26 | September | 2010 | Return of the Conservatives

Earned?!? Needs?!?! Educating the DDN on government school levies

September 26, 2010 darthdilbert Leave a comment

According to Webster, the definition of earned is “to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered; to come to be duly worthy of or entitled to”. They define need as “a necessity”. According to the DDN, the government school districts in Beavercreek and Kettering claim that they have “earned” and “need” more taxpayer funds for their indoctrination centers. The truth of the matter is that their neither need nor have earned the additional taxpayer funds, rather they need to have draconian cuts made to their budgets. However, when you ask people like Kettering Government Schools Superintendent James Schoenlein to make such cuts you are given an arrogant response: “On what grounds do I have to slash the budget?”

The median household salary in Kettering is $45,051. The average salary for a Kettering Government Schools “teacher” is $63,838. For the math-impaired, or those subjected to government schools that is an increase of 141.701627%. If you compare the average administrative salary for Kettering Government Schools which is $103,000 it is an increase of 228.6297751% over the median household salary.

For the tax year of In 1999, on a $100,000 home, the property tax was $1454.39, and the government school district share was $826.79. Fast forward ten years, and the property tax had increased to $2154.28, and the government school district share skyrocketed to $1289.47. The share of property taxes to government schools has increased 55.961%, and yet it still isn’t enough – they want more and more and more. All the while they make repeated threats to parents and taxpayers about programs they will supposedly cut while at the same time not telling the entire story.

In his prepared talking points for the meeting at Kettering Fairmont High School on 31 August, Schoenlein claimed that the Kettering Government School District has been a “good financial steward of the taxpayers money”. Does this include the many examples of “free money” that he joyfully describes from the federal government, which he doesn’t understand comes from the taxpayer as well.

The “November School Levy Talking Points” also referenced Eileen Reser who he said is an example of Kettering teachers who have been asked to do more. He explained that during the 2009-2010 school year she was responsible for eighty-five students and now during the 2010-2011 school year, that number increased to 172 students. He described the increased workload of Reser as the type of sacrifice exemplified by KCS teachers as a whole. The problem with using Reser as an example is that according to the Buckeye Institute, her salary in 2004 was $56,522. In 2009, it was listed as grown to $71,296. How many other Kettering residents received a pay increase of $14,774 (26.139%) over five years?

His “talking points” also claim that “School levies are about kids, of course”. This might be true generally for levies, but not for the 49 mill Kettering levy. Approximately 85% of the requested levy will be used to pay salaries and benefits for teachers and administrators. So much for being a “good financial steward”.

For those curious, the DDN even supports the levy in the People’s Republic of Oakwood.

Reason # to homeschool.