Page 1, lead story: City electric consumers should expect a 3% increase in their electric rates this year. This increase comes after the city has made enough of a profit on selling electricity that it can donate $100,000 to the school district (an issue referred to a public vote, which takes place tomorrow and on which I have commented elsewhere in response to a question from a loyal reader).
Page 1, second story: Substitute teacher Beth Knuths has organized the donation of 24 framed posters of famous artworks to Madison Elementary. The school district provides no art instruction until sixth grade, so Knuths felt the need to address that educational gap. Knuths says the project will teach vital cultural literacy:
"Students who have exposure to famous paintings will understand the many references made to them in literature, movies, music and other art -- so our students will be clued in to a very large part of our American and world culture."
Knuths was going to pay for the project out of her own project, but she managed to get some help from the Madison Area Arts Council and other sponsors. No mention of public money applied to the project.
Page 1, bottom story: The statewide school funding lawsuit has its first hearing in circuit court this week. After years of frustration with the Legislature, seventy school districts have turned to the courts for fiscal relief, arguing that the state is failing in its constitutional duty (SD Const 0N-8-1) to provide free and adequate education.
The plaintiffs argue the state is not providing enough money to prepare students "to meet state academic standards and achievement requirements; function as voters, jury members and participants in a democratic society; find meaningful employment and compete effectively in the economy; and qualify for higher education" [props to MDL and AP for good semicolon usage!].
No mention of preparing students to watch others play basketball in comfy gyms (the other issue on tomorrow's ballot -- more to come!).
Page 1, side story: Robb Graham, president of local business Professional Training Services, is organizing a math club for middle school students. He plans to host weekly meetings (Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. -- bring your pencils, kids!) in the PTS offices in the basement of the Radio Shack building downtown. Kids will work on ratios, story problems, and interest-rate problems, as well as possible math contests. No mention of public money being used to promote this vital educational goal.
Page 3, Editorial: On the eve of the vote on the city's fund-transfer to the school district and the $5.83-million (more like $9.8 million, including interest) bond issue to build a bigger gym, our man Mr. Hunter remains silent on both issues. Instead, he discusses the future of 911 service in the county.
"More than $2 million has been spent so far on 911 emergency communications in Lake County since its beginning in 1994," Hunter begins. He proceeds to voice his concerns about rising operating and upgrade costs. How will we find the funds to maintain this vital service? The county, Hunter notes, "says its funds are limited by property tax caps." Hunter suggests that we address the increasing costs by looking into consolidation of services with other counties.
Apparently money is so tight in this county that we may not be able to afford to maintain our own 911 service...
Page 3, Letter to the Editor #1: ...but money isn't so tight that we can't cough up an extra $100 per year per household and $1500 or more per year per farm to build a 2200-seat gym for high school sports. In his last election-eve push, gym promoter Randy Schaefer writes in to express his profound embarrassment at spectators having to sit in uncomfortable seats or even choosing not to go to home basketball games because the gym might be crowded, thus missing "some of the best entertainment our area has to offer."
No mention of his embarrassment at the lack of elementary art instruction, the absence of upgrades to the 45-year-old high school theater, cutting of a music instructor's position this year, or Madison's contribution to South Dakota's tradition of lowest-in-the-nation teacher salaries. No mention of embarrassment at the failure of the businessmen pushing this project to come up with a business plan for an events center that might actually pay for itself (see Charlie Johnson's commentary). No mention of embarrassment at using the school district to fund an economic development project that will not enhance any of the basic educational functions of the school (again, read Johnson). No mention either seeking private donations first to reduce the $9.8-million public debt burden.
Page 3, Letter to the Editor #2: Gym promoter Dean Gehrels does address the issue of public funding, saying it might actually hurt the cause. Gehrels fears a private fundraising campaign wouldn't raise money fast enough to outpace inflation in construction costs. The new gym could bring in revenue (district and region contests, sponsorships, etc.) that will pay for the annual operating costs, but the nearly ten million we will spend to build this gym is to be borne by the taxpayers.
