maybe i wasnt clear.
lets say for the sake of arguement, that the plan was thrown out. just imagine it (im sure you opposition dont have a hard time with this).
now the last i heard, there is not one position that could be cut without cutting into the basics required to educate our kids. we cant cut any more teachers. we cant cut anyone else. the next step is closing a school because there are no cuts to reduce expenses.
since you hate the districts plan, tell us yours! what is it? wheres the money going to come from to IMPROVE, not just maintain, all the schools, or at the least, the 3 in the north. what is your justification for keeping these 3 schools. how do you get them arranged, funded and remodeled to be functional, beautiful, economical, sensible, and inclusive of the community the way the new school will be. (maybe to do this you might have to know what the building design is approximately looking like.)
what is your plan? give us an outline - all the details, all the ins and outs, all the positives and negatives, what the tax per 100,000$ is going to be, who is going to do the study/research/figures/calculations and what are they going to be paid? how are we going to trust that they are going to give accurate numbers - maybe we have to hire two companies to do this? three even? maybe one of you have to do them yourself, but im going to bet you will be expected to be paid for it too.
dont deflect this by saying your questions arent being answered. if your plan and ideas are all that much better, give us the details so that we can look at it and determine whats best. so far no matter how many times i ask this i dont get my answers either. all i know from the opposition is that you want to keep all 3 buildings open. tower and cook are the most expensive facilities per square foot, no matter what fuel costs, they are still the most expensive, and you want to run them so tell me how you plan on doing that, and still easing the burden on taxpayers, especially those on a fixed income which likely, and understandably, made up for a large majority of the no votes.
im still waiting.
Tower and Cook were the most expensive per square foot... in the 07/08 school year, when the two fuels that they used were at historic highs. Now they are lower.
flowersofmn
The Cherry school is what costs the district so much to keep it running. Why would you keep a school open in the district thast is bleeding thne finances? Answer that! Tower-Soudan has a plan, why would we want to tell anyone, as it seems we are always being shot down by those of you who think we are not doing the right thing, and that is fighting for the students. We may not all agree with what is being said and done, but as least we can say that we tried. The district will lose millions of dollars without Tower-Soudan students in their schools. Is this what you want. Would you like to see the district fall, if we have a plan that will keep our school here and the district will receive revenue, what seems to be the problem. I know the problem is that you think that Tower, Cook, and Orr should be closed. I take it you are from the southern half of the district and you don't like what we are doing. Keep all commments to self. We are trying to get the education of the students to stay in Tower-Soudan, as they desrve not to spend half of their day on a bus. They desreve a quality education right here in their hometown. Don't you agree!!!!!
mtddew,
You show your ignorance. Cherry is not what costs the district so much, and it is not bleeding district finances. This is not fact, so who is your source? Obviously someone who has not taken their time to get educated and may just have some other agenda...as you seem to have.
So Tower-Soudan has a plan but you are not going to tell anyone? Not even T-S parents and residents? Probably not, since Marshall stated 'we' turned down an offer of a K-12 in T-S. What are you people doing? Greentea, please help these people get back to education.
Residents would probably speak up if they were not afraid of personal attacks and bully tactics by this group. Please, this is about education of our kids, not some community ecomonic source. That is another topic and another problem to be addressed, but not with education.
you are really going to have to clarify why you think cherry is the most expensive, and why you continually pound on that. cherry is NOT the most expensive, and actually bring in taconite relief money for our district. you should be thanking them.
the district's own research PROVE that cook and tower are the most expensive per square foot.
and you know what, this delay in telling anyone what your plan is only reiterates that you have NO plan, anything that you do have isnt worth the paper its written on otherwise you would have shown it to everyone by now. its all big talk, and no proof of any research, any answers, or any ideas at all. the point is you had BETTER share your plan or else your school WILL CLOSE one way or the other.
it is not a problem for any school to close. and must i remind you that kids have been riding on busses for an hour or more since LONG before now. just ask any resident of crane lake, greaney, bear river, etc etc etc. you have been long SPOILED to think that being 30 miles from your school is a nightmare; i knew a guy who got off the bus at 5 pm every day. i knew kids in my grade who got on the bus around 6:30. guess what, NO ONE complained back then. if you dont like it, you are welcome to move.
