Hebron Dollars & Sense

Found this on the CABE (CT Association of Boards of Education) www.cabe.org/
Read the LAST two Bullet on the following. Remember, I was informed in an email that the board members were "agents of the state" -- this clearly defines them a little differently:

It is our job to help the people express their priorities!

Thank you, Loreta. I agree. In this case, something is broken. The BOE is not doing their job the way that they should be. I believe they are looking for excellence in education. But they seem to have forgotten the other half--their responsibility to the taxpayers. Their blatant disregard for what is going on around them, and for the directives of the other boards, is evidence of this. As Auntie suggested, they came away from meetings with the other boards "hearing what they wanted to hear." Of course they were asked to try to save jobs--that's what we're asking too. No one here wants to see people join the ranks of the unemployed. They were not given a double message--they were given a message to work aggressively toward flat funding while preserving as many jobs and services as possible. THEY are the ones putting emphasis on jobs. They hadn't even cut ADK from their "0 percent budget" scenario at their last meeting, from what we were told. What does that say to you?

In any case, although we seem to have one or two BOE members who are attempting to keep both sides of the equation in mind, the majority are doing something else. So, since the machine is broken, it will be up to others (us) to make sure that the priorities of the people are heard.

Agree with you both. It is clearly stated in posted minutes that the request was for a 0% budget change. This current board is trying to convince the world that this was NOT the original request. They are really an isolated separate identity - operating in their "own world". A BOE that continues to support the requests of the superintendent without asking the appropriate question of "WHY is this needed". This small school district keeps adding specialists, directors and titled administrators to the upper tiers -- we need more emphasis placed on the children.

Mombert wrote:


Why do you keep ignoring the fact that the BOS/BOF request for a 0% budget was given at the same time the board indicated they wanted NO layoffs, NO reductions to programs, and NO changes to class sizes? Are you trying to convince the world that this was NOT part of the original request?


I disagree with the allegations that the BOE is not doing their job as they should be. Some folks won't like the ultimate outcome of their decisions, but it doesn't mean the BOE as a group has forgotten their responsibility to the taxpayers.

I don't agree with everything the BOE has done, nor do I agree with everything the other Boards in town have done. The taxpayers in town have conflicting needs, and no matter what they do, some folks won't be happy.

ADK is an issue that will impact the entire town, and the administration has presented a compelling argument that it should be at the very least be brought to the voters to decide on.

Compare this BOE to those of other towns, and it is clear these folks are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to the state, the town, the staff, and the students. Do they have more work to do? Of course. Is there room for improvement? Naturally.

It is a shame that the meeting minutes do not reflect more details as to what discussions have been made, and why - but this is a complaint not just for the BOE but for all boards in town.

Auntie,

With all due respect, I've attempted to have a conversation with you re some of these issues, but it doesn't seem like much of a back and forth. As another poster put it--"Do you feel like you're talking to a rock?" I asked you for information a few days ago.

Here is my request again:

Auntie, I sure wish you'd share that data with us. Show us what has convinced the BOE that the district is "woefully underfunded." Seriously, if there is data that I am not aware of, I would like to know it. Because it scares me to think that our BOE shares a belief that is driving their decisions, yet they have no concrete evidence to back it up. That would mean they were blindly believing something they've been fed. And that is no way to make decisions that will have an effect upon countless people's lives.

I am genuinely interested in seeing some of the concrete evidence that has convinced our BOE that our district is underfunded. I think it is important information for taxpayers to have, if we are to make an informed decision come referendum time.