tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post5198795752194681652..comments2024-03-26T04:16:12.042-05:00Comments on a blog about school: Information about the planned ICCSD school budget cutsChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12919030671050831251noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-79107654055698919772014-05-08T11:11:03.551-05:002014-05-08T11:11:03.551-05:00Chris P,
Clear Creek doesn't have orchestra a...Chris P,<br /> Clear Creek doesn't have orchestra and offers much less than the ICCSD. Same goes for the surrounding smaller districts. Even though the ICCSD has problems it is still the best school district in the county. Also, the smaller districts are not known for having top scholars.iclocalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-69501876075535388712014-05-08T02:20:12.089-05:002014-05-08T02:20:12.089-05:00Chris P -- I hear you, though I do think there'...Chris P -- I hear you, though I do think there's blame to go around. It really is true that the state forces the district to think in terms of separate pots of money; they simply can't take construction funds and spend them on teachers. (Dumb rule, in my opinion, but entirely the state's fault.) Nonetheless, the board has to use the money it gets wisely, and it's not clear that it has. At this point, there's no avoiding cuts of some kind, but I think the public is rightly unwilling to simply trust that the administrators made the best choices of where to cut. The whole process should have been more transparent and open to public input. At the very least we should have been given information about what the different options were and why they chose some rather than others. I hope the board will exercise some oversight of the decisions -- but I wouldn't bet on it.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-27387113484050854892014-05-08T01:56:22.252-05:002014-05-08T01:56:22.252-05:00My daughter has been looking forward to orchestra ...My daughter has been looking forward to orchestra for 2 years having watched her older brother and older cousin play their instruments. Now that she is about to be in 4th grade they cut the program, right after we voted for a tax increase to fund the school system. Parents don't care about the "multiple pots of money" argument. We just know that we voted for our schools and now receive less opportunity for our children. Thanks ICCSD, makes me want to pick up and move to the Clear-Creek, Amanna district. Chris Pnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-16561608516821767602014-04-10T10:47:32.895-05:002014-04-10T10:47:32.895-05:00These proposed cuts are especially hard to stomach...These proposed cuts are especially hard to stomach at a time when the district is apparently planning to unneccessarily spend several million to pave over a perfectly functional Hoover with a new parking lot, while introducing no net increase in capacity elsewhere. This is really senseless.<br /><br />I'm hoping we'll have several new candidates for school board in the next election, and a lot of turnover.Gregnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-52362319419660347002014-04-10T09:57:31.515-05:002014-04-10T09:57:31.515-05:00KD may have a point. We should consider keeping H...KD may have a point. We should consider keeping Hoover open instead of opening a new elementary or building additions elsewhere. Could we meet the capacity needs that way?<br /><br />Likewise, can we just use City and West? West would be much larger than City but we would be operating only two buildings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-34374288085068314052014-04-09T19:24:38.801-05:002014-04-09T19:24:38.801-05:00For each dollar cut from the athletics budget, wor...For each dollar cut from the athletics budget, world languages took a $12.10 cut and music programs took a $17.80 cut.Karen Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075997477474697121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-90925750080234762202014-04-09T18:25:56.517-05:002014-04-09T18:25:56.517-05:00So the numbers should work out with the 4th grade ...So the numbers should work out with the 4th grade orchestra program cuts being immediately spent on adding elementary classroom teachers.<br /><br />I was told to figure about $80,000 per teacher (salary plus benefits) so it looks like they would be adding five to six new teachers at the elementary level.<br /><br />It is too bad that they don't show the class sizes with and without the 4th grade orchestra cuts.Karen Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075997477474697121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-7458194439654651392014-04-09T13:52:46.132-05:002014-04-09T13:52:46.132-05:00Yes, these cuts do seem especially harsh for junio...Yes, these cuts do seem especially harsh for junior-high students. Does anyone else think it ironic that the Press-Citizen followed this lead story with a photo of the great success by the City High German class in this year's German-proficiency exam? My older son was able to take German classes for 5 full years in the ICCSD, studied further at the UI, including a year of study-abroad in Germany, and uses his German skills to this day in his medical practice.<br />Languages are best learned in the earlier grades. Why is the District making it harder to do?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-1106243536827712802014-04-09T10:28:14.136-05:002014-04-09T10:28:14.136-05:00Wow, I have a lot of questions. For anyone readin...Wow, I have a lot of questions. For anyone reading, these cuts are planned for the upcoming school year? Meaning that kids already enrolled in foreign language classes for next fall at the junior high level...they won't be there?<br /><br />Why so many cuts at the junior high level? If I am reading things right one of my kids will directly be affected by three of the cuts. One I don't care so much about....but the other two I'm not pleased about. But most of all I'm feeling sad for my kid when he had already been looking forward to participating to one of the activities that has been cut.<br /><br />What will be the plans for kids who would have enrolled in a foreign language? Study hall? Shoving them in other elective classes that are already overcrowded?<br /><br />With just one move, the ICCSD seems like a much less attractive district, with the reduced offerings. I was on board with the eventual plan to build the third high school, but how would we ever staff it without making more cuts? With making the district less attractive by making cuts to things like junior high foreign language, will the ICCSD continue to experience growth?<br /><br />I know there are all sorts of different funding pots, and these cuts coming from different funding sources than the ones used to build new schools. Still though the whole Hoover situation is a bitter pill to swallow with new schools being planned, a functional one being closed...but not enough money to properly staff the schools we have now.<br /><br />Maybe I'm overreacting, but it seems like in one fell swoop my youngest kid is being denied the opportunities that were available to my oldest kid. It doesn't seem right.<br /><br />Lastly, thanks for keeping up with your blog and covering all of these issues.KDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07883213697051461818noreply@blogger.com