Duluth schools ask for help setting priorities
December 27, 2012 at 12:58 pm in Duluth News Tribune
Duluth residents have more than 30 chances to tell the Duluth school district what its priorities should be as it faces serious financial difficulties in coming years. Continue Reading

A day late and a dollar short.
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The only people the district listened to were the ones who wanted extra lanes in the swimming pools. I don’t know how they plan on rebuilding trust. Trust is earned over time. We keep paying huge increases on our taxes and yet kids have to raise money for art supplies. We have had a 22 percent increase in 3 years. What could they possibly say in these meetings to gain our respect???????????????
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Eh? Denfeld needs art supplies – Art often is one of the first casualties of budget cuts, and the Hunters’ creative side could use some assistance.
Duluth News Tribune (MN) – Thursday, November 22, 2012
Author: News Tribune staff, Duluth News Tribune
The Denfeld High School art department needs supplies more than I need the back of my neck shaved (now that’s bad). Art often is one of the first casualties of budget cuts, and the Hunters’ creative side could use some assistance.
People interested in making a donation can send money through Parent Involvement. Checks can be written to DHS Parent Boosters with “ Art Dept.” in the memo field. Got supplies? Just e-mail dhsparentinvolvement@gmail.com for a complete list of art department needs.
Students can drop off mom, dad or guardians’ donations in Denfeld ’s main office. A cadet or office personnel will put it in the Parent Involvement mailbox.
Call Pam Toland at (218) 336-8830, ext. 1988, for more information.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Do they (administration and six school board members) really think if they keep having meetings they will get the answers that they want to hear? Even the teachers and staff have told them that the problem is overcrowded classes and finances. People who supported the red plan are realizing the problem is the administration and their bad choices. Let’s all start by asking for them to resign
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Will you, Ulysses, or any of the others on here who are constantly calling for the members to retire going to be bold enough to do that at a meeting where you aren’t hiding behind a keyboard? Would I be accurate if I guessed NO? If you did, and they said they would, who would your targets of choice be next?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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It is a waste of time and breath to address this screwel board. The citizenry found that out during the early days when there were three plans put on the table for discussion but only one plan would pay JCI exhorbanent profits and thereby pay kickbacks to certain individuals, therefore the other two plans were just there to appease the masses desire to offer input. The screwel board obviously had already made their decision as shown by the way they shot down our input at every turn. And yes it is the SCREWEL board for what they did to the taxpayer. Do I need to explain why I use the term screwel or are you at least smart enough to figure it out?
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Then be an activist and not a KEYBOARD COWARD! Do something, do SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING! I’m sick of this “they won’t listen” bull crap. That is the chicken way out to keep your little rants going. Go to a meeting. Have you ever Ulysses? I will bet you have never been to a SCHOOL board meeting because, “they won’t listen to me anyway”. You want change? Force change! GO TO A MEETING!
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Scared, U? I say put your face where your keystrokes are. A real person would at least try to be heard…
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Mike and Art: With the current screwel board it is futile to attend any of their meetings and offer any input because they have demonstrated time and time again they will ignore public input, and the public in general, and go and do just as they please. It truly saddens me to realize that both of you believe that it is a good course of action to pi** into the wind or to beat your head against a brick wall. I was hoping you were smarter than that but your posts have proven me wrong.
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Put any kind of spin on it you would like, U, but you’re chicken. Step from behind the keyboard and let your important thoughts be told! At least I’ve done this, and you know darn well you’re a much bigger person than I!
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Mike: At this point in time I have pretty much given up on Socialist Duluth. The local lemming voters keep electing the same kind of tax-and-spend Dumbocrats to office so taxes continuously rise ridiculously and opportunities for a quality life in Duluth continues to spiral downward and as a result, the brain-drain of our brightest young continues. Why even try to swim upstream any longer? Voices crying for fiscal restraint like mine are drowned out by the liberal tax and spend wacko left. The local voters have been dumbed down so much that they don’t even understand the rammifications of the votes they cast. It is like trying to stop the unyielding progress of a glacier. Because of this, there is no future for Duluth other than to become a welfare mecca, so why try?
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Then why all the posts, U? If it doesn’t matter what we say, why do you keep posting the same negative story over, and over, and over again?
