Feb
24
Community Q & A Sessions for the West Central Valley bond issue
February 24, 2008 |
Monday, Feb. 25th
6 p.m. - WCV Middle School in Redfield
7:30 p.m. - WCV Dexter Elementary
Tuesday, Feb. 26th
6 p.m. - WCV High School in Stuart
7:30 p.m. - WCV Menlo Elementary
Monday, March 10th
6-7 p.m. - WCV Middle School in Redfield
Tuesday, March 11th
6-7 p.m. - WCV High School in Stuart
Please be informed and vote on March 25
Comments
119 Comments so far
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The sample ballot gives me the impression that it will be quite confusing for many people, particularily those who don’t read it clearly.
That being said, for me it is pretty easy to vote No, No, No!
Shut up and stay home if you can’t read. Spoilers again. The reason this has failed is because of the ignorance of those who just want to say no to be saying no. Go jump off a cliff.
Get your head out of your ass 1:33. This referendum has gone down 6 times now and I’ll be happy to make it 7.
Yep down it goes, with the economy the way it is I say it has an even better chance of failing than before.
1:33, sounds like you are from Stuart, I would expect nothing less. Certain chemicals do cause brain damage, but some people are just born with it.
If you’re confused about something, whether it’s the wording on the ballot or how this is going to be paid for, GO TO ONE OF THE MEETINGS. Being uninformed isn’t a good excuse when you have this many chances to find out what you need to know.
I’m not confused about the wording on the ballot. I can see exactly what they are trying to pull on the voters. 17M, I can’t afford it! There is no assurance of just how much sales tax money will be used if any. Count on paying $4.05 per $100,000 valuation of your property.
let’s start calling each other names. just like the good old days. you are all idiots
I think you meant $4.05 per $1,000 valuation. It’s way too much. They will only use some sales tax IF available. I’ll be voting NO NO NO!!
Just let the State step in, let the kids suffer. I don’t care where the school is gonna be, just build a school. Get those kids out of the bad situations they are in. 2:37- I am from Stuart and not all Stuart people have problems with brain cells.
I think there should be an intelligence test before voting. That would get the job done and would have many moons ago. I’m amused at these nay sayers. There is no apparent reason, just want to be difficult. I say nothing will please them and I’m not even there. What a joke. You people who are smart enough to read and comprehend, go vote and get it done once and for all. Should be a no-brainer. Did you all get the fact that other schools (larger than yours) have already tried and tested what is being proposed? Are they in on the “conspiracy” too? You are too funny. Wish there were a way to send your sorry asses back to school to learn something except how to say no. Infants say that as one of their first words. Obviously your brains stopped there.
We can’t keep putting off spending major money on our school system. It is our generation to do something before someone gets killed in these old buildings.
The generations before us had no more money than us, but they sacrificed for the kids of the district and paid for buildings. these are not wants, they are needed.
As anything with age (homes, cars, buildings), there comes a time when you just need to start new. Structural issues are becomming a real problem and we need to do something. Vote YES, YES and YES.
These problems may exist because the school administration doesn’t maintain the buildings.
Look at the schools in Des Moines which are older then ours, aka, East HS, Lincoln HS, Roosevelt HS, etc. They are in good shape because the district takes care of their buildings unlike our administration. The problem isn’t older buildings; it’s the people we pay that should have maintained them properly. I will not give them a blank check, I will be voting NO.
5:32- Are you implying that the administration is at fault because the soil beneath the west wing’s foundation shifted resulting in the structural problems? Is the current administration responsible for all of the problems in the current buildings? Your argument was used during the last bond election and unfortunately, it’ll be used again and again in future elections because it gives you (and others) an excuse to vote no. That’s sad.
Everyone- I went to the informational meeting in Stuart tonight and I picked up a sheet showing how our property taxes would increase if this election was approved. The average assessed value in the district is $73,474 which would see an increase of $77.51 per year OR $6.46 month OR 21 cents per day.
How about a house assessed at $100,000? The increase would be $109.66 per year OR $9.14 per month OR 30 cents per day.
How much does a large pizza cost? How about a pack of cigarettes? How about a 12 pack of beer? Pop? How about 3 DVDs from Pace Video?
What else do we buy that would we could do without that would be equivalent to the increase?
