The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truth

I am dedicating this blog to all who doubt my intentions, predict my agenda, or question my integrity. I am asked by many people why I want to close Silver Lake Elementary. I am also asked once in a while when I'm going to reopen Newberry. Neither is going to happen. I will however once and for all try to put this to rest.

But let's start at the beginning. I was just a normal old Mom, volunteering at my sons' school when one day a friend ran out of the school and said- "Did ya hear they're going to close Newberry?" Needless to say I knew nothing of the sort. I was shocked. I wanted to know why any school was being closed and more importantly to me, why Newberry? After all, the school originally designated for my address was already closed (Bode). So I decided some research needed to be done. I couldn't believe that yet again the same neighborhood had to be affected by school closings. I went into this thinking that if a school needs to be closed, I needed to be sure that Newberry was the right one. After much public request, report gathering from the ODE, and much help from a dear friend of mine and her skill at making the confusing understandable, it became apparent that cost savings was not the true reason Newberry was picked. Before I go on, I want you to realize that ALL CF City schools were researched, not just Newberry and SL. The same criteria were used for each and every building.

The links below will provide you the very same information I used to come to the following conclusions. Our district has consistently spent an average of $1500.00 per pupil more on SL than any other elementary school in our district. This is not due to salaries, wages, and benefits. Newberry was a newer, handicapped accessible, more cost efficient building. FallsMom put together reports that made much of this public information understandable. If there is an outcry for these dummy proof reports, I will resurrect them. They basically cut out the BS and all info can be verified.

What most people failed to see was that SL was the most inefficient school to run in utilities, bussing, per pupil expenditures, I could go on and on. I did the homework once. This is the last time I will "prove" myself to the set of people that think I have some sort of evil plans for the school district. My decision to run for the board of Education was based largely on the fact that I feel my kids are getting the short end of the stick and I want to see it stop. Not just in the per pupil spending area, but in the teacher to student ratio area, district services area, bussing area…

You see, for me it does all come down to the tax rate issue. We all pay the same millage rate to the schools. Why should more of my dollars year after year after year go to any particular area in our district? And while we're on the tax talk, I also want to point out that another reason I chose to run for this position is because I am painfully aware of the issues many CF residents and a few SL residents face when property taxes go up and incomes don't.

And yes I am a bit cynical when it comes to SL. You see I have lived the inequities. I went to school here. And while some may say I'm paranoid, the numbers in the links show that for the ten years reported our district has favored SL elementary over all others. So the recorded history and my own experiences tell me it probably always has. Would you have me pretend this doesn't exist? The piece I found most telling is this. When the numbers we reported to the state were made available last fall (well after Newberry closed) there was a glaring discrepancy between the enrollment numbers used in project recovery and the numbers reported to the state of Ohio. It seems Newberry and Sill were the only schools with underreported students. You may not find this odd but I do. You see enrollment was one of the issues affecting the closings. Newberry actually had more students than reported and all other elementary schools had less than reported. 'Scuse me for being cynical.

On the subject of mentioning other Board members by name, I have been told by those people that if I do, I risk getting slapped with a libel and/or slander suit. In fact, I shouldn’t have even alluded to any of them in my statements. I apologize for that.

As for the drilling issue, I pointed out and it was reprinted here by ratpick that I have a contact in SL that is already involved with surveying for drilling in SL. I don't understand how this makes it a CF vs. SL issue. I have a contact there that could offer insight as to the viability of gas and oil on a property we own near his current surveying. What a terrible idea that was. I also asked about Roberts, which is in the Falls and a school I attended. What is my ulterior motive there?

Lastly to clear up any hurt feelings I may have caused, I respond everyone in comments with one posting. They are assumed by most to be individual comments. I did not realize the need to clarify this for newbies. When a new name starts your response ends. Also generally you are referred to as your blogger name. Most people don't have a Who's Who of blogging. So if you picked ratpick, well, sorry.

Ohio Department of Education Reports

Enrollment by Building (95/96 - 04/05)
Expenditures per Pupil by Building (95/96 - 04/05) use the zoom tool for this one!
Teacher Counts by Building (00/01 - 04/05)
Average Teacher Salary by Building (00/01 - 04/05)
Enrollment by Building (2004/2005) to compare with the project recovery figures

Enrollment Figures from Project Recovery (2004/2005)
Complete Project Recovery Tour use this to remind yourself of all the cost savings that we're not taking advantage of anymore