The Taxpayers Ticket made it in interesting election, raising concerns over contract extensions negotiated mere weeks before the election. But in the end, voters picked their opponents. What does that say?
Maybe it says there are more 203 parents that care about curriculum and other education issues than there are 203 property owners concerned about taxes. Maybe, as the Taxpayers Ticket asserted, it says the unions mustered enough sway to get out the vote. Or maybe it says something about campaign tactics, that voters prefer positive messages over negative ones.
Either way, the 203 board faces plenty of work ahead, including decisions about millions of dollars of planned improvements for Mill Street Elementary and Naperville Central High schools.
With a turnout that was more than 70% greater than that of the prior election, the voters of the district overwhelmingly showed that they understand and appreciate the value that their schools provide to them. The voters looked past attempts at partisan politics and labeling, and voted for a positive vision of cooperation, rational fiscal management and progress.
Naperville Unit 203 operates under a balanced budget with operational spending per pupil (IL State Board of Education, 2006 report) is only $298 over the state average, $9396 vs. $9099, for schools that typically rank among the best statewide, year after year.
Solving the problem of school funding and high property taxes is a job for the state legislature, not one that will be resolved locally at the school board level. This is especially important to senior citizens and people living on fixed incomes.
The question of the 2002 referendum has proven to be a complex one and the implications that the district mismanages its finances are just plain false. Financial forecasting in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy proved to be difficult for businesses, municipalities and schools alike. Prolonged low mortgage rates spurred a home buying boom and a substantial increase in existing home values caused the referendum to yield more money than was predicted. At the same time stiffly increasing health insurance costs, the under funded demands of both No Child Left Behind legislation and special education services, along with such things as higher diesel fuel and heating costs, a commitment to fair and competitive teacher salaries, and reduced returns on bank deposits made the 2002 forecast obsolete.
Yet, over the five year lifetime of the referendum, the school administration stayed within the stated limits of the referendum and managed to not use all of the rate increase that was potentially allowed.
The district balanced its budgets and over a FIVE year period accumulated a surplus of $33.7 million dollars. In isolation this number appears large, but put in perspective, it represents only 4.0% of the total spending ($853 million) over the entire period. It is also notable that much of this surplus is currently sitting in a bank account--unspent.
The task now is to move on and ask the question “what do we do with the surplus?” Everyone in District 203 agrees that there are district facilities that need renovation. Exactly what those are is still to be decided, but the cost will be substantial. A one time refund will have a number of implementation problems and significant administrative costs. We think the surplus should remain where it is for now. District 203 should bring this matter to closure as soon as it can with a process that emphasizes detailed two-way communication and extensive direct community involvement, e.g. town meetings.
Peter Shulman
Thomas Higgin
QualityEducation203.org
Peter and Thomas, you articulate your points very well. I think the 203 board is right to consider boundary changes as a way of reducing the need for some of the improvements considered for Mill Street, thereby saving money. That's responsible. And I agree that the sooner the board decides what to do about the surplus, the better.
Giving All Parents Equal Access to the Private Schools of their Choice Funded by Property Taxes
I would like to respond to Mr. Duraski’s full-page ad arguing that “you have the Constitutional Right and Responsibility to send your children to the private schools of your choice funded by the same tax allotment the public schools receive.”
In order to give all parents an equal choice in choosing a private school for their children, the private schools must do away with their current application procedures. Screening of applicants to private schools utilizing applications, interviews, school progress reports, students’ files, and tuition may all be a part of the current acceptance decision. Only a lottery system would guarantee equal opportunity for all parents to send their children to the private school of their choice funded by property taxes.
Furthermore, if all parents are to have an equal opportunity to send their children to the private school of their choice, not only must private schools accept the mentally and physically disabled, and the children with behavioral disorders; but they must meet the under funded, federal/state mandates passed by legislators, elected by the people, to care for these individuals. In 2005, District 203 spent $23,545,218 on special education services for 12.5% of its student population. Most private schools will have to considerably expand their special education services in order to meet the needs of their new special education students who will be accepted by lottery and want to attend their schools.
Thus, Mr. Duraski, if you are recommending that the people pass legislation to permit school vouchers, then be certain that you create a plan that gives all parents an equal opportunity to send their children to the private school of their choice where their children’s special needs will be met.
Barbara Herr
Naperville
How many residents with children who will attend Naperville Central have actually stepped foot in that building? As the mother of a toddler who speficially purchased her home in #203 instead of #204, I was appalled at the condition of Central. My husband and I attended a COD class there, and could not believe what we saw. Torn carpeting, desks and chairs that were broken and mismatched, moldy ceiling tile in the bathrooms and hallways, and poor lighting just to name a few. If #203 wants to continue to have the fantastic reputation that it does, and if Naperville wants to continue to be a community that people flock to live in, then we need to provide a quality environment for our children to learn in.
Did it ever occur to the Taxpayers Party that people watched what they did to the Transportation Dept. in Dist. 203? By bullying the lower paid members of the District, and cutting quality service, the T.P. party showed they were interested only in money, and not the students or employees. Many of them Naperville Taxpayers.
home owners are like the milking cows for the school district 203
we already had a assessment hike for the property from dupage county. Then next hike for the school district.School district has to see how much the parents spend seperatly to educate the children besides the school carriculam.Parents give extra tution, campings, on line tutorings to make the students competative and achieve good grades.So the merit is not for the school district alone.parents need that credit and and make the schools in a better postion. Then the schools asking more from the parents.
schools have to see how to trim the expenses,avoide unnecessary
staff, how to generate money from the school itself, possibly get a sliding scale fee for each stdent,say 5 to 10 doallar per month from student etc. Parets ARE NOT THE MILKING COW FOR THE SCHOOL.SCHOOL has to realize that.Also some body has to review the salary of the staff. Is the Naperville central is going to fall down? Why can not they repair it and make additional floors
for certain buildings there which are capable. Parents are tired of this propery tax hike. Why school district can't charge a tax for the new constructions, business have fund raing programs?I will say NO to this vote