I realize that I am opening up myself for criticism, but I am just posing some legitimate questions. It is too bad that some people are so dead set against this bond election for reasons that make me shake my head.
Keep shaking your head Broman. You just pissed off another person who might have voted yes. Get back in your closet and stay there.
9:15- what did I say that made you mad? Because of me, you will vote no so that many students and teachers won’t have better facilities?
What did I write that was not factual?
I’ve been told that I have alienated people against this issue. How? Why? I won’t go back to the closet because I was not there in the first place. Just because I speak up and try make people use logic and not ignore the facts, I get lambasted. Makes a lot of sense to me.
Enlighten me.
I also went to the meeting tonight and was glad I did.
A few people spoke up and really made you think about his and how important it is.
For the average person, over the next 20 years, your taxes will only go up about the price of a new couch ($2,000).
That is not much money for 20 years. Think of the benefits your kids will get out of it.
We attended the Stuart meeting - well worth the time.
Good things will happen with this bond issue since the admin has been willing to give concise information out to the voters.
If you wanted to be respected you must give respect. At events that I have attended in the past, in that very same room, I have not see much respect at all!
Mr Merle Rambo should’ve been included a long time ago.
Mr.Broman,
We don’t buy pizza,cigarettes,beer or soda at my house. We need all of our extra money just to keep up with inflation and gas prices. The legal notice made it very clear just how much it was going to cost the property owner. The property owner will be assessed anywhere from $2.00 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation. It only says they will use sales tax revenues IF available. Why don’t you use the $4.05 per $1,000 valuation so property owners know exactly how much they will have to pay for 20 years. Are you a able to make a definite promise to us property owners that 60% of this bond will be paid for from sales tax?
From the Dallas County News
(However, with a simple voter majority for the third proposition on the ballot, a single elementary at Dexter would house all students grades kindergarten through sixth in the district. A preliminary design for the proposed district-wide elementary building shows an approximately 41,200 square-foot, single-story addition requiring renovation of 9,500 square feet of the existing structure.
To offset the added costs, the project would require an additional 50 cent increase for 10 years to the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy.)
So, if C passes the property owners can add an additional $100.00 per year for 10 years to their taxes for 100,000 valuation.
Todd yes you have convinced many people to vote NO. Every time a bond issue comes up you talk in your condescending way. You are the best thing the NO people have working for them. You upset many Redfield and Dexter people in the past and these individuals won’t forget that. If I was the administration or school board I would put a muzzle on you! If you have so much money why don’t you agree to fork over a share of your salary designated to go toward a new high school. Another means of revenue for building costs would be to reduce the never ending list of coaches & assistant coaches the district seems to have! Just keep it up Todd and this one will go down to defeat also!
Keep up the good work Tod. Some people just can’t stand the trueth. some are SO afraid of change the first thing out of theirs mouths is NO. Very very sad people. And Tod, just remember that NOT ALL of us feel the same way that a handful of these bloggers feel towards you.
I am a smoker, pop drinker, homeowner and I can give that up for the kids. Just think about the kids. I have no kids in this school district and I am willing to do it. So come on people, think of the kids. Vote YES. Keep it up Broman.
The board of directors will be authorized to levy annually a tax exceeding two dollars and seventy cents ($2.70) per Thousand Dollars ($1,000) valuation but not exceeding Four Dollars and five Cents ($4.05) per Thousand dollars ($1,000) of the assessed value of the taxable property within said school corporation to pay the principal and interest. The key here is (not exceeding $4.05 per $1,000 valuation.) Count on paying the $4.05 figure. Plus, if C passes you will also pay an additional .50 per $1,000 valuation annually for a period of 10 years.
Just how much interest is on $17 million over a course of 20 years?
There is NO assurance that any of this levy will be paid by sales tax. Each year the board of directors can do as they choose without any regard to property owners.
In reference to 10:08 am.
All of our school board members are property owners themselves, and they have relatives that are also property owners in our district.
I have faith in them to do what’s best for our property owners. From what I hear now, it is firmly their intent to use the sales tax money that will be coming available in the future (and yes, because of the recession, it may not be as much as projected right now, but there will be sales tax money).
They cannot forsee what emergencies may come up in the future for which that money might need to be diverted, but I trust them to use that money wisely. If you don’t have that trust in our board, then you should definitely be running for that office this fall to make sure that you can safeguard those funds in a way that you feel they will not.
