NEW ALBANY — The New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated school board accepted Superintendent Bruce Hibbard's initial proposal which as to close four area schools.The Courier-Journal's Harold_Adams tweets: "NA-Floyd school board votes 5-2 to close four elemtary schools. Wiseheart and Gardenour were the dissenters."
The schools to be closed are Silver Street, Galena, Children's Academy of New Albany and Pine View elementary schools will be closed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tribune reports: School board votes to close four schools.
From the Tribune:
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26 comments:
shameful. Sad. Regrettable.
Not to mention short-sighted...fortunately, there is an election for school board in a couple of months, right? Not that it will help this situation, but it'll send a message.
I'd take the two dissenting votes with a grain of politically-induced salt the size of Texas.
Bayernfan,
Definately time to remember this come the time to check the ballot boxes. They can elect to close our schools, and we can elect to fire them.
After watching the meeting tonight, I think I am pondering a run for school board. With 3 kids in elementary, I have to have a better perspective than the crew of uncaring old men who serve for the whopping $2k stipend and health insurance. And, I'll decline the insurance and stipend.
Lawguy:
GO FOR IT!
"I'd take the two dissenting votes with a grain of politically-induced salt the size of Texas."
Bingo.
Hibbard was even scarier. Gave a speech about how courageous he is to follow Governor Daniels' plan for efficiency.
Before I forget: Hibbard let slip that he had discussed his closings plan with 1SI, and "they're businessmen" so that's why they supported it.
Given that one member is leaving to run for state office (and she doesn't' even send her own kids to public schools), we won't even get a chance to fire her, though wasn't that convenient she voted against the plan knowing it would pass anyway, but giving her the chance to tell people she voted against it.
I'm all for firing as many of these people as possible (And I really would have loved the chance to fire the one member who's hoping to move on to screwing up the state and not just our local schools), but I want to know who else is wanting to be elected to the public school board but not willing to send their own kids there...
All aboard!
Congratulations!
We just took a ride on the NAFC Illiterate Railroad.(play on monopoly for those slow members of the school board)
The NAFC Illiterate Railroad is sure to visit again in the future, unless we get the state to fix the funding source.
"Before I forget: Hibbard let slip that he had discussed his closings plan with 1SI, and "they're businessmen" so that's why they supported it."
Is this actionable in any way? I thought school board members and the superintendent were not to discuss board business with anyone else on the street or in closed door meetings. Their code of ethics posted no the school website says as much. That sounds like a closed door meeting...
Why would the superintendent discuss school closings with them? Their input was more valuable than the actual parents who were pleading with the board to look for an alternative? It's not like anyone is fooled here, these are schools they wanted to close (especially Silver Street) and this gave them their golden opportunity to do just that.
"Their input was more valuable than the actual parents who were pleading with the board to look for an alternative? "
It is to Hibbard. Now we know.
Hibbard also said he "wants to get out of the insurance business" in reference to teachers among others.
I handed them a folder of emails and they never even looked at them.
Want to talk politics? When Hibbard takes a job in another town, we call their newspaper and tell them what to expect next - let their town know what they're in for.
Sorry - brain functioning only in spurts now.
The worst part about this $6.6 million was Brad Snyder's "projected" revenue was the master formula. I will buy you a latte when Fall comes and suddenly they weren't $6.6 million short.
lawguy - I said those exact same words on Sunday - zero stipend and no participation in insurance if I were in.
Maybe Destinations will be willing to hold a "Meet the School Board Candidates"
Being a political neophyte, I presume that we're past the filing deadline to run in the upcoming election...? If so, I hope that the voters remember and punish our legislators and governor in the coming elections but voting them out.
