Hebron Dollars & Sense

On Thursday 4/22, at 3:32 p.m., the Hebron Board of Education called a Special Meeting for Monday, April 26, 7:30 p.m. It will be held at the Gilead Hill School Music Room, so make sure you go there and not Hebron Elementary School.

The Agenda is as follows:

I. Call to order and Roll Call
II. Pledge of Allegiance
III. Public Comments
IV. A. FY11 Proposed budget, Discussion and Possible action on Budget Reductions
B. Executive Session: Board Self Evaluation
V. Public Comments
VI. Adjournment

This is an interesting Agenda. I didn't know a "Special Meeting" could hold an "Executive Session" on non-personnel related matters. I would have thought that Executive Session would have been noticed on a Regular Meeting.

Second, it looks like the Board may finally (?) be voting on and approving a final budget prior to referendum. Just speculation, but of course, they would want to end the debate on "we don't know what we're voting on" discussion.

My final thought is that the Board really wants a low voter turnout on May 4th because of that all important Advisory Ballot question (available outside after you vote) on whether or not the Town (AKA "General Government") budget should be voted on separately from the Hebron Board of Education budget. That's the bifurcation issue. They would definitely want to stop bifurcation from moving forward because it causes great confusion having to vote on a combined Acceptable General Government budget, but an Unacceptable Board of Education budget. (The town increase is 0.22% because of a last minute unfunded mandate from the state on maintenance of the new electronic voting machines.) That confusion might just get their Unacceptable budget squeaked through.

So if they can allay even some public concerns about their budget (and their budget process), it might stop some people from coming out to vote. Talk about Trojan Horses...

It is more critical this year than ever before that people turn out in massive numbers to (1) vote; and (2) fill out that all important Advisory Ballot. If people truly want to be heard, they'll do both. We can't keep going through these budget battles year after year.

A separate vote on the BOE budget will force that Board and Administration to be more transparent early in the process about how they are handling the ongoing student decline in population at the elementary schools, and why they aren't decreasing their budget requests, rather than asking for increases.

My Ouija Board Iz Strong On This

Dump ADK TOTALLY & Keep C&E, The Town Budget will Pa$$ In A Fla$h

Fill Out The Slip After & Make Sure That Your Thoughts Are Heard On BIFURCATION Of The Budget.

That's What Ellie, Doobie & The HBOE Minus 1 Are AFRAID Of.

No More Saying "We Know Better, Just Trust Us"

Look Where/What That Alleged Trust Has Brought Us

ADK ANYWAY NO WAY NO BUDGET

HDK FOR ALL

Kathy Shea Iz Da Best!!

Do we need to go to this? Will anything be decided?

I like the neat 1.5% budget increase they're proposing.

We need to go to this to tell them to keep C&E and dump ADK.

We need to ask in public comment why they rushed into filling the curriculum director's role during the budget crunch - and ask why they couldn't fill it with a half day position, or share a role with someone from say Marlborough or RHAM, where each pays half. Not even discussing potential savings opportunities is not the way to gain public support.

We need to ask why they are pushing ADK when so many of the comments at the public hearing were against it - and there was a petition in town on the topic that they have to date refused to acknowlege. Since the Supt and the Chairwoman were in attendence at that meeting they can no longer pretend it didn't exist.

We need to publicly support the position that Kathy Shea has taken, and admonish the rest of the board for refusing to enter discussion about the sacred ADK program.

We need to ask them to comment on the exit poll questions

I like the neat 1.5% budget increase they're proposing.[/quote]



I do too, As Long As ADK IS NOT INCLUDED & C&E Is Reinstated

Will sumbody Pleeze Tell Me WHY They Are TRYING To Shove This UMANDATED/UNPROVEN Taxpayer Funded DAYCARE Program Down Our Throats & Up Sumwhere Else In This Economy

MESSIAH Complex Maybe??