Here’s part of Laura Petelle’s rationale for voting to close a high school:
These planned 43 staff reductions will total approximately $2.7 million in savings. [emphasis added]
An additional $800,000-$900,000 in savings may be realized by shuttering a building for the year and not paying operating costs (operating costs are somewhat, but not astronomically, higher at Woodruff than at Peoria High).
These are lower-end estimates. [emphasis added] There may be more job cuts to be found, and there may be more savings from those initial 43 cuts. May.
Now, I’m not trying to pick on Laura. Lord knows she does her homework. She did more due diligence and was more transparent about her justification than any other board member now or in recent memory.
But imagine my surprise last night when I heard on the news that closing a high school would save “$1.5 to $2.7 million.” I could hardly believe my ears. I wasn’t home to watch the meeting, but I taped it, so I pulled out the tape of the meeting and, sure enough, there was Superintendent Ken Hinton saying that closing Woodruff would save “$1.5 to $2.7 million.”
I’ve been following this issue pretty closely lately, and I can tell you that I never heard an estimate lower than $2.7 million. Maybe they said it before, since I don’t hear everything. But I don’t remember it. And considering that Laura — who’s on the board — said that $2.7 million was a “lower-end estimate” just a week before the vote, I’m inclined to say that this new range of figures is brand new information, brought forth at the last moment from Mr. Hinton.
This raises several questions, none of which are very comfortable:
- How are these numbers derived? That’s a huge range. The difference between $1.5 and $2.7 million is $1.2 million.
- Why can’t the administration narrow down the savings more than that? Was it not based on 43 staff reductions as Laura’s blog post stated? What has changed?
- Is this an indication that Mr. Hinton has already started spending the projected savings (i.e., begun making plans to keep teachers/administrators on the payroll for other purposes), and is trying to mask it by lowering the savings estimate for closing the school?
- Would board members have been as inclined to close a school if they knew the savings might only be $1.5 million, or would they have looked for other cuts that total that amount (canceling the Edison contract gets you half way there instantly, for example)?
- Why wasn’t this new savings range made available sooner? Were the board members informed of the change in estimates before Hinton’s report Monday night?
This is the reason citizens don’t believe any numbers that come out of 3202 N. Wisconsin Ave. It always appears that the numbers are either (a) pulled out of a hat, or (b) deliberately manipulated to elicit the vote the administration desires. Or both.
Here’s one more question: Is anyone going to tabulate the actual savings next year after all is said and done to see if it matches the estimates? Considering they haven’t done that for any other school closing, my guess would be “no.”
“I wasn’t home to watch the meeting, but I taped it, so I pulled out the tape of the meeting and, sure enough, there was Superintendent Ken Hinton saying that closing Woodruff would save “$1.5 to $2.7 million.”
What is this “tape” you speak of? I do not know this fascinating technology you refer to. 🙂
Can 150 educate a 5th grader for $100/week?
All too true, C.J.
This is what happens when you vote without a plan. So, now let’s get rid of the consultants and save 1.5 mil…. we should be good to go!
C.J.: It will never happen, the closing of a high school! Mr. Hinton will back down to the pressure and leave the matter to his successor, an out of towner who will come in looking to make friends with everyone. Both buildings will be put to better use for leser money. Write it down!!
Obviously this recent lower projection was not enough for Patelle and others to stop and say, “Whoa, where did these new lower projections come from?”
I gotta say, after listening to Billy and Diane and others talk up Laura, I’m a bit disappointed. Red is red and cuts have to be made, but WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE CUTS NEED TO COME FROM….THE TOP, ADMINISTRATION, CONSULTANTS. Go green, make things more efficient, quit lowering standards, improve community outreach, quit tolerating violence, make examples. Very unimpressed with the board right now. And Hinton is a lame duck, I don’t understand why anybody bothers to care what he says or thinks.
Regrettably, deja vu! 🙁
Cameron: I certainly hope that the board members are going to ask Hinton how he arrived at the $1.5 million figure and why he didn’t do more than just mention the figure in passing. I would go so far as to wish–if the savings won’t be the originally stated $2.7 million–that the board would want their vote of last night to be reconsidered.
Jon: In response to your comment on a different post: I certainly hope with all my heart that board members who voted to close Woodruff didn’t do so because they thought the enrollment for the majority of classes is 12 or 14–if so, they are in for a rude awakening when they find out that those 900 displaced students still have to have teachers no matter where they are placed. The last paragraph of your last post is right on!
I don’t know if the board members were swayed by the claimed average high school class size of 12, but the PJStar sure seems to be, as they quoted it again in their editorial today.
Good post, C.J.
There’s got to be an ulterior motive to this school closing. The numbers don’t add up. But what is it?
I have a VCR tape of the meeting if anyone wants to borrow it.
