County school employees have health plans to envy | The Columbu...

Most Franklin County school employees pay less for health care than the average American - and other people working in public and private schools, at universities and in other education jobs across the country.

[jimmy agler]

funny they keep quoting jones,when he had a chance to be part of a solution by running for the boe,he chose to sit on the sidelines and complain.

[davike44]

Here we go again--As a 22 year resident of Grove City that has never registered to vote, you can bet I will this time. 3 tries & 3 NO's. This BOE just doesn't get it. To hold the kids HOSTAGE with the threat of no extra curriculars if the levy fails is just SHAMEFULL!!! We all know that they could of scraped up enough money to have all the ECA's if they would have looked hard enough. They don't care about the kids, they care about their agendas. You can bet your sweet-*ass that I'll vote NO to send them a message that they better get their sh*t together & quit threatening no ECA's just to get their way!!

[Topper]

SouthWestern School Dist, should go into bankruptcy......Cut the benefits....Cut the teachers pay.....
The union is only as powerful as the schoolboard allows it to be.....
Teachers should be told take-it or leave-it..
There is NO shortage of teachers......The jobs would be filled by the end of the day....

[Buckeye]

I saw a news story last night about students and parents rallying to pass the next levy. While I give them credit for getting together to organize (especially the kids), the elephant in the room is staff compensation and benefits.

Instead of chiding the district residents for not "getting it" and choosing not to "support strong schools", maybe they need to take a closer look inside their own compensation costs for the answer. I know many who have voted down the levy, and instead of the typical picture of the "mad" voter, they are for the most part educated folks who have learned about the districts finances and decided they will not be blackmailed.

I see more voters then ever making informed decisions about levies. Too bad the clueless school board and selfish teachers union still don't get the message.

Here would be an interesting story - how much of a raise cut (admins included) would be required across the board to fund all extracurriculars again?

[justthinking]

Have any of the last three people commenting spent a day in a school building? There is no amount of money that could possibly compensate for what school staffs do for your children. How many of you take your work home with you - literally? How many of you spend hours, days, weeks beyond what you are paid for? I can assure you that there are hourly staff in every district who put in huge amounts of overtime without compensation. The students have to be taken care of - paycheck or not. School employees love their jobs, they love YOUR children. Paycheck or not. You people are shooting yourselves in the foot over this. Cuts have to be made. It is devastating to the students no matter where those cuts fall. They are not held hostage by the board, but by economic circumstance.

[Bodie]

I think some public employee and teacher benefits were boosted in the past to compete with the "private sector". Then they surpassed the private sector and now during a recession , worst in 30 yrs, they are well above the private employer. Should they be cut ? No but a fair share determined and that point agreed on. This is another reason we need healthcare reform so it's no longer a determining factor in the wage and benefits process.
I think we have other more serious perks to cut out in the public employee sector. Children's Services gives the director $900 a month for a car allowance. Private employers do not come even close if they give any such perk at all. Yet Children's Services wants us to pass a levy.
There are a lot of perks that have to go for people in many walks of life in order for the average guy to be able to afford to live without being taxed to death be it in the form of higher taxes for the publice employee perks or in higher prices for the private sector perks.

[justthinking]

How many of us are willing or able to take a cut in pay? My children have been educated in public schools, I have been educated in public schools. I owe the future children the same opportunities. I don't say the board should not be good stewards of the peoples money, I say make sure you know what you are talking about. Experience what they experience before you judge.

[Taxes2death]

I don't understand...if a school employee takes a less than cost of living increase or no raise at all, they get to keep their Cadillac medical benefit for next to nothing. And they call this sacrifice? Hop they never have to go out and get a private sector, non-union job! I no longer get paid holidays, and my pay has been cut $17000 this past year. That's after 13 years of service! My insurance costs me $340 a month. My wifes is $325 a month as a small business owner. The schools cries for higher taxes are falling on deaf ears...and deservadly so.

[Bodie]

davike44 YOU have not registered to vote in 22 yrs of living in the SWCS District ??? And you are DUMB enough to tell the world about it here?
You want to vote next month yet have not yet registered ????...... DUMB JUST PLAIN OLD DUMB ......... You Really Can't Fix Stupid.

[Grovetucky]

Terry Jones. The Big Mouth Blow Hard that opposes the levy doesn't care about education. Most High School Drop Outs Don't.

[toby]

davike44 wrote:

Here we go again--As a 22 year resident of Grove City that has never registered to vote, you can bet I will this time. 3 tries & 3 NO's. This BOE just doesn't get it. To hold the kids HOSTAGE with the threat of no extra curriculars if the levy fails is just SHAMEFULL!!! We all know that they could of scraped up enough money to have all the ECA's if they would have looked hard enough. They don't care about the kids, they care about their agendas. You can bet your sweet-***** that I'll vote NO to send them a message that they better get their **** together & quit threatening no ECA's just to get their way!!

No extra-curriculars is not a threat, it is the current reality and a NO vote guarantees it will continue.

A NO vote also guarantees more cuts to busing, staffing levels and educational programs.

It does not matter who is elected to the Board. If there is no new money, more budget items will be cut. Even if the unions agree to more pay and benefit concessions, it will not cover the projected deficits during the next two years.


Is that really what you want to happen?

[toby]

Topper wrote:

SouthWestern School Dist, should go into bankruptcy......Cut the benefits....Cut the teachers pay.....
The union is only as powerful as the schoolboard allows it to be.....
Teachers should be told take-it or leave-it..
There is NO shortage of teachers......The jobs would be filled by the end of the day....

Please tell me how your suggestions will improve the situation.

[the truth]

and this is part of their pay instead of dollars.

But congress is another story they get it all and take it from us.

[Rich]

It is amazing how they say they have had there wages frozen, in the last 3 years I have had $4.00 an hour taken away from me. I am still with the company, now that is a sacrafice.

[toby]

Buckeye wrote:

I saw a news story last night about students and parents rallying to pass the next levy. While I give them credit for getting together to organize (especially the kids), the elephant in the room is staff compensation and benefits.
Instead of chiding the district residents for not "getting it" and choosing not to "support strong schools", maybe they need to take a closer look inside their own compensation costs for the answer. I know many who have voted down the levy, and instead of the typical picture of the "mad" voter, they are for the most part educated folks who have learned about the districts finances and decided they will not be blackmailed.
I see more voters then ever making informed decisions about levies. Too bad the clueless school board and selfish teachers union still don't get the message.
Here would be an interesting story - how much of a raise cut (admins included) would be required across the board to fund all extracurriculars again?

Are extra-curriculars all you are worried about?

What about the cuts to busing?

What about the cuts to valuable educational programs?

What about the cuts to staffing levels?

What about the cuts to other services that have occured over the last several years?

The School Board is not clueless. They have been forced to make some very difficult decisions primarily because of conditions beyond their control. Whoever is elected to the Board in November will be facing the exact same circumstances as the current Board and I'm sure you will not agree with all of their decisions either.


Teachers and their union are not selfish. They are among the most unselfish people I know. Spend a day or two with some of them and you will see what I mean.

These levy requests are about far more than extra curricular activities. Describing any part of the situation as "blackmail" is offensive.

[jimmy agler]

davike44 wrote:

Here we go again--As a 22 year resident of Grove City that has never registered to vote, you can bet I will this time. 3 tries & 3 NO's. This BOE just doesn't get it. To hold the kids HOSTAGE with the threat of no extra curriculars if the levy fails is just SHAMEFULL!!! We all know that they could of scraped up enough money to have all the ECA's if they would have looked hard enough. They don't care about the kids, they care about their agendas. You can bet your sweet-***** that I'll vote NO to send them a message that they better get their **** together & quit threatening no ECA's just to get their way!!

after 22 years you are bothering to vote for the first time?remember the old saying,if you don't vote,don't complain.

[jimmy agler]

Rich wrote:

It is amazing how they say they have had there wages frozen, in the last 3 years I have had $4.00 an hour taken away from me. I am still with the company, now that is a sacrafice.

is it sacrifice on your part,or is it a lack of other options?i really find it hard to believe that someone would take a pay cut of over 5,000 dollars and stay if they had a choice.what job do you do?

[MCP]

Bodie;
Would you please stop surfing the net & go get a job somewhere? You are on here way too much!

Mayor Clownman

[Please]

jimmy agler wrote:

<quoted text>is it sacrifice on your part,or is it a lack of other options?i really find it hard to believe that someone would take a pay cut of over 5,000 dollars and stay if they had a choice.what job do you do?

4 x 40 = 160. 160 x 52 =$8320.00. Must be a product of public UNION schooling. Did Bodie finish 8th grade w/ you?

[Priorities]

toby wrote:

<quoted text>
No extra-curriculars is not a threat, it is the current reality and a NO vote guarantees it will continue.
A NO vote also guarantees more cuts to busing, staffing levels and educational programs.
It does not matter who is elected to the Board. If there is no new money, more budget items will be cut. Even if the unions agree to more pay and benefit concessions, it will not cover the projected deficits during the next two years.
Is that really what you want to happen?

All this means is that the BOE has chosen to prioritize free health care over extra curriculars and programs for kids. You keep what you value and get rid of what you don't. The BOE made their choice.