(scroll down for comments)
The Dassel-Cokato Levy passed with 1,894 yes votes and 1,493 no votes. The breakdown was 1,015 Cokato “yes” votes, 879 Dassel “yes” votes, and 742 Cokato “no” votes, with 751 Dassel “no” votes.
See precinct breakdown: dcbreakdown.pdf
Are you bored of this subject? See our other blog posts:
Proof once again you plead hard enough (road signs, newspaper ads, online videos) and you can get just about anything passed in the name of kids (in other words: admin and teachers salaries and benefits) oh plus the necessary raise in inflation PLEASE!
Smaller class sizes = more teachers (or retention of current, not smarter kids)
Technology updates = more tube time, less creativity, having the latest and greatest, but smarter kids still elude us.
Bus and school fuel increases = who in the district has not felt this pinch? Who do we talk (plead) to get our commensurate income increase?
One issue not brought up is what has been the percentage increase in per pupil spending in the last 10, 20 and 30 years? It’s not the total per pupil that needs to be examined it’s the increases year after year! Should we be ashamed that among a select group we are towards the bottom end of the per pupil amount spent? Or does it make more sense to strive for the top of the inefficiency ladder?
Perhaps we could do without the occasional 2-3 assistant teachers in the lower grades, perhaps we could do away with a few more administrators (they will tell you they are running on a skeleton crew), have you been to our local schools offices as of late? They are crawling with polo shirted, slack pants wearing superintendent wannabes (male or female).
Believe it or not everyone that walks through the hallowed doors of DC is not meant for College. We need electricians, masons, carpenters, roofers, ditch diggers, used car salesmen, and any number of more “menial” workers.
Respectfully submitted,
Dassel Resident who feels he has paid enough for the near term.
I am pleased and at the same time displeased the referendums have passed (unofficially) Like many I was in the 50/50 for and against.
I just hope that perhaps more of the per pupil revenue stream will not only aid the students directly but also be used for more sound business management of the district. Charging the kids for parking, though acceptable, is not the answer. Not sure what is.
Educators are just that, not business people. Perhaps a qualified or independent entreprenurial business mngr would help in assessing student and educator needs for the future in building additional revenue streams as a nonprofit.
Congrats DC we all support our students. Now show us we did the right thing.
What a shame…The levy has unoffically passed. Well now DC will get the money, and waste it once again. The DC schools are run by a bunch of people who have no idea what they are doing. I am so sick of there people. Its all about politics around here and Im sick of the people who run this school always trying to please the pathetic people who live in this area. I am just plain fed up with the schools and the people.
The people of the DC area need to get a grip. The people in this area need to come down to earth and realize good old DC is going to change and not be some consevitive hick town. The levy passed and once again we will see with our own eyes the administrators waste it.
Maybe these disgruntled residents need to spend a day or two in a classroom and witness all the learning that goes on. I think with this levy vote people finally did “get a grip” and realize that what happened in the past is just that……. the past. I received a wonderful education at DC and want that and better for my own children. Maybe Cokato resident could come back and sit in on some grammar and spelling courses - obviously they could use it.
Did you go to the same DC that we are talking about? Dassel Cokato right? Dassel Cokato High School is a terrible school. It is run by a bunch of people who have always lived in the community and are simple narrow minded people.
-Dassel Mom
Dassel Mom-
You are probably one of those home grown DC people that dont understand the world because you think DC is the world. Honestly get a grip. The school board just tries to please the old community members who were born and raised in good old dassel cokato. The DC school district is pathetic and will always be until they get an entire new board and new people to run the school that are not from DC.
I hope the school board and administration are getting the message- I am fed up with my hard-earned tax dollars being spent frivolously! It is time to buckle down and consider the core reason for our children attending school. Is it to obtain whatever skills taught through extra-curricular activities? Is it to enrich their life experience through field trips to Valley Fair or a day at the circus? Is it to learn how to feel empowered by attending student workshops that spend the day boosting self-confidance? Is it to have library shelves full of shiney new books in order for our kids to read? or to have the latest new technologies? While all of these are wonderful ideals, I would argue that it is NOT the central reason I send my kids to school.
The main talking point for passing the levy is to decrease class sizes. Now, I hope they follow through on their promises. Yet I wonder if we spent the day focused on the subjects that are central to learning (reading, writing, math, science, etc.) if such a small student:teacher ratio would be necessary. While new books are great, I am finding that my kids are bringing home (newer) comic-type books from school. Maybe it is time for students to re-discover the wonder of classic literature- do they not get enough exposure to Sponge-Bob outside of school? Money for new technology and software? Fine, but I really have a hard time believing that if this levy did not pass our kids would not have been able to complete the state mandated testing, as was implied in one news article. Field trips? Hmmm. Let’s re-evaluate what our kids are really taking home from these experiences. Workshops that teach self-worth and empowerment skills are taking valuable time away from teaching core subjects. (And, quite frankly, are skills that should be taught outside of the classroom.) Extra-curricular activities, while I know are near and dear to many of you, are NOT the most important reason for our children to get an education.
It is time the Dassel-Cokato school board and administration get back to the basics. I hope they take this money and spend it wisely.
I’ve been robbed again. Thomas Jefferson said it best, “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” All those who voted “YES” are accomplices.
I wonder what the results would have been if those who voted “YES” would have to pay up and those who voted “NO” would be exempt. That would be the ethical and moral way to fund the school.
While I have not read all of the “blogs”, and this is in fact the first time that I have either read or written to a blog, I am very depressed reading all the negative responses to the improvement of our future: OUR CHILDREN.
From what I have read the “only” concern that everyone is complaining about is the preverbial tax increase, which I feel as well, Federal, State, Local, Gas, etc…
If you have done any comparison to where DC sits with the rest of the State, this Levy should have passed with 100% approval.
Do you really feel that DC’s administration is so incompetant? Sounds like an easy way out of investing in our future!!
Wake up, we are still going to be behind where we should be.
I am so glad that this forum exists! It gives people that are not in the majority a chance to vent their feelings.
Please accept that we live in a democratic society (or at least I think we do?). The majority of the people that live in the DC district have spoken that they wanted the schools to re-establish the school district that has been here in the past. A school district that was respected and people moved here to have their children be able to attend the schools. That helps ALL of US! My home will now retain what little value is left out there and so will yours! If this school continued to decline with less funds then no one would want their children to go to these schools.
