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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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In 2009 Flint overwhelmingly approve an 18 mill operating fund for Flint School. Now they are asking for an additional 4 mill sinking fund.
Flint School Millage Renewal
Shall the School District of the City of Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, continue to levy 18 mills ($18.00 per $1,000.00 of taxable value) on all industrial, commercial and other non-homestead properties located in the District to provide funds for operating purposes for a period of ten (10) years (2010 to 2019, inclusive)? It is estimated $15,600,000.00 will be generated for school operating purposes in the first year of collection
. . . YES or NO . . .
City of Flint May 5, 2009 Election Results
Flint Schools Proposal Vote For Not More than 1
(With 61 of 61 Precincts Counted)
Votes
Percent
YES
8,745 74.25
NO
3,035 25.76
Total
11,780
Over Votes
1
Under Votes
434
_______________________________________________________________________Flint school board approves closure of two elementary schools, leaner budget, sinking millage proposal
Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 10:35 PM Updated: Thursday, April 29, 2010, 9:15 AM
Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal
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(Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal)Flint school board and executive cabinet members after the board passed multiple impactful measures Wednesday including the closure of two elementary schools.FLINT, Michigan — The Flint Community Schools Board of Education on Wednesday voted to shut down Wilkins and Williams Elementary Schools and relocate Schools of Choice.
The board also approved a budget for the 2010-11 that's $21.1 million smaller than the '09-10 budget.
A third major action the board took Wednesday was to approve proposing a sinking fund millage in an August 3 election. The proposal would ask Flint voters to approve a 10-year, four-mill tax dedicated to maintaining and repairing the district's aging buildings.
(Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal)Robert Herron, transportation manager for Flint schools, points at a map displaying changes to school enrollment boundaries approved by the Flint Community Schools Board of Education on Wednesday.The board also approved a resolution to adjust school enrollment boundaries to accommodate the closure of Wilkins and Williams.
David Davenport represented the lone 'nay' vote for all four resolutions.
"Why are we doing this now at this time in the middle of the city's hardship," Davenport said.
He said it's unreasonable to ask Flint voters to pay more in taxes for the school district while deep cuts have been made in the city's police ranks and garbage services.
"I just think it's being done at the wrong time," he said.
Board treasurer Harold Woodson said that for the average resident, the amount of the proposed tax increase each month would be about the price of a movie ticket.
I think most people in this district would gladly pay another $7 a month to help keep our buildings up," said board member Betty Ramsdell.
The district's buildings average about 60 years in age. The funds would go toward a list of needs determined by a parent survey, facility study and long-term maintenance plan, according to district spokesman Bob Campbell.
Students of the two elementary schools to be closed will be sent to Brownell, Bryant, Potter and Washington Elementary Schools. The board voted to adjust the boundaries of each school and several others affected by the change.
Schools of Choice students in grades 10-12 are to be sent to a wing of Northwestern High School. Ninth graders, while they'll remain in the Schools of Choice program, will attend class at their traditional high schools.
Some board members expressed concern over security at Northwestern, which would approach full capacity following the addition of the Schools of Choice students.
Only one of the two security guards on duty at the current Schools of Choice building is set to be sent to the new location. The other is to be sent to soon-to-be-closed Williams Elementary, which will become a resource center used for supply storage, professional development sessions health services and other capacities, said superintendent Linda Thompson.
The purpose of the Schools of Choice relocation is to save the cost of renting the current building.
The new budget, which accounts for about $186 million compared to the current school year's $207 million, takes into account 164 staff cuts including teachers, administrators, bus drivers, secretaries and others.
"This is one of the most difficult times for us every year," said Woodson.
"Since I've been sitting here," said board president Vera Perry, "we've been cutting $20-25 million every year. Thank God we are a bigger district so we have been able to survive, but now it's been getting to crunch time." |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:45 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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COMMENTS FROM THE FLINT JOURNAL STORY:
Mamahooch1 April 29, 2010 at 12:00AM
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The chances of the Flint School Board getting the remaining and employed citizens of Flint to approve 4 mills is comparable to me winning the power ball lottery next week without buying a ticket.
Somebody please tell theseeducational jackpoles the unemployment rate for Flint is 35%?
The dillweed Flint politicians just don't "get it" yet. They still think the Flint resident is awash in GM money.
