Kettering schools to seek tax levy in May

Didn’t Schoenlein promise that the last increase was the last one they would ask for?

Dayton Daily News.

The Kettering City School District will seek an additional 5.9-mill property tax levy on the May 7 ballot

The board of education for the 7,400-student district voted 5-0 Tuesday to ask voters to approve the five-year measure, which treasurer Steve Clark said would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $180 in additional taxes per year.

Here we go again.

“Waiting For Superman”: An After Action Report

Following the showing of the film “Waiting For Superman” this past Monday at Christ United Methodist Church, Kettering Government Schools Indoctrination Czar Dr. James Schoenlein, was scheduled to “address some of the issues raised in the film and take questions from the audience.” What he actually did was bizarre and void of any logic. He blatantly mischaracterized the message of the film as portraying teachers unions as “evil”. He then posed the question to the audience asking “That is what the message of the film was, right?” When the audience objected en masse he ignored them saying “I guess we can all agree that’s what the message *really* was.” He then went through a list of items in which he believed the audience and he could agree upon. One of which was that “we live in a democracy.” When I heard this, I shook my head and strongly objected, saying “We’re a representative republic, not a democracy.” I know that he heard me as I was a mere two feet from him, and he was looking at me when I corrected him.

I found it remarkable that the individual responsible for the education of thousands of skulls full of mush was so ignorant to a basic tenant of this nations’s founding. Up until the First World War, American’s understood that we were a representative republic. Woodrow Wilson was one of the first to begin teaching this falsehood in repeating the mantra that we were a democracy. This small little nugget of history was lost upon Schoenlein who repeated the lie that “we’re in a democracy” dozens and dozens of times over.

Seeing as how he was present to “address some of the issues raised in the film and take questions from the audience” I and several others had a number of questions for him that were presented in the film. One of the first questions was what suggestions he had to save the district money. The individual who asked the question referenced the statistics presented in the film showing that the average cost per student has increased from just over $4,000 in 1971 to nearly $10,000 [US Department of Education, NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, 2008, 2009] [Film Timestamp 00:11:22]. He dismissed their suggestions saying that the solution was “more money“. This answer was greeted by a number of people in the audience asking how much money was enough. I, and several others, have posed this question to him in the past personally, and he has yet to give us an answer. Others asked him for specifics on where this pool of additional money was to come from, and how exactly where would it be spent. He deflected the question, by responding only that the district needed “more money“.

The film also explained the subject of tenure, and how it was originally intended for those working at universities and not elementary, junior high, and high schools. In the film they explain that “it was meant to protect professors from getting fired for arbitrary or political reasons.” [Timestamp 00:36:14] Someone asked Schoenlein how many “teachers” had been terminated since he began as Superintendent. He boasted that under his time in office, they had dismissed a grand total of seven. After contacting the Kettering Board of Education I found that they have 485 employed currently. This means that he is overwhelmingly proud of an approximate dismissal rate of 1.4432%. Keep in mind that the turnover rate in the public sector is twice that amount for the last month reported (April 2011). I asked him “based on what we have learned in the film as to the origins of tenure and how it wasn’t designed or intended for elementary through high school, what steps have you taken to eliminate tenure from the contracts”. He responded by laughing at my question then asking “What have I done to eliminate tenure from the contracts? Nothing.” He then repeated the lie that we live in a democracy and that he has to be “politically aware”. He expanded upon this for around five minutes saying that he was interested in becoming principal of Belmont High School in Dayton so that he could expel hundreds of students. He laughed about this reminding us that he shouldn’t be fired because of a clause he has that would pay him for any remaining time on his contract. I was happy to see how seriously he takes the fiscal state of affairs in Kettering City Schools.

If anything can be learned by the showing of this film it is that those employed by and working in government schools are hopelessly ignorant to the facts surrounding the problems of government schools. During the Q&A portion of the evening, it was if he began to morph into a characture of himself combined with Baghdad Bob. Can’t you just picture how the press conference would be? Imagine if you will large screens displaying realtime charts showing test scores plummeting while revenue to the district grows at an alarming rate. All of this while he stands at the podium insisting all is well and that the solution to the problem is “more money, more money, more money“.

Kettering government school indoctrinators approve contract, major concessions

Kettering government Schools teachers on Thursday voted 275-18 to approve a three-year contract that includes major concessions, against a backdrop of potential changes in Ohio collective bargaining law and projected cuts in state funding.

The deal, which awaits school board approval on Tuesday, would freeze base salaries for three years, eliminate step raises based on experience for the first two years and increase employee health premiums.

Superintendent James Schoenlein said, “I’m not sure that it is necessary for the state to pound various groups of educators into cooperating and collaborating. We are perfectly willing and capable of working together on our own.”

This is the same man who said, “On what grounds do I have to slash the budget?!?”.

