Planning for New School to Continue Despite Failed Referendum
The D65 referendum failed Tuesday. So what happens next?
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When District 65’s bond issuance referendum was voted down in Tuesday’s primary election, some may have presumed that hope for a new 5th Ward elementary school had sunk with it.
But others saw the vote as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board to figure out another way to make it happen.
Rebecca Langan, messaging chair for Citizens for a Better Evanston, said Wednesday that though the group viewed the referendum as the most comprehensive plan for the district, they would also remain open to exploring new ways to fund construction of the new school.
“Now is the time to really reevaluate the approach,” Langan said, “and that calls for the district to do so, board members to do so and Citizens for a Better Evanston to do so. There are committed advocates on both sides of the coin that want to pursue opportunities district wide. So maybe this is now a time for all of those people to come together and think about what needs to happen.”
The District 65 referendum asked voters to approve a $48.2-million bond issuance to fund a new 5th Ward school ($20.6 million), as well as pay for various improvements to other Evanston school buildings ($27.6 million). It was voted down by a 55 to 45 percent margin on Tuesday.
Members of the District 65 school board will likely also begin to reassess the plan they put forward to fund the proposed school.
District 65 school board member Jerome Summers was quoted in a Wednesday Chicago Tribune article as saying he would continue to campaign for the project.
“I’m disappointed, no question about that,” Summers said in the article. “I’m not willing to give up the fight. One of the best things out of this effort is the people who came together to fight for this singular cause to bring quality education to every neighborhood of the city.”
Referendum supporters may in fact be able to change opponent’s opinions by listening to those who voted "no" and devising a plan that addresses their concerns.
Evanston resident Neal H. Levin said he was very interested in supporting education reform and would like to see a school in the city’s 5th Ward, but that he was happy to see the referendum fail because he hoped it would force the district to devise a more financially stable approach to the issue.
“Many of the people that I know that voted ‘no’ want to give [5th Ward residents] what it is they’re looking for,” Levin said, “just not in this way. … It’s easy to say, ‘here’s $23 million, build me a school.’ But the real challenge is how to build those schools in a sustainable model, in terms of a community and how it can be used to engage a community and revitalize a city that’s in dire economic straits.”
Levin said that he and others have already planned to convene in the near future to brainstorm a feasible funding model for the proposed school.
Other ‘no’ voters may be harder to sway, though, as some opposed the referendum for other reasons. During past discussions on Evanston Patch, some readers argued that a 5th Ward school would re-segregate Evanston’s elementary schools by race and income, while others thought the school’s initial design had far too many classrooms for the attendance area.
Ald. Delores Holmes (5th Ward) said that, though she continues to support building a new school in her ward, she believes Tuesday’s vote spoke volumes about how the city as a whole feels about the plan.
“That’s a loud vote to me about how people feel about a school in the area,” Holmes said. “It’s not a major concern for other folks. Maybe it’s a concern only for people who live in the ward. …That it didn’t pass, says to me, that people didn’t pay attention to the basic issue, which is bussing our children out of this ward into other schools. You only have to drive through to see them standing on the corner in all kinds of whether, getting ready to be taken out of their neighborhood.”
Depending on the type of plan the school board submits in the future, it may not have to seek voters’ permission through a referendum.
However, if the district decides to put a revised referendum on November’s general election ballot and the same number of residents voted then as Tuesday, supporters would have to sway only 701 critics to pass the issue.
“Now the real work starts,” Levin said. “It seems to me that this has struck such a nerve that the dialogue can’t be over. In fact, it may just be starting.”
The next District 65 Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, March 26 at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center, starting at 7 p.m.
In the comments section below, share your own ideas about how plans for a new 5th Ward School could win your support.
Festus McMoron "The Truth Hurt's"
6:35 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
...why not just re-open foster school. seems like a no brainer to me. i know people will scream it's a community center and they have a right to a community center in their community, blah, blah blah. what we're talking about is educating the children of the 5th ward.
Martha King
7:56 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Great Idea, Festus. Unfortunately the building was sold to Family Focus many, many years ago and they are not willing to sell it back to the district. This was certainly thought of - along with lots of other possible solutions - before the referendum was put on the ballot. If there were an easy answer, I feel confident it would have been found by now.
