School Changes

[srkruzich]

What, exactly did you have at stake in this latest bond issue that would cause you to so insensitively make so many inferences to the stupidity, inaccuracy or ignorance of others?  Nevermind, don't really care.  What is... is.

Oh thats simple enough that a blind man could see it.  A project that is not put up for bid.  Comments about using local contractors. The new school would need a electrician......Pep electric would be able to do that!

[pepelect]

What, exactly did you have at stake in this latest bond issue that would cause you to so insensitively make so many inferences to the stupidity, inaccuracy or ignorance of others?  Nevermind, don't really care.  What is... is.

Oh thats simple enough that a blind man could see it.  A project that is not put up for bid.  Comments about using local contractors. The new school would need a electrician......Pep electric would be able to do that!

Where and when did the project not be put up for bid?  The construction manager approach to building construction is very straight forward, legal, ethical, and a good option for limited budgets.  We interviewed architectural firms. The school board chose WDM.  We interviewed and took proposals from seven construction general managers.  They each Conco, Crossland, Eby, Hutton, Johnson, Simpson, and Universal were interested in this project.  The school board choose one of them to be the Construction Manager.  If the bond would have passed the winning company Hutton Construction at $5,550,000, would have put together bid packages to let out for general bid.  All subcontractors would have been selected out of that bid presentation.  That did not happen, will not happen now as the bond failed. 

I have no crew.  We were looking at a 10 month build window.   I would have not even attempted to  bid a project this size with no manpower.  The school already has an electrician. It is not me working there.  There is no impropriety on my part.

I really  assume you have a motive to be so against a central campus.


I really like the pixar movie Wall-e. 

Recycle   Reduce   Reuse

[jprxmkt]

If the Public Infomation Committee would have promoted the bond as a 3 million dollar project, the vote no's would have turned it around saying that "real" 5.5 million was not being properly represented.  When the PIC committee tried to explain that modular buildings were plan B, they were told that was a threat.

[wasadeay]

Did the board vote on this plan B?  Or was it just discussed as a probable option?.... Just curious, getting conflicting information

[momof 2boys]

There has not been a vote.  The board wanted to wait to see if Plan A (the bond) would pass before they made a decision about Plan B (closing both grade schools and having modulars).

[wasadeay]

Thank You, That was my original understanding also.... was just afraid I'd missed something

[L Hendricks]

Okay to maintain Moline and Severy as Elementary Schools and Howard as the high school location, we will have to start cutting programs.... where do we start.... Vo Ag Teacher and 1 para (lose FFA)...... Woods Teacher.....(plus his wife (secretary) would probably leave).... Arts teacher  (& loss of a janitor positition (husband/wife).... High school music teacher(still do not have a grade school music teacher).... If lose high school music probably lose her husband who also teaches at the high school..... Home Ec (or whatever they call it now).... also lose FCCLA.... Business teacher (just recently added.... no plays, webpage design, etc)..... spanish teacher.....(Why in the world would we need to teach that subject!)..... Let's be conservative.... $30,000 for each teaching position.... so we eliminate these positions so that we can keep two elementary schools open.... For all of you Reading, writing and arithmetic type people.... are none of these programs useful/necessary for our kids, ESPECIALLY those that are not college bound!....So those 7 teaching positions - maybe save us $210,000.... Most likely those people will have to leave the community to find other employment.... Those skills they teach.... life skills - teaching some of these kids skills so that they can get a job out of high school  without another degree.... do we give up these programs.... to keep 2 buildings open.... we sacrifice our kids' education to hang on to a lifestyle that was.... Please these are the decisions that our board is now faced with....So let's look at the buildings vs education in another way!

[Varmit]

Hope we don't lose the math teacher.  At $30,000. for each postition listed that total would be $300,000. not $210,000.  But that is for each position listed.  If you only apply the $30,000. to teaching positions then the total is $240,000. 

Has the board considered asking the teachers to take a cut in pay?  Or have the parents pay for these programs?  Just out of curiosity why would there be no plays if the Business teacher was not there? 

[Mom70x7]

Just out of curiosity why would there be no plays if the Business teacher was not there?

This year the new business teacher is the play director.
For the last couple of years, the play directors were the computer teacher and the band director.

It's a supplemental position, an add-on to a teacher's contract.

I don't remember any community volunteers for that position, or for assisting with the play.
There are quite a few financial supporters; they pay for some of the cost (programs, production rights, costumes, sets).

[srkruzich]

You know unfortunately as hard as times are getting and believe me they haven't gotten as bad as they are going to get, your going to be lucky to just keep the basics.   Everyone, including businesses are cutting out the extras just to survive, so is the taxpayer.