Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[Ross]

center]Be SMART, be SENSIBLE, be FRUGAL, re-open the Moline Grade School and save millions and problems solved.[/center]

Be SMART, Be SENSIBLE, Be FRUGAL,   Just say," NO "

If the School Board really feels they need a gymnasium and class rooms for the grade school children this idea really would save millions of dollars.

But if the School Board attempts to address this idea, I would expect them to say, "We Don't Own" the Moline Grade School. My response would be to ask Moline to sell it back to them in a real nice letter and ask for a written response. And if Moline were to respond with a "No", they would have written proof, right?

The other response might be that the State probably wouldn't allow them to re-open the Moline Grade School. The only way to know for sure is to write the state and ask for an inspection, and then they would have a written report to prove the state would not permit them to do so.

All very simple!

We will just have to wait and see if they have any real respect for the taxpayers and the taxpayers money won't we?

Will they really replace all those working air conditioners, just because?

What would the interest be on 5 or 6 million dollars?

Could someone else come up with a better idea for saving Millions of Dollars, please ?

Because the School Board wont quit until a better idea comes up that surpasses spending Millions of Dollars.

[Ross]

Yes, this is all plagarized, and is only provided to help make sensible decisions and discussions. I believe any School Board, not any particular School Board could use this information constructfully. We do have more than one School District in Elk County.

About School Shootings

It happened after Columbine, after Virginia Tech, and after Newtown, too. After every massacre in a school, Americans grasp at quick cures. Let's install metal detectors and give guns to teachers. Let's crack down on troublemakers, weeding out kids who fit the profile of a gunman. Let's buy bulletproof whiteboards for the students to scurry behind, or train kids to throw erasers or cans of soup at an attacker.

Researchers who study school shootings say the nation has done the wrong things, again and again, to prevent these rare but frightening events.

"Many of the school safety and security measures deployed in response to school shootings have little research support," concluded a 2010 research article in Educational Researcher, "What Can Be Done About School Shootings?: A Review of the Evidence." The researchers called the widely adopted policies of zero-tolerance discipline and student profiling "unsound practices."

The problem, the researchers say, is that the nation hasn't paid attention to actual research about how school shootings unfold.

School shooters don't "snap" or "go crazy." They have serious grievances, and they plan their attacks. Many felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others. They engaged in behaviors that caused other students and adults to think they needed help. They showed difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures.

They told others about their plan.

Paying attention to the evidence:

A landmark study in 2002 by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education, examining the facts of 37 school shootings, identified patterns contradicting the public perception of a loner who "just snapped":

•   Incidents of targeted violence at school are rarely sudden, impulsive acts.
•   Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.
•   Most attackers engaged in some behavior, prior to the incident, that caused concern or indicated a  need for help.
•   Most attackers were known to have difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Many had considered or attempted suicide.
•   Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.
•   There is no accurate or useful "profile" of students who engage in targeted school violence.
               Some come from good homes, some from bad. Some have good grades, some bad.
•   Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.
•   Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker's idea or plan, and often
               other students were involved.

What steps should schools take?
The researchers urged that schools take the following steps:

•   Assess the school's emotional climate.
•   Emphasize the importance of listening in schools.
•   Adopt a strong, but caring stance against the code of silence.
•   Prevent, and intervene in, cases of bullying. 

(Our School Board commissioned a study where the students were interviewed by the facilitator and he reported that one student reported that when bullying occured and was reported to a teacher nothing was done. What has transpired since that report to address bullying?)

•   Involve all members of the school community in planning, creating and sustaining a school culture of safety and respect.
•   Develop trusting relationships between each student and at least one adult at school.
•   Create of mechanisms for developing and sustaining safe school climates.

The researchers acknowledge that these steps are not a cure-all and will not prevent every incident. The Newtown shooter, for example, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, wasn't like the rest. He was an adult, rather than a current student at the school he attacked. But these preventive measures fit most of the cases.

I sincerely hope this information is helpful to someone!

Be SMART, be SENSIBLE, be FRUGAL, re-open the Moline Grade School and save millions and problems solved.

Be SMART, Be SENSIBLE, Be FRUGAL, Just say," NO "

[Ross]

[/b]
BREAKING: 'Active shooter' injures two at Colo. school; gunman on the loose

By The Washington Times
Friday, December 13, 2013

An "active shooter" has injured at least two students at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo.

Police are responding to an "active shooter situation" at the school and nobody is in custody, Colorado's 9News reported.

The shooting comes one day before the first anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Madman Adam Lanza killed 20 students and six teachers during the rampage before taking his own life.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/13/active-shooter-injures-two-colo-school-gunman-loos/

This tragedy is happening right now just outside of Denver just 15 miles from Columbine.

Isn't it time to get the teachers out of the lounge!
And get them some training to recognize bullying and  stress that might be happening on school property? Also, a more alert administrative staff.  It might help. Also a School Board more interested in this subject, might help? Just saying!



School shooter dead from possible self-inflicted gunshot wound ...
CNN-12 minutes ago (that would have been 2 pm)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/us/colorado-school-shooting/

The high school, with a student population of 2,229 students, has 70 classrooms. The school, which was built in 1964, is part of the Littleton Public Schools system.

The school is about 10 miles from Littleton, where Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher in a rampage at Columbine High School in April 1999.

[Ross]

Over The Top And Gone

(My over the top and gone remarks are in parentheses)

Wichita schools poised to drop big bucks on lunchroom facelift

By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog
December 13, 2013

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — Just how posh does a school cafeteria need to be? (How posh does a school have to be?)

Is the classic, utilitarian style of long, unassuming tables and a wide open space enough? Or does it need to be something more, perhaps with the feel of a bistro? Those are just some of the pressing questions Wichita USD 259 officials hope to answer after inking a contract authorizing upward of $250,000 to give about 10 district lunch rooms a facelift.

But is all this about form or function? It may depend on who, and when, you ask.

School board members passed the agreement with Wisconsin-based Palmer Hamilton on Nov. 25. The day before, the Wichita Eagle reported comments from district operations director Darren Muci regarding the aesthetic angle of the endeavor.

"For some time, we have been looking at how we can beautify, improve, enhance the look of our school cafeterias," Muci told the Eagle. "Some of them have too much of an institutional look about them and really doesn't provide for what we think is an appropriate eating environment."

(How about some nice frilly curtains on the windows on one side of the cafeteria for the girls? and manly curtains on the other side for the boys? How about a stage for entertainment, i.e. hire a live band for lunch one day, and a magician the next day, something different each day to appease the kids.   Give the kids individualized menus and hire waiters. Put in a few expensive lounge chairs, we want the kids to have classy comfort during lunch, right? Don't forget to provide a menu of non-alcoholic cocktails.)[/b]

But Superintendent John Allison downplayed potential appearance improvements after the contract's approval. Muci did the same when contacted by Kansas Watchdog later that week.

Rather, Muci said the focus is on improving efficiency to reduce wait times, giving students more time to socialize instead of being stuck in a serving line. The district also aims to turn the lunch room into a usable space conducive to more than just serving meals.

(Are these kids different than other kids across the country?  Don't they socialize wile eating?)

"A cafeteria can be an extension of the study hall area, if we have the right furniture or setup or meeting space," Muci said.

Palmer Hamilton's website touts those schools with redesigned lunch rooms seeing meal service revenue increase anywhere from 24 percent to 74 percent. And according to school officials, only about one in four students at Wichita's East High regularly eat lunch at school. USD 259 permits junior and senior students to eat off-campus during lunch. (http://www.palmerhamilton.com/index.php includes a video)

(West Elk Konnected School Board Members here it is, the ultimate in School Dining. You could have a more modern and professional dining experience for the new Taj Mahal you want to build! And wouldn't that goes nicely with your more professional looking chairs and logos  in the gymnasium, and lets not forget the more professional football field? For the not so professional basketball and football and volleyball games. Isn't this a must for a Taj Mahal of a school?

And your lunchroom makes more money according to this. Isn't that amazing. How many kids are on free meals these days? Some sales pitch in my opinion. But no sweat it is only taxpayers dollars.

Forget all that, Okay?   It's Not Eough is it?

Go super ultimate and out do the Wichita School District and their big budget from taxpayers! Put in a restaurant with menus and waiters so the kids can socialize waiting for their food to be served to them, No lines to wait in, don't you see? And it would reduce the kids stress and it might improve educational standards. It's only taxpayer dollars, right? And classier and removes the institutional appearance! We wouldn't want to appear to be an institution of education, would we? Let's go for the Gold Standard. But be sure to ask the kids first if they like these ideas, get their input! Why skimp now? It's a Quality of Life thig isn't it?)

It seems safe to assume that, whatever the district's final plans are, the measuring stick will ultimately be butts-in-seats come noon hour.

So, with such an emphasis on encouraging students to actually eat at school, it seems only logical the district would ask its target audience what they want. Muci said Allison regularly meets with student advisory groups – tackling tough issues like what kind of pizza they'd like on campus – but said the district has yet to broach the lunch room redesign topic.

Rather, Palmer Hamilton will receive about $35,000 initially to form a plan of action. From there, the district has authorized expenditures not to exceed $250,000 from the nutrition services budget, which can be used only for cafeteria-related expenses.

"We have improved many of our other facilities throughout the course of two bond programs, and this is one area where the nutrition services department wants to take a good look," Muci said.

"This is not an open checkbook concept where we're going to spew out dollar bills, we're going to research this," he said. "We don't envision that we will have anything that will be out of line."

Contact Travis Perry at travis@kansaswatchdog.org, or follow him on Twitter at @muckraker62. Like Watchdog.org? Click HERE to get breaking news alerts in YOUR state!

[Ross]

Let's see what is in today's newspaper shall we?

Look it's the West Elk School Board report, interesting!

The first item is the Facility Planning Report and it says:
"Sean Clapp with Heckman & Associates presented the attached Proposed Master Plan with remodeling and new construction. After much discussion, the board reached by consensus that 3 board members will be available to meet the public on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm. to answer questions."

That's what they say. But, I what I heard, yes I was there. I heard a very short conversation and I heard the School Superintendent tell them they could have only three board members on the stage at one time, to avoid being a School Board Meeting. Four would have created a necessity of taking minutes and being on the record. The best part of the conversation in my opinion was who would be on the stage. As I observed they were all reluctant, as if afraid of the public. Just my opinion, you won't find the discussion in the minutes which allows for plausible deniability, just like the federal government.

Transportation was next.

"The Moline and Grenola buses are full and both are activity buses. There will be scheduling problems with spring sports and possibly during basketball season. Christie asked the board to hire another bus driver so that that the current Moline and Grenola routes could be split into three routes."

Skipping a couple of short paragraphs:

"By consensus, the Board asked that Christy attend an Elk County Commission meeting to address the increased cost in bus maintenance. Mr. Moore will attend with her."

So the School Board is asking the School Administration to go begging for money from the County because of bad management decisions how trite, of all those edumacted people. Are they unable to live with in any kind of a budget?

The County can only tell them no, because all the other School Districts with in Elk County would then be coming and asking for a hand out. Besides it is not the job of County Government to fund the School Districts. Why don't they understand that?
Those Elk Konnected School Board Members have already tried manipulating the County Government and found they are barking up the wrong tree. The County in my opinion does exactly what is supposed to do as far as Elk Konnected and The School Board is concerned and I commend them for that.

The board has mentioned acquiring aid from the State for construction, why don't they go there for transportation ? My bet is because the state would tell them no as well.

At the first of the first of the School year it was reported to the School Board there were 320 (not sure exact number) students enrolled and there were no bussing problems. Then suddenly a week or two into the year there is another 30 kids enrolled out of nowhere! How in the world I asked myself did that happen. Well speaking with the School Principle last night on a tour of the school building I asked her were they came from all of a sudden. She told me they were from the Grenola area. Now that is another school distrct and requires busing 18.5 mi, 26 mins minimum right? So now about that ten minutes to bus from Howard to Moline, that just doesn't hold water does it?

Since I have had a little time to give this information some thought and read about the busing expense problems, I have a number of questions.

1.   How is it that all of a sudden 30 kids from Grenola and the Central Unified School District 462 decide all at once to change to the West Elk School District?

2.   Is it possible that West Elk is recruiting from other school districts?

3.   And after having a discussion with the School Principal about the idea of re-opening the Moline grade school, I was told the problem would be to have to get the children on school buses by 6 am to bus them to Moline. Now how flimsy is that. It is only ten minutes from Howard to Moline. Which means only ten minutes more? No, I believe the truth is they just don't want to bus Howard kids. Remember they refer to it as Howard West Elk. When actually Howard West Elk is that tall ugly building in the center of Howard and is closed down? Says so on the States School records.

4.   Now about those 30 kids from the Central Unified School District 462 that live around granola how's that working out for hurting the Central Unified School District.

5.   Now let me ask about those extra busing costs. Why does West Elk need to go begging the County for money when you have in excess of a million dollars in your general fund?

Next comes the Maintenance Report: "Quote"

1.   Ray Roofing was called to look at another roof leak.
2.   The approved auditorium lights have been installed.
3.   40 of the 50 new gym lights have been installed.
4.   The attached quotes from Sunflower farms for an irrigation system for the baseball and softball fields were discussed.
5.   The football field would need to be recrowned before a sprinkler system is installed. A survey will be necessary. Mike will get a cost estimate to recrown the football field for the December meeting. Hilton moved to put a new crown the football field. Motion died for lack of a second. Black moved to install the irrigation system at the baseball and softball fields per the attached quote from Sunflower Farms in the amount of 413,250.00 Bellar seconded and the motion passed. (7-0)


6.   Mike asked to board to approve the quote from Woods Lumber in the amount of  $1893.00 to build two storage sheds on the existing cement slabs near the softball fields. Bellar moved to approve the $1893.00 quote from Woods Lumber to build two storage sheds.  Motion denied for lack of a second.

7.   The storage shed near the baseball field was broken into and several items stolen. 
End Quote


So tell me West Elk isn't concentrating a little to heavily in sports and that might not be the reasons for begging for money from the county for help with busing? And might that not be the main reason for the new grade school building designed as extensions to West Elk? By that I mean they want a second gymnasium with air conditioning?