If you hate this district so much why don’t you move? I can assure you that the other schools all around us all have problems as well. Look at the levy amounts that are being paid in other districts that are in SOD. I think we are getting by pretty cheaply for the way that our children are educated.
Regarding the extra curricular activities- I firmly do believe that the children do gain from the experiences. They learn to cooperate with other people that they would not otherwise associate with. There is a mixture between the grades that bridges the ages together. They learn to accept dissapointment and to win gracefully. If you have not chosen to let your children experience this, then do not attack those of us that do. Even some of the home schooled children in this district join in for the extracurricular activities. There are in band and on many of the school sports teams. I applaud them for giving their children the chance to interact with other children. We want more for our children. We pay activity fees, wash the uniforms, supply basic equipment that the school does not have, attend these same activities to support our children and support the other team members as if they are part of our own family. Only 3% of the budget is spent on the entire extra curricular area. How much of the budget is spent on the children that get into trouble because they don’t have to be at a practice? or don’t have any consequences for their anti social behavior?
Read the Bible. Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. It wasn’t a pleasure trip. We are taught in the Bible that we are to pay onto Ceasar what is owed Ceasar. You are not going to be able to live in this country and not pay taxes. If you want to help decide how the taxes are spent, then run for office. If there are enough other people that share your beliefs, then you will be elected to office. That is the beauty of a democracy. The majority get to decide what happens.
Just as with the bond issue that built the PAC, the majority of the people wanted this. That is simple mathematics. Accept it and move on……or move away. PLEASE!
The election is over, and the District won this round. For the disgruntled individuals that are “sick of the school, and sick of DC”, the highway goes both ways.
The clock cannot be turned back, but we can sure enough look to the future. With the money that will now be pouring into the District pockets, we need accountability. The issues that have been of such pressing concern need to be addressed. Gas is expensive, buy it. You begged for a few more teachers, hire them. The issues involving the core educational system, take care of them.
These monies revolve around reading, writing, math, science, Ind. Tech., and other core subjects. This money is not intended for “extra-curricular” activities, no matter what you do on paper.
Much of our “taxpayer” money went into advertising for this referendum. Of course, per the District, it was for the ‘yes’ vote. What about those of us who were the ‘no’ vote? What happened to our taxpayer advertising?
To the Board, “show me the results, show me the accountability”. To Mr. Powers and the Principals, “same thing”.
I wasn’t aware of a blog regarding the levy, guess I should read the paper more. It has been an interesting read.
Several comments…
If you are so upset with the school administration, go to the school board meetings and speak up. Attendence is usually limited to affected staff, students and administration. Stop complaining about decisions made if you only do it after decisions are made. Attendence should be so great (how many voted against the levy?) that the meeting should have to move to the PAC! Every meeting is public. Complaining in private and/or spreading outright untruths regarding anything is useless and outright wrong. Get informed and use your voice to make change if that is how you feel!!!
If you are really sick of how your your tax dollars are being spent, start going to the County Commissioner meetings! These are conveniently held in the middle of a work day, but I bet if enough people expressed concern, that would change. THESE folks make decisions regarding huge amounts of tax dollars, and are we happy about all those choices? Our townships also spend tax dollars, and do we approve of where that money goes? How about state or federal government? It all comes down to taking time to keep on top of all elected representatives and letting them know what you think.
As for the levy, I am happy it passed. I don’t hope that the school board and administration are responsible, I WILL ASK QUESTIONS, GIVE MY OPINIONS TO THOSE IN CHARGE, AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE DOING AS THEY PROMISED. As we all should…….
Well said Another DC Mom.
It is so easy to sit back and complain, the easy way out!
If more people would speak their opinions in these Public Meetings it would help significanly more than sitting back and complain, complain, complain.
No one likes paying taxes, no one. But it is a fact of life and the way this Country has grown to where it is today.
We need to speak out and let our “elected” leaders know what we ALL want.
The majority of us wanted a Levy increase. We won and it is about time!
To the person or two that mention democracy: Yes, insofar as local matters such as a school levy are concerned, a simple majority vote trumps the minority. Consequently, voters in the minority must accept, albeit often begrudgingly, the prevailing voter’s decision(s).
However, as to fundamental principles, we do not rely upon the collective wisdom of the voters. The reason for this, I think, is because collective mentality can often get swept up in the emotions of the moment (akin to mob mentality or religious zeal). Our forefathers were astute students of history and, therefore, established a democratic REPUBLIC with the checks-and-balances of a three-part system (Executive, Legislative, & Judicial). In perhaps one of the briefest experiments in World history, USA has become the the sole remaining superpower in the post Cold War era, and is perceived by many as the dominant economic, political, cultural, and military force in the world (Wikipedia).
But, are we destined to be just another “blip†on the radar of history? Are we going down the tubes as fast as we rose? Perhaps, but I hope not.
To maintain, as some of you say, “a grip†I think we should try embody optimism - even when things don’t go the way we want. We can, and should, vigoursly debate community issues. The trick, I think, is to be able to genuinely comprehend, appreciate and respect the others’ view (indeed, we are all creatures of our own expericences – which, fortunately are wide and varied). Often, at least for me, time is fleeting and I’m unable to take the time to comprehend, much less appreciate the other guy’s opinion. It’s much easier to write the other guy off by association (i.e. polictical, religious, economic). This is especially true in small towns such as DC.
To simply say ‘get invovled’ in is both cliché and impractical; most of us spend the better part of our waking moments working. To the extent we have time, I think its better spent with our respective kids (contrary to the ‘It takes a Village’ mentality, I think it takes a Mom and Dad that are comitted to each other as well as to their kids - and spend time together).
So, to the extent we can overcome the ‘we’ll get em next time’ or ‘fire em all’ attitude, I think we should. Instead, as any kid learns sooner or later, ya win some and ya lose some… and it isn’t the winning or losing of a particular ‘game’ that sticks; its how you played the game.
Stop complaining and do something about it, if you want change then get to the voting booth or better yet stick your name in the hat . not just the levy but the mayor, the board members, the city concil , change is not made by wishing someone else will do it. there are a lot of good people with great ideas in this community, unfortunately those ideas seldom make it out of the church parking lot or Daniels diner….
