They've been trying to pass a levy around here for a while, since the BOE doesn't know how to budget their money correctly. However, ever since someone inside the BOE spilled the beans a couple years back that teachers were getting benefits such as no deductables for doctors visits (when it wasn't listed as one of things the money was going to be used for) and huge raises, just about everyone has been against it. As a result, the schools are run-down and have hardly any money for repairs and such.
But then again, it's really their own fault. The first teachers who are begging for the levy were the ones who treated anyone who didn't have a certain last name as a snob. For example, my second grade teacher (who was the first to actually beg for the levy) told me that I would amount to nothing, would be a dead-beat dad, and end up dying at the age of 22, while telling another person that he would end up a success, have excellent and well behaved children, and be rich. Just before they spent more tax payers money (the cost to hold it was $70,000--enough to actually do some of the "repairs" they needed, but that money was stolen from the 4H group, who raised the money themselves by doing fundraisers) to hold a special election on the levy, I went up to that teacher and asked her if she remembered me. Of course, she said no. I reminded her that of what she told me, then proceded to tell her where I'm at now--still going to college (though part-time) and almost finished, while having an excellent fulltime job that pays more than her job while having all the benefits she wished she had. I also reminded her of that person she said would be successful has two brats who act like spawns of satan, no sort of insurance except for car insurance, a no-good wife who only sees him as a sperm donor and a walking wallet, a job that hardly pays anything, and living in a crappy, old trailer. Then I told her that as a result of that, that's the reason why I keep voting "NO!" for the levy. Of course, when the time came up, I voted no, just like the majority of other people.
My only question is this: what exactly are you teaching children? To be snobs to people who don't have a certain last name? No wonder brats act as such now-a-days. I'm not going to pay extra taxes just so you can continue to teach other kids to be snobs to each other because of their last name. Also, I'm definitely not going to pay extra taxes just so the snobs (because all those "successes" always were the ones who got on the school teams) can get a excellent bus to travel in during away games, while they keep having a pathetic season (it's always a 0-32 record) when the school's chess and programming team always comes in first in competitions but get no budget at all.
Oh, according to many younger cousins, the school system which I went through is still like that. Guess they don't learn their lessons, do they?
According to the last levy, they mentioned that if the levy didn't pass, they would have to cut some sports. The very same day the levy failed, they put
more money into the sports teams and P.E. teachers funds while decreasing funds from other places like the other teachers budgets (e.g. the science teachers who need the money to pay for lab materials, English teachers who need the money to pay for literature the is required by the state to be read at that level, and even computer science teachers who need newer computers since they're still using the Win 3.1 computers I had to use when I was still going there.)
Again, I ask, what are they really teaching in these schools? The answer is pretty obvious. As a result of such another, it becomes another reason to vote "NO" for school levies. I suggest everyone vote no if any nearby school systems who request a levy.