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BOARD COMMENTS Last Meeting 12-17-09 meeting
With this being my last meeting as a member of this board, I thought it was only fitting for me to share a few words with the community. First and foremost I will say that it has been a privilege to serve my community for the last 4 years. I also feel my tenure on this board was a productive one.
Considering the fact that I was the only conservative sitting on the board it was very hard to get many of my conservative ideas implemented. Not that any of my fellow board members would ever give me any credit, this board has however implemented or has plans to implement 7 of my 34 ideas on how to save money in our district. I’m also proud of the fact that it was my idea to build a new stadium with private funds. That idea turned into a new $400,000 weight training facility. That facility has recently been paid off and I’m sure a new stadium will soon be in the works. Last but not least I’m most proud of heading off what I felt was going to be the wrong decision for our superintendent back in 2007.
I do not envy anyone sitting on this board because they have a financial nightmare to deal with. The new board will have to deal with all day kindergarten, that will cost an additional 1.5 million dollars to implement, a 15 to 1 student to teacher ratio in grades k-3 that will cost millions not to mention the need for additional classrooms. We are now in our second year of deficit spending that will require a new operating levy to be passed by no later than November of 2011.There are union contracts to be negotiated this spring. We have a permanent improvement levy that failed in November of 2008 that left no money for planed building maintenance, new books, buses or new technology. And the board will soon engage the community to see if you will support a bond issue to build as much as 230 million dollars worth of new schools.
I wish the board the best of luck in dealing with the districts finances and at the same time improving our children’s education.
In closing I would like to assure this community that the CARE group and I will still be here acting at the watchdog for our community and as always, I will continue to offer my advice and support to the parents and staff who find themselves at odds with the district.
Arnie Engel
Fairfield BOE
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Board Comments
6-29-09 board meeting Board Refuses to Deal With $8,000,000 Deficit
At our last meeting Mr. Murray shared a few disparaging remarks about my board comments. He was disappointed with my criticism of this boards refusal to discuss and deal with the $8,000,000 deficit that is staring us in the face.
He seemed confused with the numbers I was sharing with the board and the community. So in order to clarify I will share the numbers again and explain where they came from. The numbers came from our 5 year forecast. The 5 year forecast is a document published by our treasurer twice a year. It is a look 5 years into the future at the districts revenue and spending. Mr. Murray I have a copy for you, if you would care to follow along.
For the last school year 2009, Line 7.01 shows we started the school year with a $17,116,000 beginning cash balance. That would be a surplus left from the previous year. Line 6.01 under 2009 shows we were projected to spend $1,452,000 more than we took in. for 2010 line 6.01 projects we will spend $4,068,000 more than we take in, for 2011, $7,597,000 more than we take in, and in 2012, $11,734,000 more than we take in. Mr. Murray has in the past suggested he did not understand my concern over our deficit spending situation and seemed to be confused as to just what deficit spending was. Mr. Murray spending more than you receive is deficit spending and that deficit spending is pointed out on line 6.01. Line 15.01 under year 2012 shows a bottom line unreserved fund balance of negative $8,086,000. Unless this board comes up with some money the $8,000,000 deficit will require a levy to be passed no later than November of 2011.
A year and a half ago Mr. Morris made the following comment "we must develop and implement a workable plan to meet the financial needs of our district. We can not wait until we find ourselves in financial crisis." I agree. We need a plan and we need a plan that will address the reality of the hard economic times our community is facing and the reality that it will be next to impossible to pass another levy until the economic climate changes for the better. I want to know and the community is entitled to know just what this boards plan is to deal with the $8,000,000 deficit. If the assumption is to pass a levy in 2011 then the community is entitled to know just what this boards plan is if that levy fails.
If this board has any intention of reducing or negating the $8,000,000 deficit the time to look into cost saving measures to address this financial shortfall is now, during summer break.
Over a year ago I shared 33 ideas on how to save or generate as much as $10,000,000 a year. Those Ideas, for the most part were ignored by my fellow board members. The community and I want to know what this boards plan is to deal with our projected $8,000,000 shortfall? We can not continue to ignore it.
Arnie Engel Fairfield BOE |
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BOARD COMMENTS
6-10-09 meeting Board has no plan to deal with our $8,000,000 projected shortfall Once again I was disappointed by Mr. Kearns board comments at our last meeting. Referring to me, he said he "chose to spend (his) time in more productive activities than crafting board comments in an attempt to discredit my fellow board members." He then seemed to make himself out to be a hypocrite by blaming me for the boards 4 to 1 vote to freeze spending on new books, buses, technology and planned building maintenance for our kids. In regard to the PI levy, I told my fellow board members I would support the levy if the board put it back on the ballot for the same money. I also said if the board asked for one more nickel from the taxpayers that not only would I vote against putting it on the ballot but I would lead the community effort to defeat the levy at the polls. The board asked for more money and I kept my promise, something all my fellow board members have trouble doing.