im sure we wont miss tower, but it sure would be nicer if you would just embrace the changes that will IMPROVE EDUCATION BY PUTTING MORE STUDENTS TOGETHER AND OFFERING MORE CLASSES AND ELECTIVES. im sorry, but band, choir or study hall is NOT a choice of electives that enrich the lives of children (though music classes, i think, are one of the most important classes any student can take).
mtddew you had better watch the comments you are making! i am NOT from the southern part of the district and never have been. it makes little difference though because there is no "southern" or "northern" - like it or not the district is ONE DISTRICT who voted for ONE PLAN. just as southern minnesota is just as much a part of minnesota as we are up here. just because you dont like it doesnt mean its not true or that it isnt right. its the way its going to be and will be. i still dont understand why tower wanted in this group of schools if they are so much better and holier and more perfect than the rest of us. from what i remember, tower was going BANKRUPT, and these schools were generous enough to take tower under their wing, and tower accepted it. you could very well have gone with ely if you wanted, but yet here you are. its really too bad.
i agree with thinksome1... you are really showing a lot of ignorance. where are you getting your "facts" you are spouting? i might suggest that instead of spouting what your leader is feeding you, perhaps you should get the information yourself and figure it out. i would much rather see a grown adult make one's own decisions than to follow someone else off the cliff. be a leader not a follower!
you want t-s to stay in "t-s" you can homeschool i suppose. there are other options out there. you dont *HAVE* to send your kids, open enrollment and all of that. but you will regret it later.
so, yeah, if theres a plan, great, enlighten us. we have been waiting for months for you guys to actually come up with something concrete and real information isntead of just spounting emotional anti campaigns. drama fests to sell papers. lets get some real facts and data. if you dont want to show it, i guess i cant be surprised, because i really dont think you even have anywhere near CLOSE to a plan. so the district IS doing the right thing because its the only thing we've got.
hey, if tower explodes and starts turning into a metropolis, perhaps you guys could build your own school later. but i would think it would be harder to give that to cranky people who dont even send their kids to our district.
flowersofmn:
first of all, I would like to say to you that I know the facts, I have been at every meeting, I have been through all the things that Tower has done in trying to save the school. So I know all of the facts. Maybe you need to follow all the facts from start to finish. I even go back and read all of the articles, and all the information that the school board has put out. It still doesn't change my mind. My children do go to the Tower-Soudan School, so why are you assuming that my children are not attending a 2142 school. I feel that it is a good school to send them to. But after the way I have seen the board act and throwing Tower unfer the bus, no I don't approve of a plan where all the students are not going to get a good quality education with the crappy books that they have, and they claim that they are getting new books with federal stimulus money, Bull. I don't believe what the school board has said, and I continue not to believe them.
And why do I have to share our plans with you. Oh my, I feel another scare tactic coming on claiming if we don't tell you our plan that you will close our school. You will lose students to virginia and Ely. I am undecided at this time where I am putting my children, I had wanted to send them to virginia, but know I am leaning towards something else.
I know there are some who have to get on the bus early, and those students have done that for years, but not spending almost their entire day on the bus. Why don't you take a ride on the bus, as they make all of their stops, and then tell me what you think of students spending just about a whole day on the bus.
I really don't care if you miss Tower or not, I know I will not miss 2142, and their nonsense. Why do I need to watch the comments that I am making, I sure their is something called freedom of spech, and I can express it at any time. You may not like what I have to say, then don't read the blogs. I feel as a tax payer in 2142 I have a right to state how I feel. And by the way smarty pants, who in the world would vote on a new high school to be built in a few years if the enrollment increased. Cut the crap, there is not one school in the district that would do it, because they got a new school out of the deal, and they are not going to want to see us have a new school. Get your sources stratight. I am a leader, not a follower, as I have come up with some of the options that were presented to the board for Tower. Back off, andd let us do what we feel is necessary for our students to get the good quality education they deserve RIGHT IN THEIR HOME TOWN OF TOWER. See ya later, hope all this will make you think.
