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

[Ross]

Well, here we are with some more Kansas State School Board information.

One board member calling another board member a liar, politely of course.

None of them educated people lie, don't you know?

Is this the truth or damage control ? Who else might be lying ?

The coloring is the authors coloring not mine. He likes to color like I do, how about that? LOL

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RECENT NEWS
STATE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SHOULD PRACTICE WHAT HE PREACHES

Dave TrabertMay 11, 2016Education

District 9 State School Board member Jim Porter published the following piece outlining what he considers to be deceptive statements about school funding and state taxes.  He urges political leaders to "tell the whole story" but doesn't practice what he preaches, as we found a dozen deceptive statements in his piece.  His published text follows in black and our reaction is shown in red, with links in the traditional blue.

We are consistently hearing from those political leaders who are resisting what many of us consider to be the adequate funding of education that Schools are receiving more state support than ever and that support is increasing every year.  Typically they say that people need to know the facts.  Well, that is part of the story and although not a false statement it is certainly deceptive.  I will make an attempt to explain the part of the story that they are not telling.

Deception #1 – Special Education Services in many cases are provided by Cooperatives or Interlocals.  Schools contract with these groups to provide quality services collectively that would be very difficult to provide individually.  This is a very efficient way to provide those services.  Until recently special education funds were sent directly to the Cooperative or Interlocal.  However, a few years ago those funds were sent to the local public school and the school then sent those funds to the provider of services.  This was lauded as in increase in public school funding when; in fact, it was the same amount but just laundered through the public schools.  It did increase the budget of the public school but provided no additional funds to that district.

Jim Porter's Deception #1 – According to an email from Dale Dennis, special ed funding has been provided directly to school districts "for at least 10 years."  Mr. Porter doesn't define 'recently' but most people would take it to mean within the time frame he references (the Brownback administration) and that clearly is not the case.  Also, Special Ed Co-ops are not separate entities but simply hosted by a school district; as such, money would not have been sent directly to co-ops as he claimed but to the host school district.

Deception #2 – Until recently the state contribution to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) was sent directly to KPERS.  Now the funds are transferred to the public school account and then transferred to KPERS on the same day.  Again, this was lauded as an increase to public school funding even though it was the same amount of money with just an additional transfer from the State of Kansas to the school to KEPRS.

Jim Porter's Deception #2 – According to Dale Dennis, KPERS funding was last sent directly to KPERS in 2004; it has since been sent directly to school districts included in reported school funding totals.  Again, Mr. Porter doesn't define 'recently' but most people would take it to mean within the time frame he references (the Brownback administration) and that clearly is not the case.   Mr. Porter also fails to note that per-pupil school funding continues to set records without counting a dollar of KPERS and is 40% above inflation since 1992.

Deception #3 – Until this year when we paid our property taxes to our counties the county sent the schools portion of those taxes to the proper school district. Now those funds are sent to the State and the state then sends those funds to the school.  This looks like a tremendous increase in state funding for schools when, in fact, it is just a redistribution of funds from local to state.

Jim Porter's Deception #3 – KSDE restated state funding for FY 2014 to account for that transition and showed that there was still an increase.  Mr. Porter makes it sound as though legislators are claiming the property tax transfer as a large increase in state funding, but that isn't the case.  He also fails to note that the 20 mills mandated by the state should always have been recorded as state aid and that many legislators were not aware that the 20 mills was being recorded as Local aid.

These three deceptions amount to hundreds of millions of dollars that are being advertised as increases in school funding when they are only reclassifications of funds that were already being spent. Not true.

Some of our political leaders and proud of the fact that a benefit of the block grant is the schools will receive the same amount as they have in the past.  However, because of inconsistent support for the past several years many schools are having to use fund balances to meet current needs.  Those schools that do not have fund balances have to make cuts in services to kids to survive.  Spending fund balances is like an individual using their savings account on their monthly expenses.  Pretty soon the savings account is empty and the obligations continue. School districts are criticized for having fund balances but of the uncertainly of state support, which has become an increasing problem over the past few years, having those fund balances has become necessary for survival.

]Jim Porter's Deception #4 – Schools aren't criticized for merely having fund balances; every entity needs some degree of reserves.  But schools have far more reserves than their own history shows to be necessary.  If each district retained the same carryover ratio as they had in 2006, they would have started the 2015 school year with $297 million less in reserve. Dozens of districts routinely operate with less than 10% of their operating costs in reserve, yet 152 of them started last year with more than 15% in reserve (that's double the reserve percentage that the state is supposed to hold).  Over the last ten years, school boards increased operating cash reserves by $385 million, representing money intended to educate students but instead was put in the bank.

