Paul working for you.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
school override
Here's is the link to information about the school override that will be on the ballot April 30th. as Mrs. Trifilo stated at candidates night - the school budget committee has chopped as much as they can. Please take the time to go to this link and read the information provided. Our children are our future.
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Reading, writing and arithmetic.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused about people asking each candidate if they support the override at Candidates Night. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if a selectman (or candidate for selectman) supports or opposes this override as it is the town citizens voting to pass it or not that will make the determination. Why would someone vote for a candidate based on their opinion of the override?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, if parents want the school to be best represented, they should look at which candidate knows the most (and cares the most) about getting the entire town back on stable footing. That alone will help to support the school system. I think there are three candidates that are concerned about the town's financial situation and will be good at fixing it if elected. There is one candidate that has sued the town, has rejected DOR report based on personal reasons, and has mishandled the town's finances in the past. So, at the next Candidates Night, instead of asking about school or senior center, it would be of everyone's best interest to ask more financial questions instead.
I think the "school people are so focused on the school, it is all they are concerned with. It is just like when they vote on the articles they are interested in, at town meeting, they they all get up and leave. Leaving all of the older people to figure out how to run the town with what little money, there is to work with. The town is the tree trunk, and the schools are a branch. If the tree is sick, so are the branches. These people have not figured this out. It is a good thing people can vote on this issue, it levels the playing field, so people can have their say. Mr. Robinson was right about one thing, if we vote no, to the override, the state can come and make us pay. They did that in the Quabbin School District. How that is right, constitutionally is beyond me. We can only do what we think is best for the town, or in reality, what we can afford. The important thing is to vote, and make your voice heard. My opinion, Bev.
DeleteI love that the parents are asking who supports the override! It is very important to many of the tax payers that they know our schools are in good hands! Change is needed! We need a BOS that are here for the people not just their own vendettas and agendas!
ReplyDeleteI do not think you will ever find people that have worked harder for the benefit of the town, than Julie and Jeff. It is good that we have three people who are willing to take on this task, in Pauly, Doug and Ken. These three do not have any other agendas, other than keeping the town on the road to recovery. The town is in better shape than Mr. Skelton would like you to believe. We have a new accountant, a new treasurer, and a town coordinator, who has worked many extra hours to make the town more efficient than it has ever been. On a good day this is not a easy job, but they have done the best they can. I think supporting the override is something every one would like to do, it is a matter of if they have the resources to do it. It is a personnel thing. Anyone can say that the feel one way or the other, but only they will know how they will vote when they are in the booth. It may very well be that some of the people closest to the issue, really don't have the money, but they are not going to confess, because that would black ball them from the rest of the group. It is best to just put the question out there, it will pass or it won't. My opinion, Bev.
DeleteIf the teachers are so concern of this override why aren't they working toward a
ReplyDeleteSolution to the towns money problem got to ask yourself how smart are these people teaching are children and are they really getting them ready for the future
Ahead. Think again for a minute enough is enough the $$$ bucket is empty
when I was in school, during the Lincoln administration, if you wanted band uniforms, the "band people" got together and had cupcake sales and roastbeef suppers. today we sit back , text all your "friends",and want "others" to pay for what we want!!!! if you want band suites , raise $$$$ to pay for them!!! I don't have the $$$$. the economic smart guy says "if you can't afford to buy with a 30 year payment, go to 40!!! NO !!! down size what you "want", an don't ask other to help you pay for what you"want"!!!! any idiot can tell you that the longer the note, the more it costs.. our home town self described financial smart guy can't figure that out !!! maybe a 100 year note would be even better !!!! in short, you pay your bills, i'll pay mine !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIs it true that $80,000. was spent of an office rnovation? The answer to that queston will determine my vote.
ReplyDeleteIt happened, just not last year. The past superintendant spent that money on her office, because she felt she needed a space worthy of her ego.
DeleteMuch like Candidate Skelton felt that 252 needed to have had MARBLE details added to make the space worthy of his ego.
Starting to get the sense that some of our past leaders were not looking out for the town and its inhabitants?
Yeldarb makes a goog point about fundraising for individual needs, that is the way it use to happen. Not today in Templeton, it is all about someone else paying for what "I want".
No money for paint and repairs spent,but the office can get 80k spent on it. Band uniforms!why not split the 80k 40/40 and have had both. Chairman columbus says we don't give the schools anywhere near enough $$$$. I say i think we did and the proofs in the office!
ReplyDeleteIs there a law that states a 2.5% cap on school budgets is a basis to keep school systems from busting a town/city budget. If so why doesn't our educated educators feel they need to follow this standard!
