Absorbed into another school district? really? so you think the Santa Fe Trail school district is going to keep the Marion Springs school open or will those kids be bussed to their attendance centers in Overbrook (K-2), Scranton (3-4) and Carbondale (5-8)?
This is the common sense decision that should have been made years ago. Keeping schools that small open is an inefficient use of taxpayer money. Look around the state over the last 50 years and you'll see that many school districts have undergone various sorts of consolidation because their administrations made the same common sense decisions. My only regret is that tenure, as opposed to quality, will decide which teachers are let go. It's regrettable that anyone has to lose a job but unfortunately that's reality.
It's not as if the $25k he's asking for will cover the entire rehab. He and the other investors will have to put a lot of their own money into something that may or may not be profitable in the long run. I don't see anyone else stepping up with any good ideas so we should feel lucky that people in our community are willing to take a financial risk that will also get rid of a major eyesore.
Yeah, that'll improve your child's education. Teach them at home. If you think you and your spouse can provide a better education then why weren't you doing so already. Folks, this decision wouldn't change the quality of K-5 education that much, if any at all.
I agree the district mismanages its money and is too bloated on the administrative side. I also thought we could have passed a much smaller bond issue and made huge improvements to the old grade school on Chapel St. That being said, keeping these two rural schools open is also mismanaging our money. It's not cost effective.
If this were some state or federal government agency we'd all be screaming at the waste of tax payer money. This just happens to be a situation that hits closer to home for some people. I realize that and I understand why they aren't happy about it but we all need to look at things objectively and spend our tax revenue as prudently as possible. It would be great to have six or seven elementary schools in the district with very small class sizes and the quality of education may be better. Would that be the smart thing to do with our tax money... no!!! So why do we continue to do that for a minority of students in our district.
Maybe you hadn't heard Torch but the Blue Valley district just opened a brand new high school. The Olathe district opened a new high school about five years ago and St. James Academy opened about five years ago. Those are just their high schools. I don't really follow the grade school openings but I assume they are opening new ones as well. Teachers have options other than USD 348.
We continue to compromise the education of ALL kids in the district if we aren't able to pay our teachers competitive salaries. If teachers slowly leave for better paying districts then we all suffer. It's regrettable that the rural students will have to "slum" it with us city folk but I really don't think their education will be compromised as much as their parents would like to believe.
I wouldn't let the fact that she hasn't been in elected office stop anyone from voting for her. Correct me if I'm wrong but Tony had never held elected office until he first ran for our district's seat several years ago. Anyone getting into politics has to start somewhere. It might as well be with the 10th District.
If you'd asked me to take a whack at what the numbers were, I would have guessed somewhere close to 59 - 31. That doesn't seem absurd to me. With everything working against Democrats this year and Brownback's popularity in the state, Tom Holland should be glad Rasmussen took the time to conduct a poll.
I'm not sure how more private schools make our public schools better? Don't get me wrong, I'm a very strong believer in competition and capitalism in general, but in reality, public schools can't compete with private schools. When a private school needs more money, it raises tuition. When public schools need more money, they either have to get a statewide tax increase or cut some other area of their budget, neither of which is easy. To make matters worse, when students leave the public schools for home schooling or private schools, the public schools receive even less money from the state, putting them into an even bigger whole. I have no objection to private schools but to say they will improve our public schools is ridiculous.
The notion that the average private school is better than the average public school is driven by one thing: their parents of private school children are FINANCIALLY invested in their child's education and therefore put in the extra effort to make sure their children are learning. Baldwin's children don't have to go to private schools to get good educations. Look at the high school students who were on the Real World Design team that won the national championship this spring. Those children had very involved parents that helped them on their project by giving useful feedback and urging them to go above and beyond what they learn in the classroom.
I'm not sure what kind of growth some people would prefer but I assume these workers will generally be blue collar, hard working folks. Many will probably be union employees, meaning they will probably have steady employment. I'm okay with this kind of growth.
If they shop in our town, it helps support local businesses and contributes to the new sales tax we passed last year. If they have children in K-12 education, our schools get more money from the state. If they move to Baldwin, they would buy up some of the homes for sale and ultimately increase our property values. Plus, they would help subsidize our increasing electric rates. It seems to me some growth would help solve a lot of our current problems.
School board closes rural elementary schools by 5-2 vote
Absorbed into another school district? really? so you think the Santa Fe Trail school district is going to keep the Marion Springs school open or will those kids be bussed to their attendance centers in Overbrook (K-2), Scranton (3-4) and Carbondale (5-8)?
This is the common sense decision that should have been made years ago. Keeping schools that small open is an inefficient use of taxpayer money. Look around the state over the last 50 years and you'll see that many school districts have undergone various sorts of consolidation because their administrations made the same common sense decisions. My only regret is that tenure, as opposed to quality, will decide which teachers are let go. It's regrettable that anyone has to lose a job but unfortunately that's reality.
