WEST ELK VOTERS SAY A FIRM "NO" ON TUESDAY

[Hunter75]

I bet if it was a vote AARP and a shaw it would have passed. The ambition of this area is as fruitful as the new construction and storefronts in 282

[jerry wagner]

That doesn't quite make sense.

[Patriot]

I bet if it was a vote AARP and a shaw it would have passed. The ambition of this area is as fruitful as the new construction and storefronts in 282

I'm not sure what that meant, but I can assure you that I would have nothing to do with anything AARP were promoting.  As for the new construction and storefronts in town, I'm not payin for them either.

[Hunter75]

This all just means more folks going somewhere else to spend time and money. I have been deligent about spending all of our money locally but now why bother Eureka, Winfield, El Dorado here I come. So instead of me buying a house locally I will now look North or West where my kids will be in school. So bulldoze another round of shacks for me!

[Varmit]

Hey Hunter75, do your homework.  Most HS grads. these days are not university ready and require a community college stint.  Either that or they have to take remedial courses.  Either way, it has nothing to do with the building that they went to school in.  And that is a discussion for another thread.  Also, I think the reason why a lot of kids leave Elk County is because there are no jobs here.  Theres no industry, and thank God for it.  Frankly, I don't want new industry, because with it comes more people, more people means more problems, and more crime. 

You mentioned that either Severy or Moline would lose a school...well what do you think would happen if we consilidated everybody? 

[momof 2boys]

Varmit, I'd like to address your comment about being unable to attend the school board meetings because you have a job and a family.  Of the very few people that do attend these meetings, most do have jobs and families.  The meetings are once a month, that is not taking too much time away from your family, and they don't start until 7:30 P.M. which is not normal working hours in Elk County. (unless you work at Toot's, Swinging Bridge, Q-Mart, P&J's, or the nursing home)
Hope to see you there!

[Lookatmeknow!!]

I am a vote yes person and very proud of it.  But the way that you are handling this thread is way off base.  No, no one could afford their taxes to go up.  My husband and I bought this place in town close to 5 years ago.  Taxes have more than doubled.  No new school, less teachers, less extra classes for the kids at the high school.  So, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that our school is in need of reconstruction on the budget end of things.  But lacking enrollement is the main problem.  Plus this situation has been going down hill for awhile now.  The school board was trying to make a decision to save  "Hurt" to both Severy or Moline.  By this I mean, they felt that closing one at a time would cause alot of strain and stress on the communities, Severy and Moline.  I have heard, and no I haven't attended the last couple of school board meetings, but that the next plan is to move both the elementaries to Howard anyways.  They will bring in portable buildings.  I don't know this as fact, just hearsay.  So, don't jump on me.

As for the fact that no one wants to move back to Howard after they graduate, that is a line of bull.  I know of many people that attended WEST ELK, and live here and raise their families.  My husband and I both have, I know that Gina and her husband have.  But that is not the point.  I feel that you are all celebrating something that was neither a win win situation.  No one wants their taxes to go up, but at this point from what you guys are saying, just how I understand you, it doesn't matter to you what type of education our children around here get.  They need community college anyways is what one person said.  Have you been to college, not to be mean but there is nothing wrong with community college.  It's basically just smaller class sizes than big universities.

I am truley afraid to speak my opinion on here for getting called names, but I am an educated lady with a BS in Elementary eduation.  Own my own business, plus so does my husband.  I want what is best for our children.  I am a 4-H leader a girl scout leader, member of the Flinthills Assembly of God Church, and I choose to be active as possible in the community.  I feel that some of you sit back and don't appreciate what we, Howard and surrounding coummunities have.  I made a choice to live here.  If it means bigger taxes because of less people so be it.  I get a second job.  Yes, I am young and can do this as to some of you are older citizens living on disablities or SS checks, understand that.  But what I am trying to say is we need a school around here.  And we as Elk countians (spelling), should be proud of the education that our children receive.  

I really am hurt that it didn't pass.  But you that voted no, what is your opinion on what the school should do next?  Any suggestions?

[srkruzich]

I think there would be legal liability concerns if the public were to do some of the labor on the repairs of the roof or any other repairs that are necessary.

Oh jeeze. come on.  We can volenteer for habitat for humanity, we can volenteer to build a park in howard now your arguing Liability issues?? 

[srkruzich]

Well, then have them sign a waiver or something.  I don't think that the folks in Elk county (and again I could be way off here) are that "sue happy" that if they were volunteering to something like this, and got hurt, that they would sue the school or whatever.

I don't think most people would sue, just make sure that if they are hurt seriously that the county include them under their coverage to cover the medicals.

[srkruzich]

Either way the repairs to the building do not address the over staffing for the size of the district that is necessary to run three campuses when only one is necessary.  You can repair (and waste money on those repairs) three buildings with cheap or volunteer labor all you want but that will not alleviate the situation whatsoever.  What people need to realize to a degree is that we are currently at MAX LOB, which means next year if the population of students declines and thus the budget received by the state declines so must the LOB since the maximum LOB is a percentage of the total funding, thus people will have to be eliminated to meet that reduced budget and that is where the problem will grow large and will result in eliminated programs and a quick reduction in the quality of education provided by USD 282.

At this point, perhaps the school district should just be dissolved and have the students go to the closest open enrollment schools and watch as the remaining families in Elk county disappear.
[/quote]THey were going to eliminate at least 50% of the jobs anyway by consolidation.  Come on, you don't pay 2 kindergarten  teachers for one class.