ReplyDeleteAny info will help me decide my vote!
As I understand it, when Prop 2 ½ went into effect, the town had an artificially low tax rate. Why this was, I still do not understand. But because of it, the town has never been able to catch back up to the reality of costs in today’s money. We, as a town, have been running the finances by paying all of the bills every year with every last cent, including emptying out the savings account and emergency funds. This behavior is unsustainable. 2 ½% in expected increases of cost is not realistic. This is why time and time again; there will be overrides for this or that, because to keep up with the demands of today, it costs more than what we start off with each year. Some understand this, and others do not, and that leads to arguments over individual’s desires. I want this, no I want that. We all want. Again, the underlying issue is the artificial low tax rate here in Templeton. Like it or not, we may need to pay more in taxes. We do need to have local governance that is open and transparent. The waste that has happened in the past, maybe even yesterday, needs to stop. We would not need to ask for more money if what we do have was spent in the most efficient manner. All of our wants from the town are using your and my money. So please look at the bigger picture.
DeleteVery well written. But, how can we get the school parents to understand this and to better understand the bigger picture? I think the friction over taxes (senior center vs. school) is the lack of understanding of the bigger picture from the majority of the public.
DeleteOn the school override website, I do not see a breakdown of what the $800k is going towards. I see in an article it will keep 7 positions, elementary Physical Ed. program, all the clubs and sports, and school band uniforms. I would like to know how much is going to each of these items. I remember last year when Ms. Miller spoke inn favor of an override she said it was to keep a couple of teaching positions and update textbooks. But, after the override failed, the teaching positions in jeopardy were re-instated with the use of money in a reserve account? I never heard an explanation for how or why that happened. So, now before I commit to voting yes, I would like to know an exact breakdown of how this proposed amount is scheduled to be used. School band uniforms is not a priority in my opinion. Fund raisers can be held for that cost. Just ask the community to help. A dollar a day WILL affect my budget. I do not buy coffee out. I make it at home because my money is that tight. I'm in danger of losing my home and an additional $17 a month is a HUGE deal to someone who is on the edge. So, better explanation of how funds will be used is important to someone like me. Are these funds needed for bare bones necessities or not?
ReplyDeleteSimple question. Is "bare bones necessities" all we want for our children? I agree a better explanation would be nice, but not completely necessary. The superintendent, principals and NRSD staff will have to answer to the towns if they spend frivolously. In the meantime, asking for an exact budget prior to getting the funds may be impossible.
DeleteWhat we want and what we can do are 2 completely different things. People do not like and blog about frivolous spending after the fact, and get reamed for not asking the right questions beforehand. So getting explanations beforehand is more than “that would be nice”, it is necessary for voters to make informed decisions. After last year’s attempt at an override, and then the needs somehow got met with the money already in the school’s hands, it really felt like the boy who cried wolf. So without a better explanation, I will not support the apparent scare tactics that seem to be coming from the school and its supporters.
DeleteNo one wants "bare bones necessities” for any aspect of our town government. But that is what we have right now. The school wants more while most town services have been cut by 1/5 and will continue to need to be cut to work within the given budget. So, if you feel comfortable with asking questions of the School after the fact, then vote for the override. That is your right, and I will choose to do otherwise.
My name is Sharon Manty - will never hide behind an anonymous. PLEASE VOTE NO on the school override!!! Take a look at the administrators salaries and bennies!! Ask for a line item budget.
DeleteI have had some extreme hardships occur in the past couple years and am having problems paying the high property tax. Wait until that new school goes up - we better put some dormitories in there cause parents are not going to be able to afford their homes. Kids will have to sleep somewhere.
As industry left they took thier tax dollars with them, alot of them. Both industry and dollars.
ReplyDeleteWOW I thought i was the only one left in town that new that . Thanks 2;38 im on your side . Tell as many as possible maybe it will catch on .
DeleteI was a 16 year employee at ATM. I could soon tell the town was in for a rough road and as the money got used up we slowly went into denial about the funds needed to run this town. School money from feds and state shrank every year and when we finally woke up "poof". How do we now catch up without leaving the elderly and other not well off completely broke/broken?
ReplyDeleteThat my friends is the question we all need to think hard about. As i stated before the elderly have put us this far down the road and don't need to be run down because everybody wants.Compassion is the key to improveing Templeton. Not just for the kids in the school system but the elderly that will have to foot the bill for it.They pay now and have for a long long time. The FORMER BOS mismanagements were our biggest problem and there is only one candidate the people can and should pin it on.
Most know who i mean.
Shareholder vote Smart
Dave Smart