School Changes

[Teresa]

 Wellll... Don't you fret little feller... Maybe next time you will get a number.. 

[pepelect]

School board meeting was tonight.  It was so good to see that so many tax paying citizens care so much about how we are spending their hard earned tax money.   With turn outs like this we could have them in the janitors closet. 

Just a word to anyone thinking about bitching about not wanting to pass a bond issue next November because you can't afford the tax increase. 

GET OFF YOUR ASS AND COME TO THE BOARD MEETINGS.

We are down to two different firms for the design of the new elementary school.  Both plans have a new gym/multipurpose room and classrooms north of the high school.  Both are with their +and -.  Both come in under $6 million total.  The cost to build will be about 12 -15 mills.  Even though this sounds like a lot of money it is very well thought out.  If you spread the new expenditures across multiple years you are actually going to save money. 
The bean counter figured it was only about pennies a day more. Really we are that stupid that if you convert every thing to days instead of years the numbers get smaller and we won't get as upset.  Tell me how much we are currently spending on upkeep, maintenance, and inefficiency by the day.  How much will the new school cost to maintain daily compared to what we are spending on the dinosaurs now. 
Depending on how long of terms and the state's share which can change anytime it could be a net gain and a decrease in taxes for us at the local level.  If we conserve as much as the efficiencies saw we can then we could actually lower the total amount we currently pay.  We have currently maxed out our LOB at 31%.  With every percentage about $30k, that means we have $900k to  play with to service a $350k debt load and keep paying for teachers.

Someone show me an option of keep maintaining both grade schools, paying teachers, and then lowering the tax burden...

Remember the school is ran by the district we just pay for every thing.  Some one brought up the fact that the Athletics's were not sharing in the financial pinch.  We can't talk about that until we have new administration.
Just see how much they whine if we don't build the new gym big enough for the coveted extra court. 
I guess if we do all the financial impact on the elementary schools then we can leave the sacred cows alone.  Two or three buses to every sporting event, schedule the farthest away games all the same week, and half full busing will continue.  All the lights will be on all the time.  No one will have access to the buildings unless you pay to play.  I think it will only cost you $50 to use the new FEMA funded multipurpose room but only if there is a staff member present to let you in the locked down school. 

We are for the second year trying to get a $90k+ security system grant to provide video surveillance for the school that can be accessed by the local law enforcement.  We have come to locking our kids in school(Moline) and watching them like convicts(Lansing).  I know Columbine happened but come on.....I have a camera security system and with it I could see the criminals coming in, record their image,  but from that point on it is pretty worthless.  It would keep the extra curricular vandalism curtailed unless you think that they won't go after the cameras first.  I think our money would be better served providing ground source heating and cooling.  I think you might be better served to higher a janitor with a concealed carry license for $90k.  Better education through fire power.

The new 09-10 bus handbook was approved.  You might have to walk to school bus stops so make sure you have your shoes tied in the morning.  No more curb service unless you are special, prek, or have special circumstances.  Because of the millions of miles or roads our buses drive each day and the billions of semi trucks filled with rock and such tailgating them all the time I think we need to buy new buses with those huge bumpers like the state paint striping trucks have so we can actually use all the seats in the bus.  They can hinge down during occupancy and up when parked.
School policy is that the last 2 seats of any bus has never been allowed to be used for students seating. We currently fill those seats with equipment and such.  Why? Because if the back of the bus is rear ended they would be injured.    Why would you buy such a poorly designed bus that could not take a rear impact from a collision with a 80k truck?  We do not have air bags for the front of the seats for passengers but by eliminating the rear passengers you make the entire bus safer.  Wouldn't the stuff in the back seats push them forward in to the next to the last seats on a rear impact? 
Does that mean if you ordered 70 passenger buses and only allowed 25 students to sit in the middle of the bus they would be safer?  I am really confused.

[Mom70x7]

I goofed, then.
I had thought about attending but did not,
I figured the meetings would be packed until the building issue was decided.

I've attended most of the board meetings for several years, often the only public in attendance.
I haven't gone the last couple of months because people were attending, and that was great.
It seemed not necessary any more, for me to go. People were listening and paying attention.

[sixdogsmom]

Patrick, you speak as though a new school is a done deal? Surely the tax burden on already stressed citizens of this county should be considered? Last year our property tax went up over $350.00, homestead allowed me approximately $246.00 which leaves a hundred dollar a year rise in property tax. How can the school board justify a steep rise in an already topped out tax base to build a new school for a declining student body? We live in an aging community, many of us live on fixed income with few choices left. This house was one of those in the county that was 'resurrected' from near demolision to an asset to the community. How many folks will continue to improve their homes with such a tax burden imposed? In another thread, it has been mentioned that there will be a tax protest on Wednesday designed after the Boston Tea Party. Perhaps we should as citizens of Elk County hold our tea party on the courthouse lawn or in front of the school administration building. 

