Sticklen, who resigned after transferring her daughter to Webb City, and other board members grew defensive during the latter portions of the July 22 meeting as newly elected board member Debbie Fort asked questions about the $8 million in "might-as-well" spending that forced district officials to seek long-term financing.
That portion of the meeting was covered in the July 22 Turner Report. It happened shortly after CFO Paul Barr, who had talked at the June board meeting about the need for long-term financing because of the "might-as-well"spending, which included artificial turf and lighting for all fields, press boxes for the football and soccer fields, a track at the high school, and four tennis courts, revisited the subject, but failed to mention any of the athletic items:
The newest member of the Board of Education attending the meeting, Debbie Fort, had to bring up the tennis courts, hinted at the other athletic items and asked, "Did we think that we had the money to pay for that?" she said, referring to those who were on the board at the time the decisions were made. "Did we know we were going to have to borrow money?"
That ticked off board member Dawn Sticklen. "Why do you want to know that?" she snapped.
Huff stepped in and noted that Barr had come up with a funding mechanism to take care of the $8 million in debt, or as Barr referred to it, in another comment that will probably send him to the woodshed, "Eight million dollars or whatever the amount of the debt is."
Paul, you just never learn.
Huff added, "We have new facilities everywhere. We have some great facilities."
Sticklen, still bristling over Fort's tennis court remark, said, "You can't have a tennis match with four courts. Why have four courts that aren't going to be used?" That would be silly, she added. "It is an additional expense, but it is an investment."
Board member Randy Steele added. "And we didn't have a track and we didn't have turf."
Board President Annie Sharp agreed, "Yes, it's very expensive. It was over budget, but we got a big bang for our bucks."
She added, "I hope our community backs us in our financial dilemma."
The financial dilemma mentioned by the board president will be front and center Tuesday night as the annual tax levy hearing is scheduled. While the levy is scheduled to remain the same, $3.66 per $100 assessed valuation, the distribution of the levy will change dramatically.
At a time when the district is going deeper and deeper into debt, with the board already giving the go-ahead for the $8 million in long-term financing and an e-mail from Barr to Superintendent C.J. Huff and the board indicating that another $37 million in short-term financing is needed, the debt service portion of the levy will be reduced from 91 cents to 61 cents.
The levy hearing public notice printed this week in the Joplin Globe showed anticipated delinquencies of $3,264,000.
What seems certain is that at the same time district officials are basking in the announcement that school will start on time, the financial decisions and reckless overspending they have approved over the past few years are going to have a harmful effect on the education received by the students of the Joplin R-8 School District.
(Note: Technically, Sticklen is still on the board until her resignation is officially accepted by the board.)
What this means is there will be a reduction of 30 cents on the dollar for every dollar allocated to the classroom. So, how do they intend to replace those aging computers, provide learning materials, raises (wait--we don't do that in Joplin), and even maintain what they have? They won't be able to. Once again, the students and the staff pay. You can bet that there will be no sacrifices at the administration level.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we did have a track, Mr. Steele, yes we did. We just didn't have one at the building. And how, I wonder, have we been playing tennis all these years? Hmm. Their excuses are very weak. I hope they put as much into academics as they have into sports. If they don't, I propose we parents consider suing for damages. You can bet they provided for their advanced classes, but I would be willing to bet that the regular students, which is what most of us have, got stiffed again. Maybe they can learn to play tennis so they will get something for their time spent at JHS.
The old Joplin High had 4 tennis courts as well and they never played there. Always played at Schifferdecker & then the new athletic complex in Joplin. I don't have a dog in this fight but if a school is going to have tennis courts, 4 isn't enough.
ReplyDeleteSports is always most important. About 4 years ago when I was an employee and a coach in the district budgets were being cut, jobs were being reduced, everyone was cutting. I was rather embarrassed as a coach when I went to the coaches meeting at the end of summer to hear "no athletic budget has been cut".
ReplyDeleteSticklen can not be moving her daughter because of the facilities...sooo the reason must be coaching.
ReplyDeleteNice that we still have money to move a former Career Pathways councillor with no educational background and a General Studies degree into ISS so he can keep coaching football.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when we will start bringing in Teach For America teachers so no one has to be paid for more than two years. I mean, now that everyone has to "give" all their lesson plans to the district because they own all intellectual property who needs professioal educators that cost too much to pay.
Everyone at the Admin Building should be fired and Bright Futures should be shut down. What a joke we have become.
the removal of her daughter is all about athletics and not about education. which makes her the biggest joke on the R8 board and she has lost any credibility she ever had.
ReplyDeleteHmm..the bigger question is is Sticklan moving her child to Webb to play sports???
ReplyDeleteWhere is MSHSAA on this one???
The big story here is not Sticklen or that she moved her daughter. MSHSAA has been notified and she has resigned. The big story here is the behavior of the board toward one of their own who actually tried to ask questions (oh my), and the FINANCIAL situation. Of these situations (Sticklen's daughter or district finances), which one affects the majority of us? The financial. It amazes me how little reaction that is getting. I guess you all like paying taxes or having less available for your children in the classroom.
ReplyDelete