Discussions current with the week of March 11, 2001

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Answers

Thoughts from yesterday’s meeting:

•An anonymous benefactor has offered to pay for all our signs. This is awesome: thanks so much! Ted is off and running on sign production: something really punchy...

•The list of questions for the candidates was culled down to 8 dynamite questions. Interviews are scheduled for the next meeting: 9am ( yes, 9!) Sat, 3/24. Jim will invite Meg, Tom, Kathy, and Michael G. This is a VERY important meeting....

•Morty connected with the county-wide voter registration list, on disk. The lists we are compiling become all the more important as a cross reference: let’s get those lists together by next meeting.

•Big BOE action this week: Monday & Wednesday! Check the calender for more info

•I was talking with Meg later Saturday, and it dawned on me that putting her through the same selection process as the others is kind of weird. We all know her, what she stands for, and how she handles herself. Therefore, I want to make a bbs motion to offer our endorsement to her immediately and without further ado. Is this out of order? Please, everyone, let me know how you feel about this.....

•I’m gonna take a crack at the mission statement, try to get the excellent values expressed to read easier. Stay tuned...........

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Curry’s edit of the Mission Statement:

SOS, Support Onteora Schools, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting positive educational values in the Onteora School District. We think we should have a school system that gives all our children the best possible education and the taxpayer the best possible value. To achieve these goals, SOS will address the issues important to the Onteora district, endorse a good budget, and back school board candidates whose educational philosophy is similar to ours.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

I feel that we need to hear Meg interviewed as well as everyone else It will help make our decision on candidate selection more clear and absolute. While Meg is certainly the favorite, there are a few members of SOS who may not be all that familiar with Meg or her policy ideas. It will help us get behind her by hearing her clearly articulate her positions. I don't think this should be difficult for her. And it can only help us represent her better during the campaign.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Curry - Please repost the mission statement onto the "Mission Statement" thread on the home page. Any documents such as this should be posted on the threads designated for them.

Thanks.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Try to make sense of this and speak out tonight!!!

Here's the budget numbers from 1999-2000 compared to 2000-2001 and 2001-02.

1999-2000 Total district transportation costs - $2,392,732

2000-2001 Total district transportation costs - $2,488,182 (Amended budget to include the 8/00 BOE approved additional contract transportation)

2001-02 (proposed) Total district transportation costs - $2,625,931

This amounts to an additional cost of $95,450 form 1999-00 to 2000-01.

But the late runs for 2000-01 have been over budget. The 2000-01 budget allowed for $17,085 in late run costs. The estimated costs for late runs as reflected in the proposed 2001-02 budget is $110,000.

This reflects a cost overrun in 2000-01 for late runs of $92,915

In 2000-01 the budget addition for contract transportation and the late run addition is totalled at $188,365. $92,915, the late run costs, must come from somewhere else in the budget or contingnecy fund. From where?

The proposed 2001-02 budget is $2,625,931. Compared to the 1999-00 budget this represents an increase of $233,199 in 2 years when the district went from from less privatization to the present increased privatization.

The proposed 2001-02 budget is $2,625,931. Compared to the 2000-01 2 1/2% contingency budget, before the additional costs of BOE approved contract transportation of $2,464,901, the increase is $161,030.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2001

Last nights BOE meeting was just plain disgusting.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2001

In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards. - Mark Twain I only lasted until 9:30 at the BOE meeting and it made me even more sick than I already was! Did anyone catch any of the "Perryisms" from the meeting? I send them to my son at college.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2001

Not all of us could get to the meeting, please share the words of wisdom dripping from Perry's mouth and other notable memories!

CARE have slightly revised their list of things for which we should be grateful to the board.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2001

The next SOS meeting is the candidates interviews on Saturday, March 24 at 9am. It will be held at Judy's Kitchen in Shokan.

Please attend this important meeting to fully understand the decision we will have to make afterward for SOS candidate support. We must make a final decision after the interviews. Election day is approaching rapidly.

9:15am - Michael Goodman

10:15am - Kathy Hochman

11:15am - Meg Carey

12:15pm - Tom Rosato

The candidates interviews should last about 30-45 minutes each. The candidates will open with a five minute introduction. The interview format will then involve eight questions to be asked of each candidate. Jim Sofranko will moderate the question and answers. A five minute summation will follow for the candidates closing remarks.

No videotaping will be permitted but a audio tape recorder will be permitted for SOS non-public reference. If someone has the resources to record audio, please do so.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2001

Monday nights board meeting was absolutely the pits! Barbara Boyce was magnificient though! Her budget presentation was a power point, held your interest, she gave a full explanation of special ed and how it all interelates with general ed, there was levity and it was informatiive. Of course the numbers were eye crossing in their chart form, but she explained everything very well. I loved it when she made points about the average kid through her presentation and directed our attention to Rose Ostrander by name. she also put at least $20 - $30,000 more in preparation for Shaw coming into district and forcing parents to go to hearing. Doan did not like that. She explained a hearing starts at $15,000 and on up. Yours truley is prepared to do so if I catch wind of my sons program being messed with in any way.

Mike Greihl gave his numbers and presentation. I was hoping he would have been stronger in his showing that privatization was more costly than in house buses. Meg made suggestion to have situation again analized by consultant (the same one said leave everything alone, that 30%in district and 70%private buses was healthy ratio and worked well) Of course majority board did not listen and created present situation. Mike agreed it was the right timing to have consultant come in again.

I left around 10:30pm and was extremely tired and emotionally pooped. I found out next day that Doan grabbed Vanacore who was exiting to go to bed before meeting was adjourned, whispered in his ear, Vanacore sat back down, Doan made motion to hire Shaw for mandate issues, majority passed it and I am extremely upset! This was, I'm told, within the OK rules of board members but it was unethical. He waited til most of audience went home and at 11:30pm made his motion, which was not on the agenda. Sorry folks, but I have to call him a bastard. Anyway, I'm trying to gather information and supporters from Kingston and New Paltz districts. People who experienced Shaw and know the impact his handy work has done. I'm going to use my contacts to network and prepare for a retaliation. I have gotten a few more parents aware, willing to write letters and attend meetings. I HOPE ALL YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE SAME. We need people out in the community to speak up. Please talk to everyone you know.

This isn't just about Special Ed guys. We're just a natural easy target. General Ed is going to suffer big! Fred Perry thinks we'll still have field trips. I don't think so.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2001

Online account of the meeting in the Freeman. Barbara Clare has been making sure she responds to a lot of these online recently, I suggest you get in early to respond.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

The purpose of this first investigation by Sleazeball Shaw, of course, is to get rid of Hal Rowe. Expect charges to be brought against him, and to become a big election issue!! These charges won't fly, but they intend to get lots of votes from them, so we need to be ready to expose what they're doing for what it is: a political witch hunt. And Hal, as a target, is just the beginning....

Does anyone have an idea for a friendly contact in the Woodstock PTA? I know we have Bennett covered, but who can make our urgently needed contacts with the pta's at Phoenicia and West Hurley? Anybody??

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

I have been having conversations with Phoenicia PTA president, Gina Cortinna. She is very unhappy with board and implications. I'm planning on attending the next meeting. Yes, we need credible folks to get up and yell. And I agree that Hal is the target. He knows it to well. I'm also challenging the staff at Phoenicia...I'm asking why they aren't getting involved? The teachers need to show their outrage. This afternoon I got some rumblings of teachers getting in touch with other school districts to find out Shaw involvments. I'll check that out tomorrow. Best regards, Melissa

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Hi, I just got back from visting Alan Carey and Susan Buckler at the Dartmouth Medical Center. Alan is basically doing really good, and will probably move to a rehab center by the end of next week, for a 2-3 week stay. Susan is staying up there until, and she's doing good, also, though I think in many ways it's harder for her than for Alan. I delivered the card, and it made them both happy.....Love to all, C ps My first facilities com. meeting Monday am!! I'll report in after...

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2001