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I thought it was just your way of endearing yourself to others…kind of like a tiresome old uncle with one ragged joke to his name.
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Whats the point, art? With how they handled public comment last time leads me to believe this time will be no different. Microphones will be shut off and people will be muted or disregarded in one way or the other. My time is valuable…I don’t like to have it wasted.
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U, hold this school board accountable – tell them in person what you think. If there are enough of us maybe they’ll hear us after all.
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Mike W: Dreamer.
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Number one priority: screwel board resigns and is replaced with individuals that can start rebuilding trust with the community, the trust that was trod on and totally destroyed by the current screwel board.
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So, we get the current school board members to resign so we can have another vote to elect new board members. U, are you sure? This means the sheep, or lemmings, or whatever you call the residents of Duluth – the taxpayers of Duluth – will do it all over again and make poor choices. Didn’t you say they keep electing the wrong people? I really think you should make time to attend every single meeting and tell the current board what you would do – now, your claim is that they won’t listen anyway so why waste your time?
Don’t have any problem wasting your time spewing your opinion here though. Help us – help everyone and share your thoughts in the meetings. I hate to think you’ve given up the good fight already – and if your posts here are any indication of your level of involvement, I would think you would be the perfect person to make your statements for the better of all.
But, you have to have more than just an opinion and all the answers. You need to have the courage to stand and speak in front of others, even if for the good will of those who want a more efficient school system.
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oooookay! The confidence local folks have for the School Board is non-existant….so, I believe there will not be too big of a turn-out. They will need to schedule meetings at different times….because in the recent past….a lot of community meetings have been scheduled in the day-time, thus eliminating a lot of working folks. I believe they will listen a little better than in the last 6 years…..but, do not count on the Board to take the public’s views and turn them into something productive or as a cost saver. This Board has got to go….except for Johnston!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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The screwel board schedules meetings at times the working folk cannot attend because the screwel board is too chicken to face the very people form whom the board stole over $300 million. If a taxpayer ever did show up the screwel board would probably just shut off that persons mic so nobody hears the truth. Anyone got any tar and some feathers?
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Put up or shut up, U.
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If someone steals my credit card and charges $400 million on it and then asks me for ideas on how I’m ever going to pay it back, I’m probably not going to be in the mood to talk.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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It is no 3rd grade joke the way the screwel board abused the law and the taxpayers just to build shiney monuments to their egos. Look into the true application of Mr. Jaros’ law that the screwel board abused. The way the law was abused in Duluth actually runs absolutely counter to the intent of the law. The way you defend the indefensible screwel board makes me wonder, did you line your pockets off the Red Ink plan as other did? So you can take you condecending lecturing of me regarding the use of the term “screwel board” and you can…
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Let’s pretend, U – I’m from Missouri, the show-me state. Show me you care by attending a meeting./
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Hi Mike – I know you have similar feelings about the Red Plan, – I am not sure why “U” isn’t saying so, but he spent many years at regular school board meetings – many did – it didn’t matter., and until certain Board members step down, it won’t matter now either – if you keep using the same ingredients in a recipe, even if you are trying for a different outcome, you are still going to get the same result.
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Elizabeth: I was a representative for about 18,000 people for 6 years. That time is behind me and I have lost my “fire” to fight. I have realized that I am an upstream salmon in a downstream torrent. Progress in this area is next to impossible thanks to dumbed down voters and an iron-fisted grip on the area by Dumbocrats. There is no place locally for a fiscally conservative viewpoint like mine. For that reason I do not wish to step into any kind of spotlight again. Sorry.
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But the complaining and downgrading of the rest of us continues – why? If U has the passion he says he does, why does he keep posting here? Unhappy? Heck yes, but what’s it helping to complain for frickin’ ever. U, stand up and speak like a man – don’t hide behind your computer.
Or quit posting – it only diminishes your point.
