Board refuses to change budget

The School Board refused to make any changes to its 2009-10 budget Thursday night. Several audience members spoke, then board members made statements that we weren't allowed to question, and they moved ahead with their prepared resolution and passed the budget unanimously.

They say we'll thank them next year, because the district will have a fat savings account. And they need the fat savings account because we might have another economic disaster next year that we WOULD use the savings account for. They focused a lot on, what if the state trims another $4.2 million from our district's revenue? What if we don't get another federal stimulus package (followed by Assistant Superintendent Ron Cowan's statement that "The stimulus doesn't really help us. It's so targeted to special ed, remediation and I-728")

The truth is, if we go along with their doomsday planning for another economic disaster (we're actually pulling OUT of this recession, not entering another one ... ) the difference of $450,000 being in the savings account won't make any difference, the whole account would be wiped out.

Board member Ken Gass said, "What if a roof blows off? We can't run a school district on fumes." If school board members allowed a dialogue, we could have pointed out that that would be paid with capital funds, which the district has plenty of, not from the savings account.

Board members insist they support neighborhood schools, but never addressed why Lowell's closure was the first action taken to trim the budget. They never addressed why they think it's acceptable to bus children past their empty school, and stuff them into substandard portables somewhere else.

They think spending money on great teachers is the best way to improve kids' education; but the best teacher can't reach kids who are overcrowded and distracted in substandard conditions, in metal boxes in the parking lot of the school grounds.

KGMI was there. Read their story, and listen to their audio at:
School board approves budget

The Bellingham Herald was NOT at the meeting. The Herald covered a community discussion in Ferndale: The Ferndale School Board has DISCUSSIONS with its community, and RESPONDS to them. Remember, they said NO to closing a school to save money, and they delayed adopting their budget for a month in order to TALK MORE with the community. Read the story at:
Full-time kindergarten no longer an option for Ferndale

Thank you to everyone who spoke Thursday night. One speaker, a Bellingham firefighter/paramedic and a single mom, pointed out how substandard those portables really are: she said she has inspected them, and they are not suitable for children to spend their days in. Another woman spoke, making the point that it was her wedding anniversary, but the loss of her neighborhood school was so important, that she had to be there to speak out.

Two statements were written. Read them at:
Neighborhood Schools Coalition statement
Emily Weiner's statement

And as one speaker noted: This isn't over. We will continue to fight to keep our schools open. Stay tuned.