Email me at ehopkins7@prodigy.net
speaking of the tape of the meeting what happened after it abruptly went off the air? The meeting was not over and it was right after a very pointed question was made to Hinton.
I would suspect the meeting ran long and the automatic switch on 22 did what it was programmed to do.
Elaine, maybe someone wants a new school in the works with their name on it before they retire? That’d be my guess…
MAWB-
Something tells me that is never going to happen 🙂
Keith: It could be called, How to rip off the public without them noticing school for lack-luster intellects. Think it has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?
Laura? Still waiting to here your response to Hinton’s sudden drop of $1.2 million. Were you duped? Bother you?
TPBRicky: I’m waiting for any board member to respond to the $1.5 (I think .5, not .2) million bombshell. Do you think Hinton would say that he misspoke? If so, he should have said so by now. I didn’t tape the meeting this time? Was Hinton reading from his notes when he made this statement?
I have not received clarification on the “revised” projections, but ASSUME it might have something to do if the alternative school is ramped up and housed in the shuttered facility. So many frustrations from the meeting – shock over the lower cost savings – thinking “did I just hear it drop over a million” – to having multiple other points of “administrative inconsistencies” that I wasn’t able to offer as the ” call to vote” came quickly as well. To without malice – the end of the meeting had me asking how we can bring other “oversight” to the District. I look forward to hearing what former Senator Shadid, Lee Graves, and the Mayor are bringing to the table. What if they want PHS to become a charter HS? How does that sit with all the alumni who don’t reside in that District, nor send children to school there, but want to protect the “history”? What about it’s future???
And when is the “vote of no confidence” scheduled???
Jim, “Its future”–are you speaking of PHS–wasn’t the vote to keep it open? Seriously, how many years are you going to give Manual to turn around? I would hate to see Woodruff turn into the alternative school if the closing of Manual isn’t far behind–because of the four buildings it is the most logical choice for an alternative school. I have one question to ask about Manual–to save me the trouble of a FOIA. How many students are in the 7th & 8th grade academy? I’ve heard enrollment is quite low and you have a $110,000 academy leader presiding over a very small number of students even if enrollment is 140 (last year’s figure, right?) Assuming I’m right about an even lower enrollment, how can anyone justify the low enrollment of Manual’s 9th-12th grades as grounds for keeping the school open–especially, since a school of 950 was just closed.
Also, now that you’re on the line–is the board going to ask any questions about the change in grade policy. My FOIA’d information indicates that the board grade policy is still on the books. How can 150 have two grade policies?
Jim-
It sounds like you are ready for a change???
Can anyone verify the story that Hinton is “leaving” sooner than expected? And why? Heard it from several different sources. Just curious.
To: Jim S – thanks for the response and your question of KH, but it raises a pregnant question…so what are you board members getting for and think of the $90K+ that you are paying your internal auditor? Has he REALLY helped on the administrative evaluation basis or did he just find yet another teet on this Peoria 150 pig?
rumormill — I’ve heard the same rumors, but I’m afraid I can’t verify them. It will be interesting to see what happens!
11bravo — I have all kinds of antiquated technology. I still have a turntable (remember those?), a reel-to-reel tape recorder, a Super-8 movie projector, and a console stereo. I even have cable TV. 🙂
I guess I can add the ol’ VCR to the list now.
Has anyone seen Laura? Laura? 1.2 million less savings when proposed? Bother you? Hinton drops a bomb like that and you and Miss K-Mart blouse don’t respond? Simple question Laura. Did you make a decision based on savings projections provided by the district [along with other lies like Central having the bigger campus and capacity skyrocketing since the 2000 study]? 70 plus years of Peoria history died with your evaluation of the data. Do you feel duped? Why or why not?
CJ: I have my grandfather’s 8-track tape player if you want to borrow it! Very groovy! 🙂
TPBRicky: I was disappointed with Laura’s vote. I hope her silence means that she is sorting all this out–she just must feel betrayed. That said, I’m more anxious to know how the more veteran board members feel about the Hinton bombshell. I hope that the element of trust is no longer a factor when it comes to believing the statistics bandied about so willy nilly. It’s one thing for Hinton to lie about teacher support for Wacky Wednesdays but quite another to overestimate the savings for closing Woodruff–and for four board members to make a decision based on the amount they had been hearing for several months now. Where is Eric Bush?–I really believe that Eric thought that his efforts (and the others on the now defunct committee) would bring a new era of transparency to District 150. It just doesn’t seem to be in the best interests of the 150 administration to present accurate information. I am so curious to know why Hinton chose so casually to mention this new figure–without calling attention to the “new” figure. I know that I didn’t catch it–I wonder how many board members even heard the new number. C.J. was the first person to call it to my attention. I guess I wonder why Hinton didn’t maintain the $2.7 million figure, at least, until after the vote. There is no end to 150 intrigue.
