How the BOF and the BOE put an Extra $469,352.00 into the BOE Budget FOREVER!
The facts are very simple. In 06/07 the Academy returned monies to the BOE in the amount of $42,716.00 from the prior school year (05/06) that were surplus to the Academy due to several students attending the school that did not come from sending towns. Woodstock's share was the $42,716.00. This money should have been returned to the Town since it was not from the current year but the year before. This money now becomes part of the SCHOOL BUDGET FOREVER.
The same year (06/07) the BOE overestimated the attendance at the Academy by 23 students. Reading the minutes no explanation was given for this error. The BOE attempted to have the Trustees keep the money and credit it to next year but the BOT would not and sent the money back to the BOE. So another $216,678.00 came back to the BOE and became part of the SCHOOL BUDGET FOREVER.
Now in 07/08 the BOE overestimated the number of students going to the Academy by 21 students or about $209,958.00, but this year’s created an excuse. If you read BOE minutes of October 25, 2007, you find that the BOE was not told about 28 withdrawals from the Academy (from Woodstock) and not told about the 18 new students (from Woodstock) because all of these movements happened between May 4th and October 1. Right here I have real trouble with the math. The BOE forecasted 483 to attend the Academy but 28 withdrew (483-28 = 455) and 18 come into Town (455+18=473) and 2 students are out-placed from the Academy (473-2= 471). This means that if all the numbers are correct 471 students should have been enrolled at the Academy for 07/08 but only 462 enrolled a difference of 9 students.
What this says is the BOE cannot do the math or there is some other nefarious plan. The number of students not attending the Academy but paid for by the TAXPAYERS of WOODSTOCK is 21 students or $209,958.00. This money now becomes part of the SCHOOL BUDGET FOREVER. On the issue of not being notified, the Superintendent’s office is the headquarters of the district. When there is a mistake it is the Academy, but when it is correct it is the Superintendent’s office.
So, the BOE with the help of the BOF has allowed the school to keep money that was budgeted for Academy in the amount of $469,352.00. Over the next the 10 years (actually this will go on FOREVER) the taxpayers of Woodstock will pay for the 44 PHANTOM STUDENTS that never got an education. You will have to add $469,352.00 each year to the growth in the BOE Budget which will cause you to pay around an additional $5,000,000.00 in taxes for students that never lived here and never were educated in Woodstock.
The taxpayers know that if we had more students attending than budgeted for the BOE would have come back to asking us to pay, which, I’m betting the Town would have paid. But to know that BOE had guts to do this, keep all the money, spend it and then to know the BOF never made them give it back is outrageous.
When questions were asked regarding these discrepancies at the latest BOF and BOE meetings, there have been two different answers. One from Mr. Corden denying the obvious, and one from Mr. Baran that more resembled a tap dance than an answer.
Last night’s performance by Mr. Loftus, Mrs. Paul, the Superintendent and the supporting cast at the BOE meeting was quite enlightening. It was admitted that the SPED department is in trouble stating that they are already in the official category of “needing improvement” and in “Safe Harbor” with regard to NCLB. In their wisdom they have decided to further ignore these problems until the State steps in, while the legal fees continue to mount. Mr. Loftus made the statement that it would be “unhealthy” to question the budget put forth by the Superintendent with regard to misappropriation or waste, further stating that he certainly wouldn’t do so unless the same standards were applied to the Academy. Mrs. Paul, in a clear attempt to incite parents disregarded the Superintendent’s recommendations and forced cuts to athletic programs.
What our BOE and BOF fail to realize is that the reward for honesty and transparency is called TRUST. These are just some of the reasons that I do not trust the BOE or the BOF. As individuals I’m sure they are all nice people but as committees they have lost their ethical compass.
The BOE and its’ supporters try to marginalize me and my values and portray me as anti-education. What they do not realize is that I am very much pro-education but I am not going to stand for non-answers and play the shell game with them.
They also seem to be unaware that perhaps a lot of the students that are in the district are watching them both in their spoken words and in their actions. Many of these students may also read what the supporters of the BOE have to say through their employee-sponsored blog “The Woodstock Café”. Many of their visitors may be the students they are supposed to represent as BOE members. The students learn fast…honesty, integrity and transparency vs. the ends justify the means. The ends justify the means wins with this BOE as has been repeatedly shown with their multiple failed crusades that we paid for. The stench of Mr. Breen’s continued influence within this BOE is unmistakable.
The BOE surrogate blogs whether operated by bus driver, employee Leavitt or by our new BOE member and blogger Kevin Ford are entirely inappropriate in their content and tone, yet the BOE endorses these behaviors as well. I have found by reading the BOE minutes and Kevin’s blog you can figure out what was discussed in executive session.
