Property tax referendums don’t usually pass. In fact, they fail 80% of the time. Jim Greenwald, superintendent of the Granite City School District, understands this, but that hasn’t stopped him from spending countless hours working on and proposing one supporting Granite City Community School District #9 in the upcoming election, and he has now given more than 40 presentations promoting the tax referendum to voters for the April 7th election.
The referendum calls for an 80-cent increase in property taxes, which is based on the assessed value of the home and not the income of the owner. That would mean $267 a year in additional taxes for the owner of a $100,000 house with a $33,000 assessed valuation. The max rate for the Education Fund would go from 2.55 to 3.35. The referendum is being proposed mainly due to minimal help from the state of Illinois.
And also due to the careless and over-spending when deciding to hand out raises knowing full well the district was/is in financial trouble. Also for approving exuberant salaries and perks.
“It’s all about a lack of state funding,” said Superintendent Greenwald. “We hope that it (state funding) improves, but there is no guarantee and we can’t depend on it.”
If it should improve, what are the chance of getting this tax increase reversed? ( ZERO )
While this is the major reason behind the proposal, Greenwald acknowledges that there are other factors. “Our local property taxes have gone down as well, so we figure a slight increase will help the local revenues.” According to the school district presentation, assessed property value (Equalized Assessed Valuation) has decreased 11% from 2011, costing the education fund $1.5 million and the operations and maintenance fund $300,000 per year.
$267 a year in additional taxes for the owner of a $100,000 house. This is their definition of (SLIGHT)
If the referendum isn’t passed when polling places close on April 7th, District 9 will be forced to find ways to save money, including some cuts that could be drastic. Extracurricular activities such as the debate team, clubs, and even the football team or band would be considered for cuts. These are just a few possibilities of ways the district could attempt to cut costs. Greenwald said the only things not considered for cuts would be the basic needs of the schools. “We look at the extracurricular activities as something that we hate to cut, but they aren’t absolute necessities,” he said. “We would consider cutting certain programs that we don’t absolutely need. It’s a shame that it would have to come to that.”
You can clearly see where Mr. Greenwald and the district plan to make these cuts. But, what you clearly do (not) see is, any plans what so ever to reduce some of these bloated salaries. He and the district are ready to take programs away from the students, such as Band and Football and several other programs or classes all while he as well as many others continue to pull in their SIX FIGURE SALARIES.
On Friday, he came to Granite City High School to talk to students directly about the referendum. He emphasized that he was presenting the same information to 18 year olds as he was to 80 year olds, because on Election Day, all votes will count the same. Students registered to vote will receive field trip status one day during early voting, allowing them leave school and vote without being counted as absent.
Let's look at this paragraph above a little closer. Mr. Greenwald goes to the high school to talk to the students in person. He explains all of the reasons everyone should vote to pass this referendum on election day. Then he informs all the students that every student that is registered to vote will receive a field trip status one day during early voting, allowing them leave school and vote without being counted as absent.
The fact that Greenwald came to personally talk with the students and allowed them to ask questions definitely resonated with them.
I imagine it did, I bet he was quite popular, especially announcing that every voting student gets "field trip status" and will not be counted absent for the (day) not for an extended lunch to eat and vote and return to school, but he trades them an entire day for a vote to pass this referendum.
“It shows that he has our best interests at heart,” said senior student Peter Krieshok III. “The presentation was very informative and Mr.Greenwald did a great job of presenting the information in a way that was easy to understand.
If Mr. Greenwald and the district figured these students were old enough to be included and informed on this subject, it seems as if they would want all sides to be considered while doing this informing. What about informing the students about the rising cost of living and the impact that a property tax increase can have on households within the district?
The proposal shows that the school board is actively working to find a solution to the district’s deficit.”
Yes it does, especially at the expense of the local property owners and (families). Even at the expense of the students by cutting programs and classes. All the while protecting their own interests and insuring their salaries remain untouched and the perks and benefits keep coming.
Greenwald was principal at Granite City High School when the current seniors were freshmen and understands how important extracurricular activities are to the students and the school as a whole. During the presentation he described how sad it would be to not see the football team or band at the field on a fall Friday night.
I bet he did. What better way to drive his point home to the young and easily influenced minds.
When graduates reminisce on their time in high school, most don’t remember sitting in math class, or reading Hamlet in English, but what many do remember is the time they spent playing sports and being involved in clubs.