No Sharon, there is no end to your ramblings. Maybe there are reasons that are understood, and with a new baby, a job, and a bevy of questions and accusations thrown at her feet, she sought relief from you.
To all,
For what it’s worth, the original vote to close A (one) high school was taken before Laura Petelle came onto the school board. Mary Spangler was brought back from obscurity for just that vote in case Dr. Gorenz was still too ill to vote. Petelle did NOT vote on the original proposal to close A (one) high school. She had not been elected yet.
The vote in which she participated was on WHICH high school to close. She voted to close WHS.
Yes she could re-open the vote on WHS vs PHS, and Manual-whatever-the-new-name-is being WHICH school to close if someone puts that school onto the table like Jim Stowell did with PHS, but she CANNOT re-open the question about WHETHER or NOT to close a high school. She was not part of the vote.
The question about the amount of savings from closing A high school is not her purview since she was not on the BoE then. WHICH high school to close is. The vote last Monday on the item was 4-1 voting in favor of closing WHS, with Parker and Ross abstaining from closing ANY high school and Stowell voting against closing WHS, in effect voting IN FAVOR of closing PHS, since the original motion was to close A (one) high school. Since the only 2 on the table were WHS and PHS, an affirmative vote against WHS (versus an abstention) was a POSITIVE vote to close PHS.
Right now, the vote to close A high school (which never should have happened in my opinion!!) is 4-1-2, with 4 voting to close WHS, 1 voting against closing WHS (and in effect voting to close PHS) and 2 abstaining and stating that they would not vote to close either high school.
NOTE: The mayor and any other pols are just taxpayers as well as those who reside in D150. If they cared about D150 they would stop implementing TIFs that rob D150 of vital income. BoE members should remember that before they try to use pols to support their agendas.
And so it goes. My position has been well documented about closing any of the high schools.
Fan of Emerge: That’s the price I pay for revealing my identity–I willingly accept criticism.
Laura is an attorney. My guess is that she’s getting all the facts first before she makes any sort of public statement.
Sharon: you are one classy chic!
As I’ve told Sharon many times – she is my favorite author. And she’s dead on about the lies fostered by this administration. My biggest complaint about the process of deciding which school to close was the deliberate efforts to manipulate data to achieve what Hinton wanted. Play fair; get the FACTS out and then decide. Loved how Central’s “capacity” skyrocketed from the 2000 study of about 1100 or so to 2000+ now. Hey, presto! Those two institutions deserved a fair hearing and this was not done. Laura and bought it. Play fair.
And happily but humbly (I hope) accept praise! 🙂
Add me to the list of “Fans of Sharon Crews”. Keep on keepin ‘on Girl!
CJ – Aren’t personal attacks against your rules of use?
Diane: Coming from you at this moment–I appreciate your kindness since I was a bit hard on Laura in expressing my disappointment with her vote. Of all times to be a new board member, this had to be the worst.
Sharon you have every right to express your disappointment. I’m disappointed too. I think I had reached a level of acceptance that there was no other choice. You cannot have this many years of accrued mismanagement and NOT expect it to get to this point. As a community we have failed. It’s time to rebuild. I believe the wake-up bell has been heard loud and clearly. Where to go from here is over my head. I’ve got nuthin.
I still contend that, despite the disappointment many have in Laura’s vote, she will prove herself to be one of the Districts most valuable resources. Wait and see.
Count me as another fan of Sharon’s 🙂 Diane, I also agree that Laura will be one of the greatest assets for the district. She puts in a great deal of time researching the important issues and votes based on what she thinks is best, regardless of what others think. I may not always agree with her, but I respect her.
It’s official! 😉
Ok! My ego is fed enough. This blog world is amazing!
I wasn’t able to catch all of the board meeting when they voted to close WHS, but I saw the end and heard Hinton use the $1.5 – $2.7MM AFTER the vote was made. Did he use that estimate BEFORE the vote as well?
Sharon, you don’t have to reveal your name to accept criticism – just look at kcdad! 🙂
What complicates the financial “facts” is that 1. We have a new controller – and it takes a while to get fully up to speed and 2. We have had someone else, Jeanne Williamson, who has been looking at the ramifications of closing WHS and she might not make the same assumptions.
I appreciate fans, but I don’t understand why you need to use the moniker “Fan of Emerge” to make comments that are mean spirited.
I appreciate that there are people out there who care enough to conduct research on things before making comments in the blogs. I also like that they do take the time to blog because I have become much more educated regarding the shenanigans of District 150 because of their dedication to getting the truth out. I don’t understand why anyone would attack someone else. Intelligent, educated people can engage in conversations about things on which they disagree and still remain civil to one another. Isn’t that one of the things we would like our students in the classrooms to come away with? I enjoy reading all the comments and posts here and at Emerge as well as others throughout Peoria. Even if I disagree with what is being said, I like to know the position of the “other side”. Yes, kcdad drives me crazy, but as Sharon as said before, he also makes you think about your stance and work harder to be able to defend it against attacks.
