West Elk district holding mail election for $4 million bond

[Ross]

Thank you Nancy.I appreciate the positive comment. I do care.

Nice job Nancy, we all need a pat on the back occasionally.

Ross, I have answered your question about how long I taught and what grades so many times it's ridiculous to expect me to answer it again! What difference does it make anyway? My years of teaching won't help people decide about your bond issue.
I don't know how anyone can decide on your bond issues as long as several small towns are encouraged to have a win or lose attitude.

My point precisely and it was sooo long ago and such a short period of time.

I would expect that the families who have children in any school would like the school to be large enough and nice looking enough to be workable and pleasant, and well fitted out enough to be effective. I do understand about the costs. Our referendums often fail here too, but for difference reasons.  BUT..nice looking to the eye doesn't have to be Taj Mahal expensive. We just proved that with our new Newark Charter High School. I just wish I could have helped you  long distance.

A school built to handle 600 students when there is on 300 students enrolled isn't enough? Where is the logic in that? The math is so simple, and it is not Common Core.

And you are right this is not Delaware or a Newark Charter High School. And you can't help from Delaware, you are not a registered voter in Elk County, Kansas are you!

If the bond issues keeps on failing, then what?

We still have the school building that is designed to handle 600 students with only 300 students enrolled. This is why I love Diane --- she helps prove my point. Thank you Diane. Good job Diane! You don't have to thank me for the positive comments, I understand.

Is there a plan B? Will the schools eventually be closed in favor of little classes in church basements, if the population keeps declining as Ross says?

No need for a plan "B".
We still have the school building that is designed to handle 600 students with only 300 students enrolled.

As far as the declining population, that has been mentioned numerous times at School Board meetings by the School Superintendent and you can check the statistics on the internet any time of the day. Even your friends at Elk Konnected have made it a very strong point.  Again thank you Diane you really know how to bring out the good information sometimes. Don't thank me for the positive compliment, I understand. Just keep up the good work, I appreciate it.

Are roof leaks acceptable just because the student population is small?

You would have to ask the School Board why they are sitting on their hands!
They were advised (I believe it was) by the University of Kansas at Emporia two years ago to start repairing the roof. And they had $1,000,000.00 on hand to do it. So yes Diane another good point, why isn't the School Board started on the roof repair. They are spending money to do little patches which build up to be expensive.

Excellent question Diane! Again no need to thank me for the positive feed back.

Reopening a mothballed school is not a cheap matter either. I'm sure there are also state regulations to consider. How old is the Moline school? How long has it been closed? Roof condition? any asbestos? heating and/or cooling? wiring age and condition? water leaks around windows or through walls? mold issues? vandalism? Has it been used for storage or anything else?

Will the School Board have a contractor or architect look at it. NO! They are too hung up on a new gymnasium and Taj Mahal for Howard to be interested in saving the taxpayers any money. Thanks for asking why the School Board has such a negative attitude about the roof repair and about saving the taxpayers money? I just don't think the School Board has everyone's best interest in mind, simply by this action and choosing to ignore the taxpayers vote on the last Bond Issue. So who is really behind this foolishness. Who is behind the NEGATIVITY towards the voters?

THANKS AGAIN! Diane from Delaware with your Charter Schools, good job.

   By the way, I do not talk to Ross any more except for educational issues, on which I am certainly qualified to have an opinion.

You are no better qualified than any one else. In fact you are less qualified than the voters and taxpayers of Elk County. Sorry to have to inform you, but being a teacher 50 years ago is not a qualification on Building Construction or reopening a building. Or Construction and taxing local taxpayers that do not wish to continue the over taxation!  Of 282 voter does not require teachers credentials from Delaware. I am so sorry, Diane.

What qualifies Ross to be an expert on space allocation and "wasted " space in a school?

My Dear Diane  What qualifies you to ask such a question from Delaware? I have never claimed to be qualified on space allocation or wasted space in school. I have on the authority of a very smart gentleman, that the West Elk School building was designed to house 600 students and there are only about 300 students enrolled. It only leaves one to believe that space is very poorly used. But so as not to ass/u/me anything I suggested they hire a proficiency expert.

