"People seem to be confusing annual operating needs with capital needs. Voting against a referendum for important capital needs that have nothing to do with salaries and benefits is not the answer."
I am relatively new in this town (2006) and moved here for numerous reasons, one of which was what I had researched to be a fantastic school system, so I am working to educate myself on the referrendum and this site has been a helpful resource. I do agree with the above comment and feel that the anger at teacher's and administrators salaries and benefits, versus the decision on whether or not to approve this ammendment for Capital improvements are completely seperate issues?
I also see numerous commentors angry about the $$ to improve athletic facilities. I have zero knowledge as to whether or not the facilities are or are not adequate, the pro $48mm people insist they are not, and though some of the posters against the $$ believe the facilities are adequate, a majority of those posters seem to be arguing that money on athletics is a waste. I believe it has been proven time and again that education of our children should include not just math and science, but physical, musical, art, etc education as well.
If I wanted to live somewhere where the school system was in the level of dissarray that this issue seems to indicate they are, then I would have stayed living in the disaster that is the NYC Public School system.
My inclination, as a father of a young daughter is to vote yes, and say that $25 a month is money well spent for my family. I would much rather spend the money on the schools and carry my garbage to the curb or cut recycling to once a month if we want to talk about saving taxpayers money - but I do understand, that where taxpayer money should go is in the eye of the beholder.
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14 comments:
if you want to have your haul your garbage to the curb twice a week, go live somewhere else. believe it or not but that is one of the many things that make this village special. Along with Graydon and our beautiful high school.
Tell you what, learn more about how our BOE operates and then come back at us with your eagerness to buy their BS.
If they did something as simple as redistrict the middle schools there would be no need to expand GW to the tune of 5.4 million dollars.
Oops, my bad. GW is closer to $10.7 million dollars for renovations and additions. BTW why are we expanding Ridge and Hawes again? We added classrooms less than 10 years ago. So what is up with needing to ad another $10.9 million in classrooms now?
If there is a need for any expansion it is at Willard and Willard only.
Our BOE needs to get a grip on reality, redistrict the schools and open Glen back up instead of spending money to build new classrooms at Hawes.
Come folks, we are being played for suckers here while these pols refuse to do the hard work of governing.
Time for a change in management all the way around.
12:37, please get the facts on the referendum. Where do you get your assertion that the only school that needs expansion is Willard...let me guess, are you a Willard parent? Get real, get out of your bubble, and look at the district as a whole. The entire district has grown over the past 10 years by over 500 students. And, together with that, special ed has grown (not more, but proportionately). Many special ed services, which our school district is required by law to provide, require smaller classrooms. Currently, many of these activities are taking place in the hallways, vestibules, principals' offices and stairwells. Would you say that was OK? Some of these services are also taking place in larger classrooms, rooms that could be used for regular classes. And at my school, there is a regular classroom divided into four with partitions, which is against NJ code. At Somerville, I have friends who cannot send their child to the school down the street, because it is full, bursting at the seams. This is not BS from the BOE, this is what I have seen with my own eyes. The classrooms and such will be added at Ridge and Hawes in order to gather together the special ed and stop moving them around from school to school, wherever they can be jammed in an open space.
If you simply disagree and feel that special ed students should be fit in where they can and move every year, and if you strongly support classes in hallways, then why don't you just say that, instead of spreading false informartion?
P.S. A coherent explanation for why opening Glen would cost even more money and not solve the space problems can be found on Laurie Goodman's blog.
12:37pm is so far off-base, not even worth responding. However, thank you for explaining. Wont matter, as some are as thick as a brick.
Redistrict his/her kid to Glen School. Watch how they'd react to that.
And thank you to the new post, starting this thread. I agree 100%. As to the lazy slob who believes that garage pick-up of his waste is part of "Ridgewood's charm..." Get a grip. Comparing our kids to your garbage removal. Are you for real?
Might sweat off a few pounds and save on your personal trainer by walking the can to the curb, pal.
Yes, 1237, go to Laurie Goodman's blog. She'll tell you everything we CANT do.
The party line? "school population is up 500 in the last 10 years!!!" Check the census on the board of ed site. Another way to spin that line is "school population has been flat for the past 5 years." Oopsie!!
Oopsie, 1:27, with what I'll charitably call more "untruths."
District enrollment 04-05 (5 years ago) = 5516.
District enrollment 09-10 = 5670.
