Fiscal Year: 7/1/xx - 6/30/xx
Estimated Revenue (2011 budget): $213 million
Revenue Source:
1. Property Taxes - $151 million, 71% of total estimated revenue.
2. State Funding - $33 million, 15%.
3. Federal Funding - $15.3 million 7%.
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School Board Set to Discuss Outsourcing Bus Service
If they decide to outsource, will it be enough to close the estimated $ 2 million budget deficit for fiscal 2012?
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January 23, 2012
By Rhonda Reed-Slaughter
Valley View School District will be revisiting the outsourcing of its bus service at tonite's school board meeting.
As previously reported, the transportation fund is currently operating at an estimated deficit of $3 million (2009-2011), and on pace to generate an additional $1.6 million in deficits for fiscal year 2012. CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
The District believes the department's major problem is funding. They point to the lack of funding from the State as a source.
The lack of funding from the State has been an ongoing problem, for several years. In our opinion, it's time the school board face reality - expenditures are too high. Something needs to be done, immediately.
CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
Why not shift focus? Start adopting more fiscal conservative principles. Obviously, the liberal spending policies currently practiced are not working.
Here's an idea, instead of planning budgets by starting with expenditure levels the same as prior years, why not start AT ZERO?
For example, the school board continues to approve an estimated $12 million in expenditures (in the Transportation Fund) every fiscal year. Never taking into account the drop in revenue/funding, which results in chronic budget deficits. CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
Why not start each budget year at zero? Every category and expenditure item is discussed and scrutinized.
This is the only way the District can balance the budget, control spending, and in the future, save taxpayers money by submitting reduced tax levies.
The school board is scheduled to discuss the outsourcing option at tonite's board meeting. We look forward to the meeting.
However, one fact remains. The District will need to cut at minimum, $2 million (in the transportation fund) to close the deficit for 2012.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Will the school board adopt a more conservative fiscal policy by making all of the cuts necessary TODAY, or will they continue to bury their heads in the sand, keep expenditures at $12 million, pray for more funding from the State, and hope things will turn around, while taxpayers continue to ignore the obvious?
CLICK TO READ PAST ARTICLES
CLICK TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
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Chicago Tribune Expose How The Teachers Union Game The System
Local connection: Local AFT contribute more than $1 million to IFT, and $75k to Bolingbrook politicians.
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December 16, 2011
By Rhonda Reed-Slaughter
Chicago Tribune published an explosive article exposing the alleged corruption within the Illinois Federation of Teachers. All thanks to a loop-hole made possible by the Illinois state legislators.
According to the Chicago Tribune:
Two lobbyists with no prior teaching experience were allowed to count their years as union employees toward a state teacher pension once they served a single day of subbing in 2007, a Tribune/WGN-TV investigation has found.
Steven Preckwinkle, the political director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and fellow union lobbyist David Piccioli were the only people who took advantage of a small window opened by lawmakers a few months earlier.
His paycheck fluctuates as a union lobbyist, but pension records show his earnings in the last school year were at least $245,000. Based on his salary history so far, he could earn a pension of about $108,000 a year, more than double what the average teacher receives.
His pay for one day as a substitute was $93, according to records of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System.
The Chicago Tribune investigation pulls the curtain back, to expose what really goes on behind the scenes at IFT, the powerful teachers union.
The investigation shows how IFT leaders game the system with the help of state legislators to reap huge rewards at the expense of taxpayers. In return, state legislators collect tens of thousands in campaign contributions from the powerful organization.
A win-win for the teachers union, politicians, and the teachers.
A loss for taxpayers, and students.
If you think the Illinois Federation of Teachers' (IFT) influence is limited to politicians on the federal and state levels, think again. The IFT is deeply invested in the Village of Bolingbrook, to the tune of millions.
LOCAL TEACHERS UNION CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN $1 MILLION TO IFT
After reading Chicago Tribune's explosive investigation of IFT, The Number Crunchers decided to do a bit of investigating of our own. We wanted to determine if IFT had any influence in the Village of Bolingbrook.
Here's what we've discovered:
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections -
Who are the local politicians tied to IFT, via AFT campaign contributions?
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It's clear from the money trail, IFT, have deep financial ties to our local politicians. Ties that bind our local, county and state leaders to the powerful teachers union.
One question: Can we honestly expect Bolingbrook politicians to make decisions that are in the best interest of taxpayers, and the community, if their political careers are being funded by the teachers union?
In my humbled opinion, no.
Tell us what you think.
CLICK TO READ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE ARTICLE
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Local Poll Show Most In the Community Are Against 3rd Party Busing
If the poll is accurate, where then should the district cut to close the growing deficit in the transportation fund?