flowersofmn:
first of all, I would like to say to you that I know the facts, I have been at every meeting, I have been through all the things that Tower has done in trying to save the school. So I know all of the facts. Maybe you need to follow all the facts from start to finish. I even go back and read all of the articles, and all the information that the school board has put out. It still doesn't change my mind. My children do go to the Tower-Soudan School, so why are you assuming that my children are not attending a 2142 school. I feel that it is a good school to send them to. But after the way I have seen the board act and throwing Tower unfer the bus, no I don't approve of a plan where all the students are not going to get a good quality education with the crappy books that they have, and they claim that they are getting new books with federal stimulus money, Bull. I don't believe what the school board has said, and I continue not to believe them.
And why do I have to share our plans with you. Oh my, I feel another scare tactic coming on claiming if we don't tell you our plan that you will close our school. You will lose students to virginia and Ely. I am undecided at this time where I am putting my children, I had wanted to send them to virginia, but know I am leaning towards something else.
I know there are some who have to get on the bus early, and those students have done that for years, but not spending almost their entire day on the bus. Why don't you take a ride on the bus, as they make all of their stops, and then tell me what you think of students spending just about a whole day on the bus.
I really don't care if you miss Tower or not, I know I will not miss 2142, and their nonsense. Why do I need to watch the comments that I am making, I sure their is something called freedom of spech, and I can express it at any time. You may not like what I have to say, then don't read the blogs. I feel as a tax payer in 2142 I have a right to state how I feel. And by the way smarty pants, who in the world would vote on a new high school to be built in a few years if the enrollment increased. Cut the crap, there is not one school in the district that would do it, because they got a new school out of the deal, and they are not going to want to see us have a new school. Get your sources stratight. I am a leader, not a follower, as I have come up with some of the options that were presented to the board for Tower. Back off, andd let us do what we feel is necessary for our students to get the good quality education they deserve RIGHT IN THEIR HOME TOWN OF TOWER. See ya later, hope all this will make you think.
Lets clarify "Cherry being expensive compared to other schools."
For all those keeping score here, the reason why the Cherry School seems so expensive to run is the fact that it has the most senior staff out of all the schools because it is centrally located on the Range. Teachers choose to live in the Virginia/Hibbing areas so when they get bumped from year to year they can be somewhat flexible (only driving 80 miles per day as opposed to much greater if they lived up north or down south). At the end of their career they bump back into Cherry which is close to their homes. So Cherry is left with many senior teachers. These senior teachers get paid the most as per the salary scale (based on education level and years of service). Don't believe me about the senior teachers at Cherry? Get your hands on a ISD 2142 seniority list and tell me where most of the Cherry teachers rank on that list......the answer is very near the top.
So if you closed Cherry, these senior teachers would simply bump into other schools in the district. So what am I saying....close "expensive" Cherry and you still have the economic burden of the senior teachers salaries.....just in different schools.
Also, many people are over looking the fact that Cherry has an operating iron mine within its boundaries (Evtac).......very few up north are talking about that hundreds of thousands of dollars that taconite relief the district gets each year because of Cherry. Also some investigation on "sparsity aid" is needed to get the full picture of what schools bring in what money for the district.
Also, I agree 100% with the question "where is your plan?" Early on, the excuse was we didn't have enough time / resources to get one together.....3 months later and not even a whisper of a viable plan other than keep all the schools open....which isn't financially nor educationally viable at all.
Skigaga37:
How do you know so much about the Cherry school? And Tower as well gets taconite aid. If some of the teachers that live in the Hibbing, they don't drive 80 miles a day . Hibbing is within reasonable distance between Cherry. So cut the crap. I don't care if you don't like what the citizens of Tower-Soudan are doing, if if were happening to you, you would be doing the same thing. Cherry receives only 350,000 in taconite aid. Then tell me what Tower receives if you seem to know so much about the schools, and I will let you know if you are right.
Don't teachers get bumped anyway, so what would be the difference if they goy bumped into different districts, they wouldn't all be in the same school.