Never mind that no one has shown how this project meets the school district's mandated function to provide a free and fair education: the athletic supporters want their big gym, they want it now, and they want everyone, not just the spectators who might get less crowded bleachers, to foot the bill.
(Oh, wait: Gehrels says the athletic supporters have received some private donations. That money has been spent thus far on the gym boosters' ad campaign....)
Page 5, gym booster committee quarter-page ad, top half: Evidently the gym backers must be hearing a lot of flak over the Sioux Falls Lincoln project (the combination of my own comments, Matthew Paulson's letter in last week's paper, and street buzz must have gotten to them). The top half of the ad offers a chart comparing the Lincoln and Madison projects. The chart explains why the Lincoln project is so much cheaper -- just an expansion, not a new building, smaller courts, no additional locker space, etc.
Of course, the chart fails to answer one obvious question: if Lincoln can just expand their gym for half the price of a new gym, why can't we? Mr. Schaefer in his letter says, "There's not a smaller, cheaper option around the corner," but Lincoln has found one.
Page 5, gym booster committee quarter-page ad, bottom half: The gym committee offers a comparison of their proposed gym to that of smaller schools. They compare total district enrollment and gym seating space in Lennox, Tri-Valley, Tea, and Flandreau. With the proposed new gym, we'd have more seating than everyone but Tea, whose gym can hold 2500 spectators. Of course, this chart fails to answer the logical question the preceding chart would suggest: How big is Lincoln making its gym? Let's review some numbers:
- Lincoln HS enrollment: ~1900
- New Lincoln gym capacity: 2000
- Madison HS enrollment: ~400
- New Madison gym capacity: 2200
Advertising insert: The gym boosters include a bright orange campaign sheet, complete with their continuing co-opting of the Madison Bulldog mascot for their political purposes, stirring jingoistic feelings of "Bulldog Pride!" while avoiding a real discussion of the educational necessity of a giant sports arena.
The insert focuses on the cost to taxpayers, breaking down the property tax increase folks in various neighborhoods can expect. The costs are broken down to per month and per day numbers. But let's not lose sight of the big picture: from even the owner of a modest ($50,100) house on North Liberty Avenue, the gym boosters want to take $1,109.75. From the owner of a swankier ($192,300) home on Twin Oaks Drive, the gym boosters would demand $4,259.50.
Not mentioned on this chart are any rural property owners -- ouch! I thought these guys were good at marketing, but they put out a chart that ignores and possibly alienates the large number of rural voters in the school district. Not mentioned in this chart is the huge hit farmers will take in their property taxes just to transfer some meager amount of wealth to the in-town business interests who think a big gym will translate into more burger sales and motel-room rentals.
Just to top it off, the chart bears this heading:
Actual Illustrations of Real Homes and there 2007 Assessed Values.
At risk of muddling the issue on election eve, I note the following problems with that text:
- Wrong their (an easy mistake, but an easy one to fix with proofreading... or so I tell my freshmen).
- For consistency, Their should be capitalized with the other words in that heading.
- Actual and real feel redundant.
- Read your local paper. There's a lot of good material.
- Read your local blog. Commentary every bit as good as what you get at the Country Cafe, but you don't have to leave a tip (not that I'd mind ;-) ).
- Go vote tomorrow.
Yay for Beth Knuths.
ReplyDeleteYay for all arts supporters! I think Beth was in charge of the local arts council back when they turned the old firehouse into an art gallery. She hired me to paint the signs out front, and I got to participate in the first high school art show there in 1988. Beth knows how to get things done!
ReplyDeleteOh man, I'd forgotten about the old firehouse gallery. I bet Beth was involved with that. I used to cat sit for her. Glad someone is taking the initiative to get art into the schools.
