Frank Madla Buys Good Press

Our anonymous sources did some research on the SD 19 race, and this what they found. The unedited version of Frank "the educator" Madla.

So by now you've probably heard about South San Antonio ISD (South San) voting to rename Royalgate elementary school to Frank Madla elementary school less than two months before the primary( 1).

Madla calls it the single biggest honor of his life and proudly writes about it on BOR's SD-19 profile (2).

Except, as the Express-News points out, this wouldn't be the first time that South San has played politics with their schools- going so far as to not hold public discussion before the vote and admonishing any member of Royalgate elementary who wishes to speak to the media about the name change ( 3).

But here's the thing, it doesn't stop there. According to Madla's latest campaign finance report he paid Edgar (it written down as Esgar, but as we all know, Madla can't spell) Lopez $3,000 in early November for "local campaign coordination." Edgar Lopez just so happesn to be the brother of South San Antonio ISD school board president Manuel Lopez, the main force on the board for renaming Royalgate. Check the report, it's on page 87 ( 4- pdf).

So let's get the timeline straight, on November 8 Madla pays Edgar Lopez $3,000 for campaign work. A couple of weeks later, Carlos Uresti announces his run for State Senate. Less than two months after that Edgar Lopez' brother, South San school board president Manuel Lopez, rams through a proposal to rename Madla's local elementary school after him- citing nothing more than admiration for Madla's record.

Finally, let me close with this- Madla ends his op-ed over at Burnt Orange Report with these words:

"And with an elementary school not far from my home in South San Antonio as my namesake, every day, I will drive by a concrete reminder of the debt that is owed to every Texas student, from those in kindergarten to those in our higher learning institutions. I believe in them, and I will spare no effort to ensure they have every support needed to reach their highest potential."

I've blockwalked this neighborhood, it's solidly working-class. So while the school district is needlessly spending money on changing their letterhead, school marquee, and anything else with the name Royalgate Elementary on it just so Madla can earn a few more votes from the area, I'd be willing to bet there's several students at that school who lost their health insurance in 2003. Yeah, that's sparing no effort.

Looks like when a few people dig in SD 19, they find gold...