I know about the Sparsity ai as well. And the district can't receive this money, unless they have fewer schools to operate, I know I have read all the material, I know what is going on. I am not ingnorant, Ilike I have said I have read inforamtion on the district, an been to all of the meetings. I don't know where you have been, nor do I care. We are a fighting community, and we all work together when things need to be taken care of, and this for one we will not just sit back and let it hapen. So we are going to fight until the end, and in the end we will all see the outcome of the school.
mtddew5862,
Why does it bother you if someone knows something about the Cherry school? You act as though they are not allowed to post on this site. They are only trying to supply some information but you are turning a deaf ear as has been done all along during this whole fiasco. Go ahead and fight until the end. In case you haven't noticed, the end has come and gone and the process is under way. That is the outcome. You may not be ignorant but you sure need to learn how to spell.
Mt. Dew-
Should I be offended that you seem to know information regarding Tower?
Let's clarify.....teachers live in the Hibbing so in case they get bumped they only have to drive 80 miles round trip (to Orr/Cook/B-E/Tower). If they lived way up north or way down south.....a bump might mean 150 miles round trip. I never meant that it was 80 miles round trip from Hibbing to Cherry. Actually it more like 20 miles but I better be careful because I don't want to offend anyone by knowing simple facts about one of seven schools in operation in ISD 2142.
As far as bumping to another district. If a teacher gets "bumped to a different district" (not how it works but okay)....correct, the teacher wouldn't be in the same school....nor would they have any seniority and would most likely start over at the bottom of the pay scale. Of course the school district could choose to grant these new teachers seniority and higher steps/lanes but I doubt it.
I understand the fight to keep Tower open is an emotional thing. So emotional that it has replaced reason/facts in many cases. I have never asked why you are so mad....I have simply asked what your plan is? Up to this point, the northern mantra has been "terrible, corrupt plan that won't work" When asked what their plan is........no viable plan is ever even whispered other than keep all the schools open. That is a fact.
That's it. I've had enough about this bumping issue. Over 25 years ago, when the County School teachers had already formed their union, they had bumping provisions across the entire district. Teachers bumped others in other schools when it suited their purposes, not when it suited the students. Let's be honest about that. By forming a new district, we could negotiate a new contract where teachers hold rights in their own unit (school) and if they wanted to get an assignment at a school of their choice, they would have to wait for a vacancy and then they could post for the opening. The most senior teacher would have the right of first refusal, and then the district could move down the list. Under a plan that I would advocate, each teacher would be committed to a minimum of 5 years to the school of their employment, unless a vacancy occurred in another school within the district. Each school would be a separate local union and would have to bid out to get their desired work location. I have friends that began open enrolling their children for the bumping reason only. I know of One family rented an apartment in Virginia so their kids could attend a school with some stability in staffing.
Students and parents deserve to know who their teachers will be from year to year, rather than some revolving door personnel policy like a fast-food restaurant. And to be fair to the young teachers, they need to know they will be teaching at the same school, so that they will buy or rent a house in the community where they work, rather than living in Hibbing or Virginia. The children deserve that!!!
The Orr School has a positive cash flow of approximately $600,000 annually, most attributed to using coal as an economical and efficient energy source (and American made), but the teachers union, the American Federation of Teachers, is a member of the Blue-Green Alliance with the Steelworkers and the Sierra Club, which hates coal mining, coal fired power plants and anything to do with coal. Does it surprise anyone that the teachers union is pushing "green" energy initiatives like solar panels (yes, here in northeastern Minnesota, solar panels) as a case for a new school? Only Der Fuhrer Helmerger and frau Summit could agree with that nonsense.
Converting the Tower and Cook Schools to new clean-coal heating systems would significantly reduce operating costs to those facilities. I believe Tower was originally a coal burning facility and retro-fitting should not be a major adjustment. Afterall, aren't we most concerned with reducing operating costs so we can buy new books, hire good teachers, provide quality education to our children and serve our communities? Who cares about the Sierra Club?
As far as Cherry goes, it is the oldest physical plant in the whole system. bJERKlie, knew it when he campaigned for the bond. He just did a better job than did Andy Larson. Zelda Bruns should have rejected this plan from the get-go, but she didn't. Beaudry hasn't lived here long enough to appreciate the culture. All we needed was 250 more votes...and we wouldn't be going through this turmoil. Only we had too many people that thought they knew what they were doing...only they Didn't.