Keep bringing it on Diane, you are doing a great job?

  As far as wasted tax dollars...it depends on who one asks and how they are connected to a school. Is school spending an investment or a drain on taxpayers? It depends on where one is in their life cycle.

The only ones that count concerning the taxation by the School District are the registered voters and taxpayers that live in the particular School District. And none of the in the West Elk USD 282 School District live in Delaware.

And the last Bond Issue voted on, showed a very strong "NO"!

Did the School board listen again "NO" ! Ooops another negative this time from the School Board.

Schools should never be a financial bottomless pit, but need to be able to prepare students for their future, whether it is continued education or a skilled occupation. That is more expensive than it used to be.

Once again you prove my points. But still people need to be discussing this information and you Diane have been very helpful in continuing the discussion for every registered voter. Keep up the good work Diane.

It has been proven that pouring money into education does not improve educational standards. It takes leadership and class room work. Very simple, no!
Another negative. Oops!

We do know we have two Konnected School Board Members.
So Diane with your  Konnections and your vast knowledge of school boards and your qualifications and such won't you please, would you enlighten us as to haw many more are Konnected? I bet you don't know.

Oh. well next spring five school board seats come up for election and I expect some major changes will occur.

There is only one seat, I hope remains to be the same person.

That is one out of four with scruples and integrity in my opinion.

Why does my opinion worry some people so much. My, my ! This I don't understand.

It is simply my opinion, just like the opinion by editors in editorials, nothing more, just an opinion!

[Diane Amberg]

Ross, not that it matters, but in 1964 I was still in college. I graduated in 1966 and started teaching in September of that year.What is your point?...for such a "short" time? It sure didn't feel short! .I still go into the classroom from time to time.Chalk boards are mostly gone now, so there is no longer a problem.   The Delaware School for the Deaf would surely miss me . Shall I ask you to list every job you ever had, how long ago and ask you to prove you were qualified to have it? Haven't you been "retired" forever?
I still question the number of students and grades West Elk was originally built to handle.600 seems high for the size,regardless of who said it. Perhaps they were talking about the students in all the schools,not just the high school?
By the way, I am most certainly more qualified than most when it comes to school space. I designed the class rooms, with teacher input, for one new elementary, two middles and one high school building. If I'm so old and out dated I couldn't have done that. Al and I worked with the builder, the architect and even some of the subs to be sure what I suggested met everyone's needs,especially the finance person who had to pay the bills. Information about room size requirments for each grade and use is easily available.The school board had to approve everything too.
Thank goodness we were able to use ordinary construction materials, and not the super expensive stuff some states require.
The middle school was opened in 2003 and still looks new, thanks to the efforts of an amazing group of "janitors" and well behaved kids.If we can do it here, you should be able to do it in Kansas!

[Mom70x7]

From the Independence Daily Reporter:


West Elk Superintendent Bert Moore said the current school building, built in the 1980s for seventh through 12th grades, has a capacity of 360 students, not 600 as some rumors claim. At the time, elementary students attended schools in Moline in Elk County and Severy in Greenwood County.


The District Office number is 620-374-2113, if anyone wants to call and verify the information.

[Ross]

From the Independence Daily Reporter:


West Elk Superintendent Bert Moore said the current school building, built in the 1980s for seventh through 12th grades, has a capacity of 360 students, not 600 as some rumors claim. At the time, elementary students attended schools in Moline in Elk County and Severy in Greenwood County.


The District Office number is 620-374-2113, if anyone wants to call and verify the information.

I agree, call him but Be sure to ask for blue prints and documentation, too! Ask him to have his office personal post the documentation either here or on the West Elk USD 282 Web site. After all they claim to want to communicate with the public and here is a perfect chance to do just that? I bet it doesn't happen.

Contrary to what Mom70x7 says it is not a rumor, I personally heard him at several School Board meetings, and he said it was built to handle 600 students.

[daisy]

I hope the citizens of Elk County get their information about the West Elk Schools from reliable individuals that can present them with facts and not twisted interpretations of things they have heard in the local feed store.  Pretty sure those who are bitterly opposed to this bond are so because of hurt feelings, which is sad for our county.  Talk to those directly involved, if you don't respect what the school board has to say ask those individuals who spend their time there daily. 