With all our buildings being updated, I would think the need to do emergency repairs and renovations would be pretty remote.
If you feel our board is dishonest or doesn’t have your interests as heart, you have no choice but to take over their positions.
See you on the ballot in September.
Please tell me Broman, how are the facilities affecting your teaching ability? Is that why the biology ACT scores are low? The building makes it a poor environment to learn in and you have trouble teaching? Are you saying your can’t do your job because of the building?
Some people work hard for their money, we can’t all be a rich Broman. Taxes are high enough in this state as is. Some people can’t make their mortgage payments but yet you think they can foot the bill for a new school? I suppose they could give up eating, that way you and yours can have a nice new building. Any plans on your “boys” and “wife” coming to teach in the new building?
Everytime you speak Todd another person decides to vote no.
1:14 pm–
Are you serious? Do you know how STUPID you sound? This is NOT about Tod Broman…it’s about the kids of this district for God sake. You are correct although, in stating that some people work hard for their money. We ALL do. Think about this, if you lived in a LARGER district and the issue we have now with the need for a new building, do you think that all your bitching and rediculeous ranting would make a difference? Your no vote wouldn’t count. Your vote would be lost. Yes, we can sit back and say that it’s nice to live in a small community blah, blah, blah but in a larger community this would have passed YEARS ago when the cost would have been considerably lower. Sad, to say the least. What a lonely person you must be to attack/compare Broman and his teaching abilities to the need of a new school facility. Pathetic is the only word I can use.
I going to stop using Old Spice deodorant because I heard Mr. Broman uses it.
I’m going to stop using science because Mr. Broman teaches it.
I’m going to shave because Mr. Broman has facial hair and I don’t want to look like him.
I’m going to vote against anything Mr. Broman is for.
Does this line of thinking really stand up anymore?
Thanks for the humor Nate! Although I think there just might be a few out there that really think that way!! Yea, 1:14 pm I’m talking about YOU!
The information presented makes sense. I vote yes yes.
I’m ready for my tax dollars to count for something. Yes and Yes.
I wish we would all just quit fighting and vote this in. No prior board has gone against the Sales tax concept as paying for the debt. Merle even advised it would be illegal as question requires it. Let me think there: 4% rate, $1.25 per 1000 using sales tax, high school-wing collapsing. I’m going for yes, yes, yes. If we wait the state wins and takes our sales tax. Panorama and ADM have already done this and kept taxes modest.
Good bang for the buck.
I have yet to read anyone on this blog state that they don’t think we need improved facilities for our students. People are turning their words into just the opposite. What I hear them saying and agree with is that we have voted on this same issue 6 times before and said NO!! How smart is it to dump more money into a facility that is crumbling from the bottom up and is not safe for the HS? Hell the board was presented a petition a year ago with over 700 signatures but the board denied it by saying it wasn’t doable!!! Now they except one with 169 signatures on it mostly gathered by Steve Arnburg from a basketball game. Very few signed it or were given the opportunity to do so from the east side. From what Rambo said in the meetings I don’t think this is doable either. They HOPE the bids come in for the HSs around 12 mil and they wil use the remainder for the elementary. Whatever!!! I know we need better facilities but not at this cost to the taxpayers and especially not thru the back door again!!!
12:13 blogger!!! YES I do think our board members are dishonest let by the biggest dishonest SUPER we have know yet, they have lied and I have been lied to by them to my face. Blame it on whoever you want but they follow the leader and do the dirty work so I guess now they pay for their lies. I too am tired!
If you think that a new athletic stadium, auditorium, bus barn are not right around the corner for the sales tax you are the dumb one.
We need a new athletic stadium, auditorium, and bus barn. If we had the bigger athletic facilities, we could host district and substate games like Panora does. It would bring money into the district. Same goes for the auditorium. We could hold speech comps and the music festivals. As for the Bus barn… well, ours is too small and crappy as it is now so a new one would make sense.
