SandBoxBlogs: Eagle County Times "Belt Tightening – at our Eagle County School District?"

Did you know that you too can access the detailed summary of your school district's check register?

Don't know how to do that?  Email staff@eaglecountytimes.com and they will be glad to lend a hand.

Looks like the Eagle County School District admin didn't learn a thing over the past few years of deep budget cuts, does it? 

Posted by 'Weight Watchers':
"A quick sample from the School Districts – April 2012 – Check Register

Master Transaction Consolidation Debit Total USD  $78,381.67
Credit Total USD  -1,817.28
Total USD  $76,564.39

To review their entire Expense list – (Click Here)

District office Administration
4/25/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0025 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Moe’s Original Bbq – E Purchase Moe’s Original Bbq – E $110.75

Preschool 5/1/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0302 HEADSTART/CPP Gourmet China Purchase Gourmet China $362.50
(let’s hope our Preschoolers got their Fortune Cookies!)

District office Administration 
4/3/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0294 HEADSTART/CPP Smiling Moose Deli Purchase Smiling Moose Deli $439.44

What is “Learning Services”?
4/10/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0175 LEARNING SERVICES Smiling Moose Deli Purchase Smiling Moose Deli $58.44
4/28/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0100 LEARNING SERVICES Southpark Wine & Seafood Purchase Southpark Wine & Seafood $32.00
4/29/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0100 LEARNING SERVICES Starbucks Corp00004747 Purchase Starbucks $11.60
4/27/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-0076 LEARNING SERVICES Starbucks Corp00066159 Purchase Starbucks $44.85

A “Special Hyatt/Marriott Rate” for Special Ed?
4/15/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-5630 SPECIAL EDUCATION Hyatt Hotels Denver Cc Lodging for CEC Conference in Denver Hyatt Hotels $717.00

4/13/2012 XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-5853 SPECIAL EDUCATION Marriott 33759 Denver Cc Lodging for CEC Conference in Denver parking WiFi  room tax Marriott $506.66...."
(Read more? Click title)

"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Eagle County Times "EC School District’s–Legal Trouble with your Tax Dollars?"

ECT’s Investigative Reports and Clayton Moore:
"It was time to check in:  The ECT wanted to know more about where the Eagle County School District is spending your Tax Money today – so we looked.

A review of Open Records can be an enlightening experience.

Background:  In November 2006 Eagle County Voters rejected a ballot issue (1A) that would have caused County Taxpayers to pay more in Taxes on what is collectively known today as “Early Childhood Development”.  (Click Here)  Their Ballot Issue/plan was to collect then spend new Taxes on/for children not old enough to attend Public School in Kindergarten.  Recall that Colorado State Statute provides for a “free” and legal Public School Education for children once old enough to attend K-12.  Their (1A) Ballot issue (it didn’t pass) would have LEGALLY allowed your Tax money to be spent on children before they were old enough to attend Public School Kindergarten.

Eagle County Voters overwhelmingly rejected (1A) in 2006.

The ECT chooses to describe the District’s rejected Ballot Issue 1A as “Taxpayer funded Daycare”.

According to Public Tax Records – soon after that 2006 vote, Eagle County saw the creation of a new 501(c)3 local non-profit known today as – “Early Childhood Partners”.

Your Eagle County School District (the President – of our Elected School Board) Jeanne McQueeney is listed as that non-profits “paid – Executive Director”....."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Eagle County Times "School Board – Update – January, 23rd 2012"

Hey!  ECT guys!

Love the new look.

Really like the expanding out into the somewhat dark side of news aggregation and guest writers. Welcome.

Can hardly wait to see you move "at the Speed of Thought" through that realm.  Sort of feels to 'Nanny' like the old Tonto and Kemo Sabe debate:

"Tonto: Kemo Sabe! What you do?
TLR: I think Silver can make it, Tonto. Can't you, old boy?"