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December 6, 2011
By Rhonda Reed-Slaughter
On December 2, 2011, the Bolingbrook Patch published a poll asking the community to answer the following question:
Should Valley View outsource its busing services to a third-party company?
Of the 41 participants,
If the results (above) are any reflection of the community overall, most are against outsourcing, mainly due to child safety issues.
As previously reported, the Transportation Fund has been operating at a chronic deficit for the past 3 years. CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
The district will need to cut at minimum $2 million to close the budget deficit expected in fiscal year 2012.
If the district decides not to outsource busing, where then should they cut to close the deficit in the transportation fund?
From our independent analysis, after reviewing the district's financials; in our opinion, there are only 3 places within the fund the district can make significant cuts. [ Source: 2012 Budget]
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Salaries - $7.4 million
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Supplies & Maintenance - $1.4 million
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Capital Outlay - $2.2 million
CLICK TO VIEW THE EXPENDITURES BREAKDOWN BY CATEGORY
FINAL ANALYSIS
In our opinion, the district will need to make significant cuts in salary, supplies/maintenance and capital outlay to close the deficit, and balance the budget.
It's unrealistic and fiscally irresponsible to ignore the 3rd party outsourcing option, if it can save the district money. However, the "cheapest labor" should not be a criteria. Childrens safety is a priority.
The district should also cut into the highly paid administrator jobs within the transportation department. We believe there's approximately $200k in savings in that area alone.
If the district chooses to ignore the chronic deficits, and keep expenditures at existing levels, the transportation fund will be operating at a combined net deficit of $5 million for fiscal years 2009 - 2012, and growing.
...and growing.
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Reality Check: School District's Transportation Fund Operating at a Chronic Deficit
Valley View school district's financial reports are showing deficits in years 2009-11.
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Propaganda Alert: Local Media Report, "Valley View Predicts Tax Levy Under 5%"
Learn to read between the lines. Why are they asking for more money, increasing the tax levy?
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DuPage Township Scholarships: Only the "Well-Off" & "Well-Connected" Need Apply
Jim Mitchem's son receive scholarship money from Township despite parents $300k/year combined salaries.
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Did you know? Valley View's Chronic Truancy Rate is Higher Than the State Average
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School District Answer Our "3rd Party Busing" Questions
We hope the answers will help you decide whether the district should outsource its busing service.
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How Could $8.4 Million Have Helped To Educate VVSD Students?
VVSD students deserve to benefit from the hard earned tax money paid into this district.
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Bolingbrook Family Share What They Experienced With Valley View's 3rd Pty Busing Service
First Student Corporation left their autistic daughter on the bus for several hours, unnoticed.
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What Lies Beneath: District's Decision to Outsource Bus Service Draws More Questions
We've got until December 12, 2011 to get answers to 10 important questions.
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Should We Be Creating Public Education Pension Millionaires? Open the Books and Find Out.
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Is There Really A Lack of Funding In Education?
Learn more of how Bolingbrook taxpayers fund multi-million dollar pension plans for retired VVSD educators.
CLICK TO READ MORE
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Education Reform: Can Public Education Tax Credits Be the Answer?
Parents should have the right to choose the school they want their children to attend.
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School Board Set to Vote On 90/10 Grading Policy
Will new policy improve district's performance?
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Look in the Mirror Folks, Teachers Are Not the Problem, It's the Parents
When will we face the brutal truth?
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Valley View School District Fail To Balance The Budget
The bona fide spenders agree to use reserves to cover the $7.9 million deficit instead of doing the right thing and cut cost.
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Dr. Schofstall Leaves District With Better Test Scores, Now What?
Can Mitchem and his team continue the positive trend?
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Tressler's Legal Fees Cost Taxpayers a Whopping $37k in Just 3 months
"...Mayor Claar has a 5 to 2 advantage on the Board...Tressler's donated more than $60k to their campaign...will the board do what's right and replace Tressler with a firm that's cheaper and more experienced in the area of school law?"
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Valley View Denies $83.5 Million Additional Debt
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Valley View Swears in Members Who Racked Up $83.5 Million in District Debt
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Valley View OK's $83.5 Million in Additional Debt
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Bond Resolution & Debt Extension
The board intends to extend the debt service repayment schedule from 18 to 22 years.
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Lobbyist Cost & Bond Debt Extension
The truth is in the detail.
Lets take a closer look
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Principal Mitchem Indirectly Promotes Educational Choice
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PBIS Substitutes Rewards for Instruction
PBIS, Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports System, has stolen precious academic instructional time from Valley View School District, "VVSD", students since its inception several years ago.
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