Hebron Dollars & Sense

You may not know about this if you do not have a child on the school system:

Hebron BOE Budget Roundtable. Please join the BOE in a community conversation about budget priorities. Your input is important in the budget development process. Call 860-228-2577 if you have any questions.

Sat., Oct 15th 10:00am-12:00pm Douglas Library
Thursday, Oct. 20th 7:00pm-9:00pm GHS Activity Room
Tuesday, Oct. 25th 9:30am-11:00am GHS Room 29

Will They Try To Rham ADK/Taxpayer Funded daycare Down our Throats Again?

They Had Better Not

Stay Aware Though, They are Capable Of Such Low Brow Shennanagins Might You say

Let's see How They Fill Up the "Slush Fund" This Yr In Order To Spend The "Unanticipated Surplus" At The End Of The Budget Yr ie The Smart board Purchase For Starters

Gee, I wonder If Anyone will Bring Up a Very $ore Subject to Ellie, Allabum & The Hboe Rubberstampers at These So Called Ann Baldwin Inspired Alleged "Listening Sessions/Roundtables

Bifircation Of The HBOE Budget

Egads Might you say

Accountability & Transparency In The HBOE Budget

Cold Day In HE Double Hockey Sticks That Will Happen Right

I'm Calling My Bookie To Put Down Sum Heavy Quid On "Slick Billy with Heels",Allabum & The HBOE Puppet Troupe Not Being Held Accountable & Transparent.

It's A Sure winner & I Can Pay My Mortgage Off Early With The Proceeds Of My Wager

Off to The library & Choir Practice At The Local Tavernacle To Watch the college Games

A news report stated only ONE individual turned out for one of the scheduled meetings. I can believe it. They tried this before AND STILL DID whatever they wanted with our tax dollars! It is all smoke and mirrors. I attended one session last year and if it was NOT for Kathy Shea's comment that her co-presenter "listen" to the questions from the participants, that individual would have continued to use the foruym as a platform to speak to those at the table. He had no intentions to participate in a question/answer session.

Lets consider some possible changes. We may have to contact our state legislators or possibly the school committees in Hartford:

the school budget(s) is the ONLY budget in town where line transfers can be made in house. Is this a state statute? In this economy, it should not be allowed. They can ask for text book funds (who would not support that?) and later used those dollars in an area where they are short. Let's encourage the elimination of line transfers;

Continue to encourage live streaming of the meetings. Seriously, did any one else notice the marked improvement in behavior. The board members were actually respectful of each others opinion, there was no bullying, no shouting;

Believe it is a state statute that we must provide ONE SEAT FOR EACH ENROLLED STUDENT in the system. Has anyone checked out the RHAM parking lot during the school day or the parents lined up to pick up their elementary students? The schools solution -- spend more money to change the driveways. Has anyone checked out the reason for students NOT using the buses? Is it bullying issues or the configuration of the routes making the rides too long for our small town and young children?? Answer that question BEFORE asking for more $$$. If they cannot identify the problem, lets lobby to eliminate the "one seat per child rule";

There has been $9,500 built into the budget the last couple of years for land-lines at the Hebron elementary school. Has anyone viewed these monthly bills? Not only is this high but they added $80/month per administrator for cell phone service. Remember, since we pay for those cell phones -- all the calls will be available to the "public". Also, the superintendent stated publicly that the administrative staff can be equated to firemen and are on call 24/7 -- if so, where are these cell-phone numbers listed. There were cheaper options available, these administrators apparently chose phones with all the bells and whistles;

Keep a heads-up on digital camera requests. I am sure the administrator currently taking pictures during the school day will ask for a newer, more advanced digital camera in the future. Since this has no impact on our children's educational tools, please say NO to a new camera model!! (Yes, someone on this forum stated that one administrator has this assignment. She takes pictures throughout the day but is employed under a different title than school photographer)

Remember the 9.5% increase to the administrators salaries .. they formed a "union" of four individuals and basically the towns hands were tied. Our only challenge would have been arbitration - which would have been quite expensive. None of those administrators are forced to work in this town. Our students are great, they have loving supportive parents and the teaching environment is "ideal". Board members need to remind them of these facts when they say NO to such outrageous salary requests. If the administrators feel they need more money for their positions .. let them seek employment elsewhere. In this economy, we would have several applicants waiting to fill their shoes.

At work, sew dis will bee vertically challenged & sweet. Bifurcation of all school budgets & this slurping at the public ' s wallets would be more transparent (maybe).

NP -- the town will not separate that budget out. The final bifurcation presentation was inadequate ... one individual was definitely an "ALPHA personality" and became the pied piper for NOT separating out the school budget from the municipal budget. The study group went from empirical data to "marketing nonsense and personal interviews". Notice NOT every town was interviewed and the pie charts were built on very few responses (making them insignificant).

Our town has a relationship with the elementary school that is costing us not only their budgeted items but services that are provided to them by the town without a cost. The town currently snow plows their driveways, mows their lawns and playing fields and does some occasional tree trimming (note those man hours, expenses for fuels and use of equipment are NOT IN THE SCHOOL BUDGET). I believe this is why they always come in with a lower figure for cost per student because these items are excluded!

Look at other issues in our town:

NUMBERED SIGNS - when is the deadline for the residents to post their house number sign?? Several on my street do not have them erected. Who enforces the use of signs and what is the penalty for NOT doing so?

ETHICS CODE - a study group spent hours researching and setting this up. All but one individual (on our Finance Board) did NOT sign the code. What is set up to "require" these individuals to sign the code -- it is NOT worth anything if no one signs it. ALL of the BOS and town employees signed the code. It is mind boggling that the one board that controls our mill rate refuses to sign. Are they above the rules?

BOS or BOF - this town appears to have a "who is in charge crisis". Perhaps the towns organizational chart should be revisited and posted. We, the voters, are on top. The majority of other boards look lateral on the power structure.

SCHOOL DRIVEWAYS -- the school wants to reconfigure and/or set up a study for their driveways. I have asked a question that has not been answered. WHY are so many parents driving their kids to and from school. Is it a bullying issue or does someone need to reconfigure the routes because the kids are spending too much time in the buses.

Of course, our school superintendent still refers to the school administrators as "her staff" although the taxpayers pick up the tab. This situation reminds me of the attitude(s) of the past. No one is forced to remain employed in this town. Currently it is the elementary school that is OUR problem. Be mindful, over 70 cents of each of our tax dollars goes to all education in town. At the elementary level, there is further concern since the "bulk" of their budget revolves around salaries, the superintendents office and the multitude of support office staff and "specialists".

One could argue .. we need teachers to teach. This is certainly a fair statement but then how does one explain the success of those kids who are "home-schooled" by a non-credentialed parent? Hope the new members of the HBOE will stand firm and ask the hard questions and hopefully get some answers.

This administration has so much free time (with all their support staff). We have one administrator who takes digital photographs throughout the school day (someone on the forum reported this activity) -- that is a lot of $$$ for picture-taking activities. Did anyone notice the "photograph taken by 'so and so'" in the newspaper? So much free time, they can become active in a "tour of China" (to state it is not costing us any $$ does not explain the use of subs while the teachers are on holiday). My response: people who want to travel can use the travel advisor on the internet and plan their own trip(s). I also believe that this current administration is into "blowing their own horn" .. they spent a 7K donation for a "sign" rather than use it for technology equipment (so much for their mantra of doing the best for their students!). As far as test score presentation .. sheer waste of energy. We can all pull those from the CT DOE site. A presentation allows them to place their "spin" on the results (bad weather, illness in the classroom, poor lighting, too early in the year, we have made progress and want more .. whatever!)