Sup. Rivers... a "tool"

**simple man** · March 10th, 2011, 02:43 PM

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be? I know that everybody wants to pretend that is due to some wild spending binges at the central office or something, and there is no doubt that there has been wasted money there, and some of that due to running off anybody that dares mention the 'C' word, but does the simple enough concept that the county puts more into the schools than required because it requires more to run more buildings than the suggested level? Simple enough logic here. You need $2000 a month to live on, you earn $1600 a month, then you ask your job to just give you more money because you want it and they do. That's great if they do, you got the extra money you need to live on but you still do not have a single dollar to put up or use on any unexpected costs. You might can tighten a bit and do some minor things, but if something major happens, you're kind of screwed. That's basically what is going on here. It strikes me odd that everybody talks about Wise County spends more on education than anybody else, but for some reason, instead of thinking well thats because we're keeping 6 schools, 6 sets of teachers, administrators, etc going, and not just some devious master plan where the central office is putting money in their Swiss bank accounts"

How long has it been since any upgrades have been done to any of the schools? At your figure of 1.5 times the avg funding, you would think SOMEWHERE in the last 20 years we could have found some cash to fix ONE of the schools. When was the last thing done- other than the central office - that cost half a mill or more? Can anyone remember any money spent on the high schools?

**Counts** · March 10th, 2011, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by simple man

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be? I know that everybody wants to pretend that is due to some wild spending binges at the central office or something, and there is no doubt that there has been wasted money there, and some of that due to running off anybody that dares mention the 'C' word, but does the simple enough concept that the county puts more into the schools than required because it requires more to run more buildings than the suggested level? Simple enough logic here. You need $2000 a month to live on, you earn $1600 a month, then you ask your job to just give you more money because you want it and they do. That's great if they do, you got the extra money you need to live on but you still do not have a single dollar to put up or use on any unexpected costs. You might can tighten a bit and do some minor things, but if something major happens, you're kind of screwed. That's basically what is going on here. It strikes me odd that everybody talks about Wise County spends more on education than anybody else, but for some reason, instead of thinking well thats because we're keeping 6 schools, 6 sets of teachers, administrators, etc going, and not just some devious master plan where the central office is putting money in their Swiss bank accounts"

How long has it been since any upgrades have been done to any of the schools? At your figure of 1.5 times the avg funding, you would think SOMEWHERE in the last 20 years we could have found some cash to fix ONE of the schools. When was the last thing done- other than the central office - that cost half a mill or more? Can anyone remember any money spent on the high schools?

I do not think it is 1.5x the avg byt 1.5X the State allowed Min

i.e IF the state formula pays 80% of the state Min $7000 (No clue if that is the right numbers) then the state would provide $5600 and the county $1400 at 1.5x the county would insted bump that about up to $2100 for a totel of $7700.

I may be wrong but I think Rocketer is saying that the schools are currently so ineffecant that it takes that 1.5x bump just to tread water right now

**simple man** · March 10th, 2011, 04:24 PM

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be?"

Says 1.5x what they should be. Still- I can't remember ANYTHING being done to the high schools. I don't doubt that we are spending too much money at the moment, but what about 10-20 years ago? The folks that spend our county money would give 50,000 dollars for a Yugo, as long as somebody favorable gets the contract. If you can find the info look at the Basham era plans and the cost. The money to be spent was greatly different between the schools. So were the plan costs. I don't mind doubling the property tax, as long as we get good schools. As soon as you mention this , somebody will say the folks that pay rent are getting off scott free.
Far as this goes, when was the last time Clintwood got a good facelift?

**Counts** · March 11th, 2011, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by simple man

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be?"

Says 1.5x what they should be. Still- I can't remember ANYTHING being done to the high schools. I don't doubt that we are spending too much money at the moment, but what about 10-20 years ago? The folks that spend our county money would give 50,000 dollars for a Yugo, as long as somebody favorable gets the contract. If you can find the info look at the Basham era plans and the cost. The money to be spent was greatly different between the schools. So were the plan costs. I don't mind doubling the property tax, as long as we get good schools. As soon as you mention this , somebody will say the folks that pay rent are getting off scott free.
Far as this goes, when was the last time Clintwood got a good facelift?

As for DC they did put in the elevator a few years back when thy had a student in a wheel chair and about got into trouble for not having one......The older building could not be retro fitted with one so they hade the banister lift in that one however I figer that poor girl really struggled to get to her classes on time.......The HS Gym tends to flood every few years and I know that a floor was put in no more than 5 or 6 years ago........Not sure the county can afford much else considering that they are having HS teachers travel school to school to teach and have started using the electronic classrooms only for several core classes add to that the reason the classrooms are now so cold in the winter is that the furnace would need to be started a good 3 hours before school for them to get warm but due to cutbacks no one is allowed to come in so it is just going tto stay cold for the first 2 periods of the day

**R13** · March 17th, 2011, 05:42 PM

It was explained at the BOS meeting the other night, that because all the money it has taken to keep these six schools going, there's really been little to no money left to do any upgrades - sure here and there with very small projects, but nothing like they needed. Some are just too in denial to accept that, very sad.

**simple man** · March 19th, 2011, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by R13

It was explained at the BOS meeting the other night, that because all the money it has taken to keep these six schools going, there's really been little to no money left to do any upgrades - sure here and there with very small projects, but nothing like they needed. Some are just too in denial to accept that, very sad.

And some are too dumb to know the difference. If we are so desperate, why are going to have a fortune to build new schools? If the 2 boards and the consol folks so good, why didn't we get a little more funding 20 years ago? It all boils down to the same thing- this county doesn't want to pay anymore than they have to.

**R13** · March 21st, 2011, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by simple man

And some are too dumb to know the difference. If we are so desperate, why are going to have a fortune to build new schools? If the 2 boards and the consol folks so good, why didn't we get a little more funding 20 years ago? It all boils down to the same thing- this county doesn't want to pay anymore than they have to.

The anti-consolidation side has hogged up all the dumb. This has been addressed a thousand times, you guys seem to miss it. As of right now, with what money they have coupled various loans they have/will receive, they can afford it without a tax increase. Just because that is the case now, doesn't mean it will be the case next year or has been the case for 20 years. There are windows of construction that have lower costs, loans/new loans that haven't always been available that come with small/no interest rates. It's really not too hard to understand, this goes right over the head of so many though.