Tim Patton
6:42 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
What we need is top educators to make the students in D 65 outstanding students and leaders. It does not matter where they go to school. Last time I checked, ETHS is also in the 5th ward.
Jim
7:13 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
They can't take no for an answer. No surprise there. They know best don't they? Good grief. If you want your kids to stay in the ward and have access to some really good education, check out Kahnacademy.org That is where education is going anyway. And it is free!
Ellen
7:52 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
It is distressing to see that the BOard did not get the message and will keep going!. Many\most children are not going to neighborhood schools. The data are clear that single race lower income school students do not do as well. I was bussed in junior high etc,from my middle class neighborhood. I survived the "trauma." To parents: focus on home support of making education a priority of the child
Ellen
Martha King
7:58 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Change takes time.
John Brinkmann
1:51 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
and money---of which Evanston doesn't have
Jersey Girl
9:21 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
My white kids are bused across town to Dewey. 5th ward kids are not the only ones bused around. This is to achieve racial balance. If we aren't going to do it, then I want my kids off the bus as well. We live three blocks from Lincoln.
Sally
10:06 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Are you asking for redistricting? Be sure to write the board members and let them know.
Jersey Girl
12:43 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
I am asking for thoughtful, comprehensive plans out of this administration. Haven't seen anything resembling that to date.
Sally
1:00 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
J, there were many possible scenarios discussed at the board meetings leading up to the referendum. Were you at those meetings expressing your views? Many Evanstonians were.
They didn't like redistricting. They didn't like "Cap and Transfer". They didn't want King Lab to be a middle school. They didn't want larger class sizes. They didn't want special ed classes moved.
They did want a new school in the 5th ward. They did want to continue to send their kids to the schools they were already attending. They did want small class sizes. They did want new science labs.
This referendum came out of the voices of Evanston. Where was your voice then? What would you like to see as the solution to overcrowding in our district?
Jim
9:42 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Thank you for the philosophy lesson Martha. You sound like Obama. Don't forget that there is good change and bad change.
Jim Osburn
1:13 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
So Jerry Summers & Co want to continue "the fight." I guess that democracy is not part of their philosopy, in most parts of the world a 55 to 45 ratio is a loud answer. Ald Holmes understands, but not the overpaid overseers of D65. Time to start a campaign to recycle the board.
Jim
1:19 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Amen.
Jim
1:18 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Sally,
They didn't want x and they did want y. That is great but they wanted someone else to pay for x and y. Easy when it is someone else's money. Nice that the school board wants to be responsive but not at other's expense.
Sally
8:27 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Jim, this isn't "them", it's us. Presumably you live in the district. Get involved. It's a lot harder to solve a problem than it is to criticize other's attempts to do so.
And by the way, many of the solutions would have been low cost or free but the vast majority if the community expressed that they would not accept those solutions. If you wanted to see larger class sizes and annual redistricting, you should have been telling this to the board members over the last year. Maybe they would have listened to you.
Teresa Hymes
1:39 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
When my daughter started school, I purposely moved to the North side of the city to ensure that my daughter was educated with ALL ethnic group of people. I felt I owed it to my child to be exposed to ALL people no matter the consequence. I was educated in the Chicago school system from kindergarten through high school, and the only time I saw a white person was if that person was a teacher. I personally do not want to have a school in Evanston that is a carbon copy of some of the schools in the city. The violence. The crime. The low quality of a good education. What do the 5th ward parents want? Where are their voices? Where do they stand on this issue? I'm almost suspicious of this issue as a whole. I'm beginning to feel that there are ulterior motives. Lastly, I get a thrill at seeing all races of children running around Lincolnwood's school grounds.
Joan
2:23 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Thanks, Teresa, for such a great post. I, too,experiences almost total segregation in my education, except mine was in a suburb not far from Evanston and I almost no contact with African-Americans I got to college. After college, I lived and worked in an all black neighborhood and experienced the exact same degree of segregation, this time all black instead of all white. Both of these situations rob the children of the opportunity to learn in a real, hands on way about a bigger world than just their family and block. And what they learn is what true 21st century education is. The greatest skill that will be needed by children - all children- is the higher order thinking and emotional intelligence skills that come with daily interaction with people that the world is made up of, not just what each individuals little private world is made up of. Different groups bring different stuff to the table that challenge and enrich everybody.
