An email from a SB member

[Arch]

The stuff that falls off a truck around here.... Let's discuss this some, please.

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Hello all,


Last week I helped deliver flyers for Alka Tyle and Curt Bradshaw for their re-election to the school board.

I have chosen to advocate for both of them in their re-election because I believe very strongly that we need a strong school board for District 204.

Alka brings an incredible amount of knowledge regarding education, school board operations, and a passion to continually strive for excellence for every student in our district.

Curt brings a sound business perspective, understands the role of a school board, and has demonstrated solid leadership ability by ensuring the board focused on our goals despite the tumultuous effects the economy has had on our financial picture.

I have learned a great deal in these last 3 three years on the board, but the most important lesson has been that the quality of a school system requires an engaged board, with members who understand that the reputation of the entire district is resting on their decisions and actions, and that this reputation will determine the support we have in the community. It is a circular support system which ensures a continued quality education for our students.

I hope you all recognize the incredible work the administration, staff and our teachers have done these last few years. Despite cutting significantly from our budget, they have maintained focus on our goals. Our ACT average was up again this year, to 23.9, yet our average operating expenditure per student remains well below the state average at $10,020 and is considerably lower than comparable districts in DuPage County.

There is no doubt that the financial picture of the state is putting all school districts in a difficult situation. However, there have been two specific issues raised in the campaign that have painted a picture of the district’s finances as being in deep need of a major over-hall. This is simply not true.

We have been very fortunate to have Dave Holm as our Assistant Superintendent of Business. He has, together with our financial advisors, and the Citizens Financial Advisory Committee, maintained our debt payments so that we can minimize the taxable impact on our community. Building schools is an expensive endeavor, but was deemed necessary by our community because we recognized that it is critical to have school environments that are most conducive to educating our students. Currently our debt is manageable, and we are planning conservatively for the future. The goal is to retire all debt by December 2026.

Furthermore, minimally, 80% of our budget is directly tied to the education of our students. Because transparency has been a top priority with the entire board, anyone can view multiple documents regarding our budget. Our recently approved amended budget is available here: ipsdweb.ipsd.org/uploads/Business/FY2011FinalAmendedBudget.pdf.

Considering how critical the management of our finances is, and will continue to be, Dr. Kathy Birkett just recently laid out a plan for transition for Dave Holm’s retirement in June of 2012, with Jay Strang taking on this role. It is no accident that this was announced a full year in advance.

As a district we are on the correct path, but we will need to focus continually, and recognize that our reputation for excellence in education is just as important as being financially sound. Our current aim is to improve aspects of our education so that our students will be ready for employment in the 21st century. This will not be easy. We need engaged solid board members to help ensure our path remains in this positive direction.

Please do not take your vote lightly; it is critical to your students' education, and to the general welfare of the future of this community. Alka and Curt are two individuals who grasp this. I encourage you to re-elect them. Educate yourselves on the other candidates running, and take advantage of early voting. You can view videos of all three forums the candidates participated in at the link below.

ipsdweb.ipsd.org/News.aspx?id=35243

Take Care,

Cathy Piehl

[macrockett]

Clueless.

[doctorwho]

“Currently our debt is manageable, and we are planning conservatively for the future.”

Really? If we were planning conservatively we would be doing more than basing everything on assumptions, currently hiring more staff, hiring more administrators, bringing back many of the cuts we had last year in technology and maintenance and spending like everything will be ok.

204 is NOT immune to the economic turndown- look at median income in Naperville alone YTY - there's a reason for it and eventually those passive voters are going to take notice of where all the money spent here has gone

[doctorwho]

Funny, too, that all the 'inside' candidates and current members trumpet transparency as their goal. Yet multiple FOIA requests had to be done to get total costs of MVHS - news stories contained wrong amounts of expenditures under the guise of well we put that money aside already on total cost of BB -- deals are cut for land without appraisals so no one knows what land is worth.. that is transparency ?

and I understand a certain SB member publicly stated negatively and regrettably “see what transparency does” during a school board meeting.


Transparency, only on what the public is to be told..not a complete story on anything- so that when a candidate brings up financial concerns they now get labeled as 'scare tactics'. Christine Vickers must be thinking, 'deja vu' when it comes to the dismissing of any concerns- regardless of facts

[Arch]

"I have learned a great deal in these last 3 three years on the board, but the most important lesson has been that the quality of a school system requires an engaged board, with members who understand that the reputation of the entire district is resting on their decisions and actions, and that this reputation will determine the support we have in the community. It is a circular support system which ensures a continued quality education for our students."

Interesting word choice. Reputation. It has nothing to do with facts, only what people can be led to believe.

[treehugger]

Too bad the truck didn't drop all this drivel in the DuPage River. Reputation. Hmmmmm. Clueless indeed.