this is why i moved away
Take all this with a big grain of salt, people. There are professional people here trying to find a solution to the problem of our district buildings. Other districts have tried what is being proposed and we can see the real deal has worked. The feeling among people who aren’t ignorant of what’s at stake here or mean spirited enough to deny a chance at solving the problem is that this will go. We will probably have an elementary in Dexter, and will have a new high school building that is ready to go into this century for the educational experience of hundreds or thousands of kids to come. Understand the ballot to say for the high school AND district wide elem in Dexter you must vote yes….yes….and yes. For a high school with the elementary in Stuart, you must vote yes….yes and no. Simple as that. All boxes must be checked if I’m understanding this correctly. Go to the meetings and understand how the tax structure will work. It is the best deal and will pass. Thanks to the people who have worked so hard in putting this together. When so many people are against something just because they want to, and cannot be satisfied no matter what, everyone loses, which is what they want. Go to the meetings. Ask the questions. Ask the other schools who have done it. Read the coverage in the paper, as the tax information has been very well explained. This is a good deal.
I’ve gone to the meeting and still voting NO NO NO!
4:09- nice blog. Good job.
Mr. Broman- did you answer this question?
Mr.Broman,
We don’t buy pizza,cigarettes,beer or soda at my house. We need all of our extra money just to keep up with inflation and gas prices. The legal notice made it very clear just how much it was going to cost the property owner. The property owner will be assessed anywhere from $2.70 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation. It only says they will use sales tax revenues IF available. Why don’t you use the $4.05 per $1,000 valuation so property owners know exactly how much they will have to pay for 20 years. Are you a able to make a definite promise to us property owners that 60% of this bond will be paid for from sales tax?
10:55 - “this is why i moved away”
I think a lot of younger former residents feel that way.
I grew up in Stuart but in light of the inability of the communities to cooperate, it is unlikely that I would ever consider returning there.
I don’t try to keep up on the specific details but you people really need to put your differences aside and figure this one out. Consider how much the cost of a new high school has skyrocketed since the initial bond issue.
By being so selfish you’re yet again making yourselves look like a bunch of clowns.
I was basing my blog off of the finance form that was available at the meeting. So, I cannot answer your question. How about you contacting Merle Rambo and get the figures you request?
You know darn well that I cannot make “a definite promise” as you stated. You can’t make that promise, I can’t make the promise…and so on. The school board changes members over the years. I, for one, will just put my trust in those future members.
It appears that you are trying to plant a seed of doubt in the actions of the future school board. No one has a crystal ball. Merle Rambo told me directly that he cannot believe a school board would not use sales tax to help offset the property tax.
Enough of this belly-aching about not trusting this person or that. It appears that this board did their homework and working with a citizen committee have come up with a doable plan.
Please, I know that there are households out there that just get by…they live paycheck to paycheck. However, if some of the same type households are in favor of this bond, then why should I believe that this bond is a bad idea?
In order to make things better for the present student body and future ones, we have to make sacrifices. That’s what people did in the past when they approved bonds for the 1961 HS addition, the 1975 Dexter and Redfield buildings, etc.
Also, I know the economy is possibly heading for a recession, but regardless whenever we have a bond issue, there are always people saying that this is not the right time. So, when ever is it the right time?
Why should we trust the administration or school board? Their actions in the past bond referendums just prove that they are not to be trusted! Sales tax is a pie in the sky. Go by the legalise that was posted by law. The property owner will be assessed anywhere from $2.70 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation. It doesn’t say anything about using sales tax in that notice! The statements in the media say only sales tax will be used IF available.
Fine. Believe what you want.
Broman getting handled! I don’t believe it!
Broman getting handled? Please……….as am I, tired of you guys being SO negative. This WILL pass.
this time, 7:18, you are right. The only way to end all this back and forth stuff every year, is to get it done. It will pass this time, because it’s right. High School building AND elementary situations solved with one bond issue and for less tax money. Most people can understand it and are now ready to pass it.
Wow…where do I begin? I’m fully confident the result of this election is a foregone conclusion. I’m sure it will be a “NO” again. This has become a bitter divorce. Mother and Father are so concerned about their own agendas they completely ignore the best interests of the children.
I spent my last 3 years of high school at Stuart and generally had a good experience. I went on to attend a 4 year university and grad school. I had some good teachers at West Central; however, I felt grossly unprepared when confronted with the challenges of a college curriculum. I know the building doesn’t do any teaching but it is certainly the foundation for everything that takes place within a school. I can guarantee you that quality teachers choose not to teach at West Central due to the poor facilities. Why teach at a dump when you can go to anyone of 10 nearby school districts and teach at excellent buildings? The best teachers I had at Stuart had been there for years. Young teachers came and left within a couple of years. I had 3 basketball coaches, 2 football coaches, and 3 tennis coaches. Athletics are secondary but there is no way you can build successful programs with constant coach turnover.