Keeping funding level sounds to some like a positive step, however, even though revenue may be level, expenses are not.  Areas of increased expenses where school have no option include:  Increased cost of insurance (property and casualty, health, etc.), supplies, utilities, increase in number of students, increase and severity of students with special needs among many others.  If revenue remains level and costs increase the only option is to reduce services to children.  Many schools have already reduced the school year, summer school, activities, elective options, field trips and other enrichment activities along with increasing class sizes among other things, and without additional support these reductions will continue to the determent to the school children of Kansas.

Jim Porter's Deception #5 – citizens and employers have cost increases also, but they must find a way to mitigate cost increases by operating more efficiently.  Local school boards want to inflict tax increases on citizens and employers so districts can continue to operate very inefficiently and hold unnecessarily large cash reserves.  School districts are on record in legislative and other testimony opposing efforts to help them become more efficient, which would make more money available for Instruction.  They testify that they want to be able to spend more than necessary if they choose and expect taxes to be increased on citizens to accommodate their demands.

Another deceptive statement is that Kansas has many thousand new businesses.  With the current tax structure allowing many business to avoid Kansas Income tax completely I would like to propose an alternative theory.  Thousands of Kansas businesses have changed their status so that they qualify under the tax plan and do not have to pay taxes.  Those existing Kansas businesses are listed as new businesses even though they have just changed their status.  The prediction was that there would be about 190,000 businesses in Kansas who would qualify for the income tax exemption; however, the real number is more like 330,000.

Jim Porter's Deceptions #6, #7, #8 and #9 – Kansas does have thousands more new business entities.  The Kansas Department of Revenue reports that new business filings are of individuals who were not previously registered based on social security numbers.  There is no data to support Mr. Porter's theory that C Corporations changed their filing status, but there is IRS data showing a significant movement of Adjusted Gross Income from Missouri to Kansas; some of that could account for part of the increase in new business filings.  Business owners with W-2 wage income currently pay Kansas income taxes on those wages and some CPAs advise their clients that they should be declaring W-2 wage income. It should also be noted that 27% of those businesses reported losses for tax year 2014 and another 54% had income below $25,000.  One of the main points of the 2012 tax plan was to encourage small startups by allowing them to keep more working capital to grow their businesses and create more 'gazelles' – companies with explosive growth like Garmin and Cobalt Boats.

To make up the difference the tax burden is being placed on the property owner and the consumer.  Sales taxes have increased.  Sales tax is the most regressive tax available as the lower the income the larger percentage of income goes to pay the sales tax.  Political subdivisions like cities, counties, school districts, etc. are having to respond in two ways.  One is to continue to reduce valuable services and the other is to raise the mill levy.  When you receive your tax statement and find that it has increased, that increase is made necessary because 330,000 businesses are getting a pass on the backs of property owners and consumers.

Jim Porter's Deceptions #10, #11 and #12 – Sales taxes were unnecessarily increased because Democrats and some Republicans refuse to support efficiency measures.  Controlled, efficient spending is the key to having low taxes. In 2014, the states that tax income spent 48% more per-resident than the states without an income tax; Kansas spent 34% more. Kansas needs to go from being morbidly inefficient to just grossly inefficient, but legislators in both parties refuse to make the State operate more efficiently.  Cities, counties and school districts could choose to operate more efficiently but they would rather continue to do what they've done for years – unnecessarily jack up property taxes and threaten to cut services if they don't get their way.  And while it is not a matter of 'right' or 'wrong,' if you believe everyone should pay tax on all of their income, know that government retirees are the original group that is partially exempt from income tax.  Unlike private sector retirees who pay tax on all of their pension or 401(k) retirement income, state and local government employees are never taxed on the pension income funded by taxpayers.

I would urge those political leaders who are bragging about the fact that the "Sun is shining in Kansas" to stop deceptive language and tell the whole story.  There are many great things about living in Kansas but our citizens deserve to know the whole story.

Jim Porter should practice what he preaches.

https://kansaspolicy.org/state-school-board-member-practice-preaches/

[Ross]

Today starts the collection of registered voters in the West Elk USD-282 Opposition Petition.

West Elk USD-282 raised your property taxes 6.3 mill last fall.

We prevented them from raising them an additional 8 mill via a Resolution in the Newspaper with an Opposition Petition.

Yes they areback attempting to do so again. 8 mill is what the new resolution call for.

We did it once and we can do it again!

[Ross]

                                Just watching KSN 3 news and they announced that the Wichita School District would
                                be getting together to decide how to fund the school district !

