue in the administration building.  Elsewhere his support runs thin.

Those teachers who did not lose their jobs in Fort Bend suffered other losses.  The calendar year has changed significantly over the past three years.  Teacher vacations continue to get cut shorter and shorter, and not because of T.E.A.'s new official public school start date.  One of the oldest traditions in Fort Bend, Fort Bend County Fair Day, was lost to district employees.  Not that employees couldn't attend Fair Day, they just didn't get the day off to take their students or families to the event.  Dr. Jenney, being from Virginia, couldn't understand the backlash from the community and teachers when this tradition was gone.  Now the day is being offered back on one of the calendar options this year.  But nothing comes without a price, and if teachers opt to keep Fort Bend County Fair day, they lose at least two more. The days before Thanksgiving is one of them.  Either way, FBISD employees will lose more vacation time and, as usual get little or no say in the matter (other than choosing when they will lose their vacation time).  Either way, Dr. Jenney and the board of directors will be in a position to claim that whichever calendar is chosen, was chosen by the employees.

Future layoffs and perhaps the loss of one of the district's oldest high schools, Willowridge, loom in Fort Bend's uncertain future.  But one thing is for sure.  The board will grant Dr. Jenny another three percent raise.  And three percent of a quarter million, ain't too bad, even in this economy.