Let’s just be realistic here. The district was and still is very fragile. The passed levy will just keep things from getting worse. What the voters will expect is accountability from those in our district’s leadership. Leaders, please do not let us down by being poor stewards of the funds. On another note, this whole levy experience is an educational opportunity for all of us, including our children. Scrimp and save, do without, balance a budget are all very important life lessons. Even if the levy had not passed, it would not be a travesty. It would be an opportunity to engage in critical thinking and creative problem solving and for our children to see how the “real world” works. One of the things that our children seem to not know how to do is to get along with less. Is that a bad thing to teach them? I care very much about the education of children, but one of the things that we have done a very good job of teaching them is that they are all important. Comments have been made which inferred that the passing of the levy is “all for the kids.” Well, all of us are already too self-centered naturally. We best be careful what message we are giving to our kids. Do we really want to them to think that the world totally revolves around them? They are important, but there needs to be a balance. We are wrong to assume that people who voted “no” do not care about kids and are just concerned about money. Maybe making ends meet to provide food and shelter for their children is a higher priority than smaller classrooms and technology updates. Time to move on.
Two years from now they will ask for more money. The bonds/levys are never enough. Yes, the people can probably afford it, but the principle of having a waterfall in the performing arts center says it all. Give me money, give me more money so I can blow it on the dumbest thing in the universe.
I, too, am tired of the increased taxes we are constantly asked to pay for to our school district, townships and county. After receiving our tax statement on Saturday, I am beginning to wonder how many residents will be able to continue to live in this area with the high taxes. Over half of ours is directed to the school district!! To keep the playing field even I think we should have been given our tax statements before the levy election; the results may have been different!!
But now that the levy has been approved, I hope that this does not become a cash cow for our teaching staff and administration with guaranteed salary increases for the next seven years. I want to see the improvements that this money was promised to provide. I want to see decreased class sizes especially for the younger grades. Children are so fragile at that age and so eager to learn, that it would be a shame that some of this money is not directed towards them. I want to see increased technology and new textbooks. If there is a need for an additional foreign language, hire the necessary teachers and buy the necessary textbooks.
What I do not want to see is increased funding of the athletic departments. I see so often in school districts that the administration and boards will cut back on classroom instruction so that there is money available for the athletic department. Why do they contantly look to balancing their budgets on the backs of students and cut back on educational opportunites for the sake of athletics? I am so tired of hearing that athletics are so important to students and their education. Athletics are a drain on the budget and I think the time has come for schools to drop them completely. If parents want their children to participate, they should be willing to create sports clubs, and have these clubs support the individual sports. The clubs would have control over hiring of the coaches, and then perhaps the best coach could be hired, rather than having a teacher on staff do it parttime just for some extra spending money. The Europeans do it this way, and they seem to function quite well. Our district would save approximately $750,000.00 each year - the money saved would hire a few teachers, buy a few textbooks and perhaps update computers and technology, too. The school would then be able to lease back to the sports club the fields and courts necessary - again, making some more money for the school utilizing the buildings more! The kids who want to participate in athletics can continue to do so but would have no taxpayer money. They or their families would have to pay the bill themselves either with fundraisers or perhaps working parttime to cover their equipment and uniforms, not to mention the price of the busing to all of the events they participate in. The free ride would be over!!
Our children did not attend DC schools, but rather graduated with honors from a nearby district. This district struggles, too, with their budget. Our government has made it nearly impossible to balance any budget. However, the kids did very well and attended college after graduation from high school and graduated from college with honors as well. They are all working and contributing to society, paying taxes, etc. (and paying off student loans as well - we didn’t have the money to fund those expenses completely). They worked their way through college and when their friends were on their way to Orlando for spring break, our kids came home and worked at local jobs. They gave up a lot of their social lives for their educations. My point in telling this is that everybody needs to work together to accomplish their goals. My dad used to tell me that hardships created character. I have always kept that message near my heart, and my children are examples of that. Perhaps our schools need to experience some hardships, too, to create character in of themselves and become better educators which schools are all about in the first place!!
Spend my tax money wisely, please!!
On Nov. 11, E.S stated: “Much of our ‘taxpayer’ money went into advertising for this referendum.” Sorry, but that statement is absolutely not true.
What the school district had published and mailed was required by state statute as factual information for voters in the district. I would ask that everyone who received the school mailings go back and read them closely. Nowhere on those did it say the words “vote yes” or anything similar. To do so would have been a violation of state law and would have brought criminal sanctions against the district.
The ads, phone calls, and mailings that did advocate for passage of the referendum were from the Vote Yes committee. As an independent organization, they were free to use words like “vote yes”. Which they did.
As for where the “vote no” ads were, ask those who have opposed the referendums in the past. They were free to do their own advertising and calling. Nothing would have stopped them.
For those who are intensely curious, the Minnesota School Boards Association has a great deal of information on what boards and schools can do in terms of levy campaigns. Their web site is: http://www.mnmsba.org.
Btw, I was a ‘no’ voter.
This is for all of those people against the Levy. We believe that, to fully understand, and to be INFORMED, you should make a trip into the school. How about you come in and see the constitution of our textbooks, falling apart at the bindings. Come and see how crowded it is in some of our classes. We understand that it is your tax money being used in our favor, but we have made some sacrifices as well. Better yet, go and visit a city whose school is degraded beyond measure. You will realize that the overall wellbeing of the city revolves around the wellbeing of the school.
Something to think about…
I am responding to the person who said that we need fewer teacher assistants in the classrooms. Please come out and visit any one of the schools in our district and see why we need our para’s in the classroom. If we have fewer para’s in the classroom, who are we hurting? The school district? I don’t think so! We are hurting the children that are in need of some extra help understanding what is being taught. Para’s are in the classroom to help students who are in need of help. If you take them out of the classroom, who is going to see that they are understanding what is being taught? When you have 25+ students in a classroom, the teacher isn’t able to go around to every student to make sure that they understand the lesson, assignment, etc. That’s what para’s are there for. If you have never volunteered at any of the school’s, I would suggest that you do. I don’t think you understand how important para’s are in the classroom, to the teachers, but mainly the students!!!
Jim Erickson:
Apparently you have not read the sign by the waterfall in the PAC…it was donated by private funds. Your money was NOT used to build that water fall.
I read the blogs with great interest. It seems like the “naysayers” to increased taxes are just that, “sayers” and not “doers”. How many of the “naysayers” go to the school board meetings, or PTA meetings or any of the local government meetings? Our schools are run financially soundly, which you would know if you attended any of the school board meetings and watched them balance the school budget to pay for today’s costs. We’re middle class, and we like the lifestyle here in Cokato. However, if the levy had not passed, we were seriously considering leaving the district. No more shopping at The MarketPlace, no more hiring the services of local contractors and businesses, no more dinners at Subway, DQ, Daniels or Hojies. No more buying our eggs, meat or veggies from local producers. No more filling our prescriptions at Keaveny’s, etc.
