A Public Apology to Sen. Glenn Grothman and Rep. Pat Strachota

Dear Sen. Grothman and Rep. Strachota,

Thank you for coming to Jackson tonight to take part in the West Bend School District's "work session" for the School Board. As you may not have previously known, tonight was also the last night for outgoing board president Joe Carlson. I realize you were invited to this work session to discuss the changes taking place with the state budget that you have boldly supported on behalf of the majority of conservative taxpayers throughout Wisconsin. It was hoped that you would be able to share your ideas and suggestions in order to lend support to our local school board.

I'm sure you didn't expect to be taken hostage by our Superintendent, Pat Herdrich, our soon-to-be dethroned board president, Joe Carlson, and Kewaskum schoolteacher/board member Kris Beaver, who all repeatedly addressed both of you by your first names (though Carlson was sure to state "Dr." Herdrich when pertinent) and raised their voices angrily at you. Numerous times you were harshly demanded to come up with figures that were not yet determinable. Over and over again the condescending nature of the conversation was aimed at you until finally board vice president Tim Stepanski said enough was enough.

As if the bait-and-switch agenda for the evening wasn't enough, our local liberal recall election king, Waring Fincke, was front and center, and was aided by a young high school student who was trying her best to look intimidating with her video camera aimed on Sen. Grothman. The recall renegades were disruptively commenting as both of you tried to answer questions that were already rude and discourteous. What was worse, they followed you out of the room at the end of the meeting and waved signs in your faces and chanted, which prompted a police escort. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. A police escort for our State Senator and Representative in order to safely leave a School Board Work Session at Jackson Elementary School!

I am terribly embarrassed by the representation of the people on the school board who disrespected you, downplayed your positions, and mocked you to a waiting crowd. It felt like a set-up. Perhaps it was. I know there are other school board members who did not appreciate what took place. It is not representative of the people in our school district - the ones who know what you stand for and support you 100%.

Our new school board members bring a refreshing new outlook and a positive attitude. Our superintendent has one foot out the door as she seeks employment in a neighboring district. The tide is turning in West Bend, and it is a deep breath of fresh air.

Your input is valuable and your dedication is admirable. You have endured much and it has not gone unnoticed.

My apologies, once again, for this evening's untoward outcome.

God bless your time and efforts as you go forward in Wisconsin.

West Bend School District CLOSED for the rest of today and TOMORROW

The West Bend School District had a 12:30 p.m. early release for high school students, and has a two-hour early release for all other schools today.

ALL WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, due to the weather conditions.

West Bend School District - VOTE on School Budget TOMORROW - Monday

Show up, be heard.  


6:30 p.m., MONDAY, West Bend High School Auditorium (located in East High School)


The school board will vote on the District budget tomorrow night.  In an awkward attempt to get an "advisory" vote from district residents, the school board intends to have attendees stand up to lend their vote on the budget themselves.  You can be sure that average citizens are expecting their school board to lend fair representation without their presence needed.  With a little WEAC intervention, you can be sure the heavy weight of teachers and local liberal activists will smote unsuspecting parents and taxpayers.  We trust our elected officials to lend fair representation.


The annual meeting of the West Bend School Board will take place Monday, and district officials have taken steps to try to ensure that this year’s affair goes more smoothly than the year before. 

    Last year’s meeting drew between 600 and 700 people, presenting challenges in terms of space, visibility and acoustics....


...


Residents will be separated from non-residents, with eligible voters seated on the lower level and non-residents in the upper, according to Superinten- dent Pat Herdrich.

    Only those eligible to vote will be able to speak of items on the meeting agenda, Herdrich said, and time will be limited to two minutes per speaker. Speakers may address the board twice on any given item. 


....


New this year, residents will be asked to vote by standing — instead of speaking — and they will be counted.

    “We wanted to make sure that the voting process is going to be fair,” Carlson said. “It’s just for residents and registered voters. They are the ones who will be counted.”

    The vote is, however, just advisory and non-binding. 


...



    Weigand, who joined the school board in April with Randy Marquardt, was the sole board member to vote against the passage of the preliminary budget in May.

    Levying to the maximum allowable limit, which is what the district is proposing, is a practice he said he opposes philosophically.

    “Just because you can isn’t a reason to go there all the time,” he said. “There are other things to consider; public opinion. If it wasn’t a big issue with the public there might not be anything wrong with it, but this is a case where voters have said they don’t want this to happen and you have to be conscientious of that fact.” 


....


 Registration for that annual meeting begins at 6 p.m. The budget hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by the annual meeting at 7 p.m. 

Citizen wants to know what gives with Fitness Center - asks CARLSON

Interesting.  Nice that St. Joe's wants to be the sugar daddy, but are they willing to pick up the tab for ongoing maintenance?  staff?  equipment replacement?  I'm thinkin' not.  This is definitely a taxpayer treat.