Let the personal attacks begin, especially from the chosen few on our side. I'm tired about having to skirt around the real problems facing these schools and communities. We need jobs, we need people willing to set up housekeeping in our communities and we need a unified effort to eradicated the Sierra Club from existence in our communities and the commerce that is our way of life.
Ok- I have a question.
I was reading the Saturday Mesabi Daily News. On the FRONT page was a story pertaining to the almighty taconite tax credit to school districts in taconite production areas on the Iron Range. If the bill that they spoke of passes the almighty taconite tax credit will be no more.
Is this fair? I dont know. Can they do it? I also dont know.
Those legislators in the larger parts of MN feel that allowing those area have those extra dollars is wrong and they want to DECREASE our state funding by the exact amount those schools receive from taconite relief. This essentually makes both Babbitt and Cherry on the same playing field as every other school in ISD 2142.
If what many are saying is true, this will make those taconite production area schools the 2 most expensive schools in our district to run.
I realize I am just one person who after reading this story many times and trying to understand all the ramifications, came to the conclusion that ISD 2142 will no longer receive any extra benefit for the schools in the taconite production areas if this does pass.
ISD 2142 will have sold other areas down the river for nothing.
If anyone else has read this story and saw a different slant then say so.
Thank You
Dena Suihkonen
Tower
While I am not a fan of bump night, I will argue that your assessment of bump night is void of real world facts.
1. Under the current system of bumping the only time someone can be bump someone is if they are impacted themselves. You get part of your job cut, you have the right to "bump" someone less senior. Another way to move schools is when teachers fill vacant positions. Teachers don't simply get to choose what schools they teach at based on their desire.
2. Each school standing on their own. What happens when you have worked at a school for numerous years and see your enrollment for your class dwindle to the point where it is no longer viable to keep the class? Meaning, you are now less than a full time employee and have no way of maintaining full employment, despite the fact you may have worked in the district for decades. But teachers should simply give up their livelihood because it is good for the community....would you give up your families livelihood?
3. Under your five year plan, what happens when enrollment drops below a critical mass for a class due to small class sizes or students choosing other electives? Do we just pay the teacher to stay their for five years despite no classes to teach? Or similar to #2, have the teacher give up their livelihood?
The fact of the matter is that once you get down to four stable schools, the fluctuation of class sizes and funding will be less so bumping of teachers will be less. What does that mean......less bumping between schools. Or to put it another way....more stable learning environments. You said people are leaving the district due to high teacher turnover....then by the same argument less will now be leaving because their won't be nearly as much teacher turnover. Thanks for pointing out another benefit of school consolidation.
No teacher really likes bumping but there has yet to be another viable alternative that protects workers equally. In short there is no other real world viable alternative....very similar to the restructuring plan from the north.
Finally, it is quite ironic/funny that you call for an end of name calling in your post but resort to a junior high tactic of calling Bjerklie a JERK by highlighting his name. Yet another well thought out double standard from you folks up north.
Skigaga,
Just a few quick thoughts. You have explained the Cherry costs quite well. I myself also wish the bump wasnt part of ISD 2142. I feel that unless teachers are secure in their positions they never fully invest in their schools, in their classrooms.
In the Tower-Soudan school we also have some long standing teachers. The bond between these teachers and their kids, their students is wonderful. Just as Cherry did not want to lose their school ,their "family" we in the Tower-Soudan area do not want to lose ours either.
I honestly do not understand how you and others can be so smug. You are getting a newly remodeled building using our tax base. Your school will be remodeled and a new school will be built for Alborn using in essence the tax base of Tower-Soudan, Cook and Orr. We in the Tower-Soudan attendance area will repay 37% of the 80 million dollars and when you add in the tax base of Cook and Orr you find these 3 Northern communities will be repaying a staggering 75% of that 80 million dollars.
I keep hearing how the Tower-Soudan residents turned down a new school in Embarrass. I can HONESTLY say I never turned down such a school. I was never OFFERED such a school. I heard this option at an Eagle Pride meeting that was attended by 2 school board members before the public meetings. During this meeting I asked a very pointed question about how long a stand alone preK thru 6 lasts on average and was told at this time that it usually makes it 2 to 5 years.