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Mike: I have served my time (in service to Duluth residents) and I have been trying to light a fire under more youthful individuals, perhaps like you, to get involved and serve your neighbors. However, like you, none are stepping forward to accept the mantle of leadership but instead seem to want even more and more service from tired old war-horses like me. I have indeed attended screwel board meeting, in the early days, until it became that the meetings were a sham being done just to comply with state rules while the end was already carved into stone and no comments were going to change anything. Well Mike, I am tired of people like you saying that someone else should take action and carry forward the battle so you can sit fatly on the couch and watch mindless mind-numbing TV shows. Well Mike, I agree with you in that I should, and will, quit my attempts at stimulating action by some young lion on behalf of the taxpayers because nobody has enough ambition to pick up my mace and continue the fight. Time for me to sit back, pet my dog and ignore the abuses of the taxpayers that you condone. Go ahead and pay more and live in tax-induced poverty…that’s what you seem to want.
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When the school board uses an obscure desegregation law so that they dont need to listen to residents, they should not be surprised that no one wants to talk to them anymore. If they think that by offering these forums would forgive that matter, they are stupid as well. Again I will say that all school board members resigning would do 10x in restoring public confidence. Ask me for my thoughts when that is accomplished first.
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I agree, too little too late. Besides they are only doing this meeting thing for show. They still will not listen to any input that doesn’t fit their agenda. This is just prep for the next Tax Levy Increase we will all see very soon.
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Let’s see, they already spent (without letting us vote) all the money we could afford and then some for the next twenty five years so how about we have these meetings starting in the year 2038 when they might mean something.
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I think perhaps the best indicator to describe the state of the school district is the fact that the superintendent of the district himself will not send his kids to school here, who’d blame him, he’s well aware of the education they’ll get. He’s ok with the 200k salary we pay him though. That there about sums it up.
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When it really mattered they only listened to the snake oil salesman and Johnson Controls. Remember they got a huge percentage of the spending and therefore their objective was to spend as much as possible. They wrote the plan and forced it on the taxpayers without allowing them to vote on it. The Red Ink Plan wasted hundreds of millions on extravagance as they vacated perfectly good properties. Now they want to know what else you want them to spend your money on so they can ask for even more money in another levy increase. Where does it end? Give me a break.
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Just read all the comments & it is clear how angry we all are about how the Red Plan was crammed down our throats. I fully agree with the post who said that a good start to trusting again would be for all Board members (except Johnston) to step down. We need to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. If this Superintendent is TRULY SERIOUS about moving forward then it has to start with a fresh group of faces. I haven’t trusted the Board majority for over 5 years since they cozied up with Johnson Controls and Dixon. – and we know Dixon couldn’t be trusted – it was all an act. The guy manufactured the tears about how sad he was to leave the district but needed to retire to spend time with his grandchildren…sob, sob, He said all that when he knew full well he had already accepted another superintendent position. He knew full well the __ it was about to hit the fan and he hightailed it out of here while he still could. I won’t vote for any more money for the District until Wasson, Cameron, Seliga, at minimum have stepped down. Doesn’t seem to matter though…I didn’t vote for the recent 12% but they took it anyway. It’s enough to make even I consider moving & I love it here.
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The DSD needs to BEGIN these community meetings by specifically stating what things “could have been done differently”. How can you properly fix a problem without addressing what caused it in the first place? Once they’re willing to have that conversation with the community, they might find us more receptive.
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Am I correct in saying that the only 3 left from the original Red Plan days are Cameron, wasson, and Seliga Punyko? Am I also correct in assuming that most of you believe that the other folks who have been voted onto the Board since then, like Westholm, Kasper, and Miernicki in your view are going to continue the same course you say the previous Board did in ignoring the Public’s voice at meetings? Come on Ulysses and others. How far are you going to take this deep bitter grudge without letting the NEW SCHOOL BOARD even be given a chance to show that they have heard the public. Your resentment and disgust with PAST practices are readily apparent for all to see. Are you now saying that the only 3 holdovers from the original plan carry enough clout that the other 4 members are going to be afgraid to cross them and listen to the public? If that is your stance fine. Build yourself a bunker. Write yourself a 7000 word manifesto and become the next Ted Kaczynski, because nothing will ever be able to satisfy you that ANY DULUTH SCHOOL BOARD will ever be able to do. Unreversible views like your, are what is now handcuffing the country to political gridlock. The ability to recognize sincere desire for change and not always view it is a veiled attempt at propoganda is what will move this community and its schools forward.