The school system allows us to prepare our children for the future. If you don’t think that is important, you will, because those of us who consider our children’s future a top priority will need to leave the district if the schools fail our children. The money follows the children. You may not like it, but you do need to recognize it. If a community does not attract and retain it’s families with children, you will have a dying community. A dying community may not pay much in taxes, but it has nothing to offer anyone.
I am not from Cokato, we moved here when the Cokato schools were widely recognized as top quality. We would have left if the schools had had to make any more significant cuts in the budget. We would have had no choice. I did get involved and informed about the community, and the schools. To the “naysayers”, please get informed. If you don’t like something, speak up and change it for the better, don’t just complain - and don’t just give up on the local schools because you think the school administration wastes money. Complaining, and not doing anything about it, can cost you more than a few dollars in taxes - it could cost you and your community its future.
To all the Yes Voters,
I understand your frustations regarding what you regard as misinformation and complaining by those who did not support the levy. The fact of the matter is that I believe those who did not support it wasn’t because they wouldn’t, it but rather they coudn’t. You talk about families leaving the district if the levy would not have passed; however, how many families are facing foreclosure proceedings because they cannot afford to pay the increased taxes, etc. (There were 21 foreclosure notices in the Independent Review the week of the levy election). They will be leaving the school district as well. Have you ever looked into the eyes of a family who is losing their home to foreclosure? I doubt not because of how you are grumbling about those who not only voted no but are giving reasons for that vote. There are many reasons why residents voted no. That is the democratic way!!
As far as Dassel and Cokato being booming towns, I must be driving through different towns than you are because I see little or no business growth at least nothing that would encourage families to move here because of a job transfer. That is why our taxes are so high - there is little business/industrial tax base which would take the burden off of personal residences as far as real estate taxes go. Perhaps if we had a 3M Company or a Hutchinson Technology based here then we would see more residential growth but Hutchinson has both of those companies and still there is not the growth that the city would like. A lot of employees commute from the metro area rather than live there!!
And, as far as retention of children living in this area after graduation, I think you had better look around - life does not stop at the school district’s boundary lines. There are more opportunities out there than what Dassel and Cokato can provide!!
Also, I have been involved with local governments and schools and I do not like what I see (abuse of public trust). And, because I work full time, I cannot devote the time and effort to serve on some of these boards - I have to work to pay the taxes!!
To DC Grandma Nov 20th,
Well said! If only we were all so wise! You definitely hit some nails on the head! Thanks for sharing your comments!
I shake my head at the number of people who don’t put their names to their opinions.
Brian D. Jensen
Dassel, MN
For those interested in reading about how levies have become more than just a way to fund “extras” in our public schools and how the state has gradually abdicated its constitutionally-mandated responsibility to provide for our public schools, you might be interested in this article.
http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=12221§ion=Opinion
I do not use my real name for two reasons:
1. I work with the public, so my opinion could affect whether I am successful in my job or not. My personal opinion does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the business person that I work for. Therefor I prefer to keep my opinions behind a pseudo name. That is why I don’t write letters to the editor of the paper either. I am actually quite opinionated and have wanted to write many times, but my job won’t allow it. Doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions, I just need to feed my family.
2. I am concerned that my opinions my reflect on my family, who are intitled to their own thoughts and opinions as well. I do not want a coach, teacher or anyone else to hold one of my beliefs against my husband or children. Don’t even try to tell me in these small towns that won’t happen. It does every day!
That is why people want the pretend identities to begin with. It allows them a voice that they wouldn’t ordinary have.
To the DC Grandma,
You need to check your facts about the athletics before you write. There are already booster clubs for most of the athletics at the schools. The few that don’t are in the process of organizing. These booster clubs have provided things for the school programs that the school were not able or willing to provide. We are out there working hard to make money and help with the sports our children participate in. Despite what you may think, (and you are intitled to your own opinion), we are already paying a lot to have our children participate. The extracurricular areas have taken a major hit every time that the school needed to cut. We have all taken enough!!!!
Colleges and employers look for extracurricular participation when they choose who gets into the colleges. Then there is scholarships and financial aid for colleges that look for leadership abilities. How are you going to show that you are a leader in a math class? Get real, the world outside of the DC district is demanding that students do more than show up and sit their butt in a classroom. I don’t know how many years ago your children graduated, but school and colleges are not the same as they used to be. What my children have to present to be accepted in college now is way different from what I had to do. I only wish that this school was able to offer my children more….there are things that the colleges are looking for that this school couldn’t provide.
Try attacking the fact that the newest superintendant is paid much the same as the previous superintendant that had years of experience and a doctorate degree. Now does that seem fair?
There are some areas of the school that still need to be looked at for not wise spending…..but by in large, this district seems to be fairly fiscally respondsible. Just look at the GSL school coming out of debt, the Kimball district which always seems to have some sort of problem, the ACGC district which is struggling. I even heard a rumor that the HLWW school was not even going to be able to finish the new school because they ran out of money.
The world is constantly changing. I know that I was not aware of all the things that were needed for my children to be accepted to a state college. College is now outrageous in cost and yet they demand more before you even get there. We need to do everything possible to help the future generations be prepared for the “real world”.
This Grandma just graduated a child from college last winter!! I know exactly what colleges are looking for. As a family, we completed many college applications, financial aid forms, and countless scholarship applications. Please be advised that our children did not qualify for any grants at all (we made too much money and we are not well-to-do people. The only financial aid our children qualified for were student loans, and they all managed to graduate with only minimal loans because they all supplemented their educational costs by working part-time while school was in session and full time during the summer months. Even then, this was not sufficient to cover their costs. We helped when we could, but I know full well what college costs - it is very expensive. (And that are the state colleges - private colleges were beyond our budget). Just a side note - our children all graduated in the top 5% of their classes, and because of that they were awarded many scholarships (both locally and through their respective colleges) to help pay their way. They all attended state colleges, and, guess what, none were involved in athletics - I have found that only the very, very best athletes will ever get any scholarship money because of their ability to kick a football or dribble a basketball or hit a volleyball. Unfortunately, a lot of parents whose children are involved in athletics will not accept that until it is too late, and their GPA’s are in the toilet!! How many students from the DC School District have been awarded four-year scholarships because of their athletic ability? How many have been awarded four-year scholarships because of their academic abilities? I also know that colleges look for a very rounded student when reviewing their applications. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are two major areas they look at. They even look at participation in church activities. If DC graduates are not getting into colleges because of a lack of classes needed at the high school level, then perhaps post secondary option is the way to go or open enroll in a neighboring school district that does offer the necessary classes. Does DC offer any AP Classes? Again, I feel that those are classes that are absolutely necessary and should not be cut because the athletic budget needs money!!