I myself decided at this time that this wasn't good enough. A stand alone Elementary school was not a viable option. When the community meeting group including JCI, Mr. Rick and the school board came to the Tower-Soudan gym this proposed school in the Embarrass area was never offered. It was in one of the options on the paper handed out, but it was not offered by those who came there. We as a community made it clear at this meeting that our kids would not be going to Babbitt. We were told that we would change our minds. (I have not.) Yet the new Embarrass area school was not offered. I guess I will never understand why this was not. ( okay I guess I believe it was due to taconite tax dollars)
I am one of those who feel that a school can serve a community when it is within a reasonable distance. A school 25 plus miles away in another town is NOT reasonable. I also believe that unless our kids are given ownership in their school they will never be accepted.(Once again a personal opinion)
My next plan of action was to ask that the school serving Cook/Orr would be moved to a spot halfway between Tower and Orr.( I emailed Mr. Rick repeatedly asking if his promise of running those numbers happened and he finally emailed that JCI felt it was not worth running those numbers.) I myself felt that even though it would be a large distance to a new school between Orr/Tower if it was a brand new neutral school I would go for it. I also felt that if my children would be able to have a new school that they were a part of we would be willing to make sacrifices.
I am going to end up having to send my daughters to an existing school in another school district, but its large enough that they will find their niche. I believe that the option offered for our kids by 2142 is not going to allow our kids to be accepted.
After going to the school sporting events in the Fall and Winter I believe this now more then ever. These games were not "friendly rilvalrys" . They were not playing as friends and future teammates. They were brutal to watch. I honestly felt sadness watching them.
I am glad that you are proud of your area. That you know the facts about the costs etc of your school. This shows your heart is also in the right place. Understand that mine is as well. I love my areas school, I respect the teachers and believe that a small school has huge benefits.
You as well as others need to remember that passion can cause people to get upset. That words posted on both sides have become mean and vindictive. If you or anyone else want to hear the plans of the Northern area attacking us and berating us will not get you anything. Why would we tell you anything? I see no point. Let's be honest you want to know the plans to tear holes in them. Sorry, I am not playing that game.
In closing, we all have to make decisions about what is best for our children. My choices were forced and after careful research ISD 2142 will not be educating my daughters. I know your side really doesn't care. That was made very clear. The fact is its your loss. My kids are bright and loving girls who will excel wherever they go. I just wish my tax dollars were supporting their new school district.
Thank you.
Greentea's passion is admirable. No matter what the coffee shop or tavern talk say about our Iron Range delegation in the legislature, they do work very, very hard to assure funding for our schools up here. Having worked in the Twin Cities, I was always perplexed with the ignorance for our needs and way of life up here. I chalked it up to the Cowles family ownership of the Minneapolis RedStarTribune and their hatred of the Iron Range. For some unknown reason, the Twin Cities think Taconite production taxes, in lieu of property taxes up here, also belong to them down there.
I feel in my heart, that Tom Bakk, Tommy Rukavina, Tom Anzelc and the rest of the Range delegation will do whatever is within their power to preserve the Taconite aid to our district, despite the efforts of the Twin Cities metro contingency. We need to support them, if we expect them to help us find a way out of this morass.
I'm sorry, skigaga37, about my comments about Darrell. I am terribly upset with him using the Cherry public school microphone, as a school board member, at the Orr-Cherry football game to promote a yes vote. I am equally upset with him coming into the Orr school attendance area, when we already have a school board member to represent our area, promoting a yes vote. I am further upset with him when he offered an amendment at the school board meeting to penalize the Cook-Orr-Tower/Soudan school attendance areas with a $1million draw-down if we pursued a 1 year moratorium on the building plans for the north district. I am not personalizing my comments, I am directing them to his performance as a school board director and I call into question his professionalism in that regard. If the shoe were on the other foot, you, based on the comments I have read in your past posts, would do the same thing.