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Kasper said to his constituants during his campaign that he did not support the Red Ink plan. As soon as he got elected he sold out to the Red Plan side and became a rabid supporter of the plan. Me thinks he was a Red Plan supporter all along and was just lying to get himself elected. Westholm never hid his outright support for the Red Ink plan.
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Could he have seen information which would allow him to make an educated, rational decision regarding his position on the Red Plan, U? Although I am as tired of this mismanagement as you, I can and will give individuals who have the courage to sit on the Board the benefit of the doubt in my respect to their positions on how we work our way out of this mess.
If I felt strongly enough about it, like you appear to based on your all-knowing posts, I would campaign to serve on the Board – what person with your kind of passion would only be willing to talk the talk, and not walk the walk? A spineless jellyfish maybe.
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Mike – I am curious, why are you suddenly attacking “U” ? – yes, he is brutally honest with his comments but that is just how some people roll. I guess I think anyone that comes across like that must have been really hurt by the Board’s actions. We all were in Duluth – some just handle it a bit differently. We all want the schools to improve, but we want the Board to take ownership of their actions. Personally, I want them to step down. We all should be invested and step back up and demand accountability – 12% tax hike? unbelievable! Just because someone is vocal on a forum doesn’t mean they don’t intend on doing more. Unfortunately, we are all hidden so we will never know if others on this board actually do more than post.
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EB, I have issue with his attitude. Caustic. Derogatory. Sarcastic. Mean. I’m a Duluth resident, and a taxpayer too. If he actually had something good to say – without repeating himself all the time – I’d agree with him. As I said in an earlier post I am as much frustrated and angry as he is by the mismanagement demonstrated by the Board. Just get tired of the same nasty story over and over again.
I would certainly agree with him if he were to create some new thoughts, not go on posting the same old, same old. With a solid dose of civility and respect. His opinions do nothing but make these opinion blogs unimportant. Action involves participation – I don’t see him acting or participating in a positive manner – only negative, mean-spirited, uncivil, provincial rhetoric. Does nothing to help us.
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Art…it goes deeper than just the Red Plan. I’ve said before that we probably needed to reorganize and update our schools. The Red Plan was a bold one. No excuse for it to be over budget at a time when construction costs were at a discount. No excuse to buy up private homes then find out they were not needed. No excuse to expand the original scope of the Red Plan. No excuse to throw away viable school buildings. No excuse to bring in a hired gun in Dixon only to have him slither out of town before the Red Plan blew up in our face. No excuse to hire an underperforming and non licensed superintendent in I.V. Foster. No excuse to still have Kasper on the board without any explanation of why he left his job with the city. No excuse to have a 22 percent increase in our school taxes in 3 years while we have to pass the hat for art supplies. These same people who got us into this mess are supposed to get us out of it? I plan on going to a meeting…it will be interesting.
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john (R) –> WELL SAID!!!!! Yes, it goes deeper than just the Red Plan — for the very reasons that you stated.
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john(R), you are just the kind of person we need to attend and speak at these proposed meetings – I totally agree with your points as outlined. Great post – all you are asking is for those seated to be accountable for their actions. Seems very reasonable and a great idea.
The taxpayers and residents people like you to participate to help get us back on track – thank you for your willingness and courage to simply hold the line on accountability. It’s the correct approach if you ask me.
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I have gone to school board meetings and watched them on tv. The NEW SCHOOL BOARD has not done anything in the past year! Westholm has missed many meetings, Miernicki does crossword puzzles and Kasper won’t tell the truth. And they don’t debate or prepare in any way for these meetings. They make $650/month for zero hours of work.
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Well said, Art. Some seem to forget we are all in this together.
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Is this like the other meetings where the citizens were yelling stop the madness and all they heard was we wanted more lanes in the Olympic sized swimming pools? This is where they like to say “Move Forward”.
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patriot…..LOL!! Not only was like you said…the “Move Forward” thing…..but do not forget about this was all “Data Driven”….repeated so often by Dixon and the board….that it wore out!
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Its bad when the Bord has to ask for the public help to solve a problem they created kind of like calling the fire dept after the house burns down!
