 |
| NOT. |
The local "newspaper" (motto -- "Now available in two-ply rolls!") has run the inevitable "Pool Broke, we can't fix it without District funding and we can't live with the proposed budget, and we can't build STEM unless we get more money" story.
It is certainly not a surprise that the aging pool is failing. The complete lack of concern/funding for capital asset maintenance has been widespread across all town facilities. (Although, It is ironic/amusing that the Athletic Director is now scrambling around re-scheduling school swim events because the District can't afford to repair the pool -- just a few weeks after he criticized the Administration for attempting to save money by reviewing the food service program.)
It is not a surprise that there are no reserve funds to pay for the repair. If nobody can replace a $4500 valve, ain't no way they can handle a $30,000 re-grouting, or God-Knows-How-Much to replace the filter system!
It certainly not a surprise that Kangas is in favor of using District funds to repair the pool. Her & Crossman have kids in pool programs. Crossman has also been (still is?) a paid pool employee. The reality is that the vast majority of pool use has always been for non-school activities. At the risk of beating a dead horse, the School District ALREADY pays way more than its share of pool operating costs.
It's also no surprise that STEM funding is in jeopardy. I think STEM is a great concept -- but there needs to be some compromise. With all due respect, you can't have STEM and the Wing School. As was pointed out previously, even if the every Wing student was re-assigned next week, the other schools would STILL be less crowded than they were a few years ago.
The student population has dropped dramatically over the past several years and with the growth of local parochial schools, as well as an increase Choice & Charter School seats, it is just unnecessary to maintain the same number of classroom seats that were needed a decade ago. Sorry, but it's time to shed a building AND some staff.
Mother Nature (and the Army Corps. of Engineers) left us with cold, rocky beaches. Our Town Fathers of Yore virtually eliminated any hope of a real commercial tax base to take the stress off of residential taxpayers. Barack and Deval want to get their hands deeper into our pockets. Bud wants a new Public Safety Building. The Library people want a new Biblio-Palace (I guess we could all plug our Kindles in there?). The Teachers' Union leadership has pissed-off everybody in town. And, the stupidity and vindictiveness of some prior School Committee members left the Town with a pending lawsuit which threatens to cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Does anybody really wonder WHY there is little support for any additional budget increases -- and why it is becoming increasingly difficult to stifle the yawns when discussing the annual school budget "crisis" ?
But, there was one bright spot in this week's coverage...
Travis Andrade questioned the wisdom of adding 6 school "security guards" while still charging parents for Full Day Kindergarten. Finally, a question!! I think Full Day Kindergarten would be a great investment in early intervention and in reducing future special education costs. Realistically, I would also see a half dozen, unarmed, poorly-trained Mall Cops, as a far greater risk to our kids than whatever else may be lurking out there. Its not like you would be getting candidates for the FBI Hostage response team for $30,000 + benefits! (Would this be a good time to bring up the public outrage when the prior administration moved to keep strangers from wandering in off the street and wandering naked with the kids in the pool locker area?)
COMING SOON: Is there a iWorm in that Apple iPad ?
16 comments:
The Truth Maker would respond as well. The magic bottle is now empty so where do we all go from here??
Can we get the problems back into the bottle or do we need to find a bigger bottle??
Here we are at the beginning of 2013 and the money problems keep on coming for the Sandwich Educational system and with no end in site.
Can the school district still keep on supporting the community school as it is presently structured? We do not believe it can sustain itself with all of the financial burdan, being placed upon our school district by a run away community school program that has used politics to gain financial rewards from the education of our children to operate itself over these many years.
I ask how much money does it really cost in dollars to operate and maintain this account? Who is actually is in charge of where the money is coming from and where it is going??? Does any one care??
Time will tell, but in the meantime both the School Comittee and Board of Selectmen, should be in open discussion as to where our tax dollars are being spent and are they being spent for the purpose intended.
How easy is it to be in favor of everything?
For new security. For STEM. For pool repairs. For Department Heads. For a STEM Director. For I Pads.
It is easy to be for everything. And, it’s juvenile. Where are the adults?
Is anyone in the School Administration or School Committee going to ask: How do we pay for all this? Should we limit our spending to prioritized necessities? What can we cut or reduce?
Sure, these are tough questions and the answers aren’t pleasant. But, this is how adults behave and how they manage their household budgets every day in homes across Sandwich.
Time for the School Administration and School Committee to grow up and act like adults – it’s too easy to ask for everything under the sun and then blame Bud or the Selectmen when, as adults should, they say: Great ideas but we just can’t afford it.
Let me get this straight – the schools operate a $32 million dollar budget and they don’t have $4500 for a pool repair?
That’s the equivalent of a family making $50,000 a year saying they can’t find $7.03 to fix a leaky faucet!
Who’s kidding who?
An audit a few yrs back said K-12 monies are NOT to be used for community school/pool? Where are the fixes for the pool gonna come from then?
Is the community school still stealing from the childrens' educational dollars and why haven't the parents and taxpayers demand that practice stop?
Hmmmm, Mathman you just may be a genius...if only you had stated that 'no one looks like they WANT to fix the pool, you might have got the Nobel prize for reality. Nope, Dr Canfield says he just doesn't have time to deal with that pool anymore...he is neck deep in reconfiguring his budget...oh..just what year is he working on this time? The broken pump just puts the entire pool issue in the dark until Pitbull, er I mean Kangas keeps calling Canfield and demanding that her pool be fixed....dammit! This is starting to really get funny. The Three Stooges could not have put on a performance like this past week any better. Nope, my bet this weekend is that the Patriots will beat the Ravens and the Kangas will admit to doping along with Landyhands....er....just thinking of doping as meaning a general lack of intelligence. Ooops, there I go again....being mean. Sorry folks, this whole argument over the pool is like discussing term limits at the Democratic convention!
Just to ReCap: Supt says close the pool during School Day, Committee says open the pool. Supt says "OK" -- but then can't find a lifeguard -- so Pool stays shut.
Now, the pool is shut-down indefinitely due to a $4500 valve -- and the AD/Union Leader who was bitching about the administration last month is being forced to reschedule his swimming events.
Way to go Dr. C -- nice to see somebody playing hardball with these morons!!
I agree with Travis --- Full Day Kindergarten is far more important, and a far better investment than many thing the Schools spend money on -- stupid field trips, lazy teachers who play movies in class and/or teach only half the allotted class block and allow kids to do their homework during class.
Maybe the funding could come out of the Hockey or Football budgets?
I agree with the post above that there is money in the budget and that these fights are really about failing to choose.
Choose between I Pads and STEM or the Pool and Security. Somewhere somebody will have to prioritize something! Life is all about choices.
Canfield double dog dared the School Committee last week to take a vote and direct him to do something. Canfield reminded them (the School Committee) that they are the decision makers. They are in charge! What happened? Nothing!
If Kangas wants the pool fixed she can make a motion and take a vote. You’re in charge Marie – do something besides rolling your eyes.
Want kindergarten paid for? Make a motion and take a vote. You’re in charge Travis – do something besides blow smoke.
Real Leadership requires both a genuine personal conviction and a willingness to act. Most School Committee members seem to have the first quality spades. It’s the willingness to act that seems to elude your typical Committee member. Speech making is wonderful and important. Listening and learning are also prerequisites to good government and administration. But, it’s a willingness to act, to put oneself in the lead, that’s sorely lacking on today’s Committee. Granted, every decision isn’t likely to be perfect or garner everyone’s support and buy in, but progress requires movement, action and decision making. Progress requires the willingness to act and the ability to persuade others to follow you. Leadership is sometimes lonely and it’s often done by just one. On this Committee nobody’s in the lead.
No guts .... No glory!
Take a stand, mke a Motion
Take a vote,
Move on
Repeat
Don't forget the cut in library services by replacing the librarians with ESP's. That is a graded class teaching computer skills and research / reports. How's Joe Shmoe security guy supposed to help anything.
I'd love to see how much money is spent on substitutes. My kids have subs constantly. I understand if the teacher is sick, their own kid is sick, an emergency comes up, etc. I even understand an occasional personal day for vacation or whatever. But, my kids always have subs for the day or a half or a few hours for their teachers to,go to " meetings". We once kept track and one child went 4 straight weeks where her teacher was out of the classroom at least twice each week requiring a sub. 8 subs in 4 weeks and that is just ONE classroom!
The FY '10 Actual/Budget report showed approx $350,000 was paid for subs during the 2009-2010 school year (excluding time-off for professional development).
It would be interesting to see what that number was in FY '11 & '12 - particularly given the state of union unrest in those years.
Another interesting number would be what it costs parents for lost wages, extra transportation, childcare, etc. when the District declares a half-day.
This budget cycle might be a good time to review the half-Day policy to determine EXACTLY what the days are being used for and EXACTLY what it is costing the District.
Are staff member actually learning anything relevant to justify the paid time off --- are they even showing up for seminars -- or are they treating it as just another day off?
That's a great question Bob. I am friendly with 3 teachers in the K-3 grades who roll their eyes at the half day and tell me they are a complete waste of their time. We have joked about it many times. What I don't understand is in the middle of the day, several times a week, a teacher being pulled out for a chunk of 1-3 hours for meetings. It happens all the time, at least at one school.
8:56 - Most likely the teachers are being pulled out for IEP meetings. With the high number of students on IEPs, the district is going to have to figure out a different way to run the meetings. Sorry Union - this means teachers having to work after 3:30!
Post a Comment