|
By
consolidating seven sets of staff, New Trier could save taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars in salary and pension costs over the
next 30 years.
Local
taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for multiple layers of government
that duplicate services, waste tax dollars, increase government debt,
and decrease transparency.
Taxpayers need consolidation reform
There are currently so many school districts in Illinois that they’ve escaped accountability.
That’s
why school districts have managed to amass $20 billion in debt, or
$10,000 per Illinois student, and why property taxes in Illinois have
grown three times faster than household incomes since 1990.
And that’s why school district consolidation is an important and necessary reform for Illinois.
To
clarify, however, reforms should focus on district consolidations, not
school consolidations. School consolidations should remain a local
decision.
New
consolidation efforts should also end the state’s policy of providing
financial incentives to districts for consolidating. And to prevent
local property taxes from rising, any new consolidation efforts should
develop policies that block the merger of teachers contracts in any
newly combined districts.
To
that end, the state should create a district consolidation commission,
similar to the Base Closure and Realignment Commission that closes and
consolidates U.S. military bases.
Illinois’
commission would focus on cutting the cost of duplicative district
administrations. The commission’s recommendations would be subject to an
up or down vote in the General Assembly, meaning no amendments would be
permitted.
If
done properly, school district consolidation would lead to significant
savings for both local taxpayers and the state – and, if taxpayers
demand it, could lead to even greater reforms in education.
|
59 comments:
I just received this by email from the Illinois Policy and it was more than relevant because this morning by USPS mail, I received a very colorful brochure and informational brochure from the LPHS District 120 giving me many reasons that we need to improve, add to and update our LPTHS.
This feels like a big slap in the face since Illinois is now known as the state with the HIGHEST property taxes in the U.S.
I understand the need for all the improvements and if I had the money I would be very happy to give you an extra $20.41 each month per $100,000 of real estate that I own.
I am sure you received the same piece of mail and 99% of the residents on a fixed income who still are fortunate to be living in their home feeel the same way that I do. Talking to a friend this AM, the answer was NO NO NO. What shall we cut, our food budget, turning down our heat and turn up our air conditioner or the meager amount of items we buy for our homes?
Maybe we need to start consolidation sooner than later.
Well you know Lois maybe now you should be thanking the Baker group for getting Peru two new schools with no property tax increase. Maybe now you and the others see what a mistake it was removing them all from office. At least they worked for us taxpayers.
7:28 PM, Not sure why you would think that we need to be "thanking the Baker group" for anything. They did nothing but vote the way they were told to allow sales tax to fund schools. Nobody in Peru government provided any initiative to create the inter-governmental agreement that allowed sales tax to fund schools. The school superintendent copied the idea from another community that did it. That's how it all came about. Baker worked for himself and his friends and his henchmen aldermen did as they were instructed by him. Running them out of office was one of the greatest political milestones in the history of Peru. Furthermore, now that Harl has decided to turn to the dark side and create a Baker-style regime of his own it's clearly time to rid Peru of him and his rubber-stamp ilk as well. When an honest and ethical individual eventually comes forward to challenge Harl, the people will reject Harl just as they rejected Baker. I'm still laughing that you think it was a mistake to remove Baker and his lemmings from office. I'm guessing you have been around a while and subject to many years of the Baker indoctrination program. You, 7:28 pm are likely a long-time Peru resident who probably idolized Baker like the Russian people idolized "Uncle Joe" Joseph Stalin back in the 30's and 40's when he was starving them to death while they worshiped him. You had no idea what Baker was doing as you and too many others worshiped him over 44 years.
maybe you could cut out your internet fees
At one time the politicians of Peru were focused on keeping tax rates low. Today there are only a few left and when those few are eliminated or leave, you and I will be left with the free wheeling tax enthusiasts that hold on to tax and spend for the union brotherhood. Those are the same few that spew so many stories about the city.
Consolidate and Cut! LaSalle, Peru, Dimmick, one district! We also need to raise property taxes on agriculture. The "poor" millionaire farmers need to pull their weight and actually pay property taxes!
6:44 If I am not mistaken, real estate taxes are for public services. Please tell me what public service is utilized by empty land? Police? Fire? Library? Schools? Nursing Home? Townships? Please quit your whining while you are enjoying your circuit breaker freeze. Please bring some common sense to your argument.
8:08
Its tough to argue against comments like that. Comparing Stalin to Peru Mayor's is a stretch of anybody's imagination. You must have slept through 8th grade history. What is scary is that you have a major dangerous pre-occupation with Peru political "lemmings"? The facts are that Baker is no longer in office. We are tired of the never ending negative banner about Baker. He did a number of very good things for the city. Harl turning to the dark side is another comment that most of us have no clue on whatever your writing about?
From reading your comments it looks to be that he has hurt you in a very personal manner. Why such a free-fall from the death-star?
The topic is the spending of school administration. Nobody will fault these so called lemmings for the retirement benefits school administration. What's next? Peru Mayor to be charged with the Kennedy assassination? Lemmings cover up? Stick with patting yourself on the back with running all of them out of office. And good luck with your next project. TOTAL DESTRUCTION
Lois when are going to put something up about the crooked school board members who want to tax us and build their monument to themselves,
Fish wrapper today says there's low water rates in Peru too. Baker sucks.
Off topic, but I see nowhere else to post this. The parks in Peru look terrible. Even after they are cut, there are patches that have been missed. There is too much time between cuttings. The baseball diamonds look great. The parks never looked bad when Russ was in charge of taking care of them. I'm ok with privatizing some services, but when they don't do a good job, it's time to fire them and get somebody else who will do it correctly.
3:50 PM
Which school board are you referring to?
7:32 Was driving around Sunday on Mothers Day and I also noticed how bad they looked. Weeds were about 6" high. Maybe they should have been cut closer to the holiday so they looked better. Parks have never look good since the change.
10:51 am, You are mistaken. I have no personal grudge against any Peru official elected or otherwise. You confuse personal anamosity with my total lack of confidence and frustration that Peru's officials are lazy and incompetent. Just because I am clear expressing my opinions about the ineptitude of Peru's phony leaders does not mean that I hate them. If you are a Peru resident they have failed you the same as they as failed me. As the umpires always say, I call em' like I see em'.
LP LP LP They have to be nuts thinking the citizens will approve that tax hike
7:32 May 12th
What park or parks are you specifically referring to? The reason I ask is because the city takes care of some of them and others are done by D & M.
7:08
We are still confused how you call it as you see it. What are the so called ethical challenges you have against Harl? How has he turned to the dark side? Did he brake a promise to you? This sounds personal! You have replaced taxpayers with your name.
You may be confused because you are more than aware of what is going on so please don't expect an answer. Please check your spelling . imo, dark side refers to self interest only.
9:13 am May 13, 2016
I was referring to Centennial, Washington and Baker Lake parks. I know at first the city took care of Baker Lake park, but I thought D&M took over that park too.
Does anybody know who takes care of Baker Lake park?
No way will the LP referendum get approved. They are asking way to much for each household to pay, especially the older people.
Washington Park looked horrible with the dandelions all over. Should have been mowed down.
Bake Lake is still being cared for by city employees. It always looks uneven. It seems as though some mowers blades are lower than others and that some need sharpening thus making the ending result look uneven.
hopefully lp resolution passes it needs help bad
WHAT DEPARTMENT HAD OVER SEES THE PARKS? Who is responsible for not doing their job?
7:43 PM
That is a good question and I am not sure of the anwer. Under past administrations the Public Works Department took care of the parks. Now we have an Adminstrator Services Manager ASM (Bernabei) and under this managment we have Jeff King who I believe is a PSM- Public Services Manager who overseas what used to be Public Works. But we also outsource some of the work, but he also the Fire Chief and Bernabei is the Police Chief. Lines of division are ????.
For the last several years our parks have received no special attention and now the city insists we have fewer employees.
And in case you might have noticed there is a plastic sign in Pulaski Square that has a Miller bear bottle prominent in the display and I was told it has something to do with a fund raiser for the LaSalle and Peru FD for training equipment. Since this is only located in this little park, I wondered if they would remove it as it is a city park, they said yes and yes it has not been removed. BTW I have not seen them located anywhere else in La Salle or Peru except on the triangle on N. Peoria St. Logically there should be one in front of the FD and possibly the PD. Like you I wonder where the park care is at.
Beer not bear.
To the blogger who has stated that the city is being run efficiently (read somewhere on this forum) - evidently not, due to our parks conditions and the mismanagement of the department that oversees the parks. Whomever should be held accountable.
Wonder if these negative posts have anything to do with someone who lost out if you know what i mean. Really there are dandloines in our parks so lets have the city pay to cut the grass twice a week now. The tress in the parks are all being trimmes the flower beds are all beiing redone.Keep up good job Peru
totally agree with 659 things look great best parks around
First of all you have to be a guy and second you evidently have no ability for comparing what was, what could be and what is. And most importantly you are connected.
6:59 what happy wacky tabaccy are you smoking? The parks look terrible. There were games going on in Washingyon Park the other night and kids were playing on the playground equipment. The weeds were high and it looked like Peru doesn't cut the grass.
6:34 PM, May 12, 2016 - Flint Michigan had low water rates also. Peru's Water Infrastructure is crumbling. We need to raise residential rates by 100% and start investing in the pipes under the streets. Not goofy multi-million dollar intersections in the streets that back up from time to time.
Check out the City of Olney, Illinois' website, specifically their Parks & Recreation and their volunteer opportunities. They are a city about the same size as Peru.
Olney is a nice city. Also check out the city of Chillicothe which is the city the Friends of the Peru Pool visited and hoped to put in a similar type of Splash Pad in Peru. They also have a regular pool, I believe and a very active Park District with acticities forr all ages. Chilli's population is 6, 166 people.
Big mistake Peru residents and city council. A park district is extremely important when people are looking at communities to raise their family. A YMCA doesn't hold a candle. I'm from a suburb who resides in Peru now, and my family misses the advantages of having a park district. Many issues have me disappointed in have chosen Peru to raise my family. Moved due to location for job. Peru too clickish.
It is my understanding that at last night's council meeting 2 members of the Friends for Peru resigned stating that the lack of interest our council has for supporting a pool as their reason for their resignation. After many, many hours of work rumor has it that their resignation fell on deaf ears (meaning they received no recognition what-so-ever for their efforts). What I find sad is that we seem to be able to find thousands of dollars to purchase vehicles for employees who are already receiving large salaries and benefits but we can't find the money or the heart to at least supply a splash pad for our children. What I also don't understand is how we can need so many new vehicles when supposedly our work force is depleted and we've run out of room to house these vehicles.
9:10
I feel bad that these two women resigned. If I remember the pool was put to a vote by the citizens of Peru, and was voted down. Which speaks volumes about what the People want. I'm not sure what you were looking for as in recognition.
As I see it the public pool is not like what it was 25-30 years ago, a parent is not going to say " I'll drop you off at noon and pick up at dinner time" there are too many helicopter parents out there and the parents control every minute of the child's day.
I personally would like to see a Park district with trails and walking paths throughout city. Something that won't keep raising my taxes like the LP High school plan.
10:05 A.M.
Walking paths are an excellent idea especially in view of the fact that so many sidewalks in older parts of the city are almost unwalkable or non existent. Many cities have done this and incorporated lots of botanical growth along the walk ways.
Sometimes the streets are the only place to walk and I testify to that as I am a walker and am constantly reminded to get out of the street but I am there because there is no sidewalk.
We should go to a county based school district system. One school district in charge of all the schools in the county. One pool of tax dollars, one pool of administration, all divided based on the population centers. Shut down the micro-schools like Dimmick and Deer Park.
I lived in the suburbs and the Park District tax rate was as much as the school tax rate. And nothing was free. The days of dropping your kids off at the pool for day care 6-8 hours is not today's kids. Most of the town has private pools. School begins in early August. Two months June-July. That's 60 days. Take away rains and temperature of day's below 85 limit the time frame. You have a aging population that won't use the public pool and a small number of kids under 15. Most residents will ask you why should they pay for your kids. Just like the upcoming school referendum.
"I'm not sure what you were looking for as in recognition." How about "thank you for your efforts"? Too many words? How about "thank you". Instead these two ladies got nothing but silence. The council is a rude group and always has been. They need to learn how to treat people who try to help this city, but instead they treat them like crap. Trust me, I've seen many examples, so don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.
When the resignations were submitted the phony Peru officials behaved just as I have seen them do so many times before when there is any type of dissent or adversity in their midst from the public they are sworn to serve. They sit there with this stupid blank expression of apathy and disinterest until the awkward situation goes away. It's almost like they have attended training sessions titled "How Not To Respond To Concerns From The Public". I would not be surprised if Peru's phoniest elected and appointed officials put more effort into avoiding responsibility than trying to help people. They sit there looking at each other until "the threat" from the awful citizens goes away. No compassion. No concern. No common courtesy.
Will the Peru electorate ever get a freakin' clue and bounce these Bozos?
I will vote for the new L-P school, and vote for a Park District and vote for a library and vote for a swimming pool. And then I will move out of town and leave the bill for you to pay.
Not many kids in Peru any more. The school population is dropping like a rock, yet they keep spending money on new facilities like it is going out of style. I bet you dollars to doughnuts that Northview will be on the chopping block in two or three short years... just long enough for nobody to remember that $10 million they just flushed down the toilet.
I bet there is more to the story behind the ladies resigning. Notice I say ladies, because the council did not act like gentlemen. Remember just two short weeks ago the city would not match funds. Shame on all of them. Not one could step up and offer thanks. Time for a new mayoral candidate to step forward. Now! Our present mayor is not leading, otherwise he would have thanked the ladies for their time and effort, instead a slap in the face. Another sad day in Peru.
12:23 I will take you up on that bet. Northview and Parkside will be around for many decades thanks to some people with vision and foresight. Northview has well over 500 kids. They closed the third school and we now have two nice schools for 900 kids in town. They most definitely did not flush money down the toilet. They made excellent decisions. I supported those decisions as did many others. If everything ran like our school district in Peru the world would be a better place.
I'll be you are also the person who says the Peru population will be 8,000 in the next census, at the same time several foundations are being dug in west Peru? People like you make me laugh.
2:36 PM, May 17, 2016 - that is not true. Total enrollment for District 124, both schools combined, in 933 and is declining.
And yet the enrollment is higher than it was ten years ago 3:49. Most communities have dropped the last few years, which are demographics related to the recession. You need to do some reading. You are wrong again, blinded by how you want to see things, rather than how they really are. Also, what did 2:36 say that is not true? That person said district enrollment is 900 and you said 933? You make absolutely no sense.
LaSalle and Peru need to be merged and the deadweight fired.
10:13 PM, May 17, 2016 - actually, enrollment has been declining. I'd like to know why you purposely state falsehoods.
Anyway, we would do good to at least consider consolidating with LaSalle. Or perhaps make Northview and Parkside "charter schools" so we can remove the unions from the picture.
9:26 it's been declining the previous few years, but it was climbing before that. It is actually exactly the same as it was ten years ago. Nothing stated in the posts by 2:36 or 10:13 have anything that is not factual. It's all in the data that you are selecting.
Your second line states what is behind all of your statements. You cannot separate your politics from actual facts because that take a different level of intellect. Why don't you run for office on your platform of your ridiculous notion of turning the two local and well run schools into "charter schools" and see how it turns out for you. "Charter schools" exist in larger cities and have absolutely nothing to do with unions. You are clueless, so just stick to your political propaganda. I'll stick with my kids in the excellent schools we have now.
10:28 AM, May 18, 2016 - how do you know that I am not already serving in public office? Or perhaps at some form of civil service at the state, county, or municipal government?
Do you have any idea how ludicrous "it's been declining the previous few years, but it was climbing before that" sounds. Almost as bad as "we need to pass the bill before we can read it."
6:02 if you were serving in public office, you wouldn't be an anonymous person on a blog. Unless of course your "anonymous blog views" are not your "public views." In that case, I think you had better make sure no one knows who you are. Either way you are anonymous so no one cares who you or I are or what we think.
As for your comments about the enrollment it is not ludicrous. It is a fact that the enrollment is unchanged over a ten year period. Remember, you are the person (I'm pretty sure it's all been you saying the same things) that Northview is going to close. The district has 900+ kids and 500+ are at Northview and you think it is going to close. If you are even implying that the school district is going to somehow lose 500 kids, it just demonstrates how much you lie and say ridiculous things. To this point again, I have not said one thing that is not an absolute fact. You have said several things that are completely false.
People like you have also destroyed the blog. Do you notice that we are the only two talking? I just like facts more than political talking points and propaganda. That is not exciting for most people, so I've contributed my share to the blog's demise as well.
10:09 AM, May 19, 2016 - we really need to consolidate LaSalle and Peru schools into one district. If we don't get more good paying jobs, people with young families will find better options in other parts of the country. Those are the facts.
We don't need the number of schools we have locally. They should all be consolidated into one High School and one Grade School to serve the entire LaSalle, Peru, Oglesby, and Spring Valley area. Shut down all those little schools serving Dimmick, Deer Park, and the other tiny towns. Consolidate and Cut!
6;01 It will never happen unless forced to by the economy. Some towns have too much pride and think they are better than others and don't want to be bothered with those they think are beneath them.
9:56 AM, May 24, 2016... we need to consolidate the towns also. LaSalle and Peru have no logical reason to be two independent organizations. It is downright STUPID to continue in this way. And I'll come out and say the citizens of both cities are STUPID for allowing it to continue. Every resident should DEMAND that LaSalle and Peru become one city.
I just heard on the radio that LaSalle and Peru and going to make a firefighting school! Before they do that, they need to join forces and make one fire department.
Firefighting school? Who has a fire science degree to do this? Don't understand? Consolidate departments. One chief. and the LaSalle chief should be in charge.
Post a Comment