Also, when I suggested sports clubs, I did not mean booster clubs. Booster clubs are supplemental to what the school district can provide a certain sport, and those clubs are meant to make up the difference. A sports club would control and be responsible for participation of the entire sport. If it costs $1500.00 to participate in football, then that is what the fee will be, and the parents and/or athlete are expected to pay it. There would be no association at all with the school districts (other than perhaps rental/lease of the gyms and/or fields). That support would be gone, but the sports club would have complete control of who would be coaching, who plays (tryouts probably would be necessary), etc. And if your athlete is not good enough to play with these clubs, then perhaps their attention should be directed to something else. And if they need athletics to stay out of trouble, then there is something gravely wrong at home - don’t look to the school district to solve tha social ill!!!
DC Grandma,
Just the question that you asked about whether DC offers AP classes shows that you really do not know this district at all! (by the way, they do offer AP classes) For someone who does not know what is available or offered at THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT you certainly are opinionated about what this school should or should not be doing! Perhaps a trip to the school and seeing what is there is needed. If you don’t know what you are complaining about, maybe you should not be complaining!
I also realize that there is a limited amount of athletic scholarships available out there. Whether a student qualifies for an athletic scholarship is just as important to that student as an academic scholarship. And for your information, you will not get a athletic scholarship if your grades are not good enough no matter how talented you are! At least not at the colleges I would want my children attending! Part of what I was mentioning that this school can’t offer students comes from my knowledge that a student that graduated last year from this school had her scholarship lowered because this school could not offer enough foreign language. Again, if you actually had students that attending this district you would understand what the parents are up against. We do not want to leave the district and all of our friends, we want the district to be what it used to be. A district that people moved to, not away from! This district is still better than most of the districts around. We get a lot of funds into the district from the open enrollment from these neighboring districts. Every school is fighting the same fight. The government changed the funding and now every school is short money.
FYI- If a middle school student athlete is not achieving over a C average then they are not allow to participate in that activity until their grades improve. At the high school level they cannot be failing a class. However, at DC; MOST of the students that recieved an academic letter last year were also involved in at least one extracurricular activity. Several were in more than one activity. These students have a reason to keep their grades up.
My children have all recieved academic letters (to get an academic letter you have to be on the “A” honor roll for three semesters in a row) as well as participating in their activities. Do not underestimate that these children are devoted to more than their activities. They also are involved in a church. In the past they were involved in 4H and in scouting. Did I mention that they have also have jobs? I am raising what I consider to be well adjusted healthy children the will be ready for the real world when they get out there.
By the way, every time you write, you mention athletics in particular as being something that needs to be cut. You never mention band, choir, speech, NHS, FFA or plays. They are all part of the extracurricular activities as well as the athletics. If you cut the athletics then all of those activities will need to go also. None of the athletic teams have traveled to other states on the school like the band, speech, NHS and FFA have. NHS is going to Washington DC for the second year in a row. The 3% of the budget spent on extracurricular is not just the athletics, it includes all of these other things as well. I believe that they all have a place in the school as added learning activities for the children that want to participate.
Should you pay attention to where the school is saying this money is going to it doesn’t say anything about the activities. It is earmarked already for the smaller class sizes and the added curriculum at the high school.
It has been enjoyable to read what is written in this blog. I enjoy peoples insights, opinions, and how people believe everything that they are told by the D-C administration and school board. Please do your research and educate yourself to how broken the public school system is. IT HAS BECOME LIKE BIG GOVERNMENT!!
The school teachers union is one of the largest and strongest lobby groups in MN. They are very successful in getting their wishes granted, whether they use truth or not.
Is there any other job in the world where you can vote yourself a raise? Have you ever seen a “Vote Yes for our Kids” sign in a teachers yard? Of course you have. Why? It means that they will get a bigger raise!!! It has nothing to do with their concern for your kids. Does a referendum mean that a teachers passion for their job changes? Does it mean that the teacher with 30 years on the job suddenly starts teaching something else than the last 15 years when he has taught the same exact thing? Don’t kid yourself. No other business in the world can spend as much of its budget on wages and survive like the public school system. Any other business that puts out a sub-standard product like our schools, but pays its employees top-dollar would be out-of-business. We don’t question what they do, because it’s “FOR THE KIDS.” Don’t get me wrong, D-C has had and has some of the best teachers there are, but it also has some that are terrible. There is no reason for anyone to try and be there best and get every child to work and obtain an A. Why? Tenure. I wish I worked a job where after I’ve been there for a certian amount of time, I can just slide by and not do anything but the minimum ans still get raises, promotions, and retirement. You can as a teacher. Ever seen a teacher be fired? Only in very special circumstances, and certainly not because someone else was doing a better job than they were.
Our school has become the same as our out of control Tax/Spend government. We say NO to a levy, these raise fees. Same as big government. Say NO, and we’ll just change voting places, voting days and do what ever we can to get what we want. Just like a spoiled child.
The schools tricks got them the levy for the PAC, football field, Track, and other fluff. It passed by ONE vote, after being turned down by the people. PLEASE REMEMBER HOW THEY GOT IT PASSED. Was the vote held on an election day? NO! It was held on a day during Christmas vaction when all the college kids were home from school and there was no other reason to attract people to the polls. Was the vote held at local polling places? NO! It was held in one location. The high school, where they knew a large majority of people would not drive to to vote, especially the elderly. Now they can’t educate the children because the class sizes are to big and they don’t have enough books. DO YOU HEAR WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU? IS THERE SUCH POOR PLANNING BY OUR ADMINISTRATION AND SCHOOL BOARD THAT BOOKS ARE NOT THE FIRST THINGS ON THEIR MINDS. YOUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE OUR KIDS, NOT CREATE SOME PRETTY BUILDINGS THAT CAN’T DO THE JOB THEY WERE CREATED FOR. You wonder why I don’t trust our school?
Here are some facts as reported on the radio by a former MN department of Education official:
1) The public school system in MN has been given 20% more money each year than the cost of inflation.
2) There is NO documented research anywhere that shows smaller class sizes do ANYTHING to improve a childs education.
3) Money does not improve anyones public education. If it did, MPLS would have the best public schools in the state. The state and local government has pushed more money into those schools than anywhere else in the state.