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A year ago this would’ve been appropriate. Seems to me comments like this just keep the fires burning, but maybe we need more time for this before we can all agree the system is broken and that we need to say and do productive things to work ourselves out of the whole we find ourselves in.
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I plan to go to one of the meetings. Not because I believe they will change anything (that would take either a Board willing to accept and acknowledge mistakes or a new Board) but because at minimum, I plan to offer my suggestions (such as this Board needs to step down) before anyone will be willing to trust the District. I have looked at the online survey and it is clear the direction these meetings will go – familiar because if the survey is any indication of the upcoming meetings – then they plan to give the public a very limited opportunity to comment. – What are we doing right? What can we do better? – neither of those questions is going to change anything. But I will go – if for no other reason then to make sure someone “says it” out loud – on record.
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EB, moral courage is a respectable trait, and I certainly respect your willingness to help us out of this mess. Again, we all need more people like you to work together for the good of all. Thank you for your time, effort, and passion to do the correct thing for our children.
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Mike…..what Elizabeth is saying, is that she will attend meetings,,,,again, like before….where board members will totally ignore input from the audience! I know this to be true as well…..since I have attended meetings as well, and have witnessed first hand how these meetings are conducted. Even back when the different plans were being debated ( or should I say, conducted for the benefit of those in attendance )….their minds were already made up ( before the meetings ). They even had the gall to have you ask questions from pre-printed 3 x 5 cards…..we could NOT ASK our own questions….we were NOT PERMITTED to ask our own questions! The newer members of the board are just puppets….they, or NO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS EVER ask any questions during the spending process of the RED PLAN…..they just nod their heads in agreement with the Administration, and to what Johnson Controls says ( dictates ) to them! NONE of the BOARD MEMBERS can tell you what is exactly in the CONTRACT with Johnson Controls! NOR, did they insert a performance claus in the contract as to “promises of cost efficiency” from ANY or ALL of the buildings in the plan! As to “giving the board members another chance”……THEY HAVE NOT LEARNED from their mistakes……YET! Only NOW, do they seem to be getting a clue as to how the residents, voters, and taxpayers feel…..they totally have ignore folks…..why? Caus they CAN, and they know it….as they can raise taxes on the school portion of the property tax statements….even if we turn down a levy! These are just a few reasons why folks are so “up in arms” about this. The District is just flat-out ….very arrogant towards the folks who “pay the bills around here”. And, do not let them fool you…..the taxes are going to continually rise…..and so far…..NONE have gone to the classroom…..where it is needed!!
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Great post, Vern. Thank you for the clarification – your explanation certainly helps me to consider some new points. I wonder if you could take the points you make and present these to the Board – start out the meetings with these points as questions – and see what may happen. Nobody wants to get in a bissing contest, but these could provide a starting point. If the Board refuses, then we’ll know what their intentions are, and that we can expect very little from them. At that point, I say give them a dose of their own medicine – ignore them and keep voting down the levy. Can’t do too much about tax increases – they’ll do what they want.
One fact the DNT might help us with is to compare ISD 709 levy rates with those across the state – it would be good for all residents and taxpayers to see exactly where we sit in relative terms to other school district funding through local levy. Just a thought that might provide some perspective.
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Agree entirely Mike that a comparison of across the state levy’s would make for some interesting conversation. I could be completely wrong, but I could have sworn I read this fall that Duluth had oneof the lowest per pupil levy’s in the State. If that is the case, I’m disappointed in the publics concern for our children…., BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT 90% OF THE PUBLIC IS INCAPABLE OF SEPARATING THE DIFFERENT BUDGET ITEMS, AND THINK EVERY DOLLAR IS GOING TO THE RED PLAN.
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Mike, for some reason I find it hard to believe you have not seen the propaganda from the school board and DNT showing that Duluth has a lower per pupil average than other Mn cities of comparable population. However, the comparisons are flawed because the comparisons do not reflect the city having about 10% of its population on govt assistance, while another 10% are college students. Last I heard, for those of us who do work for a living here the avg hourly wage is $12 dollars an hour. Comparing Duluth to Blaine, Edina, and Rochester are in no way to be considered comparitive data except on population alone. Your suggestion has already been tried many times to deceive informed voters. Did you really not know this or were all of your posts denigrating Ulysses and this suggestion now really meant to mislead your true intentions of your posts?