I, too, intentionally moved to Evanston so my children could experience this. When I talked to my 7th grade daughter about whether she saw value in the diverstiy she experiences at Chute, she responded, "Mom, I am friends with everyone at Chute. I like that."
Sally
8:31 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
You hit the nail on the head, Teresa. If you want your children to go to school with a diverse group of people, you move to a diverse neighborhood.
You do not expect the diversity to be bussed in to you.
As far as the fifth ward, please visit. Spend some time in the neighborhood. Meet some of the people. Talk to them. I'm sure you will see that they want the same things everyone else wants - a great education for their kids and the option for that to be in their own community.
Teresa Hymes
1:48 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
In all fairness... I think many of Evanston's schools could use upgrading. Most of our schools really need some tender, loving care!!
Joan
1:56 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
There is a lot of negative chatter about the school board. Let's see some action! If the community wants to see change from the school board, someone from the community has to step up to the plate and run. All it will take is one more smart, independent person to run to flip the dynamics.
Jim
2:18 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
You are absolutely right. The same could be said of the city, the county, Chicago and the state. We have been too long assuming that our fellow citizens who have been elected would do the right thing out of altruism without giving in to the arrogance that power brings. We have been too busy with the daily demands of everyday life to do the hard work of maintaining our social infrastructure. And now the credibility of those who govern us is at low tide. That is not to say that there are not some good people in public office (Jesse White for example) but there is enough stupidity and corruption to give the whole apparatus a bad smell.
Svetlana
2:35 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
I voted for the referendum and was disappointed that it lost. I was impressed by the research and the thoughtfulness that accompanied the planning process and, while I had questions and reservations, I trusted the judgment of the Board and other citizens who participated in the process. Since the new school seems to be the flashpoint, would it make sense to turn our efforts to investing in less controversial aspects of the plan? My older kid will be entering Haven in a year. I want him to have state-of-the-art science labs. Lots of 5th ward middle schoolers will be attending Haven right along with him and deserve the same. I would hate to sacrifice the good in the quest for the perfect.
Jim
2:58 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Yours was a thoughtful post. Science labs can wait. In my humble opinion (which could easily be wrong), the eke start schools and middle schools must be safe and secure but otherwise should attempt to produce students who are capable and interested in reading, writing, speaking and math understanding sufficient to think, express and decide on a multiplicity of intellectual matters. Science can come later. The goals of basic education should be to form a foundation to preserve and improve the culture based on an understanding of the failures and successes of the past, not to produce prodigious little scientists as if the school system is a farm team for General Electric or NASA. I would bolster my argument by pointing to the tech advances of recent years while the social and political world is unravelling in a very unpleasant way.
TY
1:07 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
I want a new school but think the other stuff is too expensive. Can we vote on just the new school ?
Faith
6:21 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
We have had two children go through the Evanston school system - both are in their 20's now. When we moved to Evanston we chose to live close to a school so our children would be able to walk to their schools and not have to take the bus. I was not in favor of this referendum for many reasons, which I won't go into. I appreciate the all the thoughtful comments that have been posted about this issue. One thing that has always bothered me has been King Lab. It should be a local area school and not a magnet school. That would give the 5th ward students a fairly close school to go to. I have always felt King Lab was divisive to the district, as if that was a better school than all the others. I have friends who lived across the street from a school yet chose to have all three of their children go to King Lab. What was wrong with the local school? Absolutely nothing.
Cindy
6:28 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Well, I voted for the referendum. If I am not mistaken, the 5th ward is the only ward in the City without its own school. My suggestion is, closed down a school in another ward and build the school in the 5th ward. We need a school in the 5th ward. This area pay taxes also. Now, if you enjoy having your children bus across town, that is great. If not, the option to have a school in the neighborhood should be an option for your children. So, let us move forward an close Lincoln maybe.
Mary Anne
5:56 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Central School on Main Street is closed. Miller School on Dempster Street is closed. Noyes School on Noyes Street is closed. Skiles was closed as a middle school and became King Lab when King Lab went from k-5 to k-8, and an elevator installed to accommodate the orthopedically handicapped program which had to be moved out of Kingsley (which was closed at the same time, although it is now reopened. In the Skokie part of District 65, College Hill was closed and the building demolished; Timber Ridge is now the Bessie Rhodes magnet school. Look at the District 65 map, and you'll see that children all over Evanston are bused...not only from the 5th ward and not only to their k-5 school. Children stand on corners to wait for their school bus all over Evanston.
