08/06/2024
I was asked by Jason Kern to post this message from him, but first I will have my say about what he (and probably other board members) have endured the past day or so. I am appalled that anyone would call him personally and say awful things.
While I understand that this is a topic that people are passionate about, no one should endure abuse.
STOP IT!
Show up, get involved, but don't make it personal.
Jason Kern:
I've sat here for the past 48 hours and read posts, comments and insults about me and even some about my family. I answered a phone call from a lady that stated she hoped me and my family rot in hell. Let me set the record straight about my feelings about the Vo Ag program, the Business program and Joe Walker Elementary.
I DO NOT want these programs to end. I cannot be clearer about that point. I FULLY support these programs and Joe Walker. Only one community member showed up at the meeting. None showed up at the May meeting when the budget and taxes were discussed. So let me explain why I asked for us to discuss cutting these programs at the July Committee Meeting. This past Wednesday, we had to pass the final budget. We had 3 options. Option A was to raise the tax Mills .94. Option B was to raise the taxes .5. Option C was to not raise the taxes at all. We have a reserve amount, (equivalent to a savings account), of 2.4 million. Option C, not raising the taxes, would require us to use nearly 1.1 million out of that fund, nearly 46% of our savings. Option B, raising the taxes .5, would require us to use nearly 700K out of that fund, nearly 29% of our savings. Option A, raising the taxes .94, would require us to use nearly 216K out of that fund, only 8% of our savings. Our Administration recommended Option A, knowing that costs are not going down, and Option C would cause a bigger budget gap for 2025-2026 school year. 5 Board Members voted Option C, not raising the taxes. Now we will reduce our savings nearly 46%, leaving us with approximately 1.3 million. I anticipate this decision causing us to be in a worse situation next school year, 25-26. We can't keep kicking the can down the road. I expect us to have a deficit of more than 2 million next school year. Hard decisions will have to be made, which I warned my fellow board members would happen if we didn't maximize our tax intake.
We have to look at ways to reduce costs. We will have to look at many options, including programs that are not a requirement. That doesn't mean I want those programs to end. We need to find a way to increase our revenue to keep programs like Vo Ag, Business and Joe Walker open.
I want this to be an eye opener for my fellow colleagues and the community to see that we need these programs for our students, but we need the tax revenue to support them. What happens in 25-26 when we have a deficit of nearly 2 million and we will deplete our savings?
I implore everyone to get involved and attend the July meeting to voice your support for our programs and I welcome any suggestions for our district.
In closing, I do not want these programs to end.