This is not "flat." This is an increase of 154. Enrollment has risen EVERY year for the past 10 years, for a total increase of 534
The numbers are the numbers and they don't lie (unlike others on this blog! bahahaha)
Again, it seems people are just yelling at each other as opposed to talking the issues over and hearing both sides. The more I pay attention to the local issues around here, the more I see this is the way RW goes about it's businesses. Love 12:30 telling me to go move because I suggested a way I would prefer to spend my tax dollars was on school improvements, versus fancy garbage pickups. if you want to have your haul your garbage to the curb twice a week, go live somewhere else - what an ignorant and usless comment. Seems that every issue in town, from this one to Graydon, to parking, to the CBD business closings evolve into shouting matches, whether here or in our town meetings. Not the bext way to get things done.
To the poster- do us long time residents a favor and move back to New York where you are used to garbage at the curb. The smell in the summer in nyc is disgusting, and the rats are well fed. Rear yard pickup isn't going to change here due to some implied benefit of curbside pickup versus bloated BOE budget. If you care to make a difference, get the BOE to get responsible with respect to salaries and benefits before you ruin my town.
3:14pm...from the board of ed site.
District enrollment:
99-00: 5106
00-01: 5158
01-02: 5269
02-03: 5398
03-04: 5490
04-05: 5516
05-06: 5577
06-07: 5554
07-08: 5631
08-09: 5664
09-10: 5670
Despite 314's assertion, the as flattened out. The board points out the increase of 500 students as if we were to extrapolate the numbers another 10 years out, the district enrollment will be 6200.
With Ridgewood virtually 100% built out, where are the new students coming from?
Here is the village census from 1960-2000:
1960: 25391
1970: 27547
1980: 25208
1990: 24142
2000: 24936
With a population peak over 40 years ago, and the size of the village unchanged since 1974, I have to ask if this warrants another expansion of 22 classrooms?
The responsible thing to do is redistrict and return Glen as BOE asset. Then we can do some real long-term planning.
Actually, I believe rear yard garbage pick-up is less expensive than street pick up. Years ago, the town I lived in did an economic study and that was the result. More efficiency. Drivers assisted with pick-up, etc.
The thing I like about the rear-yard pick up is that I don't have to look at all of the garbage cans out and the street. I don't mind hauling it out or in, but let's face it, the cans are definately unsightly when they are sitting there at 3pm. Also, I've got lots of elderly neighbors and for them, it's a Godsend. I haul out their recyclables for them, as necessary but I'm not sure I want to committ to garbage twice a week -- if I miss, the animals will get in it.
I've been in town for 20 years and had kids in the schools most of that time. It seems that the efficiency of our administrators has deteriorated. We seems so top heavy here in RPS. We need assistants for assistant and that's what I object to. I'm tired of paying for "Art Lab Supplies", sending in tissues, hand soap, sharpies, dry erase markers, red marking pens, etc. Let's give the teacher's adequate money for classroom supplies as opposed to hiring another administrator.
the bloated budget is from the BOE and it accounts for over 75% of the tax bill. for the other 25% we get police, fire, streets, garbage..and THAT is a BARGAIN. Its a bullshit thought that curbside vs rear-yard pickup is going to pay for anything. there is NO savings. the garbagemen are EMPLOYEES. this isnt the old days where the mobsters rigged bids and picked up garbage. NEWSFLASH for the new transpant from NYC- the Village got RID of the contracted garbage pickup in 1969 and we bought our own trucks
Welcome, to the new resident of Ridgewood. Dont get distracted or discouraged by the nasties that seem to foam at the mouth as they spit there insults. This blog can be a good source of what the local issues are. Dont always expect a rational discussion about them. Your not ruining "my" village. You've made it one person better.
The above posts make sense... and if there are no savings, than so be it. We all know the bigger picture with the BOE budget is the issue here. But, I cannot resist:
"To the poster- do us long time residents a favor and move back to New York where you are used to garbage at the curb"
HOW and WHY is it some badge of honor to claim that you've lived in Ridgewood longer than your neighbor? I just dont get that. And, for the record... I've been here longer than most. Kids thru RHS, with one left to go.
But the continue comments from the "Mayflower crowd" make you look like fools. Maybe its just one or two posters, regardless of the topic. I sure hope so. If thats what long-time residents are really about, we should close down our borders.
New blood comes into this town each year... new ideas, new families, and so on. Ridgewood is no better than any other bedroom community surrounding NYC. Get a grip. How dare you look down your nose at someone because they're not a "long-time resident."
Shall we go after the immigrants next? If they cant trace their bloodlines back to the Mayflower (or at least to the Ridgewood Country Club), they dont get a full vote in this town?
As a long-time resident myself? I can say that you do not speak for me or for my family.
7:46 , when are you going to give up on your crap about the Ridgewood Country club. Whats the problem? You prob were denied membership. And rightfully so.
PS. The best way for any private club to increase membership is to print out the rants from posters such as the above. THankfully members won't have to 'rub elbows' with such whiners. And ps..I am not a club member.(yet)
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