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| Post Number: 41
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Replicant 
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Posts: 1570
Joined: Dec. 2004
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Posted on: Nov. 09 2007,9:54 am |
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(ALRox @ Nov. 09 2007,9:19 am)
QUOTE Geneva is in the Minnetonka system....public school.
Interesting to hear the background on the real reason for the Fitzsimmons's leaving. I got chastised (by a party who shall remain unnamed) over on the main "Will you vote yes or no" thread for throwing out them as an example of what happened after the cuts last year. I was unsure if Scott got his admin job first, in fact I thought he did. So it turns out the middle school cuts were a main force for them leaving.
In their case, I believe the community lost out. Scott seemed very effective in high school band, as did Geneva at Southwest. She also took the reins of the community band, I don't know who picked those up.
As to the Harms, I will admit to jumping to a conclusion in not knowing who their employer(s) were. I didn't know they were teachers. That wasn't made clear, and I won't speculate if they failed to mention this, or if the article failed to include this point.
However - and I'm not going to go through all the letters to the editor and articles that appeared before the referendum - but I am quite certain that there were mentions of families stating that if this didn't pass, they were out of here. These did not state they were teachers who would be out of a job. And I'm going to leave open the possibility that one of these instances I recall was the same family, perhaps a child who wrote a letter.
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Some drink deeply from the river of knowledge. Others only gargle. - Woody Allen
The problem is not that we have too many fools, it's that the lightning isn't distributed right. - Mark Twain.
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| Post Number: 42
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bianca
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Joined: Dec. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 09 2007,9:54 am |
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Thanks for clearing that up, ALrox, but if we are going to make comparisons between here and there as far as academics, student enrollment, etc than we need to find out which of the Minnetonka schools that she is instructing in now. This way we can look at the stats where the student teacher quota is there and why, and then figure out what they're doing that we are not.
This is seperate but didn't Minnetonka ask for a referendum this year also but was turned down by their voters?
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I believe in the patriotism and energy and initiative of the average man. Woodrow Wilson
Early in life, I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. — Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)
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| Post Number: 43
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| Post Number: 44
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busybee
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Posted on: Nov. 11 2007,9:19 am |
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Whole district comparisons....
Federal and State fund totals:
Albert Lea $8,104
Edina $7,065
Minnetonka $7,363
Per pupil expenditure percentages:
A.L. Edina Minnetonka
Regular Instruction: 45% 56% 52%
Special Education: 22% 21% 21%
Instruction & Pupil Support 6% 11% 7.5%
Technology & Career 2.2% .26% 1.6%
Sports & Activities 2% 2% 2.5%
Admin (district & school) 8% 11% 10%
Operations/maintenance 12% 11% 10%
Transportation 6% 6% 7%
District Demographics:
Limited English Proficiency 5% 3% 1%
Special Education 17% 10% 11%
Free & Reduced Lunch 39% 7% 5%
Both Edina & Minnetonka Districts made AYP.
Albert Lea District is in Needs Improvement status for not making AYP.
Logically, shouldn't District 241's percentages of spending be higher in regular instruction, special ed and additional instruction & pupil support?
Could we afford to lower percentages of spending in operations/maintenance, sports and career/technology to make improvements in the overall academic education of our students?
Hopefully, the district & the board will make these types of prioritizing decisions...it's time that they do, especially since the referendum passed.
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| Post Number: 45
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gary grobowski
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Posted on: Nov. 11 2007,10:47 pm |
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Not sure if Minnetonka passed their referendum or not, but they have almost $1400 in referendum per student in place that does not expire until 2012 and where asking to go to over $1800 and without the special ed numbers and free and reduced numbers that we have they are able to put more dollars into programs. And if I recall they have an indoor football facility. And before anybody jumps down my throat, I am not suggesting that we reduce special ed programs. But districts with lower numbers are in better financial shape.
I believe that Geneva teaches in Edina. Which I believe was at $1200 in operating referendum and now over $1700.
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Taking Albert Lea Tourism by Air, land and sea
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| Post Number: 46
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busybee
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Posted on: Nov. 12 2007,6:20 am |
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Based upon average home value and operating referendums, local support in Edina is at .34%. Minnetonka at .41%.
Albert Lea local support is currently .64%.
Replace with the new & improved referendum local support will be at 1.05%.
Comparing 2005 to 2006 report to taxpayer information, increase in per pupil spending in the following areas,
Regular Instruction: + $26.00
Special Education: + $113.00
Instruction & Pupil Support: + $13.00
Career/Technology: + $ 4.00
Activities/Athletics: + $33.00
Operations/Maintainence: + $ 88.00
Transportation: + $ 20.00
District & School Administration: + $ 8.00
Since we live in a community with declining enrollment, students with more academic needs than others, and lower socioeconomic classes, we should expect regular instruction, special ed & support services to make a significant jump in per pupil spending plan for the 2008/09 school year budget considering the referendum passed.
We should not be spending close to equal amounts on non-academic expenses.
Opinions please...where is the greatest need to allocate funds from the referendum money for next year? Any predictions on what the board will do?
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| Post Number: 47
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Botto 82
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Posted on: Nov. 12 2007,10:44 am |
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Looks like your getting whalloped with ops/maintenance costs. What's the standard district-issue vehicle?
Which school is the least energy-efficient?
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Dear future generations: Please accept our apologies. We were rolling drunk on petroleum.
- Kurt Vonnegut
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