WEST ELK VOTERS SAY A FIRM "NO" ON TUESDAY

[PrehistoricRez]

You say people need to volunteer.  That is all fine and wonderful, but citizens of this community don't even show up for the meetings to get the information on the district's situation.  How you going to get them to care enough to volunteer?

i agree totally, volunteer....whats that, why doesnt anyone show up to volunteer to help clean up the bank building in howard?

Here is the other side....Volunteer...what you mean work and not get paid, man f that, im gonna sit right here on the couch watch tv or play my xbox....hey i wonder if the welfare check is here yet im hungry...

[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.

And then have the final product reviewed/certified by a bonded contractor prior to occupancy.

If they were willing.

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.

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.

I think your quote should be you dont pay for 2 high schools in a county that only needs 1, because there are some kids that are dumber and need an easier school, so they can only go when they want and still graduate, thats not an education

for those of you that dont know im talking about longton

Then what is the problem??  Take longton and move them to the howard highschool and move the elementary to the longton building, problem solved.

[PrehistoricRez]

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?? 

Certainly I will argue liability issues, and if you do not believe that they would come up then you are dreaming.  For example, in the past the Lions Club had offered to repair pot holes in the City of Howard and were refused because we would have to be covered by the City's insurance policy in case of accident and because of the liability created if we did not do the work properly.

I got a chuckle from this one, "if we did not do the work properly", when does the city do any work properly, we pay for dirty water that smells like chlorine, month after month

[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?? 

Certainly I will argue liability issues, and if you do not believe that they would come up then you are dreaming.  For example, in the past the Lions Club had offered to repair pot holes in the City of Howard and were refused because we would have to be covered by the City's insurance policy in case of accident and because of the liability created if we did not do the work properly.

I got a chuckle from this one, "if we did not do the work properly", when does the city do any work properly, we pay for dirty water that smells like chlorine, month after month

I pulled up this summer to that fill station and dumped some of that NASTY water i wouldn't even give to my critters.  One sure sign its not fit for consumption is that if a goat won't drink it, no one should drink it.

[PrehistoricRez]

Just out of curiosity, how many of the people that are posting their opinions on this thread as to what the school district should do, pay taxes for USD 282?

I do. 

If i'm not mistaken we all do if we do business in elk county.  We also pay federal tax which goes to elk county.

im dont have have a cpa in accounting, but last i checked, FEDERAL TAX GOES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

[PrehistoricRez]

okay, THE MAJORITY HAS SPOKEN.  How I voted is between me and my ballot.  Reading a lot of "how bout we do this?" on here and a lot of name calling, a lot of ideas, some good, some not so good, and if you think you might have a solution to the problem, you need to take it to the school board, not the forum.  They are the ones that have to make the decisions.  As for the asbestos problems, I know FOR A FACT that all asbestos was removed from the Severy Elementary BY CERTIFIED ASBESTOS WORKERS in the 70's, because it was during the 10 yrs. that I worked for the school district.  This was done over the summer months.  Moline, I can't vouch for, but I'd almost guess that they done the same thing there at the same time, or shortly before or after Severy.  There are always going to be losers and winners in any election and jumping down each other's throats will not solve the problems at hand.  Go vent your frustrations on something constructive, or if you like, something distructive, but work together to come up with viable solutions.  Now, I'll get down from my soap box and let the rest of you take a stab at me for posting my 2 cents worth, which may be worth more now if you include taxes, etc. 

People that say its "between me and my ballot" voted no, you probably voted for obama too.

[srkruzich]

Just out of curiosity, how many of the people that are posting their opinions on this thread as to what the school district should do, pay taxes for USD 282?

I do. 

If i'm not mistaken we all do if we do business in elk county.  We also pay federal tax which goes to elk county.

im dont have have a cpa in accounting, but last i checked, FEDERAL TAX GOES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The last i checked every Government school gets Federal funding which comes out of our federal taxes.

[PrehistoricRez]

http://www.usakansas.org/content/1/West_Elk_USD_-_Superintendent_Bert_Moore.pdf

[PrehistoricRez]

Just out of curiosity, how many of the people that are posting their opinions on this thread as to what the school district should do, pay taxes for USD 282?

I do. 

If i'm not mistaken we all do if we do business in elk county.  We also pay federal tax which goes to elk county.

im dont have have a cpa in accounting, but last i checked, FEDERAL TAX GOES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The last i checked every Government school gets Federal funding which comes out of our federal taxes.

according to the budget, usd 282 received $257,969 in federal funds, $148,230 in supplemental federal funds, $114,148 for foodservice, and $422,000 for special education, thats hardly all of our federal taxes

[srkruzich]

Just out of curiosity, how many of the people that are posting their opinions on this thread as to what the school district should do, pay taxes for USD 282?

I do. 

If i'm not mistaken we all do if we do business in elk county.  We also pay federal tax which goes to elk county.

im dont have have a cpa in accounting, but last i checked, FEDERAL TAX GOES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The last i checked every Government school gets Federal funding which comes out of our federal taxes.

according to the budget, usd 282 received $257,969 in federal funds, $148,230 in supplemental federal funds, $114,148 for foodservice, and $422,000 for special education, thats hardly all of our federal taxes

Never said it was all our tax dollars and the taxes collected in each county doesn't all go to the schools either. 
A tax dollar is a dollar stolen.