Sally
8:34 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Indeed, Mary Anne, they do. However only in one neighborhood are the kids bused due to the color of their skin.
Mary Anne
11:34 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Mary Anne
It's not true that children from the 5th ward are the only ones who were bused for racial balance. Go back and look at the maps from the 1979 school closings, and you'll see children from the old Miller School were bused to Dewey for racial balance, as were children from the old Noyes School (who then fed into Nichols instead of Haven). Children who had gone to Lincoln were bused to Oakton for racial balance at Oakton and at Chute, which became their middle school instead of Nichols. Look at the maps, and you may be surprised to discover how many children who are not African American are on a bus to schools that would not be integrated otherwise.
Sally
12:57 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Mary Anne, historically Evanston - and much of the country - bused in both directions. Not anymore. In fact, it is now illegal to assign school based on race.
Mary Anne
2:16 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Sally, Whatever the stated reason, those children are still on the bus. Actually, there is no k-5 school east of Ridge between Lincoln (at Main Street) and Orrington (north of Central Street). I think that means no Dist 65 school, k-5 or k-8, in the 1st ward.
Marci
10:00 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Close Lincoln? Clearly you must not live anywhere near Lincoln. It is above capacity and currently under construction to meet the needs of the increase in population in Southeast Evanston. Or, you were being sarcastic.
Lauren
8:13 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
There is always a lot of talk about kin Lab being a magnet school. What about Bessie Rhodes? It's a magnet school as well and never gets brought into the conversation. For those of you that want Fairness and equity should consider those that you want to leave their school and go to another. How about we bus you to a new school in the 5th ward?
Sally
8:40 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Well Lauren, we won't be busing anyone to the new school but I predict we'll see some busing of white kids to south schools in the next couple years. I can't wait to hear how much they support desegregation then.
The 'close the magnet school' conversation is silly. The magnet schools exist mainly to provide a service to the entire community - balancing class size throughout the district. Without strong magnets to entice parents, the district wouldn't have an option (other than forced busing or cap and transfer) for managing enrollment at overcrowded schools. Since we are facing large increases in enrollment, the magnet schools may not be able to absorb the overflow and thus the expected consequences I predict.
Jim
9:01 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
Sally,
From where is the "large increase in students" coming? No one in this discussion has conclusively shown that Evanston will have a burgeoning population. If the population median age goes down, it will be parented by folks with less income and therefore less able to fund new initiatives. Evanston will have to find another way forward. BTW, I didn't have the $2500 to give to CBE to influence them so I would suggest that other than a blog here and there, my ideas in Evanston are worthless.
Sally
1:15 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Yes, Jim, there is a capacity issue. It's real. While no one knows the future with absolute certainty, many tools have been used to predict enrollment and all have fallen short of the increase we've seen the past four years. And it's only getting bigger. There's lots of data for you to analyze on the district website if you'd like. Or better yet, go visit a school facing overcrowding and speak with the parents and staff.
It doesn't take money to express your view, Jim, just a little effort. If you spent just half of the time you do on these websites writing letters to your school board representatives, elected officials and attended a few meetings you'd be amazed.
Again, so much easier to sit back and complain, isn't it?
Jim
3:46 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Sally,
If the board wants my views, they can read these posts with less time than my letters to them directly. I do write and speak to elected reps frequently. I don' t think of this as complaining but rather participating in the discussion with considerable give and take. Are all of those who disagree with your point of view complaining? The demographics were paid for by the board and based on unproven assumptions. I went to an elementary school and a high school both built in the early 1900's with 30 to 40 students per class with one teacher and no assistants. My classmates and I did well, old buildings and all. Maybe I will show up at a board meeting or two or run for the board. Might be entertaining!
Sally
4:25 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Jim, What I call complaining is when one criticizes other's solutions to a problem but does not come up with their own. What do you think the district should do about capacity problems? Thirty to forty kids in a classroom? I don't think you'll get too far with that as your platform but I'd love to see you run for the school board and share your vision.
