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Do you believe Lawrence public schools can cover a $5 million budget deficit without closing schools or laying off teachers?
| Response | Percent | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 64% | 629 | |
| Yes | 29% | 287 | |
| Not sure | 5% | 55 | |
| Total | 971 | ||
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Did_I_say_that (DIST) says…
Yes, they can if the poll means classroom teachers. No, they probably will not. Here is how they can: http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/did_i...
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
how'd you guys dig yourself in a hole that big???
lristh1230 (anonymous) says…
Big unnecessary salaries, overspending and oh yes a crappy school board!!
blackfox (anonymous) says…
Yes, quit spending! Its not that hard to do. Quit buying new everything. Kids dont need all the comforts of home to learn.
phoggyjay (anonymous) says…
legalization and taxation of the evil green plant for those 21 and up would cover any budget deficit. the time is now to save our communities. l welcome all ignorant responses on how this would not work. remember that we tax and regulate alcohol (a drug that could kill you if you consumed too much), so what's wrong with cannabis (a drug that, no matter how much you consume, will never cause you to overdose). seems like a pretty simple solution...
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
How did they get in the hole?
Well, ask the legislature. They are not properly funded.
pmsharp (anonymous) says…
Waste, Waste, Waste!!!!!!!!!
hungryhustler (anonymous) says…
at least free state has gnarly new football stadium.
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
And the pitfalls of two ill conceived bond issues now play out. Lessons not learned, slow learners, big egos.
areyousure (anonymous) says…
How is it the "crappy" school board's fault that the school district has to cut $5 million dollars from the budget? They are trying to find a way to made the situation workable. They didn't request less money. They didn't give back any money. And three of the members have only been on the board for a few months.
How about the legislature that is pro-business to the detriment of vital state services? The legislature that won't even consider a temporary 1% sales tax that would have provided money for education. And the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce who testified against the proposal.
And what happens when the next new business or expanding business wants a tax abatement in order to do business or expand? Will the City Commission take into account the school situation?
State agencies and KU are dealing with the same problem. Payroll cuts, layoffs and furloughs are being talked about. How about a cross the board pay cut for all district staff, including teachers. A laid-off employee means someone loses a job and the community loses the income that is spent whether it is a secretary or a teacher. If a pay cut was proposed, would the teacher's union be willing to help retain positions and keep everyone employed and the schools open? Whether schools are closed or not, if teachers are laid off, classes will be larger. Teachers might be making less money with a pay cut but with layoffs, they are getting the same money but a larger group of students.
And then what happens next year -- unless something happens to greatly increase state revenues, will the same thing happen again?
KU_cynic (anonymous) says…
Cut administrative positions
and
Cut salaries across the board by 3-5%.
Here's my loopy idea:
Every school district in Kansas has administrative personnel dedicated to bookkeeping, payroll and benefits, HR, DOE reporting requirements, etc. Why can't those functions be consolidated so that most districts can outsource those functions to dedicated personnel at a few large districts or multi-district administrative centers? A teacher in a remote district needs to talk to HR? Skype in to a dedicated HR rep.
pace (anonymous) says…
Well, can we get rid of the sports field for the competitive sports and , oh never mind the millions have been spent. They got rid of physical education classes and went with the football and basketball star system.
eagle1 (anonymous) says…
You people voted for these jerks ( I did not ) now live with it. I have lived here for 11 years and it is always the same.You give your vote to some jerk because you like there smile or the way they dress or which side of town they live in but you dont take the time to see what they really stand for or whats in it for them ( the jerks you voted for ) . So fire the school board president and restaff the school board with parents that have children in this school Dist. Why , because they care !!!!
slhix02 (anonymous) says…
The president of the school board, Scott Morgan does have children in THIS school district. Get your facts straight. The football fields were built with left over bond money that HAD to be used for building upgrades. This bond money could not be used for any other reason. Those of you who voted for it should have known that this was how your tax dollars were going to be put to use.
Did_I_say_that (DIST) says…
areyousure (Anonymous) says…
"How is it the “crappy” school board's fault that the school district has to cut $5 million dollars from the budget?"
