Ballots set for levy increase vote

nunofurbusiness n.
03/26/2010 9:04 AM

I've already told you that I'm a local business owner with two kids in the system, which is more than enough information to have an opinion. The moniker I use here has been used by many on many sites and I don't wish to be globally attached to the title. Disclosing personal information only opens oneself up to the wackos and viagra salesmen of the world. Splashing your personal e-mail address on postings and talking about the properties owned by your extended family would not be considered tech-savvy and probably not a good general practice.

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Mark B.
03/25/2010 11:52 AM

nonof---If I could get any facts out of the district to justify why they need the money, I'd know if I was dealing with poor quality or good quality. So far, I can't get anything to make an informed decision. If the facts suported them, I'd probably look at things differently. The facts they provide to the state seem to support the presumption they should be able to get along fine with what they have. By the way, I believe a number of supporters on your side have posted on this subject, also, so I'm glad Rueben chimed in.

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Mark B.
03/25/2010 11:15 AM

nonof---I think its called honesty. My sister and her husband also own property in Lake County on the Lake. My grandparents own propery in Cook County on the Lake. Many of our friends own property in Lake County on the Lake...be glad to give you a list. Now, who are you?

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nunofurbusiness n.
03/24/2010 2:26 PM

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." - Benjamin Franklin, from "Poor Richard's Almanac" Copied from Humagen's website....maybe whats good for the goose, is not whats good for the gander?

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nunofurbusiness n.
03/24/2010 1:59 PM

mark.broin@humagen.com....rueben.hanson@humagen.com....hmmm...sychophant?

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Rueben H.
03/20/2010 1:39 PM

I look at it this way: When was the last time any of us paid a credit card bill with no detail attached to support the charges? Then, how many paid extra when the card company said they'd like a little more to cover next month's undetailed bill? That is about how much sense all this makes.

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Mark B.
03/20/2010 1:24 PM

Tom S. and Stephen P....Let me preface the following comments by saying I am a strong supporter of a good educational system in this county. However, I am strongly in favor of accountability, flexibility and openness when the district asks me for more money. Increasing the student activity fee by an average of around $66/Student (bringing the school district subsidy average down to the state average) would bring in about $93,500 toward the $200,000-$250,000 needed to keep a 5-day week. A much smaller transportation fee than you are suggesting would add substantially to those revenues. For your information, out of around $10,328 in current district funding per student, only about $100 more than the state average for transportation is being spent per student in our district. Now, as you suggested, "User" fees are in fact the way to go for maintaining the district's publicly available facilities, and are in place or being considered all over the state. Why the district has not discussed these more openly, I don't know. After reviewing the district's financial statements and funding information going back to 1997, I am convinced the school has numerous other options for saving money than to go to a 4-day week OR impose any referendum levies on the district residents. Per student funding for the district since the new High School opened has increased by more than 21%, an average of nearly 5% more money per year. Yet, the superintendent continues to insist the "economy" is creating this problem for the school district. I'm sorry, the numbers just don't support that claim. The district's biggest problems come from their employee compensation and benefits expenses...comprising between 80-88% of their operating costs. There appears to be an unwillingness to address these issues in a manner which is fair to all employees in the district, takes into consideration the 14% drop in student population since 2005, and the economic circumstances of the businesses and resident taxpayers footing the bill. I have said this before, but the proposed 2010 expenditure budget of the school district ($22.4 million) is nearly $1 million more than the entire budget of Lake County. If you haven't looked at your new property tax bill, you should do so...you'll see a relatively large %-tage increase in your school levy amounts. Some of this is due to property valuation adjustments made on the "phase-out" of the state's "limited market value" protection, but about 25% of the increase is due to an "under the radar" levy of nearly $8 million in bond payment monies, plus interest, to fully fund future school employee medical retirement benefits. This levy will continue for many years into the future, until the bonds are paid off. Now, you are being asked to approve another $6-$11 million on top of this bond payoff, and on top of the "normal" levy the district has been assessing over the past years. Add up the cost of staying at a 5-day week, a few new buses, and the books and technology items the school has said they need, and it does not come up to anywhere near the money even the lowest referendum question asks for. So what is all this money really needed for? My position on all this is that until those "needs" are clearly justified and financially explained...and we are shown why there are no options...the district should work with what it has. These folks running the school WORK FOR YOU. To allow them to disrupt your 5-day school week, with all the financial and daily disruption it will cause already stressed families...without serious, clearly explained and justifiable reasoning... is simply not acceptable. To further allow what appears to be one group of school employees to not share in any of the sacrifices everyone else in the school, county, state and nation has had to bear, also seems unreasonable. Further, to propose any of the referendum questions without providing the same type of reasoning, justification and supporting facts seems really out of place. I have asked and asked and asked for facts supporting the district's contentions, and have received no rational supporting arguments for any of their requests. They have chosen to play on families' fears, the emotions of the students and concerns of the employees without presenting any alternatives for consideration. Now, in the end analysis, the district may, indeed, have some very valid reasons for needing more money. And if they can prove it, I'll be first in line to support them. The problem is they just haven't given us the courtesy of showing us what the justifications are. I am still patiently waiting. If you'd like the results of some district financial analyses, and MN Department of Education financial and student performance information, email me at mark.broin@humagen.com. I'd be happy to connect you with some real facts.

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Tom S.
Finland, MN     03/19/2010 3:05 PM

4-Day School Week: Yes or No? The School Board stated during the public meeting held at William Kelly School on Monday 3/8/10, that they couldn’t afford to poll parents as to whether or not they would be in favor of the Board’s proposal to move to a 4-day school week for the 2010/2011 school year, so we decided to do it for them. Please visit: WWW.k12381.com and complete the survey. Don’t let the Board Members make their decision without hearing from you.

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Tom S.
Finland, MN     03/19/2010 2:55 PM

In the Article you quoted Mr. Minkkinen as stating he didn't know what else could be done. At the public meeting held at William Kelly School in Silver Bay on Monday 3/8/10, I offered up several suggestions, including instituting user fees for services provided. However, there seemed to be little interest in further exploring those kinds of ideas. Superintendent Mikkinen cited bus transport costs as the single largest potential savings to be realized by a four-day school week, stating that 1,800 students ride the bus district wide, and the 20% reduction in route miles would save $75,000 per year. Contrast that with a $150 per student user fee that could potentially generate $270,000 per year – mitigating the entire projected operating budget deficit without eliminating a single day of school. As a parent of a student that rides the bus to school, I would certainly prefer to pay $150/$200 per year for that service if it would help offset the projected operating budget deficit and avoid moving to a 4-day school week, and I am convinced that other parents would support this as well. Surely the Board would want to further explore these kinds of ideas? Logic follows that if instituting a user fee a on a single budget line item like bus service could substantially eliminate the projected deficit, then how much more revenue could be raised via additional user fees? Are we really ready to start skipping school on Fridays? Are there no more “out-of-the-box” ideas to consider? Does the School Board truly believe that moving to a 4-day school week is in the best interest of our children and our community? Let the Board know: A simple website survey has – at no cost to the District - been posted at www.k12381.com There you will find a link to the District’s website, a link to take the survey, and another link to view the survey results page. Anyone with internet access can chime in on whether or not they are in favor of moving to a 4-day school week. There are also questions concerning child care costs and user fees. Only one response per computer will be registered. There is no cost to take the survey, nor will you be asked to identify yourself. Please ask your friends and neighbors to take the survey, and encourage them to reach out to School Board Representatives and urge them to review the results. Don’t let the School Board make ANY decision without hearing from you! Tom Sullivan Finland, MN

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