CG Referendum fails, Messick prevails

There are so many wiser budget cut option that can be made without laying off teachers or programs. So many people are worried about music being cut but they tried to do that last year and the residents won’t let that happen.

This referendum failed and now the school board and administration will need to review the budget without prejudice. The days of ivory towers, sacred cows, and boondogles are no longer.

What also needs to occur within this budget process is accurate numbers from the school corporation. The district has publicly given out 3 different numbers for 1 job position (February 2010, March 2010, and October 2010) and the range for this position is between $ 54k and $ 114K. I guess that they don’t realize that some citizens actually keep the information that they distribute and then notice when numbers don’t match.

I think that it is time to put the Chief Financial Officer on notice that numbers need to match. If that type of accountability and transparency are not a requirement of the corporation’s CFO, then it needs to be added to the job duties of that position effective immediately.

Now is the time for educators to make a decision to educate and not propogate there liberal agenda.
Center Grove schools need to except reality that we all have to cut back, alter our lavish life style and get back to the basics, in this case education. The baggage attached to those state and Federal dollars are many and now is the time for someone to say the “BUCK STOP HERE”. Free public education is a misnomer and now the people have spoken. Now the superintedent and the school board can get down to the real business of the people and make the hard choices and do more with less that is what is going on in the real world and the days of the $25,000 rubber stamp machine running during board meetings need to come to and end. Thanks to the voters who voted their conscience and not their fervor whipped and threatened emotion.

Yes you all can pat yourselves on the back today..good for you…now we can cut all the administrators in the corporation, coaches, support staff, Police Officers and then we can save the ALL the 44 teachers that will have to be cut for next school year. Then the teachers can answer the phones, protect the students, run the financials, deal with the public, handle HR issues, do all the DOE reporting, handle all the technology for the district (which it will be back to pencils and paper only if it comes to that), Handle all management of custodians, bus drivers, maintenance workers and handle all the discipline. Yes that is the solution…great job guys…you have solved all the problems and really cut the fat haven’t you.

Even getting Harry Potter elected to the school board isn’t going to save all the Teachers…sorry guys!

CG Adminstrators have NOTHING to do with the cuts the State made to the General Fund. It’s just sad that the “message” couldn’t have been “sent” another way that doesn’t effect students and teachers.

Nicole,
I you are incorrect. Their are cuts and cutbacks that will not impact the number of teachers in the classroom. Also blame your board and admin for passing the $3.8 million bond issue in Sept that had almost $1.8 million in unneeded items. I do not know about you but I would rather have teachers in the classroom than laptops! You seem to not live in the reality of running a school system on what is needed versus wants. Also the police are not needed, however if you want to pay for them out of your pocket by all means write the check. I would rather fire an officer than a teacher any day of the week. I would rather let a secretary or admin go than a teacher any day of the week. I believe you must work for the school system in the admin/offices by the way you protect their poor decision making. Also they better raise enough money to pay back to the General Fund the $15,000 they blew on the Referendum PAC or all hell will break loose!

I voted NO and I am so glad I did. I am a parent that believes education is one of the most important gifts I can give my children. Sacrifices need to be made for quality education in the schools and home, we need to invest more time not money in our children’s educations. Cuts should start with overpaid traffic directors aka cgpd and continue with cutting out other luxuries not necessities. What is wrong with doing homework with a pencil and paper? Perception is the problem here in center grove in a feeling of entitlement rather than necessity.
Center Grove will continue to provide a great education to our children just at a more affordable price. This will be achieved by the passion of the great teachers in the classrooms with our children. I make sacrifices as a parent and will make continue to make those sacrifices as I send my children to private schools where their are no police directing traffic flows but parents and teachers out there watching over our children. Make an investment in your own children with time not money.

Don’t let me hear that Dr. Lippe working extra hours. Steve Hefley worked 12 hours a day for the last 40 days straight and his birthday for not a penny of pay. Paid for all advertised experience from his own pocket.

Nicole; who do you refer to as Harry Potter?
Rich; they spent about $30,000 to support the referendum. They can do it without cutting teachers; but examples I heard during the campaign of having P.E. teachers with only 10-12 students in a class certainly could use some consolidation. It will take a long time for the fear tactics of the admin to wear off. That was no way to win people to your side. Common sense, people.

William,
William,
I wasn’t referring to anyone as Harry Potter..I am just saying you can’t make money where there isn’t..

You want to consolidate…make larger classrooms…you guys got it… congratulations…

Not fear tactics…truth tactics…see CG thought people cared about quality education and their community…but apparently not. Let’s teach the administration a lesson…or is it our kids the lesson is being taught…we care more about other things than education…because I believe that is the lesson of the day.

No I actually blame all the lies, rumors, and beating of dead horses…example astro turf, astronmical salary figures communicated to the public.

