Last night FWCS chief financial officer Kathy Friend along with Steve Parker, Darren Hess and Pat Casey of the facilities group presented their cost estimate for a plan to fix what's broken in 20 of the district's buildings. There is no way for me to know the details and justifications of the projects or the accuracy of the estimates. However, the group did a creditable job. In fact if this group had been in charge of the effort five years ago, they might well have succeeded.
But that's just my opinion. Times have changed and, even more so than last time, people will vote their pocket books. The most relevant comment of the night from the board came from Lisa Olinger, who said that they needed to consider what the community could afford. That might require breaking the project up into smaller chunks, being open about more to follow as the economy improves.
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12 comments:
" The most relevant comment of the night from the board came from Lisa Olinger, who said that they needed to consider what the community could afford."
Wow, common sense entered the discussion?? That's encouraging!!
What is sad is that only one member believes in this common sense approach. I imagine a lot of people will vote NO just to spite Wendy Robinson and her six inane board members that have the nerve to ask for building money after rewarding Robinson with a $20,000 raise.
Well, Wendy fit right in with an inane comment about needing bigger classrooms because we've got bigger kids. So maybe she's worth another $20K.
Anon - at the work session the consensus of the board agreed with Olinger, that any building proposal must be within the scope of what the community can afford. Right, CB?
Siesta - That was my impression from the discussion at the end. But that came after a lot of comments about needing collaboration rooms and "bigger" classrooms and the "high school of the future" (We have one. It's called Canterbury). What they need to do is convince taxpayers that they are fully aware of the ecomomic situation in the community and that they are going to do everything they can to minimize the pain.
Yeh, not sure what that discussion about collaboration rooms (use the teachers lounge) and a new high school was about...unless it was to say "here is what we need but we are going to ask for less".
Tim,
Our schools down here don't have the luxury of building palaces on the backs of non-resident taxpayers who cannot vote.
Trying to scare folks into moving out of Fort Wayne and being a possible sale commission for your up there isn't a very good business strategy.
You chose to leave Fort Wayne, now get out of our business.
I realize that what's said in a public meeting has no bearing on what's decided behind closed doors, but it gives some insight on their mentality. The "best" comment came from Corona, the guy who's been presiding over this debacle for 30 years, that we don't want to be doing this on the cheap. How many taxpayers are going to think a quarter of a billion is "cheap"?
If I had presented a project in the oil company, the directive from management would be to find a way to cut it in half. Not to go back and make sure I didn't need more.
Who oversees the completions of the work done? Word around town is that FWCS is a great company to contract with since they don't care how the job is done. There are several new furnaces that do not heat the building evenly. This room is cold but the other room is hot.
Maybe this stuff is happening in our state also - if so, let's have at it! See http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/07/wisconsin-schools-buck-union-cut-health-costs
As I recall, before collective bargaining was restricted Daniels proposed putting all Indiana teachers under a common plan, which would be cheaper for taxpayers but would change coverage and premiums for teachers. I haven't heard where that stands.
My niece teachers high school math in Madison. They're all pissed at Walker.
As I recall, before collective bargaining was restricted Daniels proposed putting all Indiana teachers under a common plan, which would be cheaper for taxpayers but would change coverage and premiums for teachers. I haven't heard where that stands.
My niece teachers high school math in Madison. They're all pissed at Walker.
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