4) Most private schools cost only 2/3 of what a public education costs.
5) Most public schools have 3 times the administration that a private school.
WE NEED TO HOLD OUR SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY PRODUCE!!!
I think they should spend more money on sport’s. I vote yes everytime!
My goodness, DC Grad and Dad, you are without a doubt the most uninformed ignorant voter concerning school finances on this entire forum and I have no doubt, in both Dassel and Cokato.
Like you, I graduated from Dassel-Cokato and was there when it was a National School of Excellence. I agree, that our school has been resting far too long on an award nearly twenty years old. However, I going to reply individually to your numerous errors. Hopefully, I able to finish this email today doing so.
To see some documented research or scientific studies on smaller class sizes improving a child’s education please look at “Meta-analysis of research on the relationship of class size and achievement (Glass & Smith, 1978), Educational Research Service (Robinson & Wittebols, 1986; Robinson, 1990), You can also look at the Prime Time project in Indiana that reduced number to 18 pupils. Specific improvements happened especially in Math and Reading.
Statement number 4 and 5 could be true if you were always comparing apples to apples. However, the compare a school the size of D-C with perhaps Holy Trinity in Winstead simply doesn’t work. The same is true of cost. What do you mean by “most private schools.” Can you provide any concrete cites, so we could verify your information.
Statement 1 seems to be grossly wrong when looking at a quote from Minnesota Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren who said, the governor’s proposal to fund and reform K-12 education is a strong one. His budget would increase the basic funding formula by 2 percent each of the next two years, while sticking to his pledge not to raise taxes. If you would care to verify this, please look at http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/03/01_pugmiret_schoolrally/ which is from March 5, 2005. That would not even keep up with inflation.
Finally, statement number 3 is ridiculous I can barely stand it. If money meant nothing for education, let’s take it all away. The student can come to the school, oh wait, there wouldn’t be a building, well they can come to the corn field and meet. There are no teachers, no books, nothing to do, but hey according to you the money spent now isn’t helping, so we might as well go down that road. Hello, wake up and realize that while money alone can’t turn a school into a paradise, it is one of many factors. You must also consider size of the school, ethnic makeup, parent support, etc.
“DO YOU HEAR WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU? IS THERE SUCH POOR PLANNING BY OUR ADMINISTRATION AND SCHOOL BOARD THAT BOOKS ARE NOT THE FIRST THINGS ON THEIR MINDS. YOUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE OUR KIDS, NOT CREATE SOME PRETTY BUILDINGS THAT CAN’T DO THE JOB THEY WERE CREATED FOR.” This quote by you is interesting. Here’s what we will do. You pay enough taxes for just the books and they will be mailed by the school board home and that is how we will educate. We will not have the pretty buildings or really any building at all. Or again, send them to that corn field now. The kids will freeze to death, which will mean that we won’t need to buy as many book and presto you don’t have to pay anymore. Your problems are solved. My goodness, why didn’t we think of this sooner!!!
Now I live 3 hours away and our school has a levy too. Do I agree that changes need to be made. Absolutely! However, are schools themselves that only party that need to change, no. Remember, you can either have a T-Bone or a Round Steak and from the sounds of it, you would prefer just the bone!
I’ve watched the Mall of DC grow over the last five years. If that is not really any buildings at all, then lets just double the size to make it right. No, no triple! then it would be close right? How much do you want? How much is enough?
Evidently none of the people responding about the buildings at DC have ever tried to get gym space. The boys and girls high school basketball teams in the winter months have to trade off after school and late practices in order to have gym time.
How would you like to have to come back to the school at 6pm at night and practice until 7:30 or 8pm just to be able to have the gym space?
There are not enough gyms in this district to meet the space needs. But the basketball programs do what they can to make the space we have work.
You are not alone. Just about every school district in this area has to share court/field time for their sports programs, boys and girls. This is nothing new and something you need to be aware of before you sign up for these activities! Have the sports programs utilized all the buildings in the district such as the Dassel Elementary School and the Cokato Elementary School? Do these buildings have courts/fields that can be utilized for practices? Again, I admit I do not have any children in this school district, thus the reason for the question. The fact of the matter is that I pay taxes to the school district (as do many retired folks in this district) so my opinion/comments should be welcome and not criticized. However, I continue to maintain that we have lost direction in what education is all about. It is not about a building, etc. - it is about educating our children. We need to give them advantages with a solid core curriculum (READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMATIC), and we need to concentrate on those classes, and cut out the fluff that some families have come to demand!! Our taxes can no longer afford that!!
By the way I get the impression, (and I could be wrong) that many of the people that are posting the negative comments about the school levy are for the most part the people that have or did have multiple children in this district or have home schooled their children. These are the same people that after they have all these children, they then complain that they cannot afford to pay the taxes to support the schools that they have a student in almost every grade in. Oh, I am sorry, they don’t have a problem with purchasing books—-they just don’t want to have any sports facilities because their children don’t participate in sports or other extra curricular activities.
Get a grip—I am tired of my tax dollars going to pay for the free or reduced priced meals for the families in this district that have so many children that they cannot afford to pay for the children’s lunch. Who do you think is paying for those lunches? It isn’t the parents, they have so many deductions on their taxes that they probably get more money back then what they paid in for taxes. When this district is not full of those families and my tax dollars stop going to pay for that stuff then we can discuss whether we should continue to offer extracurricular activities for the students that want to participate.
The things that are taxes are being spent on everyone can find a pet peeve. I have accepted that I will be feeding these children my entire life…..even if I cannot afford to pay to put food on my families table. I don’t have enough children to abuse the system myself. I wanted to be able to support the children that I had. That included their schooling as well as providing food and clothing.
That was harsh. Remember to think before you type.
Before you complain too much about free or reduced lunches please be advised that those figures are used by the Minnesota Department of Education when they figure out how much each school district will be getting from the State. So, the more free/reduced lunches DC provides, the more $$ the district will get from the State. And if you knew anything about this country’s tax system you would know that having many, many children gives you more exemptions when figuring out your income tax due and owing in April every year. I doubt that families with multiple children pay much in income tax since each exemption (child) reduces their total tax due and owing. However, the real estate tax that supports our local school district doesn’t care how many children you have. This is a regressive tax, and you pay according to the value of your home. So, if our families have a big house to provide shelter for their large family they pay accordingly to that value and not according to how many children are part of that family. So, do not attack families who chose to have many children. That is their choice, and as a society we must respect that choice. Large families just pay less in income taxes. Personally, I wanted to provide more for our family and we only had three children. However, I have found that large families also will be getting more financial aid in college, as will children of farmers and children of single parents, not to mention the minorities who also get a ton of financial aid. I hope that once DC’s students get out from under DC’s wing/protection that it won’t be too much of a shock as to what to expect in this wide, wide world. Everything comes with a price.