So now Mr. Kearns, lets share some history and facts surrounding the November 2008 PI levy.
1. The PI levy is a 5 year renewable levy that the district has had for 25 years.
2. In 2003 a new levy was placed on the ballot and passed by 200 votes. The Board of Education increased the 2003 permanent improvement levy by 300%. The levy tax collections went from $4,500,000 to $13,500,000. The 2003 board claimed they needed the additional money to maintain our buildings. However, more than half of the "permanent improvement" money went for items other than building maintenance. (from documents shared at the 6-5-08 board meeting)
3. The $1,000,000 increase this board asked for last November was a 7% increase over the previous levy. Once again, the majority of the funds (about 75%) were earmarked for items other than building maintenance. This board claimed that the funds would keep our buildings "safe, warm and dry." That statement was true, but the "safe, warm and dry" slogan was clearly misleading, because the majority of funds were to be spent on items other than buildings.(from documents shared at the 6-5-08 board meeting)
4. I will commend my fellow board members for telling the public exactly what the new PI levy was going to be used for. However, paying for new books, buses and technology with PI moneys is and was a new idea implemented by my fellow board members.
5. The new 2008 PI levy failed by over 1000 votes.
6. My fellow board members then erroneously concluded that the levy failure meant the community did not want the board to spend money for new buses, books, technology or planned building maintenance. Therefore they voted 4 to 1 to freeze spending on these items.
7. These expenditures could be paid out of the general fund and were paid out of the general fund in the past.
8. Our district started this school year with a $17,000,000 surplus and our kids new books, buses, technology and planned building maintenance could have been paid out of this surplus.
9. I pleaded, for months, with my fellow board members to conserve the $17,000,000 surplus and negotiate tough union contracts with our staff. One board member even complained, suggesting I get a taped recording of my board comments and replay it at each meeting.
10. Instead of negotiating tough union contracts and preserving the $17,000,000 surplus my fellow board members approved status quo contracts that showed no savings for the taxpayers. These new contracts consumed the entire $17,000,000 surplus. These contracts were also approved by the board with a 4 to 1 vote.
So there you have it. My fellow board members voted, 4 to 1, to freeze spending on new books, buses, technology and planned building maintenance for our kids. They then made a conscious decision and voted again 4 to 1, to spend our entire $17,000,000 surplus on staff contracts leaving nothing for our kids books, buses, technology and planned building maintenance.
Mr. Kearns attempt to convince the community that I am to blame for this boards poor decision is a slap in the face to the intelligence level of our community. This is proof again that Mr. Kearns and the rest of this board are totally disconnected with the hard economic times that our community and country are facing.
Mr. Kearns also talked about "participating in active discussion about how we continue to move this district forward." Here is the problem with his comment. There has been practically no discussion of the $8,000,000 deficit that is staring us right in the face. This board is running our district right into fiscal crisis. Once we are there it will be a huge step backward, not forward, if they can’t figure out how they will fill the financial shortfall. My fellow board members have no idea or plan on how they will deal with the $8,000,000 deficit other than their flawed assumption that they will pass another levy. I, on the other hand, shared 33 ideas on how to save as much as 10 million dollars a year and instead of discussing those ideas, my fellow board members attacked me over them.
Mr. Kearns, You claim "you understand government financing" and "you understand what it is to do more with less." You have also told us over and over " it’s about the kids." Please tell me, with your superior knowledge about government financing and doing more with less just how it is in the best interest of our kids to run our district into fiscal crisis with no idea of how you will fill this districts financial shortfall?
Mr. Kearns, It isn’t only me who wants to see a plan to deal with our $8,000,000 shortfall. Let me quote Mr. Morris from his 12-13-07 column. "we must develop and implement a workable plan to meet the financial needs of our district. We can not wait until we find ourselves in financial crisis." So, Mr. Morris, It’s a year and a half later, where is your plan???
Mr. Kearns you have claimed My glass is ½ empty while yours is ½ full. The problem with your comment is I know how to fill my ½ empty glass and you have no idea of how you would ever fill your ½ full glass.
I was challenged by Mr. Kearns back in April of 2008 to share my plan on how I would balance our budget and avoid future levies. In a 2 week period I put together a meeting with close to a dozen current and past school board members to discuss cost saving ideas. I brought my plan and 33 ideas to the next meeting. I am asking this board to do the same. I challenge my fellow board members to come to the next meeting and explain what your plan is to deal with our projected $8,000,000 shortfall.
Mr. Kearns, I have made reasonable observations of our financial situation and I have made a reasonable request of this board. Please tell me and the community just what is your plan to deal with the $8,000,000 shortfall that is staring us in the face??? I would like to know and the community that you claim you are connected to is entitled to know.
You can read my board presentation and my 33 cost saving ideas at the taxpayersvoice.net under board comment May 2008. I have one additional cost saving idea to add, #34, limit overtime.
Arnie Engel
Fairfield BOE
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