Greentea and Orrcountry:
I want to commend you for a well written blog. I agree with you. Using the school microphone was in my opinion very unprofessional. He should have stayed out of the Orr school as well. From what I have heard from someone that doesn't live in this is that when all of the district voted on a plan, that plan cannot be changed after the vote. It seems to me that the location of the Cotton school has been changed since the vote. That is dishonest, and the board can find themselves in some trouble.
What is wrong with the community group that Tower has to save their school. If it were you, you would be doing the same as well. I would like to thank those who are in this group for all the hard work they have done to get at the point they are at. I am right with them in fighting for what the students deserve, and that is to maintain the quality of education they receive right here in Tower-Soudan. So those of you out there who don't like what we have to say, and the things we are doing, then why do you have to comment on them at all.
Tower will do what it so chooses to do, just like the other schools in the district have done. But at least Tower-Soudan is doing things the right way instead of lying to the taxpayers, as others schools have done, just to get the vote passed. NOT A SMART THING TO DO ON YOUR PART. wHEN WE GET WHAT WE WANT HERE IN TOWER-SOUDAN, WHAT WILL BE YOUR ANSWER THEN. Mine will be I told you, that we would keep fighting for what is right, and, loosing our school is not right.
mtddew5862
if you have a trust issue with the district, then theres nothing anyone can do or say to change that. those are YOUR issues, not the school district's. they dont have an issue with you, you have an issue with them. too bad.
its not about whats gonna happen if you dont show a plan. if you dont show a plan with excitement and facts and surity that its going to solve the problem, then the plan doesnt exist. we arent preschoolers here, we are adults. when someone doesnt have a plan, they bluff. and thats what you are doing (until you propose your plan)
besides that, the very plan we are passing was proposed by the community. where were you then?
i rode a bus when i was in school. it took a half hour to go 6 miles. i rode to people's houses who were at the end of routes. its a long ride. boooohoooohooo. you want to complain about it, you are welcome to drive your own kids to school. changes will be happening with vans and misc so less stops per vehicle will shorten trips. but you wont believe me or the district when we say that (see trust issues above)
about cherry: you go ask the kids there. THEY DONT WANT TO GO TO HIBBING. some have been there, and they RAN back to a school that knows them by first name and helps them after hours. hibbing doesnt offer that to their kids, they know it because they experienced it. just ask them.
GO SKIGAGA37.
orrcountry; immaturity and name calling only makes you look silly. try working out your emotional issues in private, dont take it out on others.
skigaga is right on about bumping (at least to my limited knowledge of it). orrcountry, just because you THINK you know facts doesnt always mean that you do. and once again; go SKIGAGA on calling orrcountry on his bs.
GREENTEA: you forget about seasonal homes; they dont use your school. it might look like you are paying 37% but its not tower, its seasonal people who dont give a crap if a school up here stands or not. finally. those million dollar homes will actually be helping our kids.
add that to orr and cook you say 75% will be paid by "us" - you forget that tower and cook include a BUNCH of lake vermillion million dollar homes. those homes will finally be paying a school tax, helping the rest of us out by spreading out the wealth. sure, its hurting some of them who are paying into our district twice or another district in their other property, but thats not our problem. its only fair i feel for them to pitch in.
I DONT CARE IF YOU WERE OFFERED THE NEW SCHOOL UP THERE. you knew about it and you didnt ask about it and you didnt fight for it at all, which is rediculous considering the time and effort you have wasted to try to stop this plan. its your own sorry fault. you could have pushed and fought for it. perhaps something could have been done about taconite relief, since you think tower gets some as well, what would it matter if the school was in between. but you didnt fight for it. you could have and should have if it mattered that much to you.
nett lake has had a very successful k-6 for many years. you should take teresa's advice and visit their location, they would be more than happy to have you.
you are extremely mistaken if you think orr would go along with a school farther from them than it already is. the olson road site is pushing the limits as it is. (if it works out). theres no way we will be on board for a school farther away. however, im sure they would support a cook/tower school and leave orr alone. but i know thats not the best option for any of the kids.
the only way your kids wouldnt be accepted in tower is by your attitude about it. kids are resilient, and typically are friends with many many students in all schools in our district. you are blind and foolish to think that they wouldnt find a place in babbitt. either you are saying that babbitt is going to snob you or you are going to snob them. i see a lot of parents doing that, but not the kids.