"Joe Carlson, School Board president, I have a question for you. A couple of years ago before I agreed to work on the referendum we spoke about the fitness center. You assured me that in no way would the district financially support it. You told me there was the grant for equipment and that the St. Joe’s Foundation was contributing $250,000 and that the athletic department was soliciting donations to make up the balance of what was needed to build this center. 

    What happened? How could a district that had to raise the tax levy to the maximum allowed in order to reduce programming cuts, a district that is anticipating another $2 million reduction in state aid next year, a district that discusses an operational referendum in order to operate, a district that is considering combining the twin high schools in order to save money, how could that district give $100,000 to the fitness center?"

West Bend School Board Incumbents

PLEASE, NO MORE SONG AND DANCE ROUTINE......

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Conservatives are....."anti-education????"

Let the cartoons begin.

West Bend Daily News today:


  “I think it is very clear there are two sides of this debate,” said Corazzi. “There are two candidates who are committed to no tax increases and two candidates dedicated to maintaining quality education. The vote shows there are more people in the pro-education camp.” 


So let's try to understand what Corazzi is saying here.  Quality education means higher taxes and more money. Period.  No options.  If you don't agree, you are "anti-education."  Uh huh.  Right.  It appears that this is just an attempt to smear while giving thanks for passing the primary.  I noticed nobody else seized that opportunity.  Maybe it's because they have class.


That's okay.  Go ahead, Mr. C, do your thing.  


Tax and spend, Mr. Corazzi.  Tax and spend.

West Bend School District scrambling to rescue $12,000+ grant money going down the toilet

Challenge Day.    It's baaaaaaack........

This time, though, the disctrict administration is trying to work through issues to save the $12,000+ AODA grant money they decided to use for this inappropriate and wasteful program.  This grant was ok'd by the school board, but the program never was.  When parents caught wind, they decided to get vocal, calling the district administration with their opposing viewpoints concerning the way this program operated and could potentially affect and harm district children (with deep roots in religion, by the way).  In reaction, the school district allegedly shut down Challenge Day in a closed session without it ever appearing on the agenda.  Ouch.  A real no-no.

Now it seems that Ted Neitzke, Supt. of Curriculum and Instruction, is trying to salvage the UNREFUNDABLE $12,000.  Kathy "I don't have to respond to your open records requests" Zarling is scrambling to whip up a program of some kind that will dump Challenge Day on our teachers in what is being deemed a "modified" version. 

In this case, the school district has abused, and lost, some solid financial grant money that could have been put to good use on an AODA program (it's original intent).  Instead, the originally planned psychfest has been vomited into the laps of our schoolteachers.

Just wondering...will they get paid for taking part in this 6-hour session?

And who exactly brought this program to the district?  It's rumored that retired Supv. of Curric., Mary Jane Burdge, had something to do with it....

Challenge Day.  Indeed.

Challenge of "Challenge Day" too much for WBSD. Parents shut down PsychFest

Word on the street.

Challenge Day is officially cancelled.

And that's the rest of the story.

:-)

West Bend School District Finance Admin. bites the dust?

Hidden INSIDE the blankets of the West Bend Daily News (keep it quiet, please).  I just had to include the title given to this story by the WB News.  Quits?  Really!  Gives a harsh tone to this story.  But that's just my opinion.  At any rate, I find this intriguing.  Wonder what REALLY went on behind those closed doors?  Do stay tuned.



West Bend School District’s administrator of finance quits



    The West Bend School District will soon begin the search for a new administrator of finance.

    Brian Dasher, who held the position for the past two years, submitted his letter of resignation to the district about a week ago and the school board approved his request after meeting in closed session Monday.

    Dasher had been on medical leave since Oct. 5.

New website "Support West Bend Schools" posted to push tax levy

Interesting.    

Why are good schools important?

...."A high quality education is important for our childrens' future. However, good schools are important for more reasons than just the obvious.  Property values increase as more people desire to live within a particular school district.  Families with children are willing to pay more to live in a community where the schools have a good reputation.  Even home buyers who plan on using private schools or those without children benefit from communities with strong schools.  As long as a community maintains high-quality public schools, their property values will be more likely to rise.
When a school district cannot adequately fund their schools or fails to pass needed referenda, school quality will eventually decline and overcrowding will become an issue.  That community will begin to see homebuyers choosing to live elsewhere. We are already beginning to see this in West Bend as the real estate ads no longer advertise “West Bend Schools” as they have in the past.  Now the real estate ads read “Slinger Schools!”. "

The Last 2 School Board Meetings

OCTOBER 16, 2009 · POSTED IN UNCATEGORIZED · COMMENT 

Another School Board meeting was held on Monday, October 12 at Silverbrook Middle School.  Another large crowd showed up, however at this meeting the majority present was supportive of the levy increase and did not want to see cuts to educational programs or extracurriculars.  


....


The public was allowed to give input again, and 80 people had signed up to speak.  Although the School Board had to cut off speaking after 90 minutes, the majority of citizens who spoke supported the levy increase.