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deelee39 April 29, 2010 at 1:27AM
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I think a renewable sinking fund is the right decision to ensure some semblence of available dollars for infrastructure maintenance and remodeling needs which aren't available in the general fund budget. But 4 mils is a more than a stretch given Flint's plus-25% unemployment rate in tandem with the large number working poor also receiving government assistance who don't own property.
Many school districts in the county have renewable sinking fund revenue sources for infrastructure needs but none over 2 mils that I'm aware of, and with few exceptions most are capped at a 5 year renewal period.
With Flint property values currently in the toilet 4 mils wouldn't amount to a heck of a lot right now. But what about 3 - 5 - 8 years down the road. If property values should recover to even 3/4 of where they were just 3 years ago that $7 a month cost referenced by the board member will go up accordingly. For example, the additional $7 a month cost to a homeowner example assumes a taxable home value of just $22,000 (4 mils per $1000 of assessed taxable value = 4 x 22 = $88 per year divided by 12 = $7.33 per month). But a 75% increase in property value from the $22,000 figure equals $38,500 or 38.5 x 4 mils = $154 per year which will then be $12.83 per month.
If you don't want to bother with the math, then just look at the 3 mil Flint Public Library millage assessment mount on your property tax bill for each year since it was voted in to get an idea of what a new 4 mil tax will cost you over a ten year period.
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alexharris April 29, 2010 at 4:29AM
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IT'S COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE TO BE SEEKING ANY SORT OF TAX INCREASE GIVEN THE HORRIBLE ECONOMIC CLIMATE FLINT IS SUFFERING THROUGH ! As of last month, Flint stood at over 26% unemployment, with an ever accelerating population loss & even greater diminishment of its tax base. How would anyone with even the most minimal understanding of the economic environment believe this community is in any position to take on another 4 mills of increased property taxes ? * I find it rather strange how my old friend "deelee" could on one hand sound receptive to the idea of a tax increase, and then on the other, acknowledge the deficiencies. Correct me if I'm wrong deelee, but weren't you once a staunch opponent of irrational & wrongheaded tax policy & referendums orchestrated by the Flint Public School system ? Apparently now that you don't have to pay Flint city taxes since moving out to the suburbs, you've adopted a different philosophy. Try to avoid the temptation of providing your sage advice on an issue that has no impact on your own pocketbook. I really don't need you to be telling me how "it's the right decision" for me to take on a greater tax burden in the community I pay property taxes in. A.H.
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alexharris April 29, 2010 at 4:53AM
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One additional point to be made. Nobody should be fooled into voting for more in the way of taxpayer monies made available to a fiscally irresponsible operation such as the Flint Public School system. Linda Thompson & her obscenely bloated Administration have failed to enact anything in the way of genuine fiscal reforms necessary to demonstrate they have their financial house in order. I found it especially telling that Thompson couldn't even find the need to sacrafice one penny of her own grossly inflated salary in a school district that continues to contract by thousands year after year. This is yet one more glaring example of leadership devoted to their own greed & self interest. Giving these folks the taxpayers hard earned monies is like giving a drunk more change to buy yet more booze. A.H.
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itsme2009 April 29, 2010 at 5:58AM
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From the comment made by Alex Harris, it appears that he was not at the budget hearing last night. I was there and the presentation showed that the superintendent is freezing her salary, giving up her $600 in monthly expenses and paying 10% of her insurance premium. This is the second year she has given up those reimbursements that she is entitled to in her contract. How many of the District and union employees are doing the same? None. How many former superintendents tightened their belt and also made concessions? None. Her cabinet is giving up one week's of pay each and have been paying 10% of their health care. How many District employees gave up one week's of pay? None. It is real easy to point out perceived "problems". Instead of doing that, come up with some sensible solutions.
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flinttorch April 29, 2010 at 6:37AM
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itsme2009, When you mean concessions, like no raises or cost of living the last 10yr's?
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swdav April 29, 2010 at 6:49AM
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Flinttorch, my husband works for Flint schools, hasn't had a raise in at least 10 years, is now paying 10% for health care as well as higher deductibles for all medical procedures and prescriptions. Schools do not get cost of living raises.
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lenrandol April 29, 2010 at 7:18AM
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If you don't ask you won't get, it's that simple. Put it out there for the voters to vote on and see how they feel. I'm generally always for more money towards schools who use and spend it responsibly. Flint schools don't seem to fall under that umbrella, though. If they could prove to me that they would use this fund properly and with out unnecessary excess I would happily vote for it. Without knowing anything about the FCS's budget, it seems that 4 mill is asking quite a bit from the citizens of Flint.