He’s just…

Dayton Daily democRAT News
WHIO-TV

Return of the Conservatives – List of endorsements: Fall 2010 edition

Governor / Lieutenant Governor
John Kasich / Mary Taylor

Ohio Secretary of State
Jon Husted

Ohio Treasurer
Josh Mandel

U.S. Senate
Rob Portman

U.S. Congress – 3rd District
Mike Turner

U.S. Congress – 8th District
John A. Boehner

Ohio State Senate – 5th District
Bill Beagle

Ohio State Representative – 38th District
Terry Blair

Ohio State Representative – 39th District
Harlene Holland

Montgomery County Commissioner
Jan Kelly

Montgomery County Auditor
Harry Bossey

Ohio Chief Justice
Maureen O’Connor

Justice of Ohio Supreme Court
Judith Ann Lanzinger

Issue 2 – Kettering Government Schools
I have written several times ([1] [2] [3]) about the tax increase that James Schoenlein, Jim Trent, Julie Gilmore, George H. Bayless, James A. Brown, and Lori Simms are wanting for Kettering Government Schools. After you educate yourself with the facts I’m sure you will join me in voting no on this and all other government school levies.

Issue 9 – Montgomery County Human Services
I’ll be voting no because it provides funds to Planned Parenthood.

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

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.

On November 2nd, I strongly recommend that you cast your vote against government school levies.

Schoenlein vows to eliminate extracurriculars such as sports and band if Kettering school levy fails

Kettering schools officials say they would eliminate all 2011-12 extracurricular activities — including sports and band — and reduce busing to state requirements if voters reject the district’s 4.9-mill property tax levy Nov. 2.

“If your back is to the wall, and the voters say no in November, I don’t think you can justify continuing to fund those things,” Superintendent James Schoenlein said Thursday, Sept. 9, during a meeting with the Dayton Daily News editorial board. “They become frills.”

Ok. This would be a bad idea why? First of all they won’t become “frills”, they already are “frills”. Explain for us, Doctor, why taxpayers should finance these extracurricular activities? I’ve lived in Ohio for almost fifteen years now and I have yet to understand the government dependency mindset. When I lived in Missouri, if students/parents wanted to be involved in sports, they paid for it themselves, not government schools. It was the same in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and even out in Utah to name a few.

Keep this quote in mind from Dr. James Schoenlein, Kettering Government Schools Superintendent from 10 February 2010: “On what grounds do I have to slash the budget?!?”

Reason # to homeschool.

Dayton Daily democRAT News
WHIO-AM/FM
WDTN-TV

Kettering voters to decide 6.9-mill operating levy for Kettering Government Schools in May

Voters in Kettering City Schools district will be asked to approve a 6.9-mill operating levy May 4. The district’s board of education unanimously approved the ballot issue Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Members also voted to make James Schoenlein the district’s superintendent. Schoenlein, who has been with the district for 15 years, had been interim superintendent since August after Robert Mengerink resigned to take a job in Cleveland.

The owner of a house valued at $100,000 would pay $211.31 per year if the 5-year levy is approved, according to Sam Braun of the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office. It would generate $9.1 million annually for the district.

I was among a dozen other people who met with Dr. Schoenlein last Wednesday to listen to their argument for why we should vote for the levy. Steve Clark, Treasurer for Kettering Government Schools (KGS), began the presentation going over his background then showing an award that KGS received in 2007. He then went over the definition of a mill, assessed valuation. and House Bill 920 which he used to give an example of how the amount of tax is calculated. Next he discussed how the new state funding formula determines the number of teachers & other employees needed to operated at the minimum or adequate level, calculates the amount required to operate at the minimum or adequate level, and how the state and School District are responsible for their respective parts. In FY10, the amount of funding from the state of Ohio for each student was $1,658. We know that KGS spends on average $11,200 per student per year. By my math, this means that the citizens of Kettering are being taxed roughly $9,542 per student per year, and that will increase to $11,392 by 2014.

Schoenlein then read over a small report that expanded on what Clark had in that in his presentation it was from a marketing prospective than from a financial perspective. It began with the comment that “The Kettering City School District is a great place for children to go to school.” This was repeated ad nauseum for nearly an hour. The fact that it is or is not a “great place for children to go to school” was never in question, the fact that they want to raise our taxes was and as easily dismissed as a trivial matter. The marketing presentation continued to boast and brag about their standardized test scores, graduation rates, where Fairmont graduates move on to, the Miami Valley Career Tech Center, and the Career Education Tech Center. At the CETC they offer classes in engineering, bio-tech, allied health, construction trades, digital design, information technology, automotive, and radio/TV. He then continued the presentation praising their Kettering Alternative Program, their “impressive facilities”, “award-winning music and art programs”, and how parents are offered the option of before-school and after-school child care.

His presentation then makes an amazing comment claiming that “The Kettering City School District has been Frugal with Taxpayer Money”. They state how they have cut $7.6 Million as well as lower utility costs, eliminated through attrition and retirement (note they didn’t fire anyone) 57 positions, administrators accepted a pay freeze, and teachers received the lowest pay raise in twenty years. After this, they write that “Only budget items that are deemed absolutely necessary have been added.” They continue by noting that employees have been added “for the influx of immigrants who cannot read or write English”. When asked later about this Schoenlein explained that due to this “influx of [124] immigrants” they have to support thirty-seven different languages. When asked how many were illegal they didn’t answer the question. The presentation went on to describe the student population, and teacher quality making the argument that in order for a teacher to be “high-performing” we need to pass this levy. He then referenced the poll that they paid $19K to support their levy, and concluded with the statement that Kettering voters want quality schools; which again, was never in question.

