Plus, Becky Brown's Basketball Fee Hypocrisy!
The latest Madville Times poll is online now! I'd like to hear your opinion, dear readers, on the following profound question facing Madison voters: "Should Madison voters approve the $6.315 million bond issue for a new gym and high school renovations?"
So far the yeas are surging past the nays. Poll runs until breakfast time Friday. Click your response here at the top of the sidebar, and get your friends to vote, too! On Friday, we'll discuss the results and their import for the November 8 election and the future of education and basketball in Madison.
Update: Mitch has ballots! The absentee ballots have arrived, so you can drop by the MHS business office and vote on the real thing any time during business hours, 07:30 to 16:30, plus some graciously extended hours!
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Speaking of basketball, new gym supporter and basketball enthusiast Becky Brown of Madison joined several of her neighbors at last night's Madison Central School Board meeting to grumble about new facility fees. The board increased those fees last month for the first time in ten years. Brown complains that the higher facility fees would represent "an added financial burden" (Chuck Clement's words) on the youth basketball program which she coaches and which uses the elementary and high school gyms.
Note that last March, Brown publicly expressed great enthusiasm for imposing an added financial burden on every property owner in the district to build a luxury gym for her favorite sport. But ask Brown to pay more for her private organization's use of a public facility for her basketball craving, and we suddenly discover where her tolerance for the school board's reach into her pockets ends. I guess in her world there really is nothing bigger than basketball... including consistency in public policy positions.
In the case of a bond issue, we are asking some perhaps not many persons to pay extra taxes when they have no association with the school. In the case of usage fees, we are asking those that do, to help out just a little. Seems only fair. My advice to those who filed complaint last evening, attend the next board meeting and state for the record, "Never mind".
I think it is important to remember that web polls are unscientific and usually do not represent the electorate, but rather the viewers of that specific site. Cory can make a poll say whatever it wants. People can clear their browser cookies and vote more than once, or vote from different computers with various IP Addresses.
Do not let the results of this poll sway you either way. Get the facts and make an informed decision. If you believe in the new plan, I invite you to join us at http://www.VoteYesForMadison.com to get information and volunteer to help.
We also now have the direct link to the MCSD's renovation plan and new cost calculator. This calculator can be used to input your current tax valuation on your property to calculate exactly how much more you will pay in taxes each year.
As for the increase in fees for using the MCSD buildings, it is an issue that a new sub-committee will look at. I commend my fellow neighbors for voicing their concerns about these large hourly and daily fees. There was not enough analysis on the impact this creates for the long-term programs that use the facilities, such as the Madison After School program that uses the Elementary in the summer. If there is going to be fees charged to groups, there needs to be options for weekly and monthly rates and I am hopeful that the new committee will look into more options. In some situations, an exemption may be appropriate. This is a policy that needs further review before it is enforced. I was not able to attend last night to voice my concerns, but I did so directly to Administrators last week. I thank Becky, Mark, and Michele for voicing their concerns last night.
Ashley, If you want this in the bag, I suggest you get down on one knee and ask Nonnie to write a letter to the editor with what she said in her earlier post. Her changed position would be influential. I was about ready to click the Display Sign button, but I would like to know if early voting will take place only at the business office, or if it will happen at school events. Do you know?
I think the school board was clear last night on this issue. It sounds like they decided voting will be available at the MCSD Business Office. If any business or organization would like early voting to come to their location, reasonable accommodations will try to be made. I do not believe there will be any voting opportunities available at extra-curricular activities.
The Vote YES for Madison campaign is being conducted by an independent group. We do not decide on when or where voting occurs. If you have any other concerns or questions on voting opportunities, I would suggest contacting the MCSD Administration or County Auditors office.
John, I would love to think my opinion influences others, but I highly doubt it's of that much significance. This is a better plan than before, but I doubt that there is better understanding of the reasoning of those who opposed the prior plan.
On the subject of people complaining of higher user fees, I completely agree with Cory and Charlie regarding this. These people had no problem asking me to pay hugely for years with the last bond issue attempt, and many people (as I stated before) said we were against education simply because we had a problem with the unfairness of that bond issue.
Now these people are upset that the actual users of these facilities are being asked to pay a little more for their use. They are directly benefiting from these facilities and yet have a problem paying for the opportunity to use them. There is a cost for these activities, and it's time to ask those that participate to accept part of that cost burden.
The new plan is a large improvement over the previous one. That cost was excessive and I appreciate those who saw the situation as I did and voted against the plan.
The new school business manager, Mitchell Brooks, dug into the matter and found a way to get something done without a crippling increase in taxes. Due to his actions, the bulk of the payment for the new plan will come from Capital Outlay, as I previously stated it should. Also the architects were able to make some changes and further reduce costs without affecting education or athletics. However, the true cost of the gym was over 6 million dollars and still is. This bond issue will be paid off in 20 years, not 25. The amount of repayment is still a tax increase although a much smaller amount.