Looking back, I am still amazed by what i learned last night. Several times, reference was made to the "situation" that Dr. Hibbard inherited from his predecessor, yet the whole board sat stonefaced, realizing that perhaps some of this occurred under their watch? I do commend Wiseheart for at least commenting that the board needs to "own half of this problem". But honestly, its hard to believe it all went to hell in a hand-basket under this leadership without them having any idea it was coming. Dr. Snyder's PowerPoint was certainly informational and well done, but it left me wondering why there is so little accountability for all the folks who have been involved in this regime prior to Dr. Hibbard's tenure.
Further, having since learned from other posts that Wiseheart's children do not even attend public schools makes me wonder why in the hell she wants to serve on the board...what motivations does she have?
We need active and involved PARENTS on the board whose kids go to these schools NOW, not consultants, insurance agents, politicians and retirees whose kids were students in the system decades ago. (Just my quick understanding of the composition...from the gentleman sitting next to me)
Definitely a wake up call to get more involved. Who knows whether the results would be any different, but clearly, having involved PARENTS involved is a fundamental necessity. I grew tired of the comments about their concern over being "good public stewards" with the county tax dollars, and how to explain a referendum to people without kids in school. Hogwash! I want board members being concerned about being the best educators and parents possible.
Time to get more involved.
Lawguy,
I would have to take issue with some of your points. As a childless citizen of Indiana, I pay taxes to support the schools just like those citizens with children. I also have an interest in a better New Albany. Being childless should not "disqualify" me or anyone else who may be interested in running for the school board. I have no intention or desire to do so--mainly because I know that I don't know enough to be a good member of the school board. I also know plenty of "parents" who would probably be even worse than me.
I know emotions are running high but I couldn't let that go.
Yes lawguy - the deadline, even as a write-in, was February 19th.
Just so you know, Wiseheart's "owning" was a jab at the teacher's raises. I don't recall how many years they hadn't gotten a raise, and their raise wasn't a very big percent (compared to other professional jobs who typically give annual percentage raises for cost-of-living/performance). Again I don't recall what the percent was, but it was modest.
Snyder's powerpoint used a "guesstimate" of revenue to formulate the $6.6million shortfall. It's quite possible he will be off significantly (in either direction). I have concerns about that.
I'm not defending Wiseheart - but I did pose that question to the Sunday Destinations group and I heard both sides of the coin as far as private school. While I do have children in public schools, I can say that part of my own motivation stemmed from how good schools affect the community and thus a city. I saw gentrification happening and I saw a school that was a central part of making this particular neighborhood desirable to buyers and even small businesses.
Further, the "excuse" they gave about the referendum was that not every property owner had parents in public schools. I beg to differ that home owners don't have concerns because it can very directly affect property values.
My comments were not meant to suggest that childless citizens were less "qualified" than parents of students presently enrolled in the system. If it came across as such, that's my bad. As taxpayers and property owners, everyone does have indirect interest and involvement, as well as a right to be involved.
I suppose my thoughts should have been more narrowly tailored to wondering why a parent who chooses NOT to send their kids to the local public school wants to serve on the board which governs those schools which the parent has decided against utilizing? It makes no sense to me whatsoever, other than a springboard for other indirect political benefit and notoriety. I do understand why former educators might chose to serve, but if one does not want one's own kid in the public system, why does that person feel a right to determine the school system's future course?
And I do agree that there are many parents with kids in the system who would not be a good fit to serve on the school board. I'm not sure whether I'm the best qualified either. However, I simply wondered how many board members are DIRECTLY impacted by the decisions they make...and whether more direct involvement in the schools is a good prerequisite for a board member.
Oh - sorry I didn't finish my comment about school board members with children in private school. Some of the possible reasons offered to me were: classes offered at the elementary level which aren't currently offered in public schools such as foreign language and religion and religious-motivations. I haven't decided on how I feel about it yet - I'm still pondering both sides. I see the desire from a commmunity stand-point, but I also feel slightly slapped in the face by it, as well.
Here's an idea - call or email her and ask why she has her child in private school. She is good about responding.
Lawguy,
Fair enough.
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