you are proud to see kids play brutally against each other? i suppose you would be the same mom to be proud of her kid for PUNCHING a member of another team in the stomach in the congrats line at the end of a game. SHAMEFUL. we adults are teaching our kids to hate kids from other schools because of the consolidation. you are prejudicing your own kids against others. you are teaching them that if something happens that you dont like, throw a tantrum, hate others, and run away. is that what you mean to do? do you even know that you are doing it? i highly doubt you would do this knowingly.
again i reiterate; tell us your plan, or you are bluffing and have no plan. im not stupid, and neither is anyone else. its been far over a year. if you had something, you would be ACHING to tell us.
and again, if you made your choice, then you already checked out. its over. bye bye.
im ashamed to think im actually talking to other adults here. you guys say one thing, do the other, do one thing, say the other.... you have no idea what to do, so you claim you have a plan, and that we dont have "right" to it. im sorry; your plan does NO ONE any good hiding in your imaginations. if you really had a plan that would work, with all the facts and details, then you would be RUNNING to the district office to propose it. so out with it. whats the plan ? WHATS THE PLAN? WHATS THE PLAN? if you cant change education, the school district can!
flowersofmn,
I assume you forget that many of us own town homes and lake cabins or other properties, we have cabins, farms, hunting shacks that our families have owned for generations. Yes we will be paying taxes on all of them. Yet our kids will have no local education. My children will be educated in another school district. You see I would much rather pay taxes to support the school they attend. You talk about name calling. My word read your rants. You are one of the rudest posters on here.
As usual a yes voter who doesnt care if we were offerered an education for our children. In their eyes just shut up and pay. I have fought from day 1 and those just like you really do not care. Its too bad isnt it. You will also lose it all. When our kids leave this district you will also lose. Try to make up the millions in student revenue that leave with them.
75% of the ISD 2142 tax base is trying right now to become their own school district. I only pray we are able to do so. This should be good for you Yes voters. You have maintained you do not need our children. I assume that also means you do not need our tax base either.
Nett Lake will have a successful High School. I am sure that when they ask for and receive the funding they will once again show us all how small schools can and do educate with high success. I have been to their school. It is wonderful. They didnt do that with 5 million dollars minus the demolition costs of the oldest part of the building. But once again I know you dont care if our kids are educated- just shut up and pay- the manta of ISD 2142 and its YES voters.
I refuse to shut up- my kids mean too much!
"Immaturity and name calling only makes you look silly" - flowersofmn, look in a mirror. Lol. I don't have children in the district; I don't live in the district; I own property in the district so that makes me one of those "seasonal people who don't give a crap if a school up here stands or not." From your psycho comments, it really is true that you are delirious about others paying for your school. First of all, as a seasonal property owner, I care about the school and its importance to the community. Those kids work in the grocery stores I frequent, tend at the docks, and they and their parents are important to the fabric of their community. I've been following the blogs for a lonnnnnng time. I don't know you flowersofmn. I don't know MH and the Obstructionists (is that local music band?) But you give so much credit to MH for riling up the hunters and being the leader iin all obstructionist activity. For sure he must be superman because he also puts out a top-notch newspaper that brings information and awareness to important issues. Information that's important to a public process. Now you, flowersofmn, oh for sure you are soooooo smart because you speak, (ruff ruff) so intelligently to whatever is going on with every design meeting, site selection process, what's happening in Hibbing and Tower schools, what they look like from tiles to rust. You know everything about Albrook, Cotton, Babbitt, and Orr, and even Cook schools. Goodness, you seem to be an expert on everything from wetlands, to planning and zoning, hunting, state and federal education standards and even the union bumping. flowersofmn, take a deep breath and look in a mirror. Lol Your true colors of disregard are showing. Grow up. I feel sorry for your kids. Be a better role model. Be respectful. The folks in Orr, Cook and Tower, keep working towards the best interests of your school, kids and community. Seasonal folks care. flowersofmn, cut the crap. Do you think the Yes supporters, JCI and ISD 2142 school board members must be proud of their blog spokesperson? If so, keep speaking on their behalf.