What this town has to realize is that this BOE along with their Superintendent and Hosmer's BOF must go, the boards reconstituted and reduced in number with greatly reduced terms of service prior to anymore damage being done in the remainder of their terms.
Please leave your comments.
Preston D. Shultz
The same year (06/07) the BOE overestimated the attendance at the Academy by 23 students. Reading the minutes no explanation was given for this error. The BOE attempted to have the Trustees keep the money and credit it to next year but the BOT would not and sent the money back to the BOE. So another $216,678.00 came back to the BOE and became part of the SCHOOL BUDGET FOREVER.
Now in 07/08 the BOE overestimated the number of students going to the Academy by 21 students or about $209,958.00, but this year’s created an excuse. If you read BOE minutes of October 25, 2007, you find that the BOE was not told about 28 withdrawals from the Academy (from Woodstock) and not told about the 18 new students (from Woodstock) because all of these movements happened between May 4th and October 1. Right here I have real trouble with the math. The BOE forecasted 483 to attend the Academy but 28 withdrew (483-28 = 455) and 18 come into Town (455+18=473) and 2 students are out-placed from the Academy (473-2= 471). This means that if all the numbers are correct 471 students should have been enrolled at the Academy for 07/08 but only 462 enrolled a difference of 9 students.
What this says is the BOE cannot do the math or there is some other nefarious plan. The number of students not attending the Academy but paid for by the TAXPAYERS of WOODSTOCK is 21 students or $209,958.00. This money now becomes part of the SCHOOL BUDGET FOREVER. On the issue of not being notified, the Superintendent’s office is the headquarters of the district. When there is a mistake it is the Academy, but when it is correct it is the Superintendent’s office.
So, the BOE with the help of the BOF has allowed the school to keep money that was budgeted for Academy in the amount of $469,352.00. Over the next the 10 years (actually this will go on FOREVER) the taxpayers of Woodstock will pay for the 44 PHANTOM STUDENTS that never got an education. You will have to add $469,352.00 each year to the growth in the BOE Budget which will cause you to pay around an additional $5,000,000.00 in taxes for students that never lived here and never were educated in Woodstock.
The taxpayers know that if we had more students attending than budgeted for the BOE would have come back to asking us to pay, which, I’m betting the Town would have paid. But to know that BOE had guts to do this, keep all the money, spend it and then to know the BOF never made them give it back is outrageous.
When questions were asked regarding these discrepancies at the latest BOF and BOE meetings, there have been two different answers. One from Mr. Corden denying the obvious, and one from Mr. Baran that more resembled a tap dance than an answer.
Last night’s performance by Mr. Loftus, Mrs. Paul, the Superintendent and the supporting cast at the BOE meeting was quite enlightening. It was admitted that the SPED department is in trouble stating that they are already in the official category of “needing improvement” and in “Safe Harbor” with regard to NCLB. In their wisdom they have decided to further ignore these problems until the State steps in, while the legal fees continue to mount. Mr. Loftus made the statement that it would be “unhealthy” to question the budget put forth by the Superintendent with regard to misappropriation or waste, further stating that he certainly wouldn’t do so unless the same standards were applied to the Academy. Mrs. Paul, in a clear attempt to incite parents disregarded the Superintendent’s recommendations and forced cuts to athletic programs.
What our BOE and BOF fail to realize is that the reward for honesty and transparency is called TRUST. These are just some of the reasons that I do not trust the BOE or the BOF. As individuals I’m sure they are all nice people but as committees they have lost their ethical compass.
The BOE and its’ supporters try to marginalize me and my values and portray me as anti-education. What they do not realize is that I am very much pro-education but I am not going to stand for non-answers and play the shell game with them.
They also seem to be unaware that perhaps a lot of the students that are in the district are watching them both in their spoken words and in their actions. Many of these students may also read what the supporters of the BOE have to say through their employee-sponsored blog “The Woodstock Café”. Many of their visitors may be the students they are supposed to represent as BOE members. The students learn fast…honesty, integrity and transparency vs. the ends justify the means. The ends justify the means wins with this BOE as has been repeatedly shown with their multiple failed crusades that we paid for. The stench of Mr. Breen’s continued influence within this BOE is unmistakable.
The BOE surrogate blogs whether operated by bus driver, employee Leavitt or by our new BOE member and blogger Kevin Ford are entirely inappropriate in their content and tone, yet the BOE endorses these behaviors as well. I have found by reading the BOE minutes and Kevin’s blog you can figure out what was discussed in executive session.
What this town has to realize is that this BOE along with their Superintendent and Hosmer's BOF must go, the boards reconstituted and reduced in number with greatly reduced terms of service prior to anymore damage being done in the remainder of their terms.
Please leave your comments.
Preston D. Shultz
Excellent post!