The Wrong Side of the Tracks

“The phrase "wrong side of the tracks" originated from the physical layout of many cities where railroad tracks often divided neighborhoods, with the poorer areas typically located on one side of the tracks, thus signifying "the wrong side" due to the associated lower socioeconomic status.”s

The statement above is from a google search defining the phrase “wrong side of the tracks”.  Apparently the phrase has been in use since the early 1800’s when the railroads were a “thing” and many times their tracks would bisect towns creating areas deemed poorer on one side of the tracks and richer on the other.  I have heard the term all my life so I don’t know if it is more southern, northern or universal.  No matter, I view it is as negative thing to say.  

We have often joked, as a family, about living on the “wrong side of the tracks”.  Growing up I lived south of Basse Road (no real tracks),the dividing line between San Antonio Independent School District and Northeast Independent School District putting me squarely NOT in the affluent NEISD.  Conversely, I lived north of the tracks on Hildebrand Ave. which separated my neighborhood from the affluent Monte Vista area. 

Where did I fall in regards to the “tracks”?  — Firmly ensconced in middle class mediocrity.  I lived, for all my life until adulthood, in housing that was built for the returning troops after World War 2.

So, where is this going?  Let me make one thing clear — I AM NOT POLITICAL!  I don’t care for politics, won’t talk about politics, don’t play the game and it truly is a game but….

I live in Fort Worth — far north Fort Worth —in an area adjacent to a small town named Keller.  The two areas are divided by — you guessed it — a railroad track and a state highway.  We pay Fort Worth taxes but we pay Keller school taxes and our kids go to Keller Schools.

We have modest houses on this side of the tracks as well as houses priced in the high six figures, some 7 figures.  The neighborhood across the street from us is popular with hilly terrain and McMansions.  The property in Keller is much the same — modest housing all the way up to 7 figure houses.  It is all relative.  

The majority of the schools in KISD are on the West side (wrong side) of the tracks with one high school and a handful of feeder schools on the East (right side). 

So, what is the problem you might ask?  WELL — Keller ISD is having financial issues.  They aren’t as flush as they need to be. They are blaming it on our governors insistence on instituting a voucher system giving state money to families to, in turn, support private schooling.  That wouldn’t be a good thing because our public schools would come up short.  Because the state hasn’t been able to “sell” this voucher system to the public, the governor has withheld funds to the public schools and our teachers haven’t had a raise in two years.  He really wants his way.  

So, the KISD Board of Education has decided the thing to do to save the district is to split the district in two and separate creating a new, yet unnamed district.  The KISD would have one high school and a small feeder pattern.  The OTHER side would have all the schools and, all the debt.  See where I am going here?

Basically, we on the West (wrong) side of the tracks would have to start over again, our teachers would be affected as well as our students.  We, on the West side, would lose access to some important facilities and programs as well.

So, you might say, upon further thought what is wrong with it?  Well, what is wrong with it is that the Board of Education has been making these plans without public knowledge, in back room meetings, no public vote — they were just going to make it happen until it got leaked and now it is a big ball of mess. 

How does this affect me?  Well, my property values will likely decrease.  My daughter is a teacher in this district and Bean is a student in the district.  The stress my daughter is experiencing is excessive and my granddaughter is going to join in a protest on Friday (are we back to the 60’s?).  And, honestly, I am getting tired of being called “underprivileged” and “one of those people who cant pay their bills”.  It is ludicrous that they want to deny the West side the use of facilities that were paid 75% by the West side.

I say to our students, here is your opportunity to shine — make the new ISD the best it can be, get those test scores up, show the world what you are made of.  I say, be bigger, be better and be kind — yep, be kind — and as Jean Stapleton said in “You’ve Got Mail” it is the right thing to do.

Ok, rant over.