[sixdogsmom]

I just got out my calculator and the cost per student is a whole lot of money people. Particularly when you consider that the board has just spent 600 thousand dollars five years ago to accommodate students from the two grade schools that were closed. If the Howard campus was built to accommodate 300 students back in the 80s, how is it that with the addition of the eight classrooms, the campus cannot accommodate 324? Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the student body above 400 when all this was done?

[Ross]

I hope the citizens of Elk County get their information about the West Elk Schools from reliable individuals that can present them with facts and not twisted interpretations of things they have heard in the local feed store.  Pretty sure those who are bitterly opposed to this bond are so because of hurt feelings, which is sad for our county.  Talk to those directly involved, if you don't respect what the school board has to say ask those individuals who spend their time there daily.

Very good idea only talk to our employees, who ever heard of an employee that didn't want better working conditions. I've even worked with people that wanted such good working conditions, they wanted others to carry their work load. 

Who is bitter. I think most people are more sensible than that. It 's a shame you don't.

It those that oppose opposition that call people liars in a politically correct way because they don't have any other way to deal with facts.

But guess what, just like the last Bond Issue the voters will make up their on mind if they have been taxed enough or not. And if they are tired of the wasteful use of their money.

So you just keep casting doubt, it will simply fail in my opinion.

Good Luck

[redcliffsw]

 
Ross, I don't know why any reliable American would want to vote to steal money and more money from fellow citizens by and thru government to support a 'perpetual' government program like education.

Do you ever get the feeling that nowadays most people have greater respect for the Federal government instead of having the greater respect for individual liberty and individual property rights?  That comes from the learning in government schools and now its worse than ever.  For several generations, they've been preparing and teaching the future voters to support their government education and other "forced" and "mandated" government programs.  Fortunately, a few have escaped thru the government filtering system and others have sought to learn better. 

So it's good to see folks who are opposed to furthering socialism.  I'd certainly vote "no" on this issue if I was a voter in Elk County.

Ross, you stay right in there.

[Ross]

 
Ross, I don't know why any reliable American would want to vote to steal money and more money from fellow citizens by and thru government to support a 'perpetual' government program like education.

Do you ever get the feeling that nowadays most people have greater respect for the Federal government instead of having the greater respect for individual liberty and individual property rights?  That comes from the learning in government schools and now its worse than ever.  For several generations, they've been preparing and teaching the future voters to support their government education and other "forced" and "mandated" government programs.  Fortunately, a few have escaped thru the government filtering system and others have sought to learn better. 

So it's good to see folks who are opposed to furthering socialism.  I'd certainly vote "no" on this issue if I was a voter in Elk County.

Ross, you stay right in there.

Thank you redcliffsw, but most of all thanks for not calling me liar. LOL
Ya know some people think being politiacally correct makes everything ok.
When really it is back-stabbing someone up front.
Poltical correctness is just another way of being rude and cowardly, IMHO!

[nykkylsdymes]

I hope the citizens of Elk County get their information about the West Elk Schools from reliable individuals that can present them with facts and not twisted interpretations of things they have heard in the local feed store.  Pretty sure those who are bitterly opposed to this bond are so because of hurt feelings, which is sad for our county.  Talk to those directly involved, if you don't respect what the school board has to say ask those individuals who spend their time there daily.

I, myself, don't have hurt feelings but I do have a hurt bank account.  I agree, talk to people just don't assume, do your homework and get the facts.  But don't stop there!  Do the math, know what happened just a few years ago. 

I just got out my calculator and the cost per student is a whole lot of money people. Particularly when you consider that the board has just spent 600 thousand dollars five years ago to accommodate students from the two grade schools that were closed. If the Howard campus was built to accommodate 300 students back in the 80s, how is it that with the addition of the eight classrooms, the campus cannot accommodate 324? Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the student body above 400 when all this was done?

Excellent point!

If we couldn't afford the bond they tried to push through before all of this, what makes them think we can afford it now??!!!!