BURKEonBOARD

(Sept. 17, 2008) – Ever since the candidate filing deadline a week ago Tuesday, folks around Farmington have been trying to figure out why Terry Donnelly, already a sitting member of the Farmington School Board, would file to run for the Farmington City Council.

I have to say that I was perplexed until I talked to a few friends (no, really, I have friends) who shared their ideas with me. Here’s what they think and it all goes back to the school board. (continue reading…)

(Sept. 11, 2008) – Earlier this week I got a couple of emails from folks concerned about the tone I’ve taken during the campaign so far–one from a person who wanted off the Burke4Board Update email list, another from a supporter who was, nonetheless, wishing for a kinder, gentler tone and more attention to issues.

Here’s what I wrote back to them:

Thank you for your thoughtful criticism. I can assure you that it is not the first time I have heard such comments. I can tell you that the tone I have taken has been done with some care. (continue reading…)

(Sept. 10, 2008) – We noted earlier this week (Manthey Gets More Shabby Treatment; Meeks to get a Pass) that the school had set a meeting for 5:30 p.m. today to do the annual performance evaluation of superintendent Meeks. This was at a time when other board members had been informed that board member Ann Manthey would not be able to attend because of work commitments.

Well, the rest of the board has had a change of heart, canceled today’s meeting and rescheduled it for September 18, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.  That’s a week from today.

It was the right thing to do. Manthey wanted to be present for the evaluation and deserved to be there. It was wrong, first of all, to originally schedule the evaluation when she couldn’t be there.

(Sept. 9, 2008) – On election day, an unfortunate situation developed in Lakeville’s voting precinct 13.

Part of this precinct lies within the boundaries of ISD 192, part in the Lakeville school district. So election judges there had to make sure they identified which voters got which ballots.

It turns out that some of the judges didn’t understand that and in at least one case, and possibly several more, voters were given the wrong ballots. One man, Scott Hewitt, who lives in ISD 192, got a ballot with no ISD 192 school board candidates to vote for. He challenged the judges but they didn’t understand the complaint and told them to use the ballot he had been given.

So in at least this one case, a voter was disenfranchised.

But Scott didn’t leave the issue alone. (continue reading…)

(Sept. 9, 2008) – Hold on to your shorts Farmington school district taxpayers. The deck has been stacked for another tax increase and the board could vote on it Sept. 22.

Here’s the deal. Pay attention. This is bit complicated

According to a new actuarial study, the school district has an $11.8 million unfunded liability for retiree health insurance. This is not something to blame on the school board, it’s not new and it’s not a particularly big number given the number of district employees and the decades over which this liability will be paid out.

What is fairly new is a state law that says school districts and other local governments need to calculate this unfunded liability and declare it on their financial statements.

This liability has always existed but was not calculated. School districts (and other local governments) just paid the health insurance premium each year from general operating revenue funds. The new law doesn’t change how these premiums have to be paid, but it does make the future liability reportable.

So where does the potential tax increase come from? (continue reading…)

(Sept. 8, 2008) – It’s almost a year until Farmington Schools superintendent Bradley Meeks’ current contract runs out, but there’s concern that the current school, a collection of Meeks sycophants (minus Ann Manthey), may jump the gun and offer him a new three year contract before the end of the year.

Here’s the concern. The school board has scheduled Meeks annual job performance evaluation for this Wednesday. This happens to be a time when board member Manthey is unable to attend.

Without Manthey there, Meeks will get universally glowing reviews from the rest of the board, now known as the Meeks Five. And that will give them the excuse to go ahead and offer Meeks a new contract. Even though a three year contract, the longest allowed under state law, would be served entirely during the tenure of the three board members to be elected in November.

Can the current board do that legally? Yes.

Do they have to do it? No.

Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely not! And here’s why. (continue reading…)

(Sept. 7, 2008) – There’s an important meeting taking place Wednesday (Sept. 10), at 5:30 p.m. and you’re not allowed to see it.

The Farmington School Board will hold superintendent Bradley Meeks annual performance evaluation. It’s a personnel matter so they can hold their secret meeting. But, someone else won’t be there who should be, one of the board members, Ann Manthey.

Because of an unavoidable work conflict, Ann will be out of town and unable to attend. Board chair Julie McKnight and the rest of the board members (henceforth to be known as the Meeks Five) were told long in advance that Ann couldn’t make that date, but they went ahead and scheduled Meeks’ evaluation when she couldn’t be there anyway. Even though Ann asked that the meeting be set a day or two later when she could attend. But the rest of the board wouldn’t do that.

What a surprise! (continue reading…)

(Sept. 5, 2008) – In case you were wondering what the effects of the Farmington School District Community Education takeover of city recreation programs might mean, we have our first indication—higher fees and less community involvement.

Here’s a comparison of the fees charged last year for the various youth basketball programs offered by the Farmington City Parks & Recreation Department and the fees charged this year for the youth basketball programs offered by the school district’s Community Education Department: (continue reading…)

(Sept. 3, 2008) – Just as any new restaurant deserves a review when it opens, so does the Farmington City Council with its first meeting in its new city hall last night.

ISDWatch192.org’s Tom Herme obliges with a commentary that is exactly on target.

The fireworks erupted over Councilman Steve Wilson’s brave, one-man effort to pull back the curtain on the shenanigans cooked up by city administrator Peter Herlofsky and school district superintendent Bradley Meeks to hand over city recreation programs to the school district’s Community Education department without knowledge or consent of the city council or the school board. ISD192Watch.org reports on the main course: (continue reading…)