Kate Monte
7:28 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
What I find repugnant is that C4BE wanted this referendum bundled. They thought citizens would fall for their assertion that if you were in opposition, you are a citizen for a worse Evanston, you are anti-social justice, and you cruelly enjoy making kids wait for the bus "in all kinds of weather". The Board wanted the voters to decide and despite piss poor voter turnout, C4BE couldn't get it passed. Yet they have the audacity to spit on the decision and say, in effect, we didn't get what we wanted so we'll go find other ways to do so. Like what the majority wanted doesn't matter. And I also love how, in all this rhetoric, no one wants to address the very suspect $2500 contribution to that organization. C4BE list it's credibility with me and many, many others with that alone. We need a new superintendent and fresh meat on the Board. We are looking for candidates as I type.
Sally
10:59 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Whoa, let's get our fact straight. Citizens For a Better Evanston formed after the board voted to go to referendum. If you didn't like the comprehensive solution being put forth, you should have attended board meetings, written board members, etc and told them what YOU wanted to see.
Good luck finding anyone who wants to run for a volunteer office when people like you do nothing but criticize them for their hard work.
eddie conley
9:22 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Im no longer an Evanston resident but i am a product of the Evanston school system. I attended king lab the k-5 school in the 70s and then later skiles/king lab middle school afterward. We moved quite a bit when i was young so i was first bused from main and elmwood(across the street from centra school), then from dewey street(near dewey school). We moved to foster st later and i walked to school and the back on the bus for middle school. Based on my experiences with multiple races and cultures let me say for what Its worth, that i am so grateful to have been raised in that environment. Busing or no busing it has been the single most important experience in my life. Im gladmy parents Did what they had to do to give me
That experience. I dont know how i would vote on this difficult issue. I just hope thru all the discussion that we all consider the valuable cultural experience that diversity brings whether you walk or ride to it.
Sally
11:02 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. The question isn't about whether or not to ride the bus. It's about being given the choice. At this point in history we are busing minority kids into white schools to provide desegregation. This community has been asking for a neighborhood school so they have the option. There will still be families who choose to ride the bus - ie those from the northern schools who still wish their kids to go to a diverse school.
Kate Monte
11:56 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sally, I find it distasteful that you troll this board accusing people of things that you have no idea about. First, I have spoken to Board members about this new school, attended meetings, and have made my feelings known. How dare you say "people like you?" What exactly, I demand to know, does that mean? People who have five kids in District 65 who care about their education? People who struggle to pay $11k a year in annual property taxes and don't want to see any more bad fiscal decisions made? People who have an opinion and who voice it- or is that right only reserved for people like YOU? How dare you anonymously criticize ME?
This issue was put up for the VOTERS TO CHOOSE- yes- it was left up for voter's CHOICE, and can you tell me what the outcome was? The voters chose NOT to build the new school. I find the hubris of those wishing to go against the will of the people by further pressing the issue an arrogant insult.
Sally
1:44 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Another correction. The voters voted against the referendum. Not a new school.
Kate Monte
12:03 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Eddie Conley, I agree with you as a fellow alum (King Lab '83. ETHS '87). It was an amazing environment that positively affected us all...it's that type of integrated environment that I want to see forevery kid in Etown. Cap & transfer is a scare tactic. There is no evidence we will face overcrowding that would necessitate 18 classrooms. The district's finances are a mess and the flip-flopping of the projections from deficit to surplus in a matter of weeks is suspect at best. Further, categorizing Evanston schools as "white schools" or "black schools" is divisive and racist. They are OUR schools- regardless of where you live. 5th warders who wanted this school had the choice to vote but statistics show that most didn't even vote, and many who did chose no. Stop telling people "this community has been asking for a school" because "this community" didn't come out and prove that.
Attacking anyone who doesn't share your opinion with insults is not the purpose of these comment boards. They exist for thoughtful expressing of opinions and I have a right to mine as much as yours, but yet I don't feel the need to resort to sarcasm and false accusations. We will find new candidates and we will continue to monitor the Board and Administration to prevent the circumventing of the people's will. We don't need luck, good or otherwise.
P.S. I still find it telling no member of your political organization will comment on the $2500 contribution. And so does everyone else.