I could go on forever, but like i stated, i feel i’m only contributing to my carpal tunnel by typing this. “NO” will prevail again and West Central will continue to the fail the kids of the community. Young families will continue to choose Dallas-Center Grimes, ADM, Nodaway Valley, or Panorama over West Central. I certainly don’t blame them. The residents of West Central School District are killing themselves, who would want to get in on that?
Mr. Broman, I was a student of yours and greatly appreciate the time you led our class. There were some weaknesses in our high school (English) when I went through S_M; but Math, Science, Computers, Accounting, etc were all very strong.
Please do not ever get frustrated with idiots that don’t understand the value of education. Mr Kloewer, yourself, Schwinger, Gilman, Mrs. Wallace, Newman, Heisterkamp, Foy, etc are an elite group of teachers. I’m sure that Dexfield has its list also. However, we are at a x-road. In order to acquire another generation of high-quality educators, we need to provide them the facilities to WANT to teach in our district.
This go around makes sense: $1.30 per $1000 valuation, cheapest of any proposal from a tax perspective. Voters pick elementary location. High-school wing fell in. 4% bond rate.
Readers, now is the time to pass this. By voting NO on this issue, you validate the District-haters and portray the district as a majority group with no common sense. Sales tax will be used to service the debt, as Rambo said in our meeting it is required by the board as part of question #2.
I voted no on the last issue of $4.05, but do realize our facilities are a problem and will support this because of the improved framework. Let’s heal, grow and blend this district into something others envy. Presently, we’re a punchline in neighboring communities and our kids are laughed at.
The current building conditions, tax impact and interest rates provide a straight forward heck “YES” resonse from me.
Would I touch a nerve to say that you people that are doing all the complaining probably don’t even own any property? Good god, you “no” gooders, act like someone is asking you for your right arm. Have you heard the saying that if you sacrifice something of yourself, it comes back to you tenfold? And we are all feeling the effects of higher fuel costs. Have we all not lived here in this area through this winter? We have ALL had to suffer the higher fuel prices. It is an ongoing problem, just like the deteriorating schools. When someone finally gets hurt at school due to the current structural problems, and it is going to happen, people are going to have allot more to worry about than the dang price of gas and how to check the “NO” box. Open up not only your minds but your hearts man.
I’m in college and won’t return to Stuart after I’m done. Farwell, friends!
The official legal language used by law to authorize the levy for this bond states that the property owner will be assessed from $2.70 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation of your property.
There is NO guarantee that 60% of sales tax will be used to pay off the bond. Over a period of 20 year payback on the bond the school administration can use those revenues any way they desire. More then likely those funds will be used towards other things on their wish list as a previous poster said; “We need a new athletic stadium, auditorium, and bus barn. If we had the bigger athletic facilities, we could host district and substate games like Panora does”. This is a con game by Rambo and the Board to pass the bond. I don’t buy it, expect to pay $4.05 per $1000 valuation for 20 years!
11:11….don’t take the words of the professionals then, go and talk to someone who has done this and see how it’s working. That’s why they so graciously accepted to help us. You might as well not ever leave your home if you constantly mistrust everyone, or if you won’t even take real information even though you have a very old and tired grudge. Ignorance is not a crime, it can be cured by knowledge. There are many things I am ignorant about because I’ve not chosen to learn about them. However, stupidity is a condition by which one doesn’t attempt to learn because of the fear of finding out they just might be wrong. I think those people who are just chiming no, no, no, for the umpteenth time, are just welded into the old hatred of one kind or another. I hope that won’t be the case with the majority of our voters. I really don’t think it is.
Redfield can go to Adel, Dexter can go to Earlham, Menlo can go to Greenfield, Adair-Casey or Guthrie Center and Stuart can go to Greenfield or Panorama. No need to build.
10:53, there is a lot of truth in your post. The current trend for schools in Iowa will be for more consolidation to save money because of the duplication of services. WCV is a good example of money being wasted.
