They must be feeling particularly unloved at Elmhurst High School these days. Back in 2006, Fort Wayne Community Schools unveiled an array of proposals to renovate all of its schools, from a relatively modest $200 million plan to a staggering $1 billion one. And every single one included as a component closing Elmhurst. Now, the school system is forced to reduce spending, and Elmhurst is put on the closing list again:
Elmhurst High School and Pleasant Center Elementary School would be closed this fall under a series of cuts designed to trim $15 million from the Fort Wayne Community Schools' $217.15 million annual budget.
[. . .]
Closing Elmhurst would save about $1.5 million per year, and closing Pleasant Center another $400,000
Comments
Leo:
Methinks you're confusing CYNICAL with PRACTICAL...
(otherwise, I'd be right alongside you with that "cynicism")
I thought it ludicrous that FWCS would think of closing a school that is NOT on the "endangered species list" when it comes to making the grade.
But reason, as well as common sense tends to get tossed with the bath water whenever ANY level of "politics" comes into play with matters other THAN politics.
BTW, between you, me and the fencepost, positions at FWCS schools that are currently doing WELL will be cut also...now that is sure to lower some standard somewhere in the system, hmm?
"But it's all for the KIDS"...yeah, right.
Betcha there's a bridge (too far) for sale somewhere.
Well, conservatives wanted, and got, a cap on property tax to help out those suffering rich homeowners.
What could go wrong? Oh yeah, we can no longer fund a decent educational system. Oh well, it's just our kids' educations, nothing important. Teachers make too much anyway.
Considering that educators have to all but "babysit" about 35+ sniveling, hormonal, bellicose, and oft times irresponsible youth (especially the teenagers) on a DAILY basis, I tend to be a bit biased IN FAVOR of GOOD and FAIR wages for teachers.
They have a hard road to hoe.
And I'm pretty much a centrist, but yes, fiscally conservative,
As for the tax caps...
Well, let's put it this way.
Our house (in the ghettohood) was UNFAIRLY assessed at $72K a few years back (a pittance to most homeowners), yet OUR taxes kept on going UP, as did OUR property assessment, all the while the rest of the area became MORE of a slum.
Why was that, you ask?
We OWNED the house and were not a minority renter, that's why.
We saw whatever "credit" we got, thanks to the homstead deduction, eaten away by CONSTANTLY RISING property taxes. Fortunately, some of this has been since reversed.
And let's NOT forget that the SCHOOL SYSTEM is but ONE of about THIRTY DIFFERENT ENTITIES that CAN levy property tax raises against every single homeowner.
Citilink is another, as is the FWIA (airport).
Now, that's all well and good if you're already "socailly-secure for life" and living in some palacial estate on about 20 acres well out-of-town, but to those with relatively "fixed" incomes (with what few raises not even keeping pace with COL rises), it's not all that much fun, kapeesh?
Tim...care to "weigh in" on this one?
( I know that 'cha can)
;)
Actually, Bob, I don't really disagree with you. If your house was unfairly assessed, you should appeal. And nobody likes to pay taxes.
The thing that strikes me as unfair - and you touched on it - is that obviously the people who benefit most from property tax caps are exactly those rich people living in mansions. They don't need a tax break. Furthermore, if the public schools go any further to hell, they can send their brats to private schools.
But the kids of guys like you and me have to go to public schools with increasingly large classes and increasingly disgruntled teachers who are understandably distracted by concerns they are about to lose their jobs.
And to dismiss teachers as a bunch of babysitters is frankly offensive. Some are better than others, but try attracting the better ones when your school system keeps cutting back on practically everything, including job security.
Fairness disclosure: My wife is a licensed teacher who regularly subs, but of course has no chance of getting a full-time teaching job here in Allen County.
LJ:
To call educators babysitters is not "my" affectation...that's NOT their job.
I also get pissed at the terminology.
This growing education debacle is sounding more like the low-grade gov't jobs...had a LOT of really GOOD people at the Treasury Department, but since they were getting the crap end of the stick, they left for the private sector and made more money with a lot less hassle.
Same will apply to teachers that get shafted.
Seems someone in power wants to do likewise to our school systems, and sit back, letting the feds take THAT over (bad idea...REALLY bad idea).
My friend, I believe we have found an issue on which we agree. Here's to agreement. Cheers!
Maybe cynical, but true. Given that school scores are all important, raising those scores -in any manner - is at the top of the list. To avoid state takeover, FWCS must implement changes. That is why Geyer MS program was changed. Either change the program or lose the school. Easier to spread the high scores - or low scores - throughout the district without addressing the educational issues.
Littlejohn sez: "Well, conservatives wanted, and got, a cap on property tax to help out those suffering rich homeowners."
And that's why schools will continue to fail?
Median Household Income in Indiana is roughly $48k and homeownership is about 65-70%.... Damn those rich Hoosier homeowners!!
School corporations have to make budget cuts because of BAD MANAGEMENT decisions, period.