Save Sandowns Taxes

01/11/2015

To keep everyone up to date, the TRSD reps will be at the Sandown BOS meeting tomorrow, 1/12/15. They are on the boards agenda.

01/09/2015

So, just to clear a few things up:

There is no one person responsible for this page. There are multiple moderators.

No ONE is being censored. Facebook has algorithms. WE DO NOT CONTROL THAT. No moderator has deleted ANYTHING nor have we blocked or excluded ANYTHING. We believe in the 1st Amendment, unlike the folks at the "Support Timberlane" page who have blocked people. We welcome open, frank and thought provoking discussion.

We want a strong and healthy school district. We, like many others, care about our children and want a quality education. Many questions have come to light in recent months, We think that hard questions are healthy. Recurring one time expenses in the budget that are not spent, questions of staffing vs declining enrollment and access to information via the Freedom of Information Act. We want people to think and to ask questions. NOT just follow the party line.

01/07/2015

We are making some great headway and having some good discussion. Make sure to share and like the posts and invite a friend or two. Everyone is welcome, there is no shunning on this page.

01/07/2015

Until all towns are really motivated to not only get along, but do what is right for the district, not just what is right for their specific town this problem will never change. We must ALL do what is right for the greater good, not our individual needs. With that being said 2 out of the 4 towns in the district are BEGGING for relief while the other 2 towns are watching this go on, when they could part of the resolution, not the problem.

01/07/2015

With all this budget talk, some people have discussed should we consider withdrawing from the district. This is a bold move and Danville is in the beginning stages of investigating this too. We don't have an opinion on whether we should or not but we feel strongly that the townspeople and the SAU should investigate the options. At a minimum it will put the SAU School Board, and Budget Committee need to wake up as they have awoken a beast. How will Plaistow and Atkinson tax rates be affected of the other two towns pull out? Please look at Mrs. Greens blog in regards to a petition that will be circulated at Town Hall on Friday afternoon. Stop by, and questions, and sign on the dotted line if your interested in at least looking at possible changes.


http://timberlaneandsandown.wordpress.com/

Commentary on school board and local issues, Sandown, NH

01/07/2015

This bottom link was posted on Mrs. Green's blog earlier today. The mods have spoken and we agree, with Danville and their proposed formula change. Although it sounds nice to pay for each child on a per child basis, as we do now we know that we are really "subsidizing" other things. The budget on the whole pays for the education, sports, music, nurses, staff, cleaning supplies etc. etc. With the current formula the cost per student is high, and if you have a student who plays Football in High School, you are "subsidizing" the HS football program every year you pay taxes, and arguably for the 12 years your child is in school.Because of this, there isnt a strong desire by Plaistow, or Atkinson to change a formula as they are getting a pretty good deal. When you base the cost to run the district on a per pupil cost, the towns with higher population of pupils pay more than the other towns but may not use the "services." For example if Danville has 300 students (not actual numbers) but only 100 of them participate in sports programs, the other 200 kids are actually subsidizing the 100 athletes.

We propose if we look at Danvilles proposal, where each town pays the same tax rate it does a couple of things for the district.

A. They receive funding as they do today for everything they need

B. It motivates all towns, but especially Plaistow, and Atkinson to begin electing representatives to the SB and BC that will be more in line with the needs of what the district can afford, elected representatives who will do their due diligence.

C. It then motivates the above elected representatives to really look at the budget, and hold the Superintendent and Admin accountable to the finances of the district, and reduce the budget as each town would then become affected equally. Each town would have the same amount of skin in the fight.

01/07/2015

Friends. I must ask, what have our Selectman done about rising school tax increases? Are they listening to us? Danville sent a Selectman to the SB/BC with a formal letter signed by the BOS demanding no increase. There is now a petition going in Danville to change the funding and explore seceding from the SAU. What has Sandown done? Mrs. Bucco and Mr. Treanor have been spotted at a couple of SB and BC meetings but nothing official from the board.