[Diane Amberg]

Pep, about the bus back seat policy....are you serious? I've never heard of such a thing! That's why buses are 3 steps up off the ground, so any impact is low, beneath the kids. We have rear enders here and the kids aren't hurt any more than any other seat on the bus. Where did that policy come from?

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Not to be a sour apple, but before you get all upset about building a new building and taxes rising, you really need to talk to some one at the district office, or even someone that goes to the school board meetings and such.  The way that I was told, and again I could be wrong, but our taxes might actually not go up or not much.  I really don't understand the whole levy thing to tell you the truth.  But the way that I was told, is that it will hold them steady, not increase them or something to that nature.  I don't really know.  I do know that the place we have in town here in Howard went up a bunch, too.  We use one house as a rental and the other for my daycare and it was over $600.00.

But on the other hand, if taxes were to not go up, wouldn't you rather pay for a new effiecient building?  I would, and also to help raise the base pay of teachers.  I think that some of our veteran teachers don't make that much money and we can't attract new teachers to our area because of the base pay.  I understand that these communities that this will effect has more retired people, but we also could attract more people and families to this area if we had a better school building housed in one location.  It's so confusing to parents new to this area, especially in Howard.  My youngest is soon to be 4, then I have a 6 year old, and a 11 year old.  We are not moving from this area.  My kids will probably go to college later in life, and we need different programs at the high school level to help our children stay on track for their future.  

I am not trying to step on anyones toes, or upset anyone.  But our kids are our future, and if I have the choice of my taxes paying for up keep on buildings, or a new building and better salaries for our teachers, I choose a new building and better salaries.  This will help us all better in the long run!

[D Whetstone]

SixDogsMom,

Go back and read Patrick's post.  The reality is, that if a school is built for $6M or less, and the LOB is able to be reduced (to $0), then the net effect is 0.  Your taxes and my taxes will not increase. May even be less.  And, we would have a new school building, more efficient to operate, to boot.

Please, all, keep an open mind and be willing to listen as this unfolds. Do not assume that a new building means higher taxes.

DW

[Wilma]

Diane, you are right in that the rear of a school bus sets above the hood of most cars, but here in the midwest wide open spaces, we have a LOT of semi's.  In my experience, though, having a semi behind a school bus is much safer than most cars.  Also, do you have the jacked up pickups that you need a step ladder to reach the door handle?  I don't see many of those out here, but in Sedgwick County, I did.

[pepelect]

Patrick, you speak as though a new school is a done deal? Surely the tax burden on already stressed citizens of this county should be considered? Last year our property tax went up over $350.00, homestead allowed me approximately $246.00 which leaves a hundred dollar a year rise in property tax. How can the school board justify a steep rise in an already topped out tax base to build a new school for a declining student body? We live in an aging community, many of us live on fixed income with few choices left. This house was one of those in the county that was 'resurrected' from near demolition to an asset to the community. How many folks will continue to improve their homes with such a tax burden imposed? In another thread, it has been mentioned that there will be a tax protest on Wednesday designed after the Boston Tea Party. Perhaps we should as citizens of Elk County hold our tea party on the courthouse lawn or in front of the school administration building. 

There are only two things that are certain death and taxes.

Welcome to Elk County.  When there is no growth but you still need money to make government function the taxes go up.
I am sure glad my taxes didn't go up.  I will trade taxes with just about anyone.  What kind of taxes to do you want to barter?  Corporate, income, real estate, property, sales, use or just want to complain. 
I am speaking as if the new building is a done deal.  Because I think it is the best way to spend our money.   We are not making ends meet with the split campus system.  It is losing money so to speak.  We are spending money on salaries and maintenance that could be better served at different levels.  Like foreign language, physics, and staff that doesn't spend their off time worring about their job every year.  If we consolidate the grade schools we offer one campus without three principals, with out three kitchens, without three of every thing.  If we don't build a new building this year when would be a good time?  How old is old enough to be so expensive that you are willing to trade electric bill for mortgage?  We buy natural gas, diesel, and trifecta of every thing instead of updating the education part of our school.  Let the money be spent on building character and work ethic not water lines and roofing materials. 

The LOB is currently maxed out because we as a district can't afford to pay our salaries, utilities, and every thing else with the state and federal dollars that we are currently getting.  We have lost 25% of the student body in the last 10 years and with that 25% of the dollars that keep the doors open.  If we don't lower the LOB we will not have any room for growth, emergency, or contingencies such as a broken water pipe.  To survive another round of state and federal budget cuts we have maxed it out.

The tax base is shrinking as is the population. 

This should have been addressed ten years ago but no one was paying attention.  We wait until there is a bottom before we move.  Like picking a good stock investment.

Just because we are trying to build a new school building doesn't mean that you will pay more tax.  If you would look longer term you will be paying less taxes for a longer period of time.   A $50,000 house would not pay $350 dollars more a year than they are already paying. 

It would be more like $60.


The reason your taxes went up last year was not because we need a new building. 
It might go up next year because we want better educated students.

[Diane Amberg]

A $50,000 house? What is that?