What if this levy fails?

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[Terriergal]

What if this levy fails?

If this operating levy is not approved by the voters on November 4th, the district will make reductions each year until a levy is passed.

The reductions for the 2004-2005 school year are as follows:

• Cut one full-time High School English teacher. 
• Cut one full-time High School Social Studies teacher.
• Cut one full-time teacher at West Elementary.
• Cut full-time Middle School Spanish teacher.
• Cut one full-time classroom teacher at Park Elementary.
• Cut half-time Tiger Pause teacher at Park Elementary.
• Cut two half-time reading teachers.
• Cut one administrator.
• Cut one custodian.
• Cut special education instructional supplies, field trips, summer curriculum writing, and professional development.
• Cut media generalist position. (No new hire for retiring person.)
• Set secondary school (grades 7-12) walking boundaries at two miles; elementary (grade K-6) walking boundaries at one mile.
• Cut two boys and two girls sports programs.
• Cut two extracurricular activities.
• Close swimming pools for the summer.
• Cut paid announcers at football, volleyball, basketball, and hockey games.
• Increase student participation fees by an additional $50 per activity.
• Eliminate rosters at sports events.

Making Cuts Will Not Solve The Problem

This problem will not go away simply because cuts are made this year. 

Because State funding is frozen, there will be a significant shortfall every year until an operating levy is approved.

 

Additionally in a flier they mailed out, these threats were added to the above list:

*One full time classroom teacher
*Gifted/Talented teacher (funny thing is, whenever we had gifted programs growing up, the really gifted kids usually got overlooked for it.)

*Reduction in instrumental music instruction (no big loss - there are very few good teachers and most of those teach privately and have waiting lists).
*Indiviual music lessons and group band would start at the middle school versus the elementary school. (big deal, that's how we did it growing up - and our tiny high school's band almost always got 1's at state anyway).
*Custodian
*Institute a four day week

[Terriergal]

What other strongarm tactics are schoool districts using around the state? This really T'd Cyrano and me off. This district has asked for money EVERY YEAR since we moved here, sometimes twice a year (special election). Just recently they had a huge bond referendum for a new school (which we *don't* need) defeated. Can you imagine if we had approved that, wouldn't they still need this so called operating levy?

I find it odd that if they are so keen on spreading the misery around they don't give across-the-board paycuts when it comes to their own little cliques. Instead they give just a few of them the hatchet and bid them farewell to try and make everyone mad enough to support their agenda. Terribly inconsistent in philosophy if you ask me. Typical liberalism. They cannot apply their own principles to themselves. They ask us to have a 'higher standard' of self-sacrifice than they are willing to put on themselves.

Of course, they waited until the last minute and hauled out the big gun - the FOUR DAY WEEK threat.

My mom (a retired public elementary teacher) says that her hometown's school district in Michigan has the four day week and they love it, btw. And that they cut funding for education by property tax there, but their taxes still have never gone down. So now they're getting screwed at both ends. The tax situation all over is way out of hand (I know, preaching to the choir).

Don't tell me they'll cut their operating budget by 20 percent if they went to a four day week. No way that would happen. I'm betting that four day week scared a lot of people into a yes vote because they figured they wouldn't be able to rearrange daycare, what since public daycare won't be available.

I'm also trying to figure out how moving the walk boundaries would significantly affect the budget. I was always amazed at how many kids were not allowed to walk here. We lived about five blocks from my daughter's school, and she had to ride the bus because it was on one of the busier roads in town. She could have walked in from the back, without even getting near the road. In addition we never had buses to get us the two miles home from high school. I walked all the time, or rode my bike.

Cyrano (hubby) spotted that four day week threat, and his jaw dropped. It really ticked him off. He knew the 'vote yes' campaign was in trouble if they hauled out that cannon. He knew enough people would fall for that one. And indeed they did. It passed, in this city of 11K, by about 200 votes.

Another thing that I found curious was that the swimming pools are open in the summer. I am SURE you don't get in there for free (I could be wrong)... so aren't those things making some money for them? Why don't they raise the fee for swimming?

Our taxes will be more than doubling (going from $1K to $2.6K) because we are moving to a larger house next month... now they will have a 17 percent increase on top of that. That's almost a whole month of groceries. I think I need to put a sign out on my lawn asking which yes voters are going to volunteer to buy our family's groceries for a month?

Last time when the referendum was defeated several signs popped up saying "Thank you for voting NO."

Anyone have any other good ideas for signs this time?

I was thinking of reminding them that since they asked us private schoolers to pay more for the public schools, they ought to be voting now for a voucher system, if they want to be really fair. But how to word that concisely?

[from occupied ga]

You gotta stand firm with thieves like this. I wonder what their annual budgets were over the last 5 years? My guess is that they have been escalating at greater than the rate of inflation. Most government spending has. The rest of us have to cut back, and these nimrods are throwing dollars away as if it were someone else's money (Woops it IS someone else's money)

[EternalVigilance]

Fight em with all you've got.

[Vigilantcitizen]

From what I've gathered about you from some of the conversations we've had, I'd hate to be the one on the receiving end of your anger and wrath. :)

[Chi-townChief]

"If it keeps on rainin', the levy's gonna break!"

[Terriergal]

From what I've gathered about you from some of the conversations we've had, I'd hate to be the one on the receiving end of your anger and wrath. :)

lol

(ahem) And don't you forget it!

< g >

Comments, Cyrano? And remember, you will probably not want to sleep on the couch. What since it's out in the garage and covered with packing boxes...

;-)

[Terriergal]

Hey you fixed your freeper ID!

[Terriergal]

The sad thing is we have a large handful of very nice Christian teachers in our church...I hate to tick them off too bad. THEY are not the problem IMO but they will suffer if levys are not passed. (Dont' get me wrong, I voted NO and I scribbled NO on my "I voted" sticker even as I was leaving the polling room.)

[Vigilantcitizen]

"Hey you fixed your freeper ID!"

Yeah, I left it as is for awhile to remind myself always verify before hitting the button.

[moonhawk]

I couldn't help noticing they were threatening to cut just one administrator to four or five teachers.

Kind of shows you where their priorities are.

Or who butters their bread.

[StatesEnemy]

"What if this levy fails?"

Well, don't jump in your chevy to go looking for it...

[DeFault User]

Cut one administrator.
Cut two administrators.
Cut three administrators.
Cut four administrators.
Cut five administrators.
Cut six administrators.
Fire the superintendent.

That looks much better.

[Danette]

I know the rallying-cry-retoric they were trying to use to pass our referendum was: "Well, if we don't get the state funds, some other district will."

Yeah, but you still have to pay for it. DUH.


Our referendum failed by 33 votes. 1397 yes to 1430 no.

Sadly,it's a closer vote than last year.

[from occupied ga]

Oddly enough I was ranting on this very topic on another thread this morning here

[Terriergal]

definitely. I myself noted only ONE admin's job was threatened.

[Terriergal]

Ar ar ar! ;-)

[Terriergal]

uhuh!

[Terriergal]

I will not be surprised if they try again for some more cash next year. I'm so PO'ed about this one that I'm almost saying "it would never pass."

But I'm not stupid enough to say that. Cyrano has made up his mind to start a real campaign to vote it down already, no matter how easy it looks to defeat.

[Terriergal]

nuts. It's time for a nationwide tax revolt.

[Terriergal]

I'm waiting for our lovely local newspaper editor to complain about this thread btw. Remember the "shall issue" poll they had that he whined about being freeped?

< g >