December 16, 2010 at 10:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
City council discusses unsafe structure, speed limits near elementary schools
It's not as if the $25k he's asking for will cover the entire rehab. He and the other investors will have to put a lot of their own money into something that may or may not be profitable in the long run. I don't see anyone else stepping up with any good ideas so we should feel lucky that people in our community are willing to take a financial risk that will also get rid of a major eyesore.
November 7, 2010 at 12:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
School board revisits elementary school closings
Yeah, that'll improve your child's education. Teach them at home. If you think you and your spouse can provide a better education then why weren't you doing so already. Folks, this decision wouldn't change the quality of K-5 education that much, if any at all.
I agree the district mismanages its money and is too bloated on the administrative side. I also thought we could have passed a much smaller bond issue and made huge improvements to the old grade school on Chapel St. That being said, keeping these two rural schools open is also mismanaging our money. It's not cost effective.
If this were some state or federal government agency we'd all be screaming at the waste of tax payer money. This just happens to be a situation that hits closer to home for some people. I realize that and I understand why they aren't happy about it but we all need to look at things objectively and spend our tax revenue as prudently as possible. It would be great to have six or seven elementary schools in the district with very small class sizes and the quality of education may be better. Would that be the smart thing to do with our tax money... no!!! So why do we continue to do that for a minority of students in our district.
September 24, 2010 at 5:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
School board revisits elementary school closings
Maybe you hadn't heard Torch but the Blue Valley district just opened a brand new high school. The Olathe district opened a new high school about five years ago and St. James Academy opened about five years ago. Those are just their high schools. I don't really follow the grade school openings but I assume they are opening new ones as well. Teachers have options other than USD 348.
September 24, 2010 at 1:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
School board revisits elementary school closings
We continue to compromise the education of ALL kids in the district if we aren't able to pay our teachers competitive salaries. If teachers slowly leave for better paying districts then we all suffer. It's regrettable that the rural students will have to "slum" it with us city folk but I really don't think their education will be compromised as much as their parents would like to believe.
September 24, 2010 at 1:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
State Rep. Race
I wouldn't let the fact that she hasn't been in elected office stop anyone from voting for her. Correct me if I'm wrong but Tony had never held elected office until he first ran for our district's seat several years ago. Anyone getting into politics has to start somewhere. It might as well be with the 10th District.
September 12, 2010 at 12:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Holland camp takes issue with poll
If you'd asked me to take a whack at what the numbers were, I would have guessed somewhere close to 59 - 31. That doesn't seem absurd to me. With everything working against Democrats this year and Brownback's popularity in the state, Tom Holland should be glad Rasmussen took the time to conduct a poll.
1998 Senate Election
Brownback - 65%
Feleciano - 32%
2004 Senate Election
Brownback - 69%
Jones - 27%
I know Democrats and even some Republicans don't like the guy but he is very popular in most parts of the state.
July 14, 2010 at 6:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
School board won't vote on closing schools Monday night
Nothing to see here... just kicking the can a little further down the road.
July 8, 2010 at 10:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Patrons, board debate school consolidation again
I'm not sure how more private schools make our public schools better? Don't get me wrong, I'm a very strong believer in competition and capitalism in general, but in reality, public schools can't compete with private schools. When a private school needs more money, it raises tuition. When public schools need more money, they either have to get a statewide tax increase or cut some other area of their budget, neither of which is easy. To make matters worse, when students leave the public schools for home schooling or private schools, the public schools receive even less money from the state, putting them into an even bigger whole. I have no objection to private schools but to say they will improve our public schools is ridiculous.
The notion that the average private school is better than the average public school is driven by one thing: their parents of private school children are FINANCIALLY invested in their child's education and therefore put in the extra effort to make sure their children are learning. Baldwin's children don't have to go to private schools to get good educations. Look at the high school students who were on the Real World Design team that won the national championship this spring. Those children had very involved parents that helped them on their project by giving useful feedback and urging them to go above and beyond what they learn in the classroom.
June 11, 2010 at 5:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Intermodal could mean growth for Baldwin City
I'm not sure what kind of growth some people would prefer but I assume these workers will generally be blue collar, hard working folks. Many will probably be union employees, meaning they will probably have steady employment. I'm okay with this kind of growth.
If they shop in our town, it helps support local businesses and contributes to the new sales tax we passed last year. If they have children in K-12 education, our schools get more money from the state. If they move to Baldwin, they would buy up some of the homes for sale and ultimately increase our property values. Plus, they would help subsidize our increasing electric rates. It seems to me some growth would help solve a lot of our current problems.
May 22, 2010 at 11:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )