…but they will argue the WHTA is out to cut teachers.

Yeah – the WHTA’s referendum cuts did cause a cut to teachers. Rumor has it last week Norfeldt 5th grade was reduced to three classrooms of 28 kids each. Teachers got shuffled and one is apparently out of a job – not sure the details. Supposedly 1 kid moved out this summer and when the admin or BOE reran the numbers they decided to reduce the classrooms, aka teachers. So a class of 20 or so kids was reshuffled into the other 3 classrooms, adding about 7 kids per class. My question is what will happen if one more moves back in? Will they add a class mid-year or will one class go to 29?

At 90K you’re making more than both of us combined did last year.

You can pay my taxes. Now at $6,800 and going up. Judy, way to go! It seems to me that the YES RAISE MY TAXES folks just don’t get it. They are so busy screaming about BOE cuts that they can’t see the forest though the trees. Don’t waste your time arguing with these idiots. The proof is in the pudding with CMT scores, etc. but they will argue the WHTA is out to cut teachers.

Question for Turtle. How many houses does it take to pay the annual pension for Feldman, Sklars, and Francis? Lets hire another BOE supervisor, God we don’t have enough of them.

For the record, I make about $90K per year and it isn’t enough to reside in a town of people who believe their beloved BOE is the greatest thing since slice bread. It reminds me of those idiots who tell you that Congress is doing a lousy job except for their representative.

You’re awfully defensive about my remark that some of the most vocal WHTA spokespeople are well off. I’m sorry, but I’m not moved by affluent conservatives crying about their taxes and affecting to speak for the downtrodden of West Hartford.

I have nothing against the well off–in fact, I wish there were more of them. I also can’t argue with people who can’t afford to pay higher taxes and therefore vote against budget increases. But why should anyone take the protestations of a militant homeschooler and small-government fanatic seriously in a town identified with superior education and services? Not to mention that your ideological fellow-travelers have run this country into the ground, and yes, I am angry about that now and forever.

You want to know the very real “retribution” people are afraid of? They are afraid of losing their town jobs, or of being black listed as contractors or of being targeted by the police in town.

Yikes! West Hartford has become a police state? Time to pack up and head for a flowering democracy! So we’re to take your word for this. Given your track record I remain skeptical. Also, I’d remind you that the only people who have suffered retribution because of their position on the budget were supporters who receieved racist and anti-Semitic hate mail following a public hearing last year at Town Hall.

I’m familiar with this thing called absentee balloting. But if voting can be made easier rather than not, especially because of a major religious holiday, I favor increased turnout and saving the town $30K. Maybe I’ve taken too superficial a view of the matter, given the indignation of some of the more thoughtful posters here.

How many times have you announced that you have no use for me or my comments? Maybe next time will be the charm. Good luck with that!

I am not disputing that I have political opinions and they are clearly expressed on my blog – and quite frankly I don’t care a whit if you agree with them or not – the point was that my political opinions are not that of the WHTA, and that is what you inferred. I also do not make up the entire leadership of that organization. It’s clear that you don’t agree with me or the WHTA – so what else is new. Can we move on already. You are sounding like a broken record on that count. We get that you don’t agree – have you anything else to offer?

hahahah – love the phrase “invest in the public sector” – is that so people like our Town Manager can walk away with a six figure “retirement” while he goes to work for $160,000 a year somewhere else? Great investment. Or perhaps paying for catered meals to the Ed. folks in Town Hall. That’s a real worthwhile use of money. Want to enlighten us as to why we have money for new furniture in the Education budget but teachers still have to go out and purchase their own supplies out of pocket? Turtle – you don’t even KNOW where the money is going – but you are willing to take more out of everyone’s pocket to spend. Yeah – I’d say that is selfishness – for your special interest. if you are so hot on paying more to the town then be my guest – there is a fund you can donate to. Have a blast.

Yes – selfish pretty much sums it up when you don’t care if people are forced to move because of higher taxes, especially when those people help build the town and infrastructure that you are currently enjoying. Did you kick you parents out of their house too?

You want to know the very real “retribution” people are afraid of?
They are afraid of losing their town jobs, or of being black listed as contractors or of being targeted by the police in town. Laugh it off and mock me – but it happens and people ARE afraid to speak up.

