School District Bamboozles Voters
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Hey! Does anyone know what time it is?
No! It’s not Tool Time. I just finally figured out that it is build a school time. I must be in a closet if I am just now figuring out that the school district is trying to bamboozle the taxpayers with a special election for a referendum to build a new school.
What is up with that? I have heard so many things about the school district over the last 3 years that make them sound evil, deceptive, calculating, and now I come to find out that it is all true.
Last time I checked that is 15 days before the biggest holiday of the year. But what is even worse is that isn’t Thanksgiving when all the snow birds fly south?
December 12"th is such an odd day, that the only way I can imagine that the school board picked that day is because of all the things I have heard about them as listed above.
I have already requested an absentee ballot since I just figured out what is going on. Even worse is which board members supported such a crooked day for a referendum.
I hope that there are more absentee ballots than regular ballots. I hope that the board gets a thumping like the last referendum.
I also heard that the district claims they can operate a new school for $830,000. Can someone please verify that this is what they say? I am playing this out in my head and can not come up with any possible way to operate a school for that amount. I don’t even think that will pay for the health insurance that they need.
I have kids in this district and the one thing that I know is that if a school gets built, they will not be able to raise their families here because the operating expenses alone will tax them out of here. How are the fixed income elderly going to come up with more tax money?
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Sounds fishy.
Each teacher’s health care package will cost you approximately $18,000 annually – that’s right, approx. $18,000 is the annual family plan premium. Of course the teachers have to contribute to that total (less than $1,000), but you pay their salary anyway so the fact remains you pay for all of it. So, ignoring ANY salary a three section grade school will cost you somewhere in the $400,000 to $500,000 range in health care premiums alone.
So, if the district was telling you they could operate the school for $830,000 they were not telling you the truth. In order to fully cost out a grade school you have to include the annual debt service, plus teacher salaries, plus custodial costs, plus all maintenance and upkeep, plus administrative costs including the principal, assist principal, psychologist, career counselor, reading specialists, drug addiction specialist, wellness manipulator, self-esteem moderator, special education analyst I and II, Ritalin administration specialist, Nurse I and II, and Technology Liasons I and II. Did I miss anything?
$830,000 might be themonthly cost , so perhaps someone down at the nightmare on Vine could correct the error…
The district gives the impression that they will transfer costs to the new school from
other schools. A question was asked at one of community meetings about hiring teachers.
The ANSWER: We will be transfering teachers and students to the new school. That answer
means no additional teachers being hired. When pressed that would do nothing to reduce
class size, a revised answer of we do not have the numbers yet to decide what to do was given.
I have a hard time believing that when there are numbers for every reason under the sun to build
the school. All I ask is for honest answers and actual numbers so I can make an informed decision.
OK, I’ll apologise for the nonsense above. However, the fact remains that there is simply no possible way a three section, k-5 grade school can be built, funded, and operated for $830,000 per year.
Just the hard cost of financing the construction alone runs as follows:
$16 million over 20 years -
Principal $16,000,000
Payment $ 113,707.84 (monthly)
Rate 5.9%
Total Interest $11,289,882
Total Loan Value $27,289,882
So, on an annual basis the annual cost of just the construction alone runs $1,364,496
Then, for purposes of argument, let’s say total instructional staff is 25 (probably low) and two administration staff plus the principal. That group alone will cost about $1.8 million annually (salary plus benefits). Then you have custodial, food service and additional special needs costs in addition to the net increase in transportation costs. Let’s be reasonable here and estimate another $250,000 to cover.
Total cost estimate:
Building: 1.36 million annually
Staff: 1.8 million annually
Misc: .25 million annually
Total annual cost = $3.41 million
The district is not telling the truth…
Furthermore, if the district is going to argue that they are transferring staff and no new hiring will occur I would like to know who will be taking care of whatever it was those people were doing where-ever they are now? Moreover, if this is truly the case, does this not imply that the district is currently WAY overstaffed?
School districts do not operate in a vacuum, they may very well move employment units from point A to new school B, and thereby suggest no new costs associated with those teachers that transfer to the new school but this says nothing about what happens back at the old school they transferred from…
And one more thing… Don’t think for a moment that the real cost of the building is only $16,000,000 (if it can be built for that amount) – tax dollars will be used to pay the bond interest and that additional $11,000,000 are real tax dollars leaving your pocket. The true cost is $27,000,000 tax dollars over 20 years plus all operational expenditures.
I cannot afford it – vote NO.
They should have PLENTY of money now to build a new school. The day after elections, I and all my neighbors got notices from the city that miraculously our property values (and our taxes) went up over 60% since last year!!! Imagine that!! Housing sales decline, houses sit on the market forever but my and all my neighbors have these fabulous homes that have gone up over 60% in value. Maybe they are anticipating a failed referendum?