To Anonymous on 3/1/08
You are so right. With the towns so divided. This might be the right answer for all your problems in WCV if your bond election does not pass. Is this what you folks really want? How sad what you all are teaching your children by your 7 years of example of bond elections, money wasted. What good stewarts your are of spending your hard earned tax money. Just do it and get this thing final over! Relieve your stress.
Just “who” is wasting the tax payers money?
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein, (attributed)
“Mr Kloewer, yourself, Schwinger, Gilman, Mrs. Wallace, Newman, Heisterkamp, Foy”
OMFG - Elite group of teachers??? ……yeah some of the state’s finest.
March 1, 12:13pm
After reading your comment, I can understand why some voters hesitate to speak out against the school bond issue. I’m not a bad citizen, nor am I selfish or ignorant. I too am concerned about the rise in property tax.
My first obligation is to keep my household solvent. My property tax will raise about $450 per year for the next 20 years. Then how many more taxes will be added on later. Just how far can you stretch an already strained budget?
As another poster stated, “The official legal language used by law to authorize the levy for this bond states that the property owner will be assessed from $2.70 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation of your property.
There is NO guarantee that 60% of sales tax will be used to pay off the bond. Over a period of 20 year payback on the bond the school administration can use those revenues any way they desire.”
And so it goes. You refuse to even reach further, because your excuse works for you. So be it. This bond will pass.
It sure works for me, We will be voting NO NO NO!!
where is the bond buster?
We have seen a lot of work by the bond promoter Rambo; does anyone know how much money this is costing the district for him to tout this referendum?
boo hoo go cry to someone else
Yes yes no!!!
The time is now! yes, yes, yes!
March 3rd 1:40pm. At $450 per year you must own a house assessed at $327,000 or own a bunch of land. Are you sure you can’t afford it? Assessed home value of $327,000 x 50% rollback = $163,500 taxable valuation x $2.75/1000 = $449.63 per year increase in taxes.
4:09pm…You better plan on paying $4.05 per 1,000 valuation. I guess with your misinformation taxpayers may believe they would pay less. I’m voting NO all the way!
The $4.05 isn’t for the whole 20 years even if it is that high.
6:53pm. You can’t say for sure how much this is going to cost the taxpayers over the next 20 years.
The official legal language used by law to authorize the levy for this bond states that the property owner will be assessed from $2.70 - $4.05 per $1000 valuation of your property. You will more then likely be paying the $4.05 per $1000 valuation.
There is NO guarantee that 60% of sales tax will be used to pay off the bond. Can anyone give me a guarantee?
Let’s remember the reason why we are talking about increasing taxes. The education of our children, plain and simple. When I stop and really think what we the adults could be providing vs. what we actually are providing our students I am embarrassed at the selfishness. Do anyone of us want to be humble enough to walk a day in the shoes of our students? If you really believe the statement, “Children are our future”, then vote YES!
OH PLEASE!!!
so you would rather the district spend money to maintain the buildings that they have. buy up some trailers to house the high school in. hope the menlo building doesn’t fall in. how lovely a message to send to the children of wcv. just maintain. just tread water and hope for the best. we could pass the first two and finally have a solution. or vote yes on all 3 and have the best facilities. pay down the debt with the 1cent sales tax or our taxes. why can’t more be ready to find ways to adjust out budgets and make this work!
Why is it taking so long for the auditors office to get the ballots so they can mail out the absentee ballots to individuals? I have checked twice and they say they are expecting them any day. Are people going to have enough time to fill them out and get them returned so their votes count?
Wow. The city of Waukee can pass a school bond for $70 million but our FOUR towns can’t pass one for less than $17 mil? Pathetic. Guess they have more respect for their kids and their education.
They also passed it by 89 pecent.
percent
You can’t compare Waukee’s school bond and ours. It’s like comparing apples & oranges. Per the KCCI website “School officials said that with all the commericial growth new the Jordan Creek Town Center, the expansion can be accomplished without an additional property tax increases.” There will be no additional property tax increases for property owners. So yeah, it was probably pretty easy to vote Yes on that one.
9:17pm- I believe there was a question of the legality of the proposed ballot. The State Auditor’s office is reviewing the ballot and that’s probably the reason they are not available to send out for absentee voters.