                                That is just plain wrong !
                       
                                All school districts are funded with taxpayer dollars and property owner taxpayer dollars.

                                It is the job of School Superintendents and School Boards to budget the use of those
                                funds efficiently and effectively and not to go over budget.

                             

[Ross]

                           The first day and just a couple of hours gathering signatures.
                           And I have gathered 10 % of the required signatures on the
                           Opposition Petition.
                           
                            And I have weeks to gather the rest.

[Ross]

Good Morning Folks.

Just barely got started gathering endorsements/signatures for the West Elk-USD282 Opposition petition
And doing great.

I  have reached 30% of the required signatures.
I am hoping to get 150% of the required signatures.

Our good neighbors and great citizens are real happy to sign the Opposition Petition
and graciously thank me for my efforts.

Most of the good people don't believe the school districts boards intentions and believe the school receives more than enough
money to operate effectively, if the operate efficiently.

The use of a copied resolution that does not address the actual need for more money does not help the district.
The resolution is filled with stuff that does not pertain to West Elk in the slightest stretch of the imagination.

For the school Superintendent to say i  the newspaper that they only want 4 mill, but write the resolution for eight mill does not help them either. Because if the Resolution were to stand that whole 8 mill can and in my opinion will be taken. Perhaps not all at once but the extra 4 mill that it is written for could be taken at any time they choose.

I wonder if Mr. Moore is sending out another letter to the parents of all the kids again. That is at the expense of the taxpayers and the schools budget (if they have one) and the taxpayer dollars for yet another failed cause. The people told them no last fall and are telling them no again right now. When will the Board of Education learn, No means No!

West Elk operates on $25,0590 per student, per year with only one school building to maintain.

While the Independence School District operates on $13,020


Year   USD #   District Name      County            State   Federal    Local   Total
2015   446          Independence   Montgomery   $8,554   $850    $3,615   $13,020

And they have 4 school buildings o n 4 different properties and a separate property and Superintendent Administration building to maintain. They also have over 1000 students, I don't have the exact number of students. But I'm sure you can understand the point.



http://www.kansasopengov.org/kog/databank#report_id=35&Year=2015&USDNumber=282&DistrictName=West%20Elk&County=Elk


In a civil society is where elected officials should honor their fiduciary responsibility to provide
the same or better quality service at the best possible price. And I don't feel we have this in our school board.

[Ross]

I have so far collected 60% of the required signatures on the West Elk School Board
Opposition Petition. My goal is at least 150% of the required signatures.

West Elk Just raised our property taxes 6.3 mill and although Mr. Moore stated on
the front page of the newspaper they only want 4 mill the official legal document
in the want ads says 8 mill. And trust me if this is not stopped they will take 8 mill.
Otherwise they would have stated 4 mill in the legal document.

Most of the folks that have signed the opposition exhibit a strong distrust of the
School Board and the School Superintendent in my opinion. And justly so!

They ran this very same Resolution which was stopped by the Opposition Petition
at the same time.

Stopping the Resolution only tells the School Board they may not use this form of
increasing property taxes and to bring it to election and let the people vote on it.
They did not do that because they know the voters will not approve it.

So, what do they do but run another Resolution hoping no one will notice it in the
newspaper and then they can get away without coming to the voters and taxpayers.

Together we will once again tell them to bring it to the voters again.

But trust me they will do this Resolution again and again hoping to wear us down.
But that won't happen will it !

We will continue until the School Board wises up that is possible.

We still have until the 19th of June to get this done, and we will do it.

[redcliffsw]

Sounds good. 

Stay right in there. 

[Ross]

Thanks Red.

[Ross]

Good morning everyone,

Yep I'm still collecting signatures of people that care and are feed-up with higher and higher property taxes from
a poorly ran West Elk USD-282  School Board.

A School Board that wastes taxpayer dollars. A School Board that permits
a School Superintendent to recruit children from other school districts,
that they can not afford to support and then tells us we need to
pay more property taxes to support those recruited.

A School Board that lacks leadership!

A School Board that thinks the School Superintendent is their boss
instead of the other way around.

A School Board that lacks the ability to discuss simple problems to find suitable solutions.
A School Board that terminates a verbal Contract with a great School Booster with no knowledge
of the great service on the Football field they were receiving a;most for free. And then pay an outside
company nearly 4 times what they could have had the job done for.

Yes, the voters and taxpayers are upset with the School Board shenanigans.
The voters and taxpayers have kept telling the School Board "NO" over the last numbers of years.
But the School Board doesn't listen ! "No" means "NO"

"NO" more taxes!

