Oooops

What a curious thing the Falls News did. The Legislative Lowdown doesn’t mention the most significant purchase our district has made in 40 years. I’m so in shock I don’t know what to say about it. How do you not report this?! Hmm maybe it’s because we didn’t actually buy it! We approved version 18 of 22 contracts it appears. Don’t worry, the board will have a chance to rectify the mistake at this Wednesdays meeting. Now I really understand the need for the vote to be posted here. The blame game has already started. What I want to know is why it took 22 contract rewrites to get it right. I guess that’s what happens when you try to hurry a purchase. I have been told I am politically naïve for thinking Woodridge really wanted to look into a joint venture with us. Silly me believing something our CEO told me.
Also on Wednesdays’ agenda- Contract renewals and some non-renewals, a multitude of policy revisions as well as presentations by our curriculum director on textbooks and our CEO and CFO with a financial update. Oh and a resolution to request the Auditor of the State of Ohio to release our district from fiscal "watch". My feelings on it are we should save everyone the paperwork troubles. I know, I know. How dang negative of me. But without a levy (or some serious cuts) we will be revisiting a deficit situation in 2008. A Falls News letter to the editor suggests we follow the cuts in the recovery plan. I agree. One of the problems is the cuts were cut. People need to understand that some of the money savings promised are not happening. While the recovery plan looks good on paper it has to be completely implemented to make an impact. I saw some familiar names on the last delinquent tax list. I have had many senior citizens in the community tell me they will have to sell their homes if property taxes go up any more. Social Security does not give a $40.00 per month cost of living increase. That is the average amount I’m told most home owners taxes went up. Can you say house for rent? Because that is the trend in the Falls when seniors move out. Some rental company buys it or the sheriff takes it and sells it to HUD. This isn’t your fathers CF.
And one more issue I’d like to touch on. The administrative salary increases. First of all the board approved a new salary schedule which did two things. It gave some raises and it didn’t give some raises. The "responsibility factor" can be adjusted. But more importantly it has generated talk in the community about where our priorities seem to lie. Are some of these people deserving of what they got? Sure. Could we have done better? Yes. But either way contracts with a salary schedule were in place. Our CEO presented the board with a new salary schedule that he said was superior to what was in place and would save our district money. If there is something amiss I am not aware of it.
Our administrators need to focus on being accountable to the stake holders of this district and educating children. The politics involved do nothing to benefit the education of children. The same issues that have devastated major corporations are devastating school districts across the nation. I will admit that I am too new on the board to truly know who is an effective administrator and who is not. I am not in the position to see these people working on a daily basis. I must take recommendations from the districts CEO whom I had no part in hiring and keep my fingers crossed he is doing a good job. Information is provided in a less than timely manner. Yet my last minute questions seem to irritate some. I will continue to be contrary and ask questions until I feel I am getting information in a timely manner. If I am to approve and take responsibility for these decisions, I need to be kept informed.