The plan supporters have made many claims about increased business/economic activity, a better learning situation for students with improved educational outcomes, less students open enrolling elsewhere, etc, none of which I think are likely to happen. The only real indicators of school improvement are an increase in SAT scores over a number of years, a reduction in students needing remedial math and English when entering college, and student success several years after graduation. Getting a good job in the future is going to be much tougher and there needs to be increased emphasis on academic outcomes. Schools should be looking at new and creative methods of education, and like businesses are forced to do, turn out a better product at less cost. Students need to be prepared to compete internationally.
The school will face more competition for students in the future, but I do not believe that a new/remodeled facility will greatly affect open enrollment. Most reasons for open enrolling are more opportunity to participate in extracurriculars or feeling that a smaller or a larger school is better for an individual student.
Considering the above, the essential point is that this plan will use capital outlay funds for most of the renovation/gym at a bond issue cost I consider acceptable, about $60 to $65 per $100,000; and this will do what the supporters of the new gym want without the previous large tax increase. Still, the tax increase falls disproportionally on landowners and the elderly.
Why should we pass it this time? Interest rates for long term bonds are at record lows and now is probably the best time to address the needed repairs and wanted renovation. In the next few years we will probably see a combination of much higher interest rates and inflation, both of which are good reasons to act now that we have a reasonable plan. Almost annually taxable valuations increase which provide more money in capital outlay to fund that part of the plan. I feel that it will cost some of us a lot of money, but I think it is worth doing. Everyone should give Mitchell Brooks credit for a finance plan we can live with. On balance, I think a yes vote should be given.
Finally, Neal and Linda are back to disagreeing with me! :-)
I do have to wonder how the school could have missed $8.2 million in available capital outlay the first time around. We really did need someone to come in from the outside and point out what a lot of us voters were trying to get the school board to see. But I still feel like we're getting flim-flammed here: propose the totally extravagant to provide the cover of "compromise" for the significantly extravagant.
And Ashley, that's a heck of a website you built for the school!
You can still agree with Neal and Linda, just vote YES Cory! :)
John, No voting will be done at extra curricular events. Only at the MCSD business office, businesses that request voting at their location, to shut ins that call and request, and assisted living centers at their request.
As for the use fees, as a school board member I voted for it based on the information we were given. After weeks of phone calls from people who should have represented them self at the time of the vote, it became obvious that this is not a case of "one size fits all". Did you know that the summer school program would have had to pay approximately $15,750 per summer to use the facility the way the use fees were set up? What do think would happen to that non-profit program? It would either A., raise the price each of the nearly 40 participants to pay by an additional $400 per summer, or B., close. To me this is a valuable program to for school age kids with working parents.
As for the youth basketball, I know not all readers are sports fans but for the kids who enjoy the sports, the use fees would cost each team around $600 per year in fees. Keep in mind these are not leauge teams and they still have to buy their own uniforms, equipment, hire refs etc. Also remember these used to be funded through the schools and coaches were paid. Ironically, I believe Mr. Hawkes was on the school board when these programs were eliminated. I don't want to see these programs done away with completely now.
I don't want to get into a habit as a school board member of changing my mind, but this seemed like a situation that needed us to rethink a decision we had made with an open mind.
Ashley's page could use some background color, but more importantly it won't accept phone numbers (therefore the entire entry). Changed it various ways, but it won't go. A better picture would be of the school rather than downtown looking north. How about adding the MHS colors? Go team go.
Shawn, Would it be possible to have two different rates? Have a minimal rate for programs that directly benefit students (i.e., programs where students are the participants) and one rate for all other groups? I think programs with actual student participation should be charged as minimally as possible. Adult volleyball groups (or whatever) should pay more to use facilities that are built to be used by kids.
Great idea Erin. At first we were going to do profit and non-profit rates, but we still felt non-profit should kick in some (just not $16,00). I proposed we form a committee to investigate and come up with a better structure. Maybe "student pariticipation" is the phrase we need to consider. I believe the committe will be 2 school board members, 2 admin members and 2 community members. Much like the Renovation Feasablity Study Committee was set up. I felt that worked really well. Thanks for your input Erin!
John - thanks for the FYI on the phone number. I fixed the programming to accept () and - in the phone number.
Our site is to be simplistic in design with easy and quick access to the important information. It as a minimalist design. I kept the colors and pictures toned down for that reason, but I am using some maroon/gold/grey to give it a Bulldog colors flavor.
The Madison picture is to remind us all that this isn't just about the school, it is about the future of our community. We build our future at MCSD. We all need to participate in building our community, and it starts in our public school. Depending on your monitor settings, the Maroon might appear brown/black.
John, I hope to see your name in our volunteer database!
k-12 education is in a funding crisis-has been-is getting worse by the year. What we need in front of legislative panels and school boards is advocacy to bring about more funding. I may been harsh with my comments earlier but we can not continue to come in front of school boards asking but not giving. The proper way would be publiclly fund education in the right manner in the first place, usage fees set on bare cost-available to everyone. When you back schools into a corner, hard and harsh decisions are the result. We may have to keep the fees the way they were laid out or decide next spring which instructor is laid off. In the same vein, let's not build a new high school and then not have the funding to properly staff it. The BEEF idea is still there. Time to be advocates for education funding not just proponents of brick and mortar.
Ashley...what about embedding the youtube video that Cory took during the school tours?