The fact that there would be no increase in property tax for the Waukee School District was the principal reason their bond passed with 89% voting in favor of the bond. There were only about 1,600 votes which is close to 10% of the registered voters in the district. The bond is being paid by the high volume of commercial properties in the area. The levy on the WCV bond will be between $2.70- $4.05 per $1,000 valuation for a period of 20 years. There is NO warranty on the ballot which states that any of this levy will be paid by sales tax.
Did anyone read a letter to the editor in today’s Des Moines Register?? There was a letter from an Afton taxpayer who stated in their district, property taxes have increased to $15.84 per $1,000 of value in 2005-06. And in comparison we are only looking at highest, an increase of $4.05 per $1,000 valuation.
Now is the time to invest our money in our kids.
Vote Yes.
3:20pm-Perhaps you need to look at your TOTAL tax bill from the district.
Obviously you don’t get the point of the letter to the editor. Maybe you should have someone explain it to you!
I would suggest that you read the letter to the editor again 4:00pm but this time open your eyes and see exactly what the letter is all about. Are you aware right now how much of your tax money is supporting the WCV district?
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/OPINION04/803060357/1038/Opinion
As 3:39pm said, you need to look at your total tax bill concerning the WCV district not the $4.05 per $1,000 valuation for the proposed bond.
When did Afton become a part of the WCV district? Oh wait they aren’t therefore I don’t care what Mr. Afton-man says. We don’t live there. What happens there doesn’t affect us.
7:05 I guess I must be missing your point. Would you clarify please!
The Stuart & Menlo people don’t want their children bussed to Dexter and we know Sharon Sloss does not want to have a district wide elemntary in Dexter. She has been against it in the past. Sharon Sloss wants her elementary to continue to shine and not become a part of Dexter. Look at all the extra personnel Menlo has to help Menlo students with reading compared to the Dexter elementary. No wonder Menlo test scores are higher!
Why should the opinion of sharon sloss determine how people vote in the district? She’s an employee of the district not the boss.
I am not from you area any longer nor the state of Iowa. Did you know that the high school in Waukee is on a “fast track” education? Taking 1 year of Chemistry in 1/2 the time. With passing your election look how much more updated your programs could be. We moved to your fine school district when our child was in 5th grade he was in the TAG group. Upon leaving your fine school, compared to the new school he attended, he was a grade behind. Hmmm, what happened? Was not parenting. Our child finished in another Iowa school district, but if he graduated from another states high school, guess what he would of been almost 1 1/2 behind. WOW! That is alot of comparing apples to oranges isn’t it. Think about, you’ve got good teachers and great students. Just give them the tools to inhance thier abilities, and get rid of the old sick buildings.
We live in the fast growing communiting in the south. From a little town of 1500 in 1997 to 35,000 in 2008. Now that is growth! If you get your heads out of the sand and pop the bubble you live in. Look at the growth you could have for your community.
Just get this election over with and don’t put a “band aide” on a sore that will never heal. When we moved to your fine school district, and saw the condition my child was attending, my worse concern that he would get sick with a disease that he would never recooperate from. Oh! Please meet in a church and don’t talk to each other just pray to God together to mend the hurt and open the minds of all. To show you the right path and work together, life is to short.
6:48 She is the boss of being able to say her elemntary is better than Dexters. She will hire extra help and purchase things to help her Menlo kids do well while the Dexter elemntary just gets by.
Forty years ago I heard my parents have a conversation regarding the “Little Mafia” in this town. Until now I didn’t know what they were reffering to but it is becoming crystal clear now. We do have “THE CHOSEN FEW”running this town by the nose hairs……. Now it’s just the next generation doing so. It’s no coinsedence that Brian Beldin move home.
Anonymous-March 9, 10:06- Waukee HS employs a 4×4 block scheduling which means that students take just four classes a day everyday. This means that a semester class is finished in 2 months and a year long class is finished in 4 months (or a semester).
WCV high school uses an alternating 8-block system. Students take four classes on Day A and then take four different classes on Day B.
Faculty, administrators and parents examined the pros and cons of block scheduling a little over 10 years ago. After voting to go into the block, the high school staff then chose to use the alternating 8-block.
also called a modified block.
Todd why don’t you move to another state!
Why don’t you 9:49?
YEAH that’s the ticket
I agree. “Yes,” “yes,” “no” IS the ticket.
how about For sale, For sale,For sale
Menlo has more helpers because they have ALOT more students. And the parents of the Menlo and Stuart kids volunteer more to read to the kids if they need help.
