photo credit-Greg
As we all look forward to tomorrow's election, it may be an appropriate point to look back at the last time we went to the polls here in Shoreline. One of the most controversial issues on the ballot was passing a school bond/levy increase to fund creation of two rebuilds of our existing high schools. At issue to many of the citizens in the district was the preservation of the existing Shoreline Historical Museum. With the assurances of the Shoreline School Board, the voters were confident that the museum would remain a part of the existing high school site. The bond issued passed by the barest of margins, as voters looked to the future and agreed to preserve the past as a solution to the need for new high schools.
It is easy to feel deceived by the events of the past few months. The so called "agreement in principal" collapsed amidst finger pointing and continued acrimony. Voters who supported the bond levy with the belief the museum would be preserved may feel deceived.
As we cast our ballots tomorrow, voters are being reminded of excesses in pay scale for small town administrators in parts of California. There were $800,000 pay salaries for city managers in towns the size of Shoreline, which raise voters objections and beg for closer scrutiny of local municipal politics.
Does Shoreline have a similar issue? Please consider these facts and questions about our local School District.
The Superintendent of the Shoreline School District is slated for an $8000.00 pay increase. All the administrative positions in the district are slated to receive 4% pay increases. Why have monies for these pay increases been funded into the budget and many of the other real needs of the school district been marginalized? (see SESPA Blog) Should pay increases for administrators be something that receives the approval of the voters?
Democracy thrives when public scrutiny and accountability are demanded by participating citizens.
At the coming School Board meeting at the end of this month a motion will be reviewed to approve the budget for the district. Please attend and share your comments.
A concerned Shoreline citizen.
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Why does this Shoreline citizen "need" to remain nameless?
ReplyDeleteWell, sometimes their identity needs to be protected for important reasons.
ReplyDeleteThis year is not the first time that the administrators have received a huge increases in salary and the teachers and school room support staff have been squeezed.
ReplyDeleteHas everyone already forgot about the strike in which the administrative staff got their raises but the rest had to go on a short strike to get a measly raise?
When the school district was financially stressed less than 10 years ago, the administrators were rewarded with raises after the teachers and support staff gave up positions and gave up raises.
People need to remember that it is the classroom staff who have been accepting the burden - larger class sizes, less support staff, fewer resources, lower raises, but the administrators keep on getting more and more of the pie.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! The lack of equity at SSD is an indication
of their and the School Board's fundamental lack of character. They are taking people's hard earned tax dollars and destroying local institutions and cutting important services and salaries, while lining their administrator's pockets.
It is going to come back to bite them, and soon!