This weeks meeting was the best ever! We had our very own attendace bonus! I'd like to see that kind of turnout for every important issue we discuss. It was standing room only. Everyone wanted to hear what the Plan for Excellence committee was submitting as their recommendations for next year. I was so happy to see around 75 people show up to see the presentation. It doesn’t surprise me. Transportation, configuration, boundaries, bell times, increasing instruction time, all day kindergarten, hiring a communication specialist, and many, many other important issues were discussed. Much to my surprise the only citizen comment made regarding these recommendations came from a high school student. He made the point that it was stated several times at public dialogues that the high school bell times would remain unchanged. But it turns out the times were changed. Starting next year the recommendations are as follows:
Elementary 8:45- 3:20
Middle School 7:55- 2:50
High School 7:45- 2:40
You think you have middle and high school tardiness and elementary kids arriving way too early now? Just wait ‘til these times kick in! Madam Kellie predicts many high school kids will be hungry and paying the consequences of severe tardy overages. As you can imagine Mr. High School was not happy. He made some excellent points and I hope his input will be considered, as he made some very good points.
I have been waiting for several weeks for the numbers on the amount of district students we bus. I don't have them yet but I suspect we are disrupting the schedules of a large portion of the non bussing populace to make it convenient for about 500 people. One offering of a solution was to add more kids to bussing! It’s like these people have never heard of cutting back! It was readily admitted to me that we could eliminate a few busses if we did zoned neighborhood pickups. Yes that means putting your elementary Johnny on the bus with your middle school Jane. And like I said before and cannot say enough: Your start and end times can be closer, therefore not inconveniencing the much larger majority of driving and working parents.
The communications specialist is another biggy that no one commented on. We have fewer and fewer students each year yet we have new and improved reasons for continuing to add administrators. The job description here can be done on a part time contracted consultant basis. Biggest bonus is… WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO PAY BENEFITS. Benefits are the only area on our district profile report where we are above the state and similar district averages in expenditures. Benefits are going to put us back in the same position we were in two years ago if we are not careful. We faced a 42% increase a few months ago in premiums and administrative costs, but our dear CFO negotiated it down to a mere 28.8%. Now I’m no math whiz but it smells like more money from the taxpayer to me. I’d say we should consider contracting out any services that we possibly can just to avoid paying benefits and fringe.
Of course these are just my sensible opinions. I will fully disclose that I am completely biased because they are after all my opinions. But I have the unique gift of looking at things from all perspectives. If we are “celebrating” neighborhood schools, then start treating them as neighborhood schools. Do we really need to bus kids 8 blocks? I’m sorry but prepare yourselves because I’m gonna say it- We have a lot of little chunky monkeys that need to walk more, not less. I have not received one phone call, E-mail, or letter in support of the changes. The new proposal would put my kids on a bus and save me gas. But the larger portion of our population would be adversely affected by the time changes being considered to accommodate bussing. It’s not worth it financially or aggravationally. Yes I made that word up. I do that sometimes when it is needed. Somebody else made up all the other words we use. Why shouldn’t I get to add one to Websters?
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11 comments:
I know the new times will work a hardship on our family but it doesn't seem to matter what the people want--they do as they please. I was outraged to see that we apparently have so much extra money that the BOE voted to sink more money into the bus garage, the gift that keeps on giving. But have no fear, the voters will bail them out once again come levy time. When will the taxpayers ever learn to quit enabling them? As for the unions, I cannot say I blame them one bit for demanding equal treatment. However, I also believe that as far as benefits, it is time the unions had to live like the rest of us do. Gone are the days of free medical insurance and no co-pays for most of us. Why should they be any different?
Am I the only one who reads this blog anymore? Well with gas up to 3.52 at Greedway, it is good to know that our district has enough surplus money to add MORE bus stops. If this continues we may ALL be walking. Hey, it is costing me a fortune to transport my kids to school, I want a bus too! With the new start times I will have to become even less efficient as many places of business are not open unitl 8:00 or 9:00 or even later.
Taxpayer - Of course they are loaded with money. No need for the 7.9 mill levy other than the phantom deficit created by Edwin. Did you know that the former treasurer had pulled the district out of a $2 million deficit in the medical insurance fund and had the district on a path of less than 5% increases in medical costs when Edwin, when he took the helm, got rid of all of this good stuff and now the costs are skyrocketing out of control. Kellie and Barb - you should be real leary of the medical dealings of the district. Perhaps a medical insurance committee including board members should review things. It's worked before.
The levy money will go to pay for all the plan for excellence requests, none will go for the teachers or the students. It's sad but true, the teachers and students always end up on the short end, but we can again say we passed a levy on the first try, rah, rah, rah.
It was so disheartening to hear CFHS as the topic of discussion on WNIR this morning.
Taxpayer, what did they say about the high school?
fallsbigdaddy: I am not really at liberty to discuss in depth on this blog what the radio talkhost was discussing about CFHS on Saturday morning. I don't want to be responsible for "hyjacking" the blog topic. I will only state it involved clubs and you can draw your own conclusions or call/email WNIR. I believe it was Howie who was speaking. It was disheartening to me personally to hear our high school used as an example.
Please tell me how you think hiring outside companies to come in and do the work for the school systerm will save money! The companies do not do this for free! They are in the business to make money. Plus you have no control over what type of employee you will have! I do not know about you, but I do not care to have undesirables in the buildings or on the busses with our children. Plus you must think of the idea of theft! All the expensive equipment, in our buildings willnot be safe either!
Ah taxpayer your just a tease! If it's what I think it is it's old news. I don't have much use for wnir anymore. Howie hangs around kids way to much to be normal, Golic is a moron who should just be talking sports. The station has not been worth a damn since Finan left and the dating show stopped.
fallsbigdaddy: I never said it wasn't "old news;" I was just sorry to hear CFHS being used as THE example on Saturday. We don't need anymore negative publicity.
Taxpayer, I have never in 20 years seen no co pay. FREE medical insurance???? with high deductibles, more out of pocket, you call that free?
Kellie,
didnt the BOE budget for 25% increase in benefits??? so 3% is not that big a deal.
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