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SJS April 29, 2010 at 7:34AM
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Schools of Choice is moving into Northwestern... I wonder who came up with this well thought out plan? The area they are planning to use has less classrooms than they have now - making Choice an even smaller school - when if anything it should be bigger. The area does not have one single locker for the students to use. Not to mention where they will put the daycare, or how they will handle lunch or gym.
So basically the students who have enrolled in Schools of Choice because they weren't able to behave or succeed at the regular high schools are now being thrown back into the situation they were removed from in the first place.
There are several buildings Flint could use for Schools of Choice and they need to rethink this before they create a bad situation for Northwestern.
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davenport4lifefirst April 29, 2010 at 7:36AM
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Well people this is going to be interesting a millage in flint while the citizens are strugling, ha ha ha. Then linda says she is freezing her salary, ha ha ha her contract is up next year and she just got a raise to 177,000 dollars wow what a cut in pay ha ha ha this board has made a terrible decision by hiring linda thompson and are ashamed to admit to it and straighten out the mistake.
So these children are going to have to suffer another year, the administration came to this board, with a budget and no way of how these changes are going to operate once the budget is passed lol. Thats like someone coming to you asking for a chance to remove your kid to go to another school and have not figured out how they are going to get them there. they are saying just trust us lol so its going to be a big mess like last year again people if thats how the board feels about the children then it is sad. The decisions that were made were just thrown together without consideration of safety at n.w high, they have not figured out how choice and n.w are going to share the cafeteria and there are major transportation issues.
I have been in flint almost 10 years and it seems like I care more about these childrens education than the people that were born and raised here, and with decisions like this being made i see why since thompsons been super,we have lost 2000 children a year lol so we are paying linda to get rid of children lol and the scores are the same lol this is sad and this millage will tell the board what is really thought of them and i can't wait. So god bless you all. DLD
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justicesearc April 29, 2010 at 8:04AM
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I have do doubt but this millage will pass. Most of the people that are still living in Flint are renters or welfare people. Neither of these groups care how much millage is paid by the hard working people that are left. Even the school board is nuts - why not put it on the regular November ballot? The amount of money collected would be exactly the same - instead they are having a special election that will cost money.
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traveler April 29, 2010 at 8:21AM
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I wish the Flint schools and community the best. It is not an easy time at all. The downsizing is long overdue. I cannot help but wonder why a security guard is needed at Williams Elementary. I guess I would like clarification. I think the student's safety is of the upmost importance.
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ironbrow April 29, 2010 at 10:50AM
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Hmm, cramming more kids into schools, more kids into classrooms, and more requirements into the kids... Maybe the long term plan the Board of Ed has is to eliminate the problem by having the kids simply eat each other. After of course they burn out the remaining good teachers and squander more money on imported curriculum.
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fairplay11 April 29, 2010 at 12:35PM
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itsme2009 - (or should i say hello linda)
Linda demanded and got $20K more that what was offered to an unproven, 0 experienced sup. She makes more than any other Flint school employee EVER made. She demanded and got 11K raise last year while laying off and cutting salaries of people (NOT ADMINISTRATOR) who haven't had raises for 10 years - NO COST OF LIVING either.
Linda mankes more that anyone ever before while most non admins make LESS than they did 10 years ago. She fore goes part of her expense acct. WHOOPEE!!! itsme2009 - your a fool for falling for linda's BS.
Oh - it was linda's idea to move SOC to NWHS. Not RENTING a building should have been done years ago, however, putting problem students at the worst school in Flint NWHS, is plain stupid. - then move 9th grade SOC to their regular school???? THAT'S NOT SOC if you aren't out of your regular school.
Jackpoles - the entire board and Linda and her usless, overpaid admins. Look at the photo of them - some of the stupidest people in Flint all in one room making 100K +
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alexharris April 29, 2010 at 12:57PM
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Itsme2009, your absurd comments on "Linda Thompson's huge sacrafices" only reinforce the idea that this School district is not financially sound. The woman makes almost $180,000 per year in a district with rapidly declining school enrollment, top-heavy Administrative staff, huge drop-out rates, countless school buildings shuttered across the community, etc., etc., etc., ------- and you want to tell me how she's sacraficing by taking a "pay-freeze & having a whoppinmg 10 % co-pay on her medical. It never ceases to amaze me about the sense of entitlement with these people who get their their enormous financial compensation courtesy of Flint's ever fewer taxpayers. Itsme, for the sake of "full disclosure," consider informing us just who the he$$ you really are . I would be most curious if you're one of Flint's "underpaid" $100,000 wonders, a School Administrator working under Thompson, or perhaps, you're just one of the buffoons on the Flint Schoool Board who blissfully hand out our tax dollars for all this extravagance enjoyed at the taxpayers's expense. A.H.
