In November local voters will be presented with a referendum to update and supposedly improve the Greater Clark Co, School system. The referendum will ask for a tax increase of about $60 per household to fund this update. While the BatBlog feels most people would be more than willing to pay the $60 to improve education...this referendum is doomed to failure and rejection by Clark Co, voters. The rejection has nothing to do with the cost, though people do hate tax increases, it is about the lack of faith in the school administration and school board to do the right thing and spend the money wisely and efficiently. The GCCS administration has been somewhat secretive in releasing the complete study on the proposed changes to the public... leading to a greater mistrust and lack of confidence in this proposal.
The closing of neighborhood schools, consolidation and construction of new buildings are the contributing factors that make the general public leery and dubious of how this money earmarked for "improvement" will be well spent.
Whether it is nostalgia or just the close proximity the public loves their neighborhood schools,,,they feel a connection to these schools. On the other hand the school administration does not and the indifference puts a major roadblock up on any chance the referendum has of being passed by the voting public. The public and rightfully so feels the GCCS administration and school board is more concerned with high paying administrative jobs and studies than basic better education our young people.
Keep the neighborhood schools open , spend money updating and improving existing facilities, show the concern about better education....than shuffling students around and relocating them to ritzy blitzy new schools. Maybe then you can restore confidence to the voting public that their tax dollars are well spent....but we doubt that will happen...
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Most of these propositions fail, and most don't include the closing of beloved schools.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the school corporation has picked an election in which only those withn municipalities have candidates on the ballot. Those in the boundaries of Greater Clark but not within a city or town will have a ballot just for this question (thanks for the extra expense GCCS).
We can't be too causual about assuming it won't pass. Complacency could be devastating.
Spread the word.
https://www.facebook.com/STOPGCCSWASTING
Agreed Anon. people hate tax increases and realize a lot of tax dollars are spent unwisely and usually vote down these type propositions.
ReplyDeleteWith the increased negative publicity on this referendum concerning the closing of schools ...this makes it even more doomed for failure....
This school administration and board are as mistrusted as any local politicians... but you are right we mustn't be too "casual"
Stay Vigilant !!!
Shit. Yes. Casual, not whatever the hell word I wrote. You need an edit button too. It would give you an edge over Q. ;-)
ReplyDeleteA "like" button or thumbs up or down would be cool also.
DeleteI love neighborhood schools. I love the idea of kids going to their neighborhood schoolI. I believe in decentralization. I would even like to see some type of board for each neighborhood school made up of parents of kids who are enrolled. Sort of like the PTA but with more bite. The closer we get decisions to the parents the better in my opinion.
ReplyDelete$60!!! OMG!!! DO KNOW HOW MANY EXTRA JOBS I'LL HAVE TO TAKE ON TO PAY THAT!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree Russell old neighborhood schools have a charm and uniqueness that can't be duplicated. Updating these neighborhood schools would be money well spent versus consolidation and huge new schools amd buildings....
ReplyDeleteI went to 12 years of parochial schools. The schools were built around 1950. They still use them, because that's all the paritioners can afford. Times are hard. Many of those schools had updates in the last 15 years. I say......keep what you have.
ReplyDeleteSomebody please tell me a time (any time) when a politician or opponent to something hasn't used the cliche "these are tough times?" This country and world must suck because, according to those people, we've been in tough times my entire life.
ReplyDelete