He then opened it up to questions from those of us attending the meeting. I had made a number of notes the first of which was about the Career Education Tech Center and if there were any additional fees or costs passed on to the students who elected to take these courses as opposed to a class in German. He explained that the only costs for students at the CETC were for the automotive classes to provide for their tools. None of the other classes had any such requirement. The next item I brought to his attention was the before-school and after-school child care. Both of them stated that this program was “self-funded”, leaving it at that, not elaborating any further.

Schoenlein stated several times as well that if the levy fails on 4 May 2010, they will go back to the voters again in November 2010, and continue to present it to the public until it passes. At one point he responded to a question about how they received around $150K for a program to have PCs in classrooms which allowed students to teach themselves. He said that this was not only stimulus money from the federal government which didn’t include any additional costs to the district, but that it was “free money”. When he made this comment it was like pouring gasoline on a smoldering fire. We attempted to explain ad nauseum that it wasn’t “free money” in that it was money confiscated from taxpayers by the federal government. One person commented that this exemplified the problem with government as a whole in their failure to be fiscally responsible. At this point Schoenlein looked as if someone had slapped him down to the ground. His response, that he then repeated several times was remarkable in its arrogance: “On what grounds do I have to slash the budget?!?”

Keep that in mind when they ask you for more of your hard earned money at the polls on 4 May 2010.

Dayton Daily democRAT News

Kettering Recreation Center members concerned with sex offender

KETTERING, Ohio — A tier three sex offender is a member of the Kettering Recreation Complex, and some of the facility’s patrons are wondering why he is allowed near so many women and children.

Current laws require Marc Hodapp, a man convicted of rape twice and abduction three times in the 1970s and 1980s, to register with local authorities every 90 days.

Because he was convicted decades ago, Hodapp is not subject to registration laws passed in 2007 and 2008 that would prevent him from living within 1,000 feet of schools and day cares.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office must notify schools, day cares and the community within 1,000 feet of Hodapp’s home of his status.

No law exists that prevents Hodapp from being a member of the complex even though a day care is part of the facility.

Listing of Marc Hodapp at the Montgomery County Ohio Sheriff’s Office

The Montgomery County Ohio Sheriff’s Office offers the option for you to register to track Mark Hodapp.

WHIO-TV

Return of the Conservatives – List of endorsements: Fall 2009 edition

Dayton City Commissioner
David Esrati

Mayor (Dayton, Ohio)
Gary Leitzell

Kettering City Council
Ashley Webb

State Issues
Issue 1 — Proposed Constitutional Amendment to authorize the state to issue bonds to provide compensation to veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts – State of Ohio
If the State of Ohio was operating on a budgetary surplus I could understand the argument of those in favor of the issue wishing to distribute approximately $200 million in state funds. However, according to Governor Ted Strickland and Budget Director J. Pari Sabety the state will have an estimated budget deficit of more than $7 billion in the upcoming 2010 – 2011 operating budget. With this in mind, taxpayers would willingly be adding 2.8571428572% to the deficit. Further, Ohio Budget Director J. Pari Sabety writes that the total debt including interest to Ohioans would be $293.9 Million.

I contend that it is the obligation of the federal government and not the individual states to support veterans. The only exception for this would be veterans of the National Guard as opposed to members of the active duty and reserve. I also find the picking and choosing of which wars and/or conflicts are included to be biased as well. What about those who served in Iran (Operation Eagle Claw); Lebanon (Multinational Force in Lebanon); Libya (Gulf of Sidra incidents/Operation El Dorado Canyon); Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury); Persian Gulf (Operation Earnest Will); Panama (Operation Just Cause); Somalia (Operation Gothic Serpent/Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa); Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation Deliberate Force); Kosovo (Operation Noble Anvil); Philippines (Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines); and Sahara/Sahel region of Africa (Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara) — not to mention advisers who served in Central America in the 1980s. Why is the Ohio General Assembly purposefully excluding these veterans?

I am voting no on Issue 1.

Issue 3 — Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Amend the Constitution to Allow for One Casino Each In Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo and Distribute to All Ohio Counties A Tax on the Casinos — State of Ohio
I have seen the moral decay that casinos have caused across this country. Despite what the talking heads and supposed experts say I have seen with my own eyes these facilities bring about increased poverty and crime. The majority of those who choose to visit will be the same ones who spend their last dollar on a lottery ticket rather than to purchase food for their family.

It rails against my beliefs, and as such I will gladly be voting no on Issue 3.

Local Issues
Montgomery County Five Rivers Metro Parks Levy
I’ll be voting yes, partly because of it replacing the existing levy of 1.8 mills, but because of the work they do with respect to conservation.

Dayton Metro Library levy
I’ll be voting no because it increases taxes. If it was just replacing the current levy of 1.25 mills I would consider it, but because it includes an increase of 0.5 mill I will happily vote against this.