Debirag
12:40 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
My child went to Haven in the 1990's after being bussed to a Chicago Public Magnet school which was like a miniature United Nations with respect to race and ethnicity. My child experienced absolute racial segregation at Haven at lunch, on the playground, and in classes and had a miserable time. At E.T.H.S., he had a better experience and had friends from diverse backgrounds. I voted for the new school because I believe children have the right to attend a neighborhood school and I hoped it might become a "magnet" literally or virtually for all races to attend. I don't believe a neighborhood school is a metaphor for racism unless it is as are the poorly funded as the CPS low income schools.
Jim
1:54 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Everyone who comments here is well intentioned and probably a devoted Evanstonians and parent. Everyone agrees that we want the best shot for our and other children as knowledge and wisdom are the keys to a civilized world. Regardless of perspective on what to do, debate always has some arguments shaded one way or the other. Sometime facts are divulged, sometimes not as a strategic tool. Starting from the point of view that we are all human and interested Evanstonians and want good and fair education, what can we agree upon. How about answering the questions of what is fair and what is good in terms of education and then looking for a solution for achieving the answers.
Dianne Sperling
3:35 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Jim, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. In response to those who are advocating a new school board, I would like to say that we've done that many times. Why can't we get it right? In part, I think because they are working with poor leadership. How about we get a new superintendent? Based on my personal experience with both Boards and Murphy, the Board is not the issue. Murphy has time and time again shown that he is not the leader D65 needs. I was profoundly relieved when my children moved from 65 to 202. Why? Leadership who recognize, acknowledge and respond to problems without believing that money will solve all things. How many folks know of a teacher who has been/is being bullied by their students? How does that affect the bottom line and the quality of education Evanston's children deserve to receive? It directly affects the bottom line by making it harder to attract and retain good teachers, it affects classroom morale and decreases effective teaching time. How many folks have kids who have been bullied, continue to be bullied? In my experience with 65, I have not only seen bullying at both levels, but also articles in the local paper from parents who have moved out of Evanston specifically for this reason. We need better leadership, and not only at the Board level.
annie
3:53 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
I think the new school/maintain current buildings referendum will be back at some point in time. While my kids were only in District 65 for 5 years, it wasn't the best school system they were in, and it definitely wasn't the worst. I would have to say
the teachers that my kids had were all very good and all in all, my kids experience was just fine.
Jellybean1
7:59 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
I'm confused- Can D65 build a school without voter approval? When you say "planning to continue" what does this mean? DO you mean planning to try again to ask the voters? If so, that's fine- I think they can ask again if they want. IF Hardy Murphy is still in power, I think many will still say no as people don't trust his leadership. I personally voted no because he is cutting support personnel, professional development $, and teacher material fees to balance the budget- as well as planning to hire all fresh out of college teachers to save money. I also voted no because there was no plan about how to staff the new school. No plan for where the money would come from/how much money would be needed and what the impact would be on the other schools. If you mean that the district can increase taxes and build the school anyways- is this legal?
Jordan Graham
9:57 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Hi JellyBean1,
Thanks for writing. The D65 referendum was not asking for permission to build a new school. The district can do that without the taxpayers permission. Instead, D65 was asking voters for permission to issue $48.2 million in bonds to finance the school and repairs on other school buildings, because they otherwise would not have the cash to do so. In the future, the district could opt to go one of several routes. They could A) try to pass the referendum again without the money for school repairs, which would lower the requested amount of bonds to $20.6 million, B) try to seek out other funding methods, such as grants, private donations or sponsorship, C) drop the issue entirely or D) rework the total requested bond issuance and figure out a way to build the school for less. Other alternatives may exist of which I am unaware.
Best,
Jordan
Mary Anne
9:25 am on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I think you're incorrect, Jordan. I think, as a matter of statute, no new school can be built without approval by referendum. Building improvement and renovation, on the other hand, can be accomplished without referendum approval, and Dist 65 has $24million of bonding authority already on the shelf for just that purpose.
Anna Fillmore
1:33 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mary Anne is correct on this issue: it is a matter of statute that school districts cannot build new schools without a referandum, regardless of their financial situation.
