I started this a week or so ago but got side tracked by life. But feel that it is a topic that should be discussed. Having to hold back a little after reading the Aug 8th Ranchland, the article titled ” Free and reduced meals”. I must first say I strongly support our children receiving the proper nutrition. Every child deserves the best we can provide but as I have stated many times before it is the parents’ responsibility first and then the citizens of the community. I read the article as a recruiting ploy. I look back in my years as we first took steps to provide for our own families the last step was to ask or accept assistance from the government. Now it appears to be the very first. In these times it is more important because the family is under attack is so many ways. But the coin has two sides, the other side is that of the taxpayer. It is my opinion that we have developed an “I need culture” and “My needs need to be met by someone else” We have turned the school-house into a soap kitchen. Now the districts seem to be recruiting individuals to feel the chairs at the kitchen. Let’s look at a family of 4, father, mother and two kids. A family that makes $32,000 per year, this family also qualities for food stamps and may quality for WICs. This program seems to be a money-maker for the District is this a reason why we and the State recruit and have a invalidate, process to register for this program. District 2 has a free breakfast program for all/any child, no requirements, just attend the District. Should the District and other Districts be turning families into Government dependence citizens? I thank not. In the past few years the dependence on food stamps has increase some 50%. The Federal government has ad campaigns telling folks to apply “it is easy and you deserve it, it is yours”. This turning a proud group of American citizens into a group that relies on others , the government. I’ll close this segment with this, there are those on hard times and individuals that need our assistance; but we must be careful that assistance does not turn into dependence. An example: a friend that’s wife lost her job cutting their money flow into half. Things got tough for them and their children. Instead of turning to the government, they turned to the church and their self-determination. They canxed their cable, sold the second car, reduced their cell phones to one. They started collecting coupons, reduced eating out and only with a coupon. They also started using all the free entertainment, the city had to offer. It worked she now is back to work and they are proud of themselves and the kids have learned a lesson on self-reliance.
Now a few comments on the actions or non-action of the District 22 School Board. I hope most have been attending the Special and Monthly meeting; yes I have missed a few. But have you noticed how many “special” meeting the Board has. I have also noticed that the most controversial items are on the “special” meeting’s agenda. Also aren’t “special meetings” called for a “special purpose? It appears that whatever the meeting is called the agenda always changes, could that be driven by the number of attendees? I will file a FOI request to get copies of the last few meeting and try my best to post it at the Café. Another topic is the financial status of the District. I wish that I could recall the number of times we have heard current and past board members claim that the District was hording money. Monies that was there to be SPENT on the children; yet on the first discussion lead by the new Chief Financial Officer of the district hears him say we are, “$800,000 short of meeting the states “Healthy” school district. He used the term “short” a number of times. But some of the current Board still seems to push for increase spending. A number of months ago there was a discussion as to how many months of operating funds needed to be maintained in reserve, 2 months, three-month or 6 months. Dr Cullen’s position was 6 months. I maybe wrong but I have not been able to find where the board agreed on anything. Yet; Mr Rehkopf stated, “the board set the budget to have certain reserve amounts”. Mr Rehkopf and Mr Hudson just what are those amounts? CFO stated the District is operating with a “minimum of a 3% reserve. So that causes another question; is the bottom-line a percentage or a monthly bottom-line. The CFO also used other word to describe the financial status of the District, “afoul”, “$800,000 necessary to achieve the healthy school district. according to the State”, and a “shortfall”
Then after hearing the word “shortfall, Mr Rehkopf asked that $100,000 be “earmarked” for a new bus.
Questions that should be asked of the Board:
a: What is the status of the “school-house”, how much has been spent on the remodel, is it rented, what’s next.
b: Has the Board researched the advantage or disadvantage of contracting out the bus service, or is it that no one is against those individuals?
c: Are we sure what the RESERVE FUNDS are for and the amount of money required in each?
Fayne
Integrity in Leadership
Ellicott's Potluck Cafe 