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A levy comparison might prove interesting, but it’s not the main comparison I would personally like to see. I would like to see a comparison of the pre – red plan costs on transportation, utilities, (heating & air conditioning) and other costs vs current costs – did the Red Plan save us money as promised or were there no real savings? I agree that there are some nice new buildings and gosh who wouldn’t rather be in a nice new building than an old one, but did the promised savings happen ? For some reason the Newspaper refuses to do an article on that for the public (it’s our money, so we do have a right to this information) . 300 million (427 after interest) is an unbelievable amount of money (the new airport terminal was 78 million) – sure we got a few new schools but there were also some schools that got air conditioners in each room, a few new windows & some paint. – what did the public get for 300 million – let us see the numbers – if those numbers are positive – that might help but it just continues to raise ?? when they won’t let us see that information. Plus – besides seeing how we stack up on levies., let us see how our school taxes (non voted on portions) stack up against other cities, because we all have seen that what we don’t freely give they simply take (12% hike this year) – I personally care about our schools, not just the money but I believe that we have been taken to the cleaners and I won’t believe otherwise until I see some concrete numbers.
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Elizabeth brings up a good point. Are the cost savings that JCI projected adding up now that the Red Plan is winding down? The Red Plan will be finished this fall with the completion of Congdon and Myers-Wilkins. We should have a good idea by now if these savings are showing up. From what I understand…..the projected savings go back into paying off the debt from the Red Plan. What will happen if these savings do not meet projections? We have a 12 percent hike in school taxes this year because surplus school properties are not selling. Will we see double digit increases in the future if our “cost savings” do not add up? As for comparing our schools to others…you need to compare apples to apples. Duluth is not Edina or Minnetonka. The sting of a 12 percent increase would not be as bad if the money went to hire more teachers and add additional programs. I think we all want to see kids get a quality education. We have had a 22 percent increase in our school taxes in 3 years. We are also paying for the Red Plan on top of that. I’m guessing that the argument “Duluth is not paying enough” does not hold water.
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johnQpublic, how do we compare relative levy amounts if not with population in mind? Tell me what variables should be used to compare ISD 709 with other school districts across the state – I could certainly use this information if you’re willing to share.
I do not consider these comparisons propaganda – utilizing this variable is common across the state, maybe even across the nation. Ugh, the all knowing provincial attitude rears its’ ugly head yet again.
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10% this and 10% that – what about our 98% Caucasian population up here in the north – why don’t you highlight that as well?
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Don’t believe skin color has anything to do with it. Some variables to consider are: Ratios of income in proportion to property tax paid, home values, disposable income, homeownership vs renting. I would like to see the numbers to be comparable to each city. I would guess using these ratios we probably are comparable or better to other cities. I’m sure you are aware of this, but just seem to be itching for confrontation. How’s that workin for ya?
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jQp, not all you make it to be I’ll tell you. Would Rochester and St Cloud be able to accurately compare their levy rates, for instance? Or Mankato? Or Winona? Where does one find the comparisons which utilize the variables you most recently present? Is there even another city in Minnesota similar to Duluth in this regard or are we a unique city. That might provide some factual information we can all consider.
I’ll be the first to admit learning is a lifelong process.
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For levy information on other cities in Minnesota, check out A.Johnston’s web page Truth in Duluth.com. One other note, the board will be selecting new board officers next week. Let your voice be heard to rebuild truth and honesty. Do we want board officers who have questionable morals?
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Thanks Sherry S for the web site. I have never seen this site before but it looks like Art Johnston has compiled Lots of good information – The elections for the Board chair will go about how all the elections have gone over the last 7 years – arranged prior – it goes like this… – Now you elect me as Chair and I will elect you as secretary, and then the other two will go to ___ & ____ – that way there isn’t a chance for Art to get a word in edgewise. – happens every year. like a big shell game. What a joke. They had their chance years ago to change the game and encourage other players and they still continue to treat the School Board like a high school clique – Your out or your “in” – Funny. They keep talk about bullying in the schools – but it’s been going on at Board meetings for years. Bullying opposing members of the board, bullying speakers for speaking up. Thats how we got where we are today.
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