Turtle – there IS an absentee balloting process – it is designed for instances where you cannot vote because of religious reasons – it states it so on the instructions – so no one is
“forced to decide between religious observation and civic duty” -
The argument that they must choose is pure nonsense. You could vote absentee tomorrow is you want.

I am pretty much done with this discussion – I am not going to convince you nor will you convince me – and at this point your comments really are just that of an Internet Troll. You are an unpleasant and angry person. I have no use for you or your comments.

I am fine with moving the vote one week forward or backward, but moving it to November is scary… to be that far into the budget year and school year and possibly make changes could be very problematic.

As for the numbers and $$ for Open Choice… I’m with you, Turtle. These kids come in with more than enough money to support the services they require. They should not be to blame for us sending kids out of district and costing us tuition. I guess a better question would be, how much do we save on day to day services for these WH kids who we “export” and does that wash-out with the tuition we spend? Is there a benefit to WH participating in the inter-district magnet program?

It is important to note that in addition to the 87 Open Choice students who come to this district, we have 125 students who are residents of West Hartford and who are attending schools in other districts by choice. These 125 students are in many ways the mirror image of Open Choice students. For Open Choice students we have small additional marginal costs for educating those students that are more than offset by the revenue we receive for these students. For the 125 resident students who leave the district, we have small marginal savings in operating costs offset by large tuition payments for these students (up to $3,600 for some students next year). Students are free to attend these schools and recent state law changes mandate that we pay the tuition for students attending these inter-district magnet schools.

The positive net revenue from Open Choice students help pays for the tuition costs of these students who have left the district and limits the general fund impact of these students’ tuition bills.

So–you’re scapegoating Open Choice students for the tuition costs of WH students attending interdistrict magnet schools? Is that it?

Also, are you not insinuating that Chip Ward is being dishonest?

It may be hard for you to believe, but I really don’t have a problem with Open Choice. I simply think we need better insight into what the true costs to the Town are, since we are continuing to expand the program on an annual basis. The taxpayers can then decide how large to allow the program to grow.

“Off-topic, to boot”

Turtle you were the one who changed the topic when you accused me of “theatrics’ and now demagogary.

Yes I have. From Chip Ward’s April 1 memorandum re Financial Impact of Open Choice Students:

In total, the marginal cost of these students to the district runs about $124,000 to $188,000. We receive total revenue of about $360,000 for these students. These students are not a net financial burden on the district.

I can’t believe you are still demagoguing this issue.

Off-topic, to boot.

I’d love to see the numbers, have you Turtle?

At the meetings Chip Ward, and Claire Kindle, both commented that the money taken for Open Choice tuition was used to offset tuition for children going to out of district magnet schools. I believe Claire at least called it a wash. The $$$ invloved were ~$300K.

When I asked if these children required special services they added a page to the BOE web site indicating that the Town spent ~$187K on the children. I believe they had SPED needs, reading needs, 2 teachers in the list. This would appear to pull it out of the break-even category. They did not bring up these numbers in the open meeting, if i recall correctly.

If we are making money on Open Choice, it would appear that we need a better accounting. Our neighboring towns have cut back on Open Choice partially because of the expense (the other reason given was test scores), if indeed West Hartford is making money on Open Choice perhaps we should share our secret with thse towns.

The next question that arises is: Are we exporting children to magnet schools who are not in need of special services and importing children who are in need of these services? This becomes a likely possibility if we can assume that those seeking out the magnet schools are already a bit ahead of the curve education wise.

It is indeed possible that the Town test scores are not affected by Open Choice. “I imagine” is not an acceptable answer when we are on the verge of having both High Schools and I believe it was 3 Middle Schools on the NCYB watch list this year. But, if they can break out the Free Lunch and other groups without worrying about confidentiality they should be able to break this group out as well – no one is asking for names. West Hartford is about to spend $300K for the DIP, what is wrong with knowing these numbers. Again, our neighboring towns have cut back because of concerns about test scores.

Finally, it appears that the majority ofthe Open Choice children are concentrated in 3 of the 4 schools slated for expansion at a cost to the Town of $3-5 million. Are we entitled to a better accounting of how they are impacting the crowding situation?