If you have more students, you are going to have more aides to help.
What a mess you all have created, and it will take a “BIGGER” hand to resolve all your issues.
Good luck in your bond election. I just hope the best comes out of it for you students. If I lived there, I would of vote “YES”. Times are tough and going to get tougher. Just vote Yes, get it over with, and after realization takes over you will be glad you do. It will be a hard pill to swallow for those NO voters. But, if your house was fallen apart, what would you do!
In life, if you don’t like something, you either get over it, or do something about it. We did, we moved!
6:35
Believe me it won’t be hard for No voters to swallow, we voted it down 6 times, we proved what the district doesn’t want.
You don’t know what will happen, the new building gets smaller and smaller while the sports complexes get bigger and bigger. The economy isn’t good.
It’s going to be a close one this time, but we’ll see what happens. It may pass just because people are sick and tired of Stuart cramming this crap down their throats so they just don’t vote anymore.
Right on 9:00! Unite your voters and turn down another school bond. Who needs a school anyway!!
Wish I could actually be that selfish. Sorry
This bond is going DOWN just like the previous 6. You haven’t fooled the east side with the pretense of the district wide elementary in Dexter. From the conversations I’ve had with many in Menlo they aren’t as gullible as you expected. Voting No No YES
YES YES NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Menlo, Redfield, and Dexter have never been on board with this. It is Stuart versus everyone else. They can’t do it alone though, so they try to make Dexter happy by offereing the option of building a district wide in Dexter IF the high school gets built in Stuart.
Stuart CAN do it alone but the other towns won’t let that happen. Remember concurrent action? The east side would not allow it. So if you all think you want to go at it alone, no one is stopping you.
Still so sad to see West Central Valley “community” school district so divided. Why? Still the ole status quo, “jealous” and envy of who has more, get what they want. I don’t understand the logic, for an outside looking in. It’s not what the adults want, it’s what your children need. Don’t your want your children to do better than you did? I sure do, and they are. I went to school in the “old high” school. We had to put rugs and towels along the north windows to keep the wind and snow out. Sad to see that ol’e building gone for several years now. But the kids need better technology to learn and have the knowledge to exceed better than us “old dogs”(parents). Stop fighting, only causes more High Blood pressure.
bring on concurrent action
What happens if your bond election fails? Is the school district disolved then?
The school district is not disolved if the bond fails. It just shows for 7th time that the voters are not going to accept a plan rammed down their throats by a select few in the district.
get rid of deadfield
who has the number to stuart realty?
get rid of dirt… I mean Stirt
Rammed down thier throats? We don’t need new schools?
Don’t need new school when the building is falling apart? What is the plan if it fails? I think you all are in situation, “damn if you do and damn if you don’t”. And time has taken on Stuart’s building. Due to neglect? age of the building? age of the city of the sewer system? I would not want to be in Dennis’s shoes right now…poor guy. It’s not your fault the building is falling apart of the saems. It’s the age of the building. The building has seen it’s glory with good and bad memories. You have a done a good job with what you had to work with.
I wish you people well on the election. Sorry, can’t vote. Don’t live in your area.
The deterioration of district buildings is because of neglect rather then the age of the buildings. Look at the much older HS buildings in Des Moines such as East HS & Roosevelt.
Everyone in the district knows we do need a new high school. It is just that a large portion of the district wants to hang on to their money and not spend it on the kids of our district.
Our money is no tighter than it was for our parents and grandparents to come up with, but we are a very selfish generation.
Most of yoe people on here are retarded to think that the kids don’t need a better, safer facility. I know of a lot of parents that have said that they will not sent their children to the facilities that are currently in place. I know that if there isn’t new facilities brought in then I will open enroll my children elsewhere. I am not sending them to schools that are falling apart and not especially safe. I would rather spend the gas money to transport them elsewhere then send them to a place that they are in danger. Saying no to this issue is like sending your kids to the interstate to play. Some one is bound to get seriously hurt in the current facilities if changes are not made. So for the sake of the kids vote YES. It is the only option that makes sense.
Sure is funny the little mafia in Redfield is always up and going.
Remember all the promises they made to Menlo a few votes ago. Menlo has finally started to see the true picture.
I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone that voted to get to kids better learning conditions. It was the right choice.