Since my last entry was so “politically incorrect”, I suppose that this one won’t even be allowed through moderation. Heaven help me that I stepped on a particular portion of the public. But isn’t that what all these other people were doing when they wanted the athletics cut? They were picking out one portion of the student body and saying that what is important to you does not matter to me, therefore it is wrong to want it and I am not going to pay for it. What is different about my not wanting to have a child every year or two and not wanting to pay for someone else who does? If they can pay for it themselves go for it!
I am upset that my last posting was singled out as being “harsh”. What is so wrong with me voicing my opinion? I thought we still had this thing in America called “FREEDOM OF SPEECH”. What makes you think that I did not think about what I was typing? This issue has bothered me for years. I can assure you that I did think long and hard before I wrote. It just irritates me that there are people out there that want to single out the athletics at the school and target them for cuts and nothing else. I think that there are lots of areas where my tax dollars are not spent wisely. This just happens to be the one that bothers me the most.
“Before you complain too much about free or reduced lunches please be advised that those figures are used by the Minnesota Department of Education when they figure out how much each school district will be getting from the State. So, the more free/reduced lunches DC provides, the more $$ the district will get from the State.”
Who is “the State” and where does that money come from? The taxpayers (ME AND YOU). It just was not put on a levy question form.
“And if you knew anything about this country’s tax system you would know that having many, many children gives you more exemptions when figuring out your income tax due and owing in April every year. I doubt that families with multiple children pay much in income tax since each exemption (child) reduces their total tax due and owing.”
“Large families just pay less in income taxes.”
I believe that I understand that quite well thank you. That is part of what I am complaining about. Some of these families cannot afford to feed their children when they are at school. They are relying on other taxpayers (Because as you pointed out they do not pay as much in income taxes) to take care of the costs of their children’s meals while at school. They even get two meals a day from the school if they desire, because they are fed both breakfast and lunch on “The State”.
NOW LET ME SAY THAT I KNOW THAT NOT ALL THE LARGE FAMILIES ARE IN THIS SITUATION. There are LOTS of them can afford their children very easily. I am not saying that they don’t have the freedom to have as many children as they want. I just think that they should be able to afford the children that they have.
I believe that there is a time and a place for the free or reduced lunch program. Anyone can fall on hard times and need a little help. My family needed to use the service back when I was in school because my father was injured on the job and workers comp did not stretch far enough. We used the service when we needed it, but as soon as my father was able to return to work, the service was no longer needed and we did not continue to recieve the meals. Even though my parents income met the guidelines to recieve the help! I am talking about the families that use it ALL the time and rely on it. It should be used in emergency cases as needed, not used year after year after year.
“However, the real estate tax that supports our local school district doesn’t care how many children you have. This is a regressive tax, and you pay according to the value of your home. So, if our families have a big house to provide shelter for their large family they pay accordingly to that value and not according to how many children are part of that family.”
I believe that is the fairest way to pay for your share of what the school needs. Though I would argue that some of the families that use the services still live in fairly small moderately valued houses because that is what they have.
“However, I have found that large families also will be getting more financial aid in college, as will children of farmers and children of single parents, not to mention the minorities who also get a ton of financial aid. I hope that once DC’s students get out from under DC’s wing/protection that it won’t be too much of a shock as to what to expect in this wide, wide world. Everything comes with a price.”
Unfortunately, you and I both agree on this point. Isn’t also ironic that we both work(ed) hard to provide for our families. Then when our children could have used financial assistance in college, these same children that our tax payer dollars have been supporting; also recieve more assistance in going to college. That is another bone to pick another time.
I just believed that someone needed to point out that there are some things about the school that needs to be addressed. I know that the school really, really wants to have as many families as possible on the lunch program. Every year they ask EVERY family to fill out the forms to see if they qualify for the program.
AT LEAST THE VOTERS WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO VOTE ON IF THE LEVY PASSED. NO ONE HAS EVER ALLOWED ME TO VOTE ON THE SOCIAL PROGRAMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT THINK ARE SO GREAT!
If they asked the voters maybe “The free ride would be over!!”
I think we are beginning to get way off the subject of the levy approval and the cost of education in the DC School District. It shouldn’t matter how many children from a single family attend the school district. I thought our responsibility was to educate ALL children even if the child comes from a family of 10-15 kids. Those 10-15 kids will bring in more $$ to the district - do the Math and do not criticize those families whose choice is to have many, many children. Are their presence creating a burden on the Meeker County Social Service Department? If so, that is another problem that should be addressed with the County officials and not the school district. When I woke up this morning I thought I was in the U.S. and not China - they limit the number of children those families can have to one. Comparing the number of children a family has and the number of activities/athletics provided by the school district doesn’t make any sense at all, and I believe we have lost touch with reality if we go there!!
Dassel Grandma seems very level headed in her writings and quite contrite, why does dcmom have such a large amount of angry towards everyone, but “her kind?”
My kids get free lunches in school and yes it is precisely because of how many kids I have! I can guarantee to you that the amount I pay in property taxes far and away pays for this evil “social program.” I also guarantee you those with 2.1 kids are spending the money brought in by the larger families of 2.2 and above.
Also how quickly those with 2.1 kids forget about the sales taxes, social security taxes, increased local business revenue, and growth in the community such families provide (the 2.2 and above crowd). Incidentally, does the dcmom have the courage to mention who she is referencing in her big family comments?
For your information dcmom you have voted on your evil “social programs,” by voting in your representatives who craft the laws and programs you live under! Oh your one of those complainers of little action, or maybe your like the rest of us that are to busy working paying our $340 a month property tax bill, while buying groceries, diapers $1000 a month in health insurance (yea for private HMO’s), keeping gas in the car, filling the propane tank, and maybe making the occasionally stop at one of our local restaurants for a bite to eat.
I hate to turn this into a small vs. large family argument, but it is these families funding this areas school, so how dare us question the $800,000 spent on sports, how dare us be so greedy, so petty, so inconsiderate. How dare we want the sport system to be setup as a user fee based system, how dare we try to limit the essential sport activities that teach our kids to balance a checkbook, properly manage credit, prepare for college, understand the taxation system, indeed how dare we.