We KNOW the ECT guys can make it.

Another terrific (and a lot more hard work to put out) op-ed piece from that very special lady, Marty Lich.

Over on the Eagle County Times.

(Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Eagle County Times "Understanding Eagle County’s Public School Funding Process"

Great information from the ECT guys, they do know their way around the public education system here in Colorado.

"by the local Truant Officer, pay attention Ms. Funk":

"You really should understand this Public School Funding process.

How does the State of Colorado (Eagle County) Fund Public Schools?

Each year the Colorado State Legislature sets a (per public school student) rate at which Colorado Public Schools get their Funding.

That money comes from 2 Primary Funding Sources.

First, In Eagle County’s case your Eagle County Property Tax Bill – item – “RE50J School Dist, 015 -” and it’s associated Property Tax Levy that’s printed on your annual Property Tax bill.

Second, the State of Colorado.

Eagle County’s Treasurer’s Office is (statutorily) required to U.S. Mail you, your Property Tax bill – and collect that money.  Some of us pay our annual Property Taxes by writing the check, others have their home Mortgage company write that check on your behalf.

KNOW THIS:  Every single penny of the Property Taxes collected in Eagle County by the County Treasurer (under the RE50J School Dist, 015) heading is handed over by the County Treasurer 100% to the Eagle County School District.  Our Eagle County School District harvests MILLIONS in Property Taxes each year – and does NOT give one dime of that money, back to the State of Colorado!  What Property Taxes for Education that are collected in each State School District – stays in that School District.

Here is where Public School Funding in the Colorado gets a bit tricky because of the State Funding laws on the books….Example..."

(Read more?  Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Vail Daily News "School budget meeting draws hundreds"

It is not just where the cuts will be made that's bothering the Eagle County School District parents.

It is how their money is being spent.

Here are some reminders of posts and comments from last year's election cycle that are relevant:

• (Note the comments on this one):  SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "New charter school proposed for Glenwood Springs"

• The lack of accountability probably has not helped the parent's current mood either.

• And then there are the performance issues between public and private schools within the district.

(Read more?  Click title and links within post.  Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Eagle County Times "Red Sandstone Elementary – The solution is obvious!"

Just as sure as sooner  or later, Coloradans can count on it snowing in the winter, the ECT guys take a week off at the end of the year.

They do that just because it gives them the energy boost to roar back come the New Year and take everything they see in front of them in stride.

Still waiting for Superman?

2012 and the next four years will mark apocalyptic proportion, positive changes to the way we fund our public education in America.

Stay tuned to the Eagle County Times crew of bloggers for all the local and regional updates.

(Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Eagle County Times "Out of Touch and in need of a Reality Check"

'Dick Tracy' reports.  Over on the Eagle County Times.  In 'his' never-ending quest to make sure no spin is ever allowed to snowball the folks...we once again watch the Eagle County School Board admin's 'Tall Tales' debunked....

(by Dick Tracy)
Awareness for our Eagle County School District Board and School District employees.

Background:

Consider this former (letter to the Fishwrap’s Editor), written by the former President of your Eagle County School District Board - Connie Kincaid-Strahan, President of the Board of Education and Sandra B. Smyser Superintendent of Eagle County Schools,November 3, 2011 (Click Here).

”We asked you (our community) to tell us if you supported a mill-levy increase to adequately reinstate funds eliminated by the state, and you said ‘no.’ As always, we will keep our budget solvent, and unfortunately it will now come at a more profound and painful cost.”

Responsibly,  the ‘painful cost’ will be on these non-classroom non-student expenditures, for these are what we all said no to.

Or is it going to be  a case of “You get behind me, we all profit; you challenge me, we all go down‘ – by  Big Boy Caprice?

August 2011:  the same month our school board decided to ask for another permanent property tax increase-here is what they continued to spend our tax money on - (Note-no teacher pizza’s here!):...."

(See the real expenditures?  Read more?  Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."