Finally, I would also like to say that I believe Laura is a wonderful addition to the BOE. She obviously studied information and thought about her vote well in advance of the meeting. Not all of the information she was looking at came from Hinton & crew. She said somewhere she was trying to get information from as many sources as possible. Laura was dropped into an awful situation and asked to make an awful decision which was going to upset people. Yes, she asked for this “job” and I think she is trying to do her very best. She is one person in the middle of a mess which started many years ago. There is only so much one individual can do. She is also the only one who is actively engaging with the public and seems to care what we think as well as tries to answer any and all of our questions as best she can. Laura is about the only thing in PSD150’s future which looks bright to me.
Thanks for your comment, Emerge. Also, Emerge did send me an e-mail message in case I would happen to think that she was sending me a message through someone else. I honestly did not even consider that as a possibility as I am also a fan of Emerge’s and she knows it. Also, Emerge knows that she is free to question my thinking and that I will accept what she offers as food for thought–and I feel free to do the same. The blogs offer all of us an opportunity to get to know each other’s thoughts and philosphies in ways that maybe our own friends do not know us. Fan of Emerge, this, in no way, means that you cannot offer criticism of my thinking and ramblings–you do have that freedom.
Jon, thanks for the info about when Hinton mentioned the $1.5 million figure–I am bewildered as to his timing, to say the least, and I hope that issue is clarified at the next board meeting.
Also, I believe that Laura will be an asset to this board–and I don’t mean that to diminish the worth of other board members either. I think we all need to take a step back to realize that 150 board members (and even administrators) for the last ten years have been faced with problems and decisions, the likes of which did not confront previous 150 board members.
teachingrocks sez: ” I don’t understand why anyone would attack someone else. Intelligent, educated people can engage in conversations about things on which they disagree and still remain civil to one another.”
I say: I sure wish the RIGHT would practice this on the subject of health care in this country. More would be done then scaring the ignorant masses with death squads.
Emtronics: you are walking a slippery slope to say the least. I am a conservative Republican who believes in a “hand up” NOT and I repeat NOT a “hand out”. There is a difference. My husband and I have paid our fair share of medical bills in our lives, even though we had “insurance”. Yes, sometimes we paid $5.00 a month to each Dr. and hospital, eventually paying all off. You see, people appreciate things they pay for. We go to the hospital for emergencies, not using it as a dr.’s office like many do. I cannot understand the mentality of some that carrying a $75 purse and wearing $100 shoes is more important than paying for a visit to the dr. then complaining because they don’t have insurance. I have a retired family member (retired from CAT), who went out and bought his own medical insurance policy because it was cheaper than what CAT offered them. There are many choices, but the main one is to spend your money on important items, like health and life insurance.
Free for All – What does this have to do with shuttering a school? Ok–Emtronics’ last line–so I’ll be off topic, too. Of whom do you speak who spends $75 on a purse and $100 on shoes? I definitely know a person whose husband works at Cat–has Cat insurance and, also, would likely spend $75 on a purse and $100 on shoes. Your comments seem to fit those in our society who do not work, but how do you feel about the many who work and probably serve you every day for minimum wage (not enough to buy insurance) and no benefits? Unfortunately, I recognize your thoughts as that of a conservative Republican–I hope not one who would take these words seriously, ” I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Sharon: just responding to Emtronics “rantings”! ENJOY! Yes, I have always done my “share” of charities, but comes a time when I am so overwhelmed with “charities” that my very own lifestyle is compromised. That is all I am saying. I gladly help anyone that is down on their luck, it is another story when people choose to LIVE “down on their luck” at others expense. Sorry if I offend, but something has to give, I cannot continue to give, give, give and have the gov. continue to take, take, take…..
What exactly to you “free for all” is a “fair share”? What I am saying, off topic, is that an intelligent debate is always fruitful and I simply wish that the RIGHT and yes, that is where it is coming from, the RIGHT, would engage. It’s not a rant but like teacingrocks said, with the school district this would do better than bashing the schools in the blogs. Again, I am not saying all bash the district. Still, you are fortunate enough to have health insurance and paid your “fair share” so because of this should every human being that can not afford what you have suffer? Ya know, like tough sh*t. No one is asking for a hand out (another mis conception)
How about a guy, (whom I know) in his 60s who paid through his whole life for health insurance, self employed, made good money, and now needs a nursing home. $10,000 a month for a quality care home not including medicine and doctor care. His insurance said enough! Cut him off after 10 months saying he hit his limit. He is now in a less desirable home at $7000 a month and Medicare (you and me) are picking up the tab. Is that fair share? Just FYI