Moak & Casey Summary
from the
Allen ISD and Lovejoy ISD
Options for the Future
Report
August 2002

The Moak & Casey financial study is part of the "in-depth study of revenue and expenses for secondary schools" "developed prior to the consolidation election" as cited by Carol Ray, Lovejoy superintendent.

Moak & Casey had access to an earlier study by the Genesis Partnership (April 2002) when they made a recommendation for additional budgetary analysis.
Below is a summary of the Moak & Casey report that states "additional analysis of the budget implications" need to be made before a decision to create new secondary schools can be made. The Lovejoy board opted not to follow their consultant's advice.

Entire paragraph reads:
"The decision to pursue the status quo, to establish a secondary facility at Lovejoy, or to consolidate the districts, can be informed, but not fully addressed by the revenue estimates provided by this report. A final decision will require additional analysis of the budget implications for each scenario and further exploration of local preferences.

Rich Hickman, Lovejoy school board president, stated, "Ms. Rizos took out of context Moak & Casey's recommendation for "additional analysis" – the data they were hoping to get involved just two areas: better demographic projections (which we have obtained) and information about what the state of Texas would do with school funding. Every district in Texas is still waiting anxiously for the answer to that last question. "

Unfortunately, even if Moak & Casey was referring to demographic projections, the demographic study recommended by Moak & Casey was not completed before the school board voted to build. The demographic study was not completed until two years later, long after the community had voted a secondary school into existence.

Other school districts in Texas have established secondary buildings and programs and will be better able to weather the outcome of school funding decisions.