Jordan Graham
1:49 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Thanks to both of you for clarifying that for me. I was unaware of that information. In that case, the term "planning to continue" would likely mean locating alternative funding for construction, as the money required to build the school seems to be a central reason many opposed the referendum. Based on the D65
Jordan Graham
1:50 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Based on the Monday D65 school board meeting, it seems finding space for students when some schools are already at capacity will be a major issue in the near future.
victoria smith
7:21 am on Monday, March 26, 2012
I tend to differ on that comment Faith. We used to live on Judson, so our child would go to Lincoln. I chose to also apply to King Lab for my son because of it's highly rated Special Education programs there and because of having K-8. Not to mention the fact that back then Lincoln was having so many problems with violence. My neighbors son was one that was getting beaten up every day after school and it took them forever to do something about it. On another note...,When I lived in North Evanston and went to Linconwood school they bussed allot of children from across Bridge street. It was aparent that Evanston wanted the schools in that area to become more diverse, and the rest is history. We need to take care of the schools we have and stop spending money that doesn't exist. I am glad that we don't live in the Wilmette area, it certainly doesn't teach their children about ethnic culture! Who wrote they were traumatized about being bussed in junoir high? Really? I'd like to know why?
Sally
1:52 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I don't think anyone is advocating for segregated schools (certainly not anyone I know). However, if you live in a neighborhood where everyone looks the same, you should be able to choose whether or not you want to put your kid on a bus so that they can experience an integrated school. Many 'northsiders' put their kid on a bus to a magnet school for this very reason. The concern is that one community does not have that option. They are forcefully bused out of their neighborhood and into another that does not look anything like their community everyday in order to provide diversity for white students. Is that fair?
Jim
2:45 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Fairness has nothing to do with everyone having the same thing. It is purely a man made concept that has to do with everyone having what he needs. Diversity is not a necessity. Nor is it a right. If it were, someone would have an obligation to provide it. Who?
Sally
4:57 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Are you the same Jim that wrote above: "How about answering the questions of what is fair and what is good in terms of education and then looking for a solution for achieving the answers."?
As I see it, long ago people decided it wasn't fair that women couldn't vote, so they fixed it. They decided people shouldn't receive less based on the color of their skin, so the civil rights movement happened. Currently in our society, many believe that it isn't fair to exclude gays from the benefits of marriage, and thus the laws are slowly changing. Many Evanstonians do not think that it is fair for one group to bear the burden of desegregation and want to see it changed.
In addition to the issue of fairness, I would argue that it is not good for education to alienate a group of minority and low income parents by sending their kids into a community that is foreign and unwelcoming to them.
What are the solutions? A school in the fifth ward. Busing in both directions? School choice? What do you think? Or do you really think the status quo is a-ok?
Jim
7:38 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
In keeping with my original remarks, the philosophical definition of fairness has nothing to do with equality. It has to do with giving individuals what they need in a given environment. Giving a child with a learning problem special attention is fair even though children without a learning problem do not receive the extra attention. Some would say that is not fair but it is eminently fair. Children do not need to be bused to learn, children do not need new schools to learn, children do not need diversity to learn tolerance and compassion. Because you or I want something that others have and don't get it is not unfair. Like I said previously we need to agree on what is fair and what is unfair and the definition cannot be arbitrary.
Jordan Graham
5:41 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I just posted a follow up to this story that stemmed from covering the District 65 School Board's Monday night meeting. http://evanston.patch.com/articles/defeated-referendum-capacity-issues-a-focus-at-d65-school-board-meeting
Anon
2:20 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
I'm sorry, but as much as I love diversity....Evanston has turned it into a negative.
If you don't agree with the referendum, you are racist (per Jerome S).
People keep saying that the community deserves it and wants it, and yet the 5th ward had the lowest turnout for voting....showing that the 5th ward didn't want this enough to bother voting.
Folks, this was just the beginning...a referendum to build a school and some necessary updates to other schools.
There was no money to run the school...an estimated $1million per year.
Where is that money coming from? Another referendum...basically "you voted to build it, now vote to run it....and make you checks out to....."
Folks, Evanston residents are already over-taxed...stop the madness!
Jim
2:43 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
No surprises there, Anon. The Evanston neo-liberals think that they have a lock on rightousness and that anyone who disagrees with them is ignorant and/or wrongheade. If they want it, someone else should be willing to pay for and if not, they are to be deemed selfish and maybe racist. Typical Saul Alinsky stuff.