The 2009/2010 budget is $25,0000,000 (that is 25 million) higher that the 2007/2008 budget. The School Board has approved the increased spending for the past two years. They could simply revert to last year's budget and save $19M. However, that is not their goal. They have an agenda to close up to three of the smaller elementary schools. They have an agenda that includes adding 9th grade wings to the current High Schools. They have an agenda to build another mega-elementary school.
Lawrence school patrons - You are about to be rolled by the School Board under cover of a budget shortfall.
eagle1 (anonymous) says…
slhix02
I bet Scott Morgan is not closing one of the schools that he has children in!!!! fact that smart butt
areyousure (anonymous) says…
I believe that all but two of the current school board members have children who attend public schools. And the two that don't currently have children in school have in the past. There is no requirement that a school board member has to have children attending school. All they have to do is pay a filing fee and put themselves out there for all of you to complain about how they are doing their jobs with their only payment being told that they do not care or that they have some personal agenda for the job.
Four of the current members have been on the board for the past two years. Any increases that were made two years ago were not made with the knowledge that the state would decrease the per student funding to the current level.
I believe that the board is attempting to return to the budget amount to level comparable to previous years. That is the problem. In order to do that they have to cut services and probably staff. A $5 million cut is $5 million dollars that will not be spent in the community whether it is for salaries or goods and services purchased to be used in the school district.
merrill (anonymous) says…
How is closing New York School going to save $5,000,000?
If Lawrence will continue to grow where will they place the children?
How will closing on or two schools then building one much larger school for millions upon millions ($20 million) save USD 497 taxpayers money?
The buildings in question are paid for.
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
Yes, we have no bananas, we have no bananas today.
Get back to a budget of five years ago. If new property tax revenues surface do not spend them. Anytime a tax abatement is given, reduce spending to accomodate the loss of revenue.
Cut salaries of all employees. Do not hire any new ones. Work smarter. Isn't Lawrence all about smart growth? All about being ahead of other communities? Then wake up and take the lead and do more with less.
Maybe it's time the teachers swept the classroom instead of those stupid study sessions and feel good meetings.
Let the kids make their own lunches in the cafeterias. Put the kids to work at lunchtime. No work, no eat.
The state has no money, the town has no money, and soon, very, very soon the United States will be finding it has no money.
slhix02 (anonymous) says…
Eagle1: you are a reminder of why it is so hard to have an opinion based on a logical, calm thought process. You revert to name calling; genius!
No, Scott Morgan's children aren't in elementary school anymore. It's irrelevant. The point: there is NO more money.
ralphralph (anonymous) says…
Former Gov Sebelius choked the Kansas economy. We would have been hurting in any event, but our farm economy has been strong. The extreme and illegal views of Chatty Kathy killed Kansas jobs and cut the knees out from under revenue streams from taxes which would have been flowing in ... had not the queen declared the air you breathe to be in violation of some divine law.
been_there (anonymous) says…
"The football fields were built with left over bond money that HAD to be used for building upgrades"
And yet they say Cordley needs repairs. Shouldn't all buildings have been repaired before not one, but two football fields were built? Could it be they used the money for football fields because the school closings were already on the board. We did not vote for the bonds for football fields but for school upgrades. Maybe the taxpayers should sue the school district and get the money returned.
4getabouit (anonymous) says…
Read the news reports from other school districts across Kansas and so on. They are all cutting hugh chunks from their budgets. Lawrence is not any different. The legislature has made its statement.....schools are not a priority.
pace (anonymous) says…
The school board knowingly developed the bond language and restrictions. they had an agenda and it wasn't teachers and class size. They left roofs rotting , failed to do maintenance, then claimed to be surprised, promising that teachers and class size would be the next problem addressed but the building were at crisis. Scott Morgan was one of the leaders and if he wasn't a head liar he was then ignorant of every detail that was his responsibility to know. There was no bond issue saying they need to build million dollar fields rather than improve the quality of the buildings.
imamomma (anonymous) says…
Yes, if all the secretaries to the secretaries and the directors of this and that was cut out. There is way too much not needed spending going on.......
ShePrecedes (anonymous) says…
welcome to the public schools that put building strange and/or bizarre sports complexes over reasonable numbers of teachers and schools for our children.
stupid, stupid public school people. vote these horrible people off the school board!!!