Laveen School District - Your Thoughts?

[CheckM8]

I'm not sure who really favors the redistricting. I understand that the major reason for this is the administrative cost advantage, but I think the main trade off will be lack of local control over the schools. I don't see how making the district larger will really help the students that much.

[joninaz]

It's such a complicated issue.

We spend far more on k-12 education than any other country, nearing $510 billion this year. That's about the total gross domestic product of Argentina, yet we are avg. in testing. We've spent increasingly more on the Federal level under every administration, as well as at the state and local levels. We've got hundreds of universities and thousands of local, state and Federal "experts" who have been trying to figure out what works best for decades. We've got incredible technology and networking that allows instant access to information regarldess of location.

Yet somehow the kiddies can't learn English, Science and Math ideas developed mostly by people who worked by candlelight and wrote their findings with a feather.

I'm also going to guess many of those who failed also have flat screen TVs and more computing power in their video game systems than NASA had during the Apollo years... but let's not question that!

[barryhussein]

It shouldn't take a bond to give every principal a paddle.

[AZM]

After looking at some other information(correct me if I'm wrong) Property will be assessed at the rate of $31.54 per $100k for non-administrative capital improvements and $34.35 for administrative capital improvements. for a total of $65.89 per $100k assessed value for the next 18 years. I would really like my house payment to go down during these tough economic times. I know other in our community are having a tough time at making ends meet and all of us have seen the empty homes in our neighbourhoods. Are their and pay issues included in this bond money that will increase the wages of the upper administration? I truly believe that the builders should bare the cost of the infrastructure to the community based on in impact of the homes they build and add it to the cost of the new homes being sold.

Information on the above caluclations were obtained from Maricopa County Gov https://maricopa.gov/schools/pdf/ele...08_Nov_059.pdf

[AZM]

I can't see why anyone would vote for more taxes at this time. Please someone justify why;=}

[CheckM8]

Are you against the bond election or for it? The bond is totally worth it, but I have heard about raising the taxes if the districts are consolodated. I don't quite understand that if it is supposed to be saving money?

[AZM]

I can't see where it's going to make any difference in the quality of education for students. I have a 10 and 13 year old and they get A's and a few B's. This has little to do with the school or the administration. As parents we spend every school night with our kids going over homework after they have completed it and guiding them through the process. It's a battle sometimes as that's just the nature of things but it's our responsibility to our kids. I know of other parents that wish their kids were able to have as good of grades as ours but they will not devote the time to them that they deserve, they're indirectly depriving their own and still can't figure it out. With the diversity of the population Laveen you will not improve the schools education rating regardless of how much money you pump into it because the majority of parents don't care to raise their kids right, the school is just a day care that is required by the state. The only thing more money into the system is going to improve is the administrations pockets and the bricks at the schools. So to answer your question "Are you against the bond election or for it?" YES I AM AGAINST THE BOND! The school has enough money to do what it needs to and I can not justify taking money from the pockets of families that are having a difficult time financially just to line the pockets of those that offer false promises.

[AZM]

Originally Posted by CheckM8

I'm not sure who really favors the redistricting. I understand that the major reason for this is the administrative cost advantage, but I think the main trade off will be lack of local control over the schools. I don't see how making the district larger will really help the students that much.

If I'm understanding the proposition correctly the intent is to combine districts thus being able to remove redundancy in the districts which will make them more efficient in the performance of their mission that being education and thus also higher quality. As to a cost reduction this may be consumed in aligning the pay of the elementary teachers with the high school teachers, the elementary teachers currently get paid less even though the education and time in service is the same, that would change. Currently the elementary schools are separate from the high school districts and the unification between the two would help with a curriculum in the elementary schools that would be more in-line with the transition into the high school now that it's all in the same district. One item that many are misinformed about are what would the local level of parent, teacher and administration involvement\input would exist after the unification? Actually all concerned would have more involvement because all input would have a larger audience and this is what worries a lot of the upper level of the administration, the voices of the current few will become a larger voice to contend with.

[CheckM8]

Ofcourse, parent involvement is paramount to the child's education. The amount of the bond is not that great and is something that most of us will not even notice other than the few that are generally against taxes altogether. I also wouldn't say that a majority don't raise their children right as that is based upon one's perspective. However, probably about a third would not be at the minimal level of checking homework every night.

A lot of the bond is going for is the remodeling or new build of Laveen Elementary. I have been by there a few times and that place certainly needs to be fixed up. The most ironic part may be that it serves the homes where probably the highest incomes in the district are at. As a rule, I never say no to the bond elections even when I was young and had no children. Also, the declining home values and the need for new facilities and services will make it necessary for the district to have an increased revenue stream.

[CheckM8]

I read through the entire propositon, and the main reason that a bond is necessary is due to a moratorium from the state on new school builds. This is directly related to the budget deficit, further the state isn't funding remodeling of classrooms to bring them up to standard. It is necessary for the district to keep raising funds in order to catch up to the population growth in the area. This is a time when the district can catch up while there is an economic downturn and there isn't as many families moving into the area. It is ridiculuous that the only times that districts do get the funds is when they are already behind. The district is still behind right now, but by funding the bond election will allow them to stay ahead, and should reduce the crowding that is certain to come when the economy turns around.