Mr. Greenwald doesn't get paid the big bucks for nothing. Nice, but not so delicate when trying to push his agenda. Setting the scene, picture it kids...no band and no football out on the field on a Friday night. "He describes how sad it would be".
Extracurricular activities are vital to the atmosphere of the school and the well-rounded education of the students.
Then quit threatening to cut them. Tighten the spending belt of the district. Quit threatening to take away from the students, take something away from the district and it's employees for a change. (EXAMPLE) Quit paying secretaries seventy PLUS thousand dollars a year salaries! Make district employees pay more for their insurance benefits.
Very few students would be okay with certain programs being cut, which is one reason the school board is pushing so hard for the passage of this referendum.
But sports and clubs aren’t the only thing that could be affected if the referendum fails to pass. The school could be limited in purchasing new textbooks that are in good shape
Mr. Greenwald, you should be too embarrassed to even make that statement about not being able to purchase new text books. What does it say about your decision making abilities when you are apparently fine with paying teachers and secretaries and other employees these kinds of salaries but the district can not afford new or updated text books for the students?
and some classes could be in danger. “It goes beyond athletics,” Greenwald explained. “It’s the academic aspect of it such as the trades’ classes, the CTE (Career Technical Education) classes; we don’t want to have to do away with them.”
The Granite City School District is not a stranger to having to make cuts. Just two years ago the district closed Niedringhaus Elementary School and consolidated to an Intermediate/Junior High concept in which all 5th and 6th graders attend Grigsby, while 7th and 8th graders attend Coolidge.
They have also reduced extracurricular activities and cut elementary physical education and music by half.
Critics point out that the school district has too much staff, or “fat on the bone” as Greenwald describes it. However, he points out that since the 2011-2012 school year the district has reduced by 49 staff members, which has led to increases in class size. The school board never likes to make cuts, but they felt these were necessary. “I think what we’ve done when we have made cuts, is we’ve made relatively reasonable cuts across the board,” said Superintendent Greenwald.
"we’ve made (relatively) reasonable cuts across the board"
This is a matter of opinion Superintendent Greenwald. Relatively reasonable, comparing our district and these cuts you mention to who or what, other districts that are struggling to stay a float and pay their debts the way ours is?
And just as recent as last year, the district was STILL affording employees special perks and benefits and RAISES. That's correct folks, while CLOSING SCHOOLS and LAYING OFF STAFF, they still handed out raises to themselves.
Raising the property tax would increase the school district’s revenue, but it could also have some negative impacts. It could prevent businesses from moving to Granite City or cause potential homebuyers to think twice before purchasing a home in the city. The students who will be voting know that risk.
Most of the students who are eligible to vote will be graduating this year and leaving the school district. So for many of them, the funding situation wouldn’t have an impact either way. Greenwald has an answer for any senior with that line of thought. “Hopefully you would want the school to continue to be a good school like it was when you went there,” he said. “It’s about maintaining and sustaining the school district. You have all received a lot of benefits from this. We want that to continue for all the people that will walk across that stage as seniors.”
The money from increased property taxes would go only into helping the schools, an investment in the future of the city.
This tax increase if passed, will only confirm that the district can continue to mishandle funds by over spending and handing out raises without regard of the ramification. The time has come to hold the decision makers accountable. We can't continue to bail out the district by handing them more money only to watch them repeat the same behavior. We all witnessed what happened with the Government bail outs involving the big banks. This is the same situation on a smaller scale.
After the bail outs, the entitlements continued, the bloated salaries and lavish bonuses continued. It was nothing but more of the same, even though the public expected so much change. It is the district and the employees within it, from the top to the bottom that need to do the giving this time. The time has come for substantial pay cuts, and leading by example should be Superintendent Greenwald and staff. As a showing of good faith and intent, they should take the lead and then perhaps the voting public will gain the confidence and respect needed to approve such a tax increase.
It's very hard to take one for the team, when the team owners refuse to take their rightful place in line.
A strong education system is vital to the continued success of any city. That’s why Pete Krieshok will still care about the city’s schools, even after graduation.
“It’s my hometown,” said Krieshok. “There’s a chance that when I graduate and come back that my future kids could go to the same schools I did.”
on February 25, 2015, 3:41 am