WHERE'S THE MONEY?
To the Editor:
In response to Suzanne Dunbar:
I don't dispute that the “no” vote on the last school referendum “led” to cuts in our district that are hard to accept. But to infer that if someone voted “no,” and they are then responsible for closing Cascade Elementary School, is an injustice to the voting process!
To infer that their “no” vote also “caused” these other cuts is untrue. The School Board chose these cuts.
We had some input, specifically the concerns about moving the fifth-grade students to Riverview and also the dangerous cuts in bussing. We did not vote to move the students and cut bussing; the board did.
We had some input in not closing Cascade school. We did not vote to close the school; the board did.
We do not have a savings fund to forestall any of these events; the School Board does.
We do not know other alternatives for cutting that were discussed; the School Board does.
Could it be that the vote against referendums is linked to their amount
and what exactly
the amount is for? Could it be that the vote is linked to alienation
of the public?
The vote of Nov. 2, 2004 –
Plymouth School Referendum passed 4,557 to 3,849; amount: $18,335,000.
Town of Mitchell was the only voting area with a “no” (361) vote larger than a “yes” (244) vote.
Parnell Elementary School
in the town of Mitchell was closed at the end of the 2003-04 school year.
The vote of April 3, 2007
-- Plymouth School Referendum defeated 2,291 to 1,189. Amount: $2.6 million.
No voting area in the district voted for this referendum.
Hmmmmm, seems like we had just voted on a referendum.
The vote of Nov. 4, 2008
– Plymouth School Referendum defeated 4,919 to 3,775. Amount: $6,075,000.
All wards in Plymouth, except wards 9-10, voted “no.”
Towns of Greenbush, Lima, Lyndon, Mitchell, Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls voted “no.”
Town of Herman voted “yes” –2; “no” – 2. Town of Rhine voted “yes” - 4; “no” – 2.
There were not any votes in the towns of Scott and Sherman.
Village of Cascade voted “yes” – 175; “no” – 211.
$18,335,000 … $2,600,000 … $6,075,000…
The vote on the next referendum?
Is there a pattern here?
Village of Cascade: “yes” - ? “no” - ?
Rest of the district: “yes” - ? “no” - ?
It looks scary. When we vote, we're looking at those dollars and we want to know where those dollars are going.
If you get an estimate to redo your house, you can look at this and see what you're getting and for how much. We don't want to be told we need $6,075,000 for maintenance and upkeep. What maintenance, what upkeep, and for what amount?
Lay it out. Give us details. I'm not saying to the penny, but maybe it should be that if people want to know.
Show us the tax dollars coming in from every source. Show us where it's going, show us what has to be done, and then show us where the dollars will be spent
By the way, I did vote “yes” on the last referendum.
Thank you for letting me express my opinion.
Janet Hughes
