Racket -- a business that obtains money through fraud or extortion; an illegal or dishonest practice -- a clamor or uproar.

Also known as the "good ol' boys" network.

The racket is back. The players may change, but the game remains the same.

Mark this down and see how reliable my "clamor" is, compared to the mouth-noise of some self-styled "leaders" in this area.

I predict Lancaster ISD hires a new architect --the SHW Group. When you care enough to spend the very most -- SHW are the go-to guys. Bye bye, Steve Hulsey and Corgan Schools.

I predict Lancaster ISD tosses Matt Boles of RBC Dain Rausch under the bus. They'll bring in new bond advisors from the firm Moak Casey. This, despite the flowery praise Larry Lewis always heaps upon Boles as a 'true friend of this district". Bye, Matt. It's been fun, no hard feelings, nothing personal, just the racket, you know.

I predict a "bond steering committee" will be appointed before Christmas, 2008. Strangely, the majority of bond committee membes will have been members of the "strategic planning committee" that is still to be formed. "Red" Whiddon and the "School Business Group" will NOT be facilitating. Bye bye, Red.

I predict Dr Larry Lewis will violate state law regarding similar committees, specifically, the Texas Education Code . I further predict attorney Cynthia Hill and conservator James Damm will find other priorities to worry about. Hey, team. it's only a law...

I predict the 07-08 acheivements of the Lancaster Middle School will be attributed to local hero Eugene Young but that the TEA-appointed intervention led by Bobby Parker -- old white guy from Waxahachie -- will be completely obscured. Sorry Bobby. Hey, Bobby, want a secret mission to the High School?

Speaking of old white guys, I predict no praise or publicity for perennial not-quite-entitled-to-the-title-Chief-Financial-Officer Ted Warren. Certainly he'll get no more credit for salvaging any of the LISD's finances in the coming year than he was offered in May 2007. Just as Cheryl Peoples was praised to the sky for her long hours during the construction of an 06-07 ledger to be audited - while rescue consultant Warren was never publically mentioned -- I predict this year's budget process will rely heavily on the man Lewis forced out of this district in 2005, without actually mentioning, let alone praising, the white guy's efforts.
And I predict this ommission even though Dr Lewis begged the board, TWICE, to re-hire Warren; a second bite at the apple from the full board after a quorum failed to approve Warren's hire , 2-2-1, in the previous month. Hi Ted, welcome home.

And still speaking of old white guys, I predict former trustee Russ Johnson soon will be in the back in spotlight. Not, I fear, enjoying his new role as local spokesman for Fiends of Texas Public Schools. For that, Russ has impeccable credentials, being one of the few trustees refusing to allow taxpayer funds to buy his meals at board social events, and refusing travel expense reimbursements for his training and other necessary trips. Unfortunately, with the collapse of new Trustee Cheryl Wright under the rudeness and mockery of Ed Kirkland, Russ is, I predict, a leading contender for apppointment to re-fill that seat until May elections. This allows Russ to exercise his self-proclaimed ignorance about the complexities of school finance law. It also affords him the on-going opportunity to lecture us all about the biggest problem in public schools: too much money "wasted" --as he puts it -- doing maintenance on infrastructure. So we'll soon see Russ and the FOTPS fiends and the Lewis-and-Kirkland song and dance team stumping for a new bond at civic clubs, church groups, and town meetings all over Lancaster. I'd welcome you back, Russ, but then, you never really went away, did you?