Tammy,
Yes, I did run and at least I can say I tried to head the problem off, can you. At least I did not quit like some people and still tried to fix the problems we are in. I am also the only one who told everyone about the economic trouble coming at the school, almost 3 years ago. The school was going to have a shortfall before the state changed the budget law. This was due to poor cost controls. I cannot help it that all my years running a successful business prepared me to read a budget and analyze cost cutting. I also told the supporters of the ref that it would fail, yet you said it wouldn’t. Oh, Tammy you think this current and past board did a good job? LOL. They have made poor purchasing decisions, projects and hiring decisions throught. Also it seems people like you want the community to have amnesia on the wrongs of the past even as early as September’s bond issuance and the poorly designed referendum of only yesterday.
Tammy, the NO’s are concerned parents and community members who are sick of poor management of our schools. People like you need to realize that the NO’s have the power. Until you actually compromise on this issue of cuts, you will fail. That is your decision and the consequences are yours.

I have children in CG schools. The school board and the administration are both to blame for this failure. They lost the trust of the citizens.

Maybe if it was a 2 year referendum that we could revisit in 2012 I would have approved it. But 7 years, a lot can happen in 7 years. And what happens at the end of 7 years and the “extra” from the referendum is considered “bare minimum”? Another larger referendum? It will become like the bonds, retire one and immediately replace it, that way the homeowners wont realize how much they’re being taxed.

Administration get lavish incentives, and do not see them as lavish.

Teachers harassed students about getting parents to support the referendum. This puts the students in a difficult place, they often don’t know family finances and are torn between what the school tells them is in their best interest and what their parents try to explain.

The skyward system was used to politic in favor of the referendum. This system was to be used so that I could see my children’s grades and homework. Not to know that I can get a discount and support the CG referendum while buying jewelery or take-out food.

It is unfortunate that monies were “borrowed” from the same fund that we were being told was running low. Did no one ever consider that this would not pass?

The sky wont fall, kids won’t fail. Belts will be tightened and we’ll go on.

Rich,

You keep mentioning that teachers should not receive salary step increases. Although you may have some background in finance, you clearly have no idea what it’s like to be a teacher. As a fourth year teacher, I depend on, and desperately need, my salary step increases. I earn $36,000 per year before taxes, while another teacher down the hall does the same job and earns $56,000. Are you suggesting that my salary should be frozen and I should earn less than my peers? As I work tirelessly to support my students day in and day out, I can’t help but wonder if I should have started my career in another area where citizens actually value education, and are willing to support their schools.

cghs, i can point out their mistakes because i pay alot in property taxes, do you?. I am also a voter. Also you seem to have not read my posts on where they made mistakes and things they could do to save money. I also pointed out about them not doing a inter transfer between the CPF fund and the General Fund as allowed by law this year. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you have not read the posts that I have on this website nor my article there also. Also the school board was given recommendations 2 years ago that they did not act on. Whose fault is that, theres that is who.

Center Grove: A lower educated, lower class, lower skilled version of Carmel and Fishers.

No wonder we have so few National Merit Semifinalists compared to Carmel.

As a former CG student, I’ll be raising my children in Hamilton County.

It’s pretty simple, Center Grovers: when investments in education go down… crime rates go up, home values go down & new residents choose Avon, Carmel, or Zionsville instead.

CG is more like Martinsville and Franklin than I thought.

Number one thing that needs to happen is to form unity. Administrators must may the same $550. a month HEALTH CARE cost as the teachers. form unity. Equal as the teachers (not one dollar, not $150 a month, not $350 a month) $550 a month, same as the teachers. Nothing less should be accepted.

Yes, a higher tax rate leads to smarter kids. It’s all so simple. We want stupid kids because we dare refuse to give the school district a blank check.

Right. Solid logic there.

1,587 votes for a school board candidate that was removed from the race weeks before the election.

If they weren’t informed enough to know a candidate was no longer in the running, I’m curious to know how they voted on the referendum.

Andy, I believe the real issue isn’t the tax increase but the attitude that administrators showed toward the community.

They should have called it ‘The Ultimatum’ as it would have been a more accurate description. Let me ask you this, what kind of leadership would threaten to risk 10 teaching positions above making other decreases that are more flexible? I will give full acknowledgement to how hard it must have been to close West Grove – that was a really tough call to make, but it was a smart one.

The way I see it, CG admin placed 10 positions on the chopping block in order to get the FIRST

Dear CGTeach.
All I can say is you chose your career no one made you pick it. The fact is that all jobs are taking pay freezes and cuts. This is an economic reality. There is no state nor school system in our country that is doing some of these same things. You always have the right to try and get a job in another system, however we will have 20+ applicants for every opening at CG. I have to ask you would you rather not get a STEP increase or be let go? In the end it is about living in the reality of the world. A teacher is an employee also not a protected class.

Just to clarify…the 3 million asked for was based on the assumption the state had told the schools to be prepared for future cuts…which would result in the loss of up to 44 teachers if more cuts are made to the state budget this spring…no one knows if this will happen but it could and if we only asked for the 1 million and more cuts are made then that means less money to the general fund to pay teachers. The school was trying to be proactive to not have to make these cuts. So don’t be surprised when the ball drops next fall…