alexharris April 29, 2010 at 1:22PM
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Given the Flint Journal did not, allow me to put this "small tax hike" in a bottom line dollars & sense format. If you have a property that has a market value in the area of $100,000 this "small tax hike" would be approximately $200.00. If your property is worth approx. $50,000 ---- the increased burden would be approx. $100.00 more than you pay presently, so on & so forth. * It's really unfortunate when folks like my old friend Betty Ramsdell look to trivialize these things with that old ploy of "it's only going to cost blah, blah, blah per day, per month, or per hour ...... As for the Board's Einstein of a Treasurer Harold Woodson, that absurd analogy with the price of a movie ticket was especially insulting. * Remember this folks, many of those sitting on the Flint School Board have already been exposed as financially incompetent with their own personal / household expenses. I'm talking personal bankruptcies, home foreclosures, etc. A.H.
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Harold Taco April 29, 2010 at 3:24PM
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All this while the head of Flint Schools Linda Thompson makes over $160,000 per year and even got a raise this year with the help of her brother's vote on the Flint School Board!
Why isn't the FJ all over this?
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cjay06 April 29, 2010 at 3:40PM
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School of choice at Northwestern is going to be interesting to say the least. They have BEEN renting the SOC building. I do not understand how they would continue to pay rent and not use buildings in the district that continue to heat, cut grass, plow snow, etc. Makes zero fiscal sense but same old decisions at Flint Schools. The downsizing that should have occurred years ago is now taking shape. Unfortunately, the changes are not producing the expected results.
Mr. Davenport is right to object to these changes because the changes will encourage more parents to get their children out of there.
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shanedr April 29, 2010 at 7:35PM
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It's not whether the voters would approve a millage to provide needed repairs to schools. It's whether the voters can be convinced the School Board won't spend it on something else.
I don't see how they can be trusted. They have given out raises, not cut necessary positions; all the while the number of students have been steadily decreasing.
I wouldn't give those incompetents a single penny. What part of cut at the top don't they understand.
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deelee39 April 30, 2010 at 12:24AM
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Methinks most people posting here haven't the foggiest idea what a sinking fund is let alone the required application basis, the generated revenue use restrictions inherent (can't be used for operational expenses such as salaries, benefits, etc.) or aware of the state mandated monthly audit/expense reports. I'm not defending the salary level of the superintendent and the administrative leadership. But comparing the two is an apples to oranges rationale where one doesn't have anything to do with the other.
This said, I would suggest the critics posting here simply make better use of their spare time by attending board meetings - specifically the finance sub-committee and committee-of-the-whole meetings where you can both observe and address the board directly with your concerns, questions, etc. Better yet, call and ask for a 30 minute sit-down appointment with the district CFO to gain an understanding of what administrative cuts have been made throughout the administrative ranks and what the sinking fund revenue would be used for and any other questions you have.
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SJS April 30, 2010 at 7:36AM
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@ fairplay11 - You are so right about SOC. I agree that Flint should NOT be renting buildings when they have so many of their own to use. If they really want to combine SOC with another school, why not Zimmerman? It's already an alternative school.
Flint needs an alternative program, and it needs to stand on its own.
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Khalil AlHajal | The Flint Journal May 03, 2010 at 3:39PM
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Readers,
I'd like to follow up on the issue of Superintendent Thompson making some personal sacrifices in the face the district's financial struggles.
Administrators and board members during this meeting mentioned her taking a salary freeze and declining to accept the $600 in monthly expense reimbursements included in her contract.
Whether you're skeptical or supportive, I'd love to hear from you on the topic.
Please contact me at (810) 766-6311 or kalhajal@flintjournal.com.
Thanks.
K-12 reporter Khalil AlHajal
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fairplay11 May 03, 2010 at 3:47PM
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deelee39 - methinks you sound like a condesending know it all. I don't know who you are, but you sound like an over paid, under skilled administrator - except for the fact that few if any admins in Flint schools could possibly write a corherrent, if not absurd comment here. You must be a administrative assistant flunky... methinks.
