District, Tribune ignores common sense solutions over John Evans issue
by Brett Reese –
After reading the Greeley tribune story of July 20th about raising property taxes to tear down and rebuild John Evans Middle school, I was convinced the three lattes a year sacrifice each of us would have to make for this school was an easy decision. And, as always, The Tribune couched the story as a no-brainer tax increase.
Remember Tribune Editor Bangert’s last attempt to raise taxes? In 2009, he provided over $20,000 of donated print advertising to help 3A pass and it still lost badly. Why? Because people do not trust him and people do not trust this school district. Having served on the District 6 board, I can tell you, they shouldn’t.
- In spite of numerous demands by the voters and parents, there is no more transparency than there was five years ago. The online check register is a simple extension of managed numbers couched in complications and contrivances.
- John Evans is full of asbestos, is a poor design and it should be razed.
- The District has made much of serving the underprivileged side of town whenever any Charter School has made application, mandating any new schools of any stripe be built East of 23rd Ave. Period.
- When John Evans is boarded up, District 6 does not intends to rebuild on the same site, but as far south and west as possible, at the intersection of 65th Ave and 37th St. This location will require busing for almost all of the students and require new infrastructure. The cost for water and electric taps alone have been estimated at over $5 million. Why would the administration mandate with angry tones that all charter applications serve Hispanic, gang-infested and underprivileged children by building in the east side of town (Union Colony’s new school is on south 11th Ave.!!) and then promptly move John Evans to 65th Ave? You know the answer! There is only one! Hint: which side of town scores better on standardized tests?
- In her unchallenged wisdom, and with another fresh, incompetent board by her side, Dr. Lang is breathing heavily after the BEST grant. Let’s understand some simple things about this money. The BEST grant comes from Colorado taxes. It was instituted by former Gov. Ritter, Cari Kennedy and a couple other tax-till-it-hurts Democrats just a few years ago. The BEST grant requires the use of SlaterPaull architects, a sky-high, Denver architectural firm to design the new school. SlaterPaull has members on the BEST grant board that awards the grants. Inbred, expensive out of town contractors and building to the standards enjoyed by Saudi princes.
- Do we not have a few open buildings in Greeley we could fill and use to help our local economy? At least one option which would solve the problem is to move the John Evans students to Maplewood, which was very recently a middle school. Move the elementary students there to the former Cameron Elementary, which has about a 600 student capacity and has been rented to the church next-door for pennies on the dollar. I would suggest this could be done for less than $100,000. CFO Wayne Eads would likely insist on an estimate closer to a million or more.
- Yet another option may include renting or purchasing the entire Greeley Mall or the old Hugh M. Woods buildings. I think the mall just sold on the courthouse steps for what it would take to hook up taps and infrastructure at the 65th Ave smart student site. A few extra bucks for inexpensive partitions and toilets and you have a decent, sufficient location for students to learn.
- The rest of the solutions for our dismal District 6 educational system are obvious….and ignored at all costs by both the non-progressives and the arrogant in the media. Let’s admit to necessary improvement and become efficient in our financial decisions, including $300,000 salaries.
Almost half of all property taxes go to schools already. $175 million per year and despite this, almost half of all incoming District 6 freshmen will drop-out before graduating. Of those who will attend college, the vast majority will require remedial courses before entering!
There are much less expensive, existing facilities available for instructing our students. There are also multiple, specific solutions to the well-known educational and financial missteps of District 6. They are asking for more of our tax dollars that will continue to be mismanaged by our current administrators.
Tags: Ave, BEST, board, building, District 6, Evans, grant, Greeley, help, issue, John, John Evans, location, property, side, story, tax, town, Tribune, use
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Mr. Reese,
Much of what you have stated you cannot backup with facts. You certainly have an opinion and you always seem to be willing to share it no matter whether or not you can back it up with the truth. Here is my opinion since Iread yours-Your reference to the board being incompetent would include me and if I remember correctly, there were three candidates that you would like to have seen elected to the board. If you felt that I was lacking in qualifications or ability, you should have hoped that someone else was elected and you should have remained on the board to show everyone how competent you are.
Scott Rankin
Scott,
I personally spoke to you during your candidacy and you spoke volumns on what changes you would bring to the children of District 6. Yet you have disappeared into the walls of R. Lang’s pocket and the business as usual school board. NOTHING has changed from a year ago. The inbred thinking and mantra of the entrenched educators of avoiding true change for the same old cry, “more money”, just dosn’t work anymore. New buildings do not educate a child. Innovative teachers and a relevant curriculum, for a start, is what is needed to bring on change. The large sums spent by Lang to beautify her offices when she came on board ( spent in great secrecy by the way ), has not made a single ounce of difference in the improved education of our children.
Scott, you are quick to ridicule Mr. Reese, yet you offer no solutions or ideas. At least Mr. Reese has the ….s to offer ideas and not the same dead excuses. If you want to make a difference, as you proclaimed last year, then do it! Stand up and do the tough and difficult things needed to truly bring about change. If not, then public education is going the way of buggy whips.
Wake up – the writing is on the wall for all to see.
Scott,
I am also disappointed with the new board. Moving John Evans all the way to 37th street and 65th Ave is not in the best interest of our students. Rebuild John Evans so it is more visible instead of hiding in a hole is great but keep it in the general area. Taking our students out of their neighborhood won’t solve the problem. The only thing you will do is spend more of our money. A new building won’t fix the problems. Holding students and parents accountable and supporting our teachers in terms of discipline and even removal of students who continue to cause problems will go a lot further than building a fancy building South West of town.
Renee