01/07/2015

Article that was on it looks interesting, albeit from 12/6/14.

http://granitegrok.com/blog/2014/12/groktalk-aftermath-dr-earl-metzler-earl-metzler-cronyism-abusiveness

We were talking with Jorge Mesa-Tejada this morning about the problem in the Timberlane/Hampstead School Districts (SAU 55) where it seems the School Board is b

01/07/2015

Can anyone tell me why any position in the Town of Sandown has the gall to keep asking for 10% raises? This isn't about the position of Rec. Director, it is about any position. The BOS directed department heads to come in with "up to 2%" raises for employees. What does the Rec Commission do, they go above that by another 8% and have the wherewithal to actually come to the meeting with their heads held high. That is a slap in the face to all of the other employees in town who have gotten up to 2% raises for the last few years. I'm sorry that our taxes are overburdened by the schools which doesn't allow us to give employees raises they deserve, but stop begging you just look desperate now. Chairman Nicolaissen is on the BOS that said "up to 2%" and then he sits on the Rec. Commission and has the gall to say the position deserved a 10% raise. Maybe everyone should get a 10% raise but that's not how it works. I'm sorry the Rec. Director feels she is underpaid, she probably is underpaid along with the office staff, Police and Fire Chief and everyone else in town. I'm sorry that the position was underpaid from the beginning or the pay didn't increase along with increased responsibilities, but that train is already down the tracks, that position should get raises inline with any other position in town. It is also NOT the Budcom's purview to spend money, only allocate money and kudos to Budcom Chair Bruce Cleveland for not wanting to go down that path. If the BOS is so confident that position deserves a 10% raise, than just give it to her. There was a large surplus this year along with increased revenues, so the money would be there, but alas they know they either don't have the votes, or the BOS doesn't want to just go ahead and do it. If you feel queasy about something it probably isn't the right thing to do.Mr. Nicolaissen asked how long does the budcom think the Rec. Director will put up with this? Well she has put up with it this long, if an employee, any employee doesn't like their rate of pay or benefits package they may seek employment elsewhere. I'm sure there are others that would be willing to do that job for $19 per hour. Kudos to Mr. Piemonte, and Mrs. Buco for sticking to their principals. Back to your local school issues now, which are the impetus to our current budget woes.

01/06/2015

"Sandown Central Memorial Pool Aquatic Center"

01/06/2015

By using the mentality, we should consider building an Olympic Training Facility down by the High School. After all, , and nothing should stand in the way of educating and enriching our children.

Take a page from Sandown's own SB representative, Kelly Ward, there may be a student whose only reason to stay in school and get good grades is because he "might" want to be an Olympic Swimmer someday. Who are we NOT to nurture this dream....If we build it, they will swim.

Remember.... Numbers are what DRIVES everything in this world. I would like to drive a Maserati, and since , believes nothing should stand in my way right?

Wrong, economics stands in my way, the numbers stand in my way....my career choice does not support me driving a Maserati. It does support me driving a mechanically sound, reasonably priced 4 door family sedan that I can AFFORD, our schools and elected officials should be driving the same reasonably priced sedan, not taking our money to buy the "Wish List" Maserati.

01/06/2015

As we look at the recently developed hashtag it is interesting to us.....Yes, you are a number, we are all numbers. The entire economic world relies on numbers to drive such things as how many city, or town councilors we have, how many fire stations we need, how many police officers, and highway workers we need. How many servers to staff at a restaurant, and how many teachers, and staff we need to educate our children. Everything we know is driven by numbers.

If we use the argument,than there is no limit on what we should spend on education, isn't it?

Well, Since we are all a number, and numbers are what drives everything, why is enrollment going down and why are taxes, and spending proposals going up? We don't buy the "it costs more to do business argument."

We would love to see Rhodes Scholars, and Harvard Professors teaching at all levels in the school system, and we could do that, but at what cost? We at SST do not want to decimate the school district, but we do want a reasonable budget that makes sense to all.

So, Yes, You are a number, we are all a number...