Oh and let me laugh about the meeting with the CFO or any admin in Flint schools. No one gets the time of day from them. If fact it's POLICY that NO ONE is allowed to talk to ANYONE above there department head. This, in effect, shuts down all communication and allows abuse by anyone with authority. If this elusive meeting ever happened you would only get double speak or the company line. So what's the point?
Admins in FCS have their jobs mainly due to nepotism or other unfair business practice. When hired from outside the FCS "family" they often turn out to be incompetent or are "spoiled" working in the poisenous environment.
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BrotherRobert June 01, 2010 at 8:45PM
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6/1/2010: I live in the neighborhood of Williams Elementary School. I have lived in this neighborhood since 1980 and I am going to miss the school being open. I used to play basketball at Whaley Park next to the school and I loved seeing the children there during recess outside and playing ball too. Where are they going to go to school at now? I used to love walking around the school and seeing stuff going on outside. Now it is all a memory. What is going to be done with the building? Is it just going to sit and rot?? A lot of schools are closing due to Flint's population shrinking. When all of the schools close for good, where will they be educated at?? Online only?? A lot of colleges have online courses so they might as well put all the schools online! A city without physical school scares me!! I went to Potter Global Elementary during the 70's and I heard that might close in the near future. I hope not! What can we do to keep the schools open??? |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:54 pm |
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J HUNTINGWORTH TUNE
F L I N T O I D
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I'll vote for a tax increase after they've done something with Central and Linda takes a pay cut. |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| I am not supporting it either. I am supporting the MTA renewal because so many working people need it in order to remain employed. I would have supported the Library millage except they added .5 mill to the renewal. |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:33 pm |
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lacyw
F L I N T O I D
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| I'm with webs on the MTA millage renewal. There are too many of my neighbors that rely on the public transportation system to get them where they need to go for me to say no. |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:59 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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Flint Journal editorial from Linda Thompson's raise:
Editorial: Raise for Flint schools Superintendent Linda Thompson a generous surprise
by The Flint Journal Editorial Board
Sunday July 06, 2008, 7:00 AM
Linda Thompson The Flint school board owes Superintendent Linda Thompson a competitive wage, but the surprise raise it tossed her way at the end of the school year was too much, too soon.
The board was less than transparent in the way it approved a three-year contract that will pay Thompson $160,500 for the upcoming school year -- an $18,000 raise -- and edge up to $171,800 for school year 2010-11.
Along with that come standard perks, including use of a district-owned car, a $600 monthly expense stipend and a $7,700 signing bonus.
The board executed this after most members of the public had left the June meeting, and by suspending its own agenda, which made no mention of the impending contract action.
Defenders note that Thompson's pay is comparable to what superintendents make in similar districts. Dearborn pays $130,000 and Saginaw $156,907. Lansing's superintendent makes $175,000.
But Thompson is still new to the job, having been named permanent superintendent last December, after a stint as interim.
Flint Journal Poll:
What do you think of Linda Thompson's new salary as Flint schools superintendent?
She's worth every penny 23%
That's too much money 76%
Created on Jun 26, 2008 Total Votes: 99
Her hiring was well-received in the community, and we were supportive of it as well. She came into the job with a good reputation and a strong commitment.
Her tenure so far has been largely free of the controversy and chaotic changes that characterized the short-lived superintendency of her predecessor, Walter Milton Jr., although the district did suffer a black eye when two athletes were left out of jail to play football.
The district is hurting financially, exemplified by last month's decision to close four schools and cut 137 jobs, and still has more classroom space than needed to accommodate 15,000 students, an enrollment that has been dropping each year. Even more critical than reducing building excess, Flint schools need to increase graduation rates and begin to restore their once highly regarded academic stature.
If Thompson makes headway on these fronts, then she would by all means deserve the substantial raise that the board has just granted her.
But Thompson has not had the time or opportunity to lead the district to that turning point, and for that reason, such a generous jump in compensation feels premature. If nothing else, the board has guaranteed she'll be around for a while, which gives her time to demonstrate its confidence in her is well-deserved.
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Permalink:
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/07/editorial_superintendents_rais.html |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:30 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| I will not support a sinking fund millage. The school board needs to learn to operate within its means just like the people who pay property taxes. When income goes down, so must expenses. |
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Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:32 pm |
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