More sports:
Quote:
Hilton thanked the board for the Booster bus to the Oxford football game. The feedback was very positive. End Quote.

Remember West Elk is going begging to the County for their busing expenses and they can afford bus transportation for the Boosters! Really?

Just my thoughts and opinions. I truly hope you will form your own opinions!

Sounds like a money discipline like our country has.
For a little humor on money discipline check out Ray Stevens youtube video:


Good Night

[Patriot]

Keep up the good work, Ross

One man with courage makes a majority.
Andrew Jackson

[Ross]

Well, I had a conflict of going to the School Board Sales Pitch Tuesday evening. The conflict was either I go to the sales pitch and misses my sons Christmas Concert at the Elk Valley School. Of Course my son comes first.

Unlike the complaining School Board Member at the last School Board Meeting that is a Howard Chamber of Commerce member as well. He complained at the last School Board meeting about West Elk scheduling events that conflict with the Howard Chamber of Commerce events. 

The Howard Chamber of Commerce only deals with a hand full of people, where the West Elk School deals with 300 plus students and their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters and grandparents and aunt and uncles and other relatives. So I say to the Howard Chamber of Commerce keep your business at your meetings and not at the School Board Meetings! You should be able to understand they are two separate meetings. Find your Howard Chamber of Commerce with a problem find a solution instead of dumping on the School Board. Understand protocol and respect it. Leave Howard's business in Howard, West Elk is outside of the Howard City Limits.

I did happen to make to the tour of the School that evening. Wow, what a beautiful school. I do agree with one thing the School Boards contractor had to say at a School Board Meeting! He said, the class rooms are Luxurious and large. He also suggested cutting down the size of the rooms and making a class room from out of two of them. But that is the only thing I could find to agree with him on. He also said to remove two lighting fixtures from each room. I couldn't agree with such a blanket statement because lighting is measured in lumens not the number of fixtures. And we all know lighting is very important for reading and writing, don't we?

I did get a few pictures while I wast here and one of them is of a very large weight room. Oh yes, I understand, sports, a gotta have, right ? A very large room for a very small percentage of students instead of two class rooms is much, much more important, right?,
Sports, seems to be much, much more important than saving taxpayers million and millions of dollars or having class rooms or concentrating on education, doesn't it.

I looked, some class rooms appeared to have had extra desks and extra tables moved into them for appearance of being fully utilized. Now, don't get all bent out of shape, it is only my opinion. But think about it, if you are going out of your way to make a sales pitch, a good salesman would do something of that order to make a sale. Also, one room appeared to have the teacher's desk so far removed from the children, I wonder how she or he communicates with the children. Is it like the School Board Meetings, even if you strain to hear, it's impossible! You can judge for yourself I am posting a few pictures.

I do believe that West Elk could be run much more efficiently!
And I also believe they could hire an Efficiency Expert to help them do so, and it would be money wisely and well spent.

I believe a study they have hired done did not support what they wanted! I believe they were looking for a response supporting enlarging the building. Well, that did not happen!
But it still cost the taxpayers, didn't it?

So what happened to the study? What happened to what the hired man, a Doctor, a Professor told them to do? Nothing, that's what? They asked for Professional help and rejected it, why? One tiny little thing the man suggested, in order to involve the public, was to have an open forum period at the meetings! Very, simple to implement, right? Did they do it, NO! Doesn't that prove, they only want the public involved, when it comes to picking their pocket as taxpayers, for an un-needed Taj Mahal.

They can't afford to run their School Buses, yet provide bus transportation for an elite group called Booster. Oh pardon me again, that's for sports, by all means spend, spend, spend for sports. I beg your pardon! They really need to go to the County Commissioners and cry on the commissioners shoulders, that they are spending to much money on sport and don't have the business savy to control their budget and can't afford to pay for busing. Good Job West Elk!

The School board has already made it clear at a Board meeting that if you say no in April to a School Bond Issue, which is what they expect, they will return in November with a new plan.

Oh, well believe what you will, I have to get busy with other items on my agenda.

Enjoy the pictures. Of course remember I couldn't get the whole room in the picture and I am by no means a professional photographer. I'll ad more pictures on next posts.

REMEMBER YOU THE LOWLY VOTER HAVE THE POWER TO SAY "NO" TO THE
elite !

Again and Again and Again
If necessary. You have the power! 

Be SMART, be SENSIBLE, be FRUGAL, re-open the Moline Grade School and save millions and problems solved.

Be SMART, Be SENSIBLE, Be FRUGAL,   Just say," NO "

[Ross]

Some more pictures.

[Ross]

Some more pictures.

[Ross]

Here is a camera, there were two.
The were videos they will be splicing the video's together and editing them over the Christmas Holiday.
Are they making a movie or just showing their advertisement.

I will most likely discuss videoing the School Board Meetings later.