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Public Notice
Public Hearing Regarding Proposed School Budget Reductions
Monona Grove School District will be holding a public hearing TONIGHT (February 11th) @ 6:00 p.m. – Monona Grove High School to discuss proposed budget reductions including the potential of CLOSING MAYWOOD SCHOOL before the 2010-2011 school year.
Everyone is encouraged to attend to voice your opinion on this potential closure and the other cuts being considered by the district.
This notice is being provided because the Maywood closure was not included with the published list of potential budget reductions provided by the district and the discussion of this topic at last night’s regular board meeting was not televised live here in Monona. While no one from the district has officially notified the City of Monona, we understand that at last night’s board meeting it was decided that a vote to close Maywood will take place at the board’s February 24th meeting.
If you are unable to attend tonight there is another public hearing on February 20th @ 10:00 a.m. – Winnequah School or you can contact the district and your school board members to ask questions and voice your opinion.
Robb Kahl
Mayor
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ReplyDeleteDoug- please highlight for the public that the information in the flier is false. No decision was made to vote on this issue at the Feb 24th meeting.
ReplyDeleteDoug,
ReplyDeleteTwo clarifications should be made to this note being distributed today in the community.
1 - The vote will likely occur on the 24th, yes, but it is not set in stone by any means.
2 - The list of cuts referred to in this note is the 'widdled down' version, derived from the original list of 39 possible items, including the closure of Maywood. This isn't coming out of left field, really, is the point. (Read your local newspaper!)
I spoke with the Mayor a bit ago, and his intentions to publicize the meeting were good, but having covered this issue from the get-go, I think the above clarifications are appropriate.
My story from the Feb. 10 meeting is online if folks want more info on where the district stands, what the options are, etc. | herald-independent.com. I have links to our previous stories in the Editors Blog as well, if people want more background. Tough issue, tough decisions ahead.
-Adam
City employees? At my friend's house, it was the freaking CHIEF OF POLICE. and yes, I know that all caps is generally perceived at shouting, which is how I feel right now. How on earth does he have time for this and under what rationale did the mayor feel this was necessary. It's been plastered all over the local newspaper. Should people really expect to be informed of something that has been amply reported in the local paper?
ReplyDeleteMy god, why didn't he have the cops drive around with their loudspeakers. Or did he?
Thanks, Adam, for the clarifications. I will post links to your stories.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Mayor directed city staff to deliver the fliers. The council was not consulted (nor should we have been; assignment of personnel is not our job).
Yes, I know the Police Chief was one of them. Twelve city employees distributed the fliers for an estimated 1.5 hours each or a total of about 18 hours.
I thought Sunny said the Wiswell was micromanaging public employees not the mayor.
ReplyDeleteIt was closer to 3 hours each to distribute the fliers.
ReplyDelete"It was closer to 3 hours each to distribute the fliers."
ReplyDeleteYes, that is the information I have also. The distributors were non-represented city emplyees. ("Look for the Union label"....)
I am thankful Mayor Kahl got out this notice otherwise we had no idea that the process had progressed this far this rapidly. It is time now to focus on a plan to fix our district's budgetary problems (see Peter Sobol’s Blog for his plan) and that will involve a referendum - if not now it will be next year as we are running out of options.
ReplyDeleteSince when does Mayor Kahl care about informing citizens? He has never written a column in the local paper, he never writes a letter to the editor on anything and I would sure like to have examples of anything he has ever done personally to inform us of important things going on in our city. This was cleary his pet issue and he said as much at the school hearing the other night when he made it very clear he will not support a spending referendum for the school district unless Maywood is kept open. Maywood is not the only thing we stand to lose. We are talking about increasing class sizes and cutting programs. I will vote for a spending referendum whether or not Maywood closes but there are people who are having trouble paying their property tax. Why should they vote a tax increase in order to keep a school open when it is not needed? We closed Nichols when it was not needed and we reopened it years later. The same thing can happen with Maywood.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor emailed me his response:
ReplyDeleteAny person who questions what I have done to communicate to the citizens of Monona certainly has that right but frankly they have been living with their head in the sand for the last seven years. I have written letters and op eds to the paper. I do countless radio, TV and newspaper interviews to make sure the public is informed on topics. I have spoken to almost every single civic group (e.g. Optimists) that I can think of in Monona and Madison - repeatedly. I revived the city newsletter that is mailed to every household and personally write a column in it each time it goes out. I have pushed for better cable coverage of all meetings (including committee of the whole budget meetings). I strongly supported the improved city website including posting of agendas and packets. I receive and send dozens upon dozens of emails from and to constituents each month and have as many constituent contacts via the phone each month. I do at least two 30 minute Monona cable interviews per year to get the word out on important issues. Frankly, you would need to be without TV, radio, newspaper, internet and mail to avoid hearing from me on a regular basis.
As for Maywood being my "pet issue" - the health, success and vitality of Monona is my pet issue and that depends in large part of the strength of our schools. As I stated Thursday night, I do not support the majority of cuts proposed and feel it is time for the district to explore selling Nichols and go now to a referendum because even if your "pet issue" is saved this year it will not be next year as we need to make $1 MILLION IN CUTS EACH YEAR without more funding for operations. With the sale of Nichols, we would still have adequate space for our school and administration needs in Monona and have capacity for growth in the future if need be.
We frankly will not need Nichols as we move forward because we will never again be busing elementary or middle school Cottage Grove children into Monona - the board's recent action declining to bus in Cottage Grove kids back to Winnequah to address space needs reaffirmed that reality. We do not need multiple buildings sitting vacant or underutilized and the most valuable facility from a redevelopment standpoint is certainly Nichols. Thus, my advocacy for keeping Maywood open and utilized is part of a bigger plan involving the sale of Nichols and a referendum as soon as possible and I clearly stated so on Thursday night.
Robb Kahl
Mayor
Kahl did not state whether or not he will support a referendum if Maywood is closed. If he will not, what if the rest of us also withhold support if our pet item is not saved?
ReplyDeleteMayor Kahl-
ReplyDeletePlease respond to the overwhelming Monona belief that your actions in sending out the police force was not only inappropriate, but perhaps illegal. Have you had any thoughts about that use of public tax payer money? As you outline yourself, you do a great deal to communicate with the folks of Monona-so, no reason to take this drastic action- and as you note yourself, the soonest vote is still 10 days away- plenty of time to get the word out through the newspaper etc. Please defend this gross abuse of power.
Spoken like someone who's never had to sell a referendum, or never had a child attend a school other than Maywood.
ReplyDeletePlus, he doesn't have his facts straight. I wonder who is feeding him this mis-information. The board declinded to bus CG elementary students because a temporary classroom at CG elementary was cheaper and less disruptive. Whether or not we'll need to do so in the future is for a future board to determine.
ReplyDelete