No more phony and sneaky RESOLUTIONS,
if you have a legitimate excuse to raise property taxes bring it to the voters at election time.
If you have a clue as to the answer you expect to get, don't do it?.
Just some of that Critical Thinking that has been expressed by the School Board President.
Remember he said he thought they should be teaching Critical Thinking to the students.
I think he must have found out that is part of the teaching because it is never brought up any more.

Perform and install a reasonable budget and live with in it.
That is one of the biggest jobs of a School Board.

Another big job of the school Board is to review the Educational materials and to
review the teachers evaluations through the Superintendents reports on that subject
and should be performed as often as the Board sees fit. Not just once or twice a year.

I was recently asked by a taxpayer/property owner/voter while he was signing the Opposition Petition a question
I had no answer for.
He asked me how much of Elk County land was owned by outsiders, that meaning people that live else
where.

I had no answer, he said he heard 60% or more.

This subject was lightly broached during a County Commissioners Meeting when they were talking about
giving away $100,000.00. I suggested if they did not need the money or did not need the money that they
return it to the taxpayers instead of being Socialists. Okay, I didn't say Socialists but I did imply that.
Kon nected Kommisioner Kaminska stated that to much money would leave the county.
Well la-di-da.

Aren't they sending the money to those out of county when they give a County Tax break?
And isn't that their money she is givin away?

Well back to land ownership, I went down to our County Assessor office and talked to his people. They were terrific.

I was told and this is almost word for word:

A Query was performed on the % of out of county owners and came up with a rough estimate of around 60%. 

They said this is just 10 acre + tracts doesn't include Homes or smaller tracts of land.  This is just based on acres, a person could own more than 1 property.   Also address could be in another county but have land in our county.   This also isn't something that would be accurate for paper.

A rough estimate.

Over half of Elk County property is owned by outsiders ---- meaning people that don't live here.

[Ross]

Have you had a chance to read this weeks Letters From our Readers i n the Prairie Star?
USD 462 had a land owner make a remark, "The Stat is constantly putting money into schools,
and then before the money can be used they yank it back out."

Didn't West Elk try to claim the same thing. "They would put money into an account and twenty minutes later
it was gone.

It's as if these people think money is disappearing into thin air.
If they really believe that, shouldn't they be filing complaints with the State Attorney General
for criminal investigation of wrong doing?

What I imagine is happening is the State puts the money in a State account for the respective School
and then the School District transfers the money into their local account. But I what I do know is the money
does n't just disappear.

I just got home from gathering another bunch of signatures for the Opposition Petition and I had some very
interesting conversations with the registered voters that signed the petition. First let me say they are all very
decent people and a pleasure to visit with.

One lady told me they are calling me a liar and really trying to put me down. And I said that's just fine with me.
and that they probably hate me for being truthful but that was their problem and not mine, I don't hate no one
because I have no reason or desire to hate anyone. The lady said she did not appreciate the way they they tried
to cover up my letter to the editor last fall, by printing the Superintendent's letter above mine. I said that was okay,
because it is up to the people to make their own decisions about what they read.

Just so everyone understands the Opposition Petition is authorized by the School Boards Resolution.
The petition asks the question, "Shall the following resolution, become effective?
Each signatories page asks, "Shall the following ordanance, or resolution, become effective or brought to elections?"

If enough registered voters sign the opposition petition all they are saying is bring the issue to the voters.

The West Elk School Board chose last fall not to bring it to the voters !
Can you guess why?

So now they have done yet another Resolution in another attempt to raise our property taxes 8 mill with out coming to the voters.
Yes, I read Mr. Moore's newspaper story saying they are only asking for 4 mill !
If that were true, why write 8 mill in the legal Document --- the Resolution ?

Read the Resolution ! Read the legal document in the Ads section of the newspaper for yourself.

And remember they just raised your property taxes 6.3 mills and the state not long back raised your property values
which makes each mill worth more money! In essence a property tax hike with out raising the mill rate.

I can almost bet, they will continue to raise our property tax in this fashion again and again using a Resolution to avoid coming to the voters.
And i will return again with another Opposition Petition.

It is my opinion that the School Board needs to scrutinize and adjust their budget.
It is my opinion their job as school board nembers they should discuss every penny of the budget
and cut out waste.
It is my opinion that as school board members they should discuss everything that comes before them
to avoid wasting money like they did in the fiasco of rebuilding the football field to make it more professional.
That fiasco cost the taxpayers 4 times what it should have cost. 
Why?
Because they failed to discuss an assumed problem that did not exist. That's why !