How dare someone with 10 kids ($80,000 in spending power) try to suggest to someone with 2 kids ($16,000 in spending power) how we should spend our tax money.
I agree, dcmom stop and think about how your well thought out arguments (which is nothing more than taking what everyone else has said and disagreeing)sound and read before pushing that mouse botton and displaying your nuggets of wisdom for all to see.
I have never been on here before but was prompted to do so by this week’s edition of the paper. Check out the blog it said on teacher negotiations. I am glad I did. Glad that dc mom and dcgrad/dad wrote in along with the others. What prompted me to look was how in the world can the teacher’s expect to get a raise? Whether they took cuts in the past or not. Are we all not in it together? We will have to make cuts now to make room for the larger property taxes we will have to pay. Never has my taxes been what the projected increase shown before the vote for your house value! Who else works 184 days per year( taken from the published school calendar) and does not include snow days,vacation,sick days and leave of absences and makes the salary they do as a public servant. Ask the district once what is the teachers health care costs? While the general public is seeing it rise and rise. Some going without it. I will not write what the amount is I would like the district to be flooded with calls on this and truth comes out. The proof will be in the pudding when results come in. But just wait–smaller class sizes???? Won’t we be needing a new school soon? Here is another thought what if the school lets the hockey arena be put up on dc property….They have said it will cost the school district nothing. But what if in the future the arena can’t make ends meet and ask the school to take it over. Just a thought………. If you haven’t figured out already I am proud I voted no and kids aren’t always smarter if you dump more money in year after year. Remember the levy passed and they can raise it in year’s to come to keep up(as stated in the paper). Who makes that decision??? Why not have strict term limits on the school board members???? Force them out and someone else to step up. I am surprised to hear a comment from a member of the newspaper staff on what others are writing in here being inappropriate/(harsh). The paper is slanted in one direction and it shows on a weekly basis. Why would anyone want to put your name in here when others don’t respect your right to free speech unless you voted yes then you are a hero. People voting no aren’t against kids they voted how they feel and what was best for them. They voted how they did with children going to that school and what the outcome might be for a no vote. Oh, here is another thing I am on the do not call list and still got called by the district on this prior to election. I have checked the guidelines and they did not meet them.They should have scrubbed the list prior to calling.Over 4 years ago a cokato resident donated 400,000 so kids in the area can play hockey in a arena. Now we are still without a arena and cannot meet matching funds. All he wanted was a place to skate for the kids and event center. But people got invoved and it is still not built and money wasted. Call the district and tell them no you don’t want it on school property. It is the only option for a arena in the two towns???? These are small towns and will always be small minded towns. We are getting to be a bedroom community( for those of you who don’t know that is a town where most live but commute out for jobs and other things) and when that happens and you don’t know everyone in town and who your neighbors are, Why care what happens to them………….. When businesses close and you are forced to shop elsewhere you don;t have that sense of small town anymore. Change is good… remember when Cokato and Dassel didn’t have liquor stores and were the only two towns on us hwy 12 with that distinction? Well alot of people said the towns were going to hell…………I’ll end on that note. Glad I signed on and look forward to the feedback.. Because free speech is good…………..
I believe that I have shown more than enough courage in voicing my opinion on these blogs. Even though the staff of the Enterprise Dispatch called me “harsh”, I do not see much difference between the comments I made and those that were made previous to mine that caused me to write what I did. They attacked what I considered to be a subject near and dear to me. I responded with an issue that truly has bothered me for years. This was an issue near and dear to the population that are against all athletics at the school. I guess when you attack a segment of the population that is so large in the area, you can be expected to take some heat.
I just don’t understand why when that portion of the population is so large, they do not get their way. Oh wait, they have gotten their way! In the past few years, the extracurricular has taken repeated cuts to help balance the budget of the school. But they would not know that, because their children do not participate. So they do not know what the kids that do participate have had to sacrifice and the additional costs that have been passed on to the families. From what I have been told, athletics will get nothing from this newly passed levy. Therefore, this should not have even been an issue brought up on this blog regarding the levy. Just as I should have never brought up the issue about the free lunch program. The free lunch program will not change by the levy passing. If anything, it will cause more people to use the program as their tax dollars drive them into more of a financial bind. Perhaps that was the plan of the school all along. The school does get more tax dollars if they have more students on the free lunch program.
We will agree to disagree on the athletics vs. free lunch program and the TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT ON BOTH. We just have different perspectives on these issues so no amount of typing can possibly resolve the issue. I am set in my ways; as are those that disagree with me.
I found it ironic however that someone who admits to having their children on the FREE lunch program at school also has the funds to go out for an “occasional stop at a local restaurant for a bite to eat”. The last I checked, the meals are much cheaper at school then at any of the restaurants in these towns. Enough said.
DC mom is insane to think of no athletics. The kids are so coddled and protected now. Maybe we need a lawyer for every student to walk them to each class. Some fringe lunatic might sue.
OK, so here I go probably putting my foot in my mouth, but why is it that we in this country and this community in particular seem so bent on making someone better or worse than another?
One of our most basic freedoms is our freedom of speech. Yes, we are free to speak our minds. We are not however free from being offended. With that great freedom comes responsibility for ones actions and words. Remember as you are attacking others for disagreeing with you, they are also human beings.
I applaud both sides in the vote on the levy. The issue I have is with those who could vote but didn’t. It is not only your priviledge to vote, it is your civic duty. Gee, I actually learned that one in ninth grade civics from Mr. Keith. How bout that? I personally am not as interested in how someone votes as I am in that they vote. I may not agree with the outcome of a vote, but if you didn’t vote and then complain, shut up. You have given up your true ability to complain because you didn’t voice your opinion with your vote. You wasted it.
We all know the schools are losing funding and that there are many things in our schools that are wrong. Complaining about it won’t solve the problem. If we are not going to vote for a levy, then we must figure out how to fund our schools other ways.
People, please remember, your school board, state and federal senators and representatives, judges, and presidents work for you, not the other way around.
We talk so much about when a teacher does a poor job of how we get rid of them. How about when a politician does a poor job? We continue to allow them to keep their jobs and continue to do a poor job. We need to develop the attitude of you have this term in office to do the job. If you do, we will re-elect you. If not, we will fire you and hire someone else. I personally don’t care which political party you are, I care what kind of job will be done for us, not to us.
I’ve said enough now and will probably be slammed for saying it. Have a blessed and wonderful holiday season!