ReplyDeleteThe other display ad "Bulldog Pride" put in the paper comparing the Lincoln gym expansion and our new gym was not so wise, either. It seems to me to illustrate that we could simply add-on to our current gym for half the price.
ReplyDeleteAlso, did you notice it says we would have one collegiate size court AND 3 regulation size courts? I somehow missed all those courts in the floor plan they sent out.
And, yes, kudos to Beth for bringing art into the school without costing the taxpayers more money.
Dawn
It's election day so this commentary comes perhaps a little to late for you, or really anybody else. Still I thought I should get this out , because I think in regards to private funding the gym group has a point. As I understand it the plan is to aggressively pursue funds through donations, advertisements, naming rights, etc. I know they will ask for, and more than likely get money from Avera or Sanford Hospitals. The large one time ad money will go to pay down the debt. Other smaller maybe yearly ads sold on the score board might go to the general fund. The cost of waiting vs. building now does add up. S.F. Lincoln waited six months to start the building process, and the cost went up about four hundred thousand dollars. Lincoln by the way will build a 2,000 seat gym because that's the largest they are allowed to build. They will never fill it for a high school basketball game. Madison will average 2,000 per game, if not more.
ReplyDeleteNow all that said I'm still not completely sold. Maybe because I'm imagining what Beth Knuth's could do with 5.83 million dollars!
Two spelling errors on the orange Bulldog flyer. Is Principal and Interest supposed to be Principle and Interest? I voted for it anyway 'cause I'm sick of the cynics and tightwads who personalize everything to their advantage to justify the fact they are cheap and don't support progress. In fact I'm going to vote for everything that comes up in the future until we start growing and keeping our young families and business leaders instead of losing them to Sioux Falls and other states. We're not helping anyone by remaining at zero growth for another 60 years. Looks like we'll cancel each other out at the polls on the gym.
ReplyDelete"Principal" in this case is correct. "Principal" refers to the boss at school and to the base amount of a loan or investment. "Principle" refers to a moral concept or rule.
ReplyDeleteMore later -- but right now my wife and I have to go vote!
"I voted for it anyway 'cause I'm sick of the cynics and tightwads who personalize everything to their advantage to justify the fact they are cheap and don't support progress. In fact I'm going to vote for everything that comes up in the future until we start growing and keeping our young families and business leaders instead of losing them to Sioux Falls and other states. We're not helping anyone by remaining at zero growth for another 60 years. Looks like we'll cancel each other out at the polls on the gym."
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why anyone wants Madison to be a bigger town... if you want to live in a bigger town, move to a bigger town. It doesn't make sense in my mind to try to change a community where everyone else enjoys the small-town atmosphere... just move yourself and let the peaceful citizens of Madison relish their close-knit, low-crime, elderly culture.
"I voted for it anyway 'cause I'm sick of the cynics and tightwads who personalize everything to their advantage to justify the fact they are cheap and don't support progress."
ReplyDeleteThis statement is ridiculous. Maybe we would support a gym if everyone paid the same for it. Why should I pay about $20,000 or more for it over 25 years while another person pays $0 (Darin Namken) or maybe $1,250. That is the main issue. I personally liked the gym the way it was laid out and hooked onto the current gym. But I resent the attitude of the promoters calling me a "tightwad" because I think it should be paid for fairly. Just because I own property does not mean I am worth more than someone else who has their money in stocks and bonds. Just because I own property does not mean that my money is someone else's for the taking for what they want.
The promoters have to understand this. If they don't, they are doomed to failure again.
And don't give me the argument "we have been studying this for the last several years." This in everyone's minds started with a letter to the editor and blossomed overnight almost into a plan and a bill for $5.8 (actually $10 to $11 M over the course of 25 years).
Have some genuine meetings with the public. Be willing to listen. Be open-minded to everyone's concerns, not just the sports fanatics. Ask the school board to not be rude when someone tries to discuss the negative aspects of this. One board member was surprisingly exceptionally rude. This does nothing to generate good will for the project.