Attached please find a draft of just page one of your revised budget compared to the one approved at the hearing – data was downloaded from the Region1schools.org website.
Bob Whelan has stated on Facebook the only items changed are the expected expenditures in your revised budget. That is not true. Every column except 2016-2017 actuals have changed. The budget column for 2017-2018 has changed, the $ increase, the % increase and the bottom lines for every column, has been revised, including last year’s approved budget (used this year for comparisons).
Attached is an excel spreadsheet for just page one (its a long spreadsheet). The white columns are the original, the green is the revised and the yellow are the changes. You can also look for yourself at the bottom lines on each column between the two documents disseminated to the public.There are many changes and I cannot imagine how you can change the numbers in the 2017-2018 budget when it was approved a year ago. This is very misleading and deceptive to the public.
Please also provide an explanation (either yourself or Bob since he has offered to be an expert on the budget and will answer any questions)
1) why the Superintendent Professional Development is now more than $10,000 over budget and what, exactly, has come up in the last 30 days to warrant an additional $5000 expenditure before the school year ends.
2) What are we spending an additional $10,000 on “Public Relations” – who are we paying and why?
3) How is it possible you expect to spend an additional $200k+ of the taxpayers money over and above what you presented to the public 30 days ago? It was stated those funds would go back to the individual towns – and now you have decided to spend half of it?
I will not argue with you on the legality of changing a document without board permission – let the State Election Commission sort all that out. But I would like an answer to the questions above.
If I had a business and wanted change I’d bring forth my goals to the board of directors and their input. I am sure they would say , let us research this and see what options we have. Communication with ALL EARS listening and a more forward would hope be compermised. They mayhem back and say, in this regions we believe it would work due to age of area. In this area we suggest to leave the plan in place because the age is different and the needs moving forward in their life is for the better in the years to come. NAA,,, I’m changing things now. Moral of employees drop, my customers are discouraged, parents don’t want to do business anymore with me. So I go out and hire consultants , better get a high profile lawyer in case I damaged some goods.
Guess next board meeting the board is saying your stockholders are selling, the plan didn’t work. Well I hired consultants, boss you know what people are going to say? Now you hire consultants we’re into this now, and you want to change? That only shows you didn’t do your research or listen to us. Darn tail is wagging the dog again. Cost??? Oh,,,our fund is short here for those expenditures , rob Peter to pay Pal.
We are at the end of the year. Our best consultants are right down the HALL, the Teachers. Communicate, ALL EARS ON BOARD,,,,NOW HEAR THIS, Lets get our learning skills together, lets restructure for one thing in mind. Give these students the best education we can. Lets do it right, right down the line. We will cut anything that is what we have taken granted for . We will move out of the building, we will stop trying to be an OVER -ACHIEVER, and work as a TEAM and make these students and Parents proud of the work and sacrifices we about to do. I am sure there are some cuts that are well deserving. I bet the total will supersede the cost of adding on 3 more teachers, and pay for the moving to another location. Just think of the TIME alone you will gain in being left alone from visitors, more private setting, everyone not saying who just came in or out, and all the moral that will surround the building from not worrying about being micro managed. Let the Principal and Vice Principal, do their job. It is the Principals responsibility , and I am sure he and whomever is Vise Principal will do just fine,,I’d bet beyond expectations. The training alone for this year for on the job training has cost how much? The cost of disgust and extra meetings, how much? Are we approaching one teachers salary? If so,,,,what could have been gains, is now a negative. Refigure,,,,correct wasteful spending,,,3 steps back,,,,,,and next year you will be miles ahead, and think,,,you just may get a smile and a Thank You, Think about it….Isn’t your reward seeing more of your students going on to further their education, because you created just a great learning experience for them? You boost the MORAL of the teachers and they teach with enthusiasm,,,they have the students attention.
Students of Housey, even people with out students going there anymore,,,,ARE FOR YOUR FUTURE!!!!!
I vote: NO
You know Mrs. Cohn, when you see the Board meetings, listen to the DEMANDS, listen to the Lawyer push his arrogance somewhat over the top, don’t you get the feeling behind the doors they must be arrogant enough to say, What does it matter, their the tax payer, What are they going to do about it? They still have to pay their taxes. They can put their kid in a private school and they still have to pay their taxes. SO WHAT! WONDER HOW MUCH IT COST TO GO TO VOTE EVERY TIME? They will just shuffle things around, play the numbers game. Make it look different, make it sound different, and still by the end of the final year get what they want one way or another. Mis. Vogel want to get in on the towns taxes????? Just how bad are these people, so money hungry, and with a job description NYP? I wonder if on their job description if it has; Works will with others; minus 1, Communicates well; minus 1, Shows empathy; minus 2; Has demonstrated leadership; minus 2; Understands the needs of the students ; minus 2, Works well with misguiding lawyer of arrogance; +4. Demonstrates a will to fullfill her own financial accounts before retirement; +4. And all to the taxpayers expense and depriving the education of the students.
Making short. The public is; A captive audience, with a captive pocketbook.
Just fulfilled Saturday morning ritual of coffee, bank, and transfer station runs. Multiple, “Vote No on the Budget” signs missing from the Lakeville landscape. Could the new high school head $70,000.00 plus/year custodian being storing them behind the Goodwin and Shipman offices?
You know,,,could be,,,,but you know there is another one in North Canaan, that is up everyones snot locker at the top of the list.
Vogel has been in Region One for two years and still can’t read the room. She speaks to highly educated parents as though they are fools, pushing blame for her failed initiatives onto everyone but herself. She paints the picture of a Housatonic graduate with zero prospects, ignorant of the mark they have left on every imaginable field. She’d be unable to identify most students by name if her shamefully altered budget depended on it. Want to build a better graduate, Pam? Head back to the cornfield. Housy’s are doing just fine without you.
Three years ago we spent $12,000.00 on a consultant headhunter to survey the region and spearhead a national search for the perfect assistant superintendent. That search resulted in Dr. Vogel’s hiring, with the plan being she would eventually replace Patricia Chamberlain. Would love to ask those involved in Dr. Vogel’s hiring if her initial interviews provided any hint the academic bliss in which we now find ourselves.
Ponding the pass; You are so right. Now look at what was hired in North Canaan. NYP Principal that was kicked out in New Fairfield. WHO WAS THE SUPERINTENDENT….. Why would they fully disclose a partner in crime from CABE (FRATERNITY OF SNOBS) so they can fully screw-up the students in NYP leadership? Follow suite as New Fairfield did.. Who’s money is it anyways? IT’S OUR MONEY!!! Not their’s!!!! IT’S OUR MONEY!!!! OUR MONEY!!!!!