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March 2004
Unfair comparisons on teachers salariesDave,I would like to ask a few questions about your editorial on teacher contract negotiations and comment on the salary comparison list you chose. First, why did you choose those 14 schools? And why are the overall averages you used in your salary comparisons only based on those 14 schools? I looked on our school reportcard (published at www.fieldcrest.k12.il.us, enter Knight Country, then click on district report card) and the state average for salaries is $51,672 where our actual average is $42,923. I feel it is statistically impossible to make a valid comparison using your sample space of only 14 school districts. Also, the average administrator salaries you list are not a good comparison group. Some districts have only 3 administrators; Fieldcrest has 5. How can you compare a group of 50 plus members to a group that is only 3 to 5? One highly paid administrator skews the small group average because it is divided by such a small number. Also, how long have these administrators been at these districts? Our average may seem low because two of our five administrators are in their first year and are therefore low on the pay scale. The longest any of the five have been in our district is 7 years. Did you take this into consideration? Fieldcrest has 37 faculty members who have more than 20 years of total teaching experience. This is WONDERFUL for our students, but it is playing havoc on the school average salary you have calculated. I think this may be a good time to give my background and why I felt the need to write this letter. I am a first year teacher here at Fieldcrest and I took a pay cut to come here from Ottawa Township High School, basically for the same reasons you stated when you said you "chose to make less money from my career so that I could live in this area." Also, I am a taxpaying member of this community and you DO NOT speak for me. I am paying part of my own salary every year when I pay taxes, so when you put in an Editor's Reply, "the taxpayers opinion was more relevant," PLEASE do not assume that you speak for the majority of this community. You do not. The next item I feel compelled to talk about is the fact you state in the editorial that Clinton took a pay freeze. However, you did not include them on your salary comparison list. I'm guessing that it's because Clinton teachers start at $27,230 and Fieldcrest starts its teachers at $26,604. Of the 25 schools in our area that we use for salary comparison, Fieldcrest is 24th on that list (2nd from the bottom). Also, Clinton's average teacher salary is $50,400 compared to Fieldcrest at $43,087 (your figure). When you are being compensated well for your job, it is OK to take a pay freeze. When you talk about teachers picking up their fair share of the insurance cost, why do you talk about workers compensation insurance? This is not a cost that is in any way passed on to employees anywhere. This is a burden that the employer bears. We have paid an increase for our coverage, in some cases, enough to negate the raise that comes with the move for years of experience. None of us got into teaching for the money. We do it because we love our jobs. I can not tell you how much pride I have in only in my own students but the students all over this district. I feel our high school staff is exceptional. Furthermore, we are VERY fortunate to have fabulous elementary and middle school teachers. How do I know they're good? Because when their students get to me in high school, they are well read, well educated, and ready to learn. My intention is to stay with this district for as long as I can, not because I think things will turn around and the teachers who have already had to take cuts in salary will be able to get that income back, but because this is my community. I am part of Fieldcrest and my family is here. Our district has cut 14 teaching positions in the last 2 years, and 4 more have been cut for next year. Our contract covers not only teachers but ESPs (custodians, cafeteria workers, aids, bus drivers, etc.) and all groups covered in our contract have seen cuts. ESP cuts included reduction cafeteria workers' hours and elimination of bus drivers' positions. For next year, 3 custodians and 12 aids have lost their jobs. Last year we reduced our administration staff by eliminating the assistant principal position at the high school. High school and middle school teachers are teaching larger classes. Elementary teachers are being asked to increase class size at a time when, educationally, it doesn't make sense. Elementary teachers are already being asked to teach art and now PE, computers, and possibly library due to cuts. We know times are tough. We know we need to do our fair share. We have been. Now what we need is community support to HELP us get through this time! Please contact your legislators to help us change the way Illinois funds public education. Our state constitution says: "the State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education." They are not. State average for funding is at a measly 37%. Our children are the future. Could there be anything more important?
Jessica Overocker
Editor's reply: I could have compared the price of eggs in China to coffee in Brazil. It doesn't make any difference. Fieldcrest is in financial difficulties and it is necessary for Fieldcrest to hold the line on salaries regardless of what they are. My editorial never mentioned salary amounts because they are not relevant in this issue. Also, I never claimed to speak for the majority. My editorials are my opinion. It is still my opinion that the opinion of a taxpayer who is not a teacher is more relevant. I never had a boss ask me if I thought I should get a raise. They told me whether I would get one. Bothered by editorial on teachers salariesDave,There are a few things about your last editorial and e-mail regarding Fieldcrest that bother me. First of all, the teachers union is not starting negotiations because we all of a sudden decided we want more money. We are starting negotiations because our contract expires and we have to. I don't think any of us enjoy negotiations or the acrimonious relationships that the process sometimes causes. Your editorial made the teachers of Fieldcrest sound like a very greedy group of people. By not speaking to any teachers regarding our negotiations, you would not realize the options being discussed or the issues being considered. Our team has put incredible effort into investigating how each issue would affect the members of our union and our district. There are many language issues negotiated in a contract, salary schedule is only one part of negotiations. The teachers realize the economic dynamics that face our district. I don't think you could find a teacher who would say they went into teaching for the money rather than the opportunity to influence a child's life. Secondly, do you realize that 2/3 of Fieldcrest South's full-time staff are also tax payers in this district? If we looked at the entire district's full-time staff it would probably be a similar number. Many of us also have children that are students in this district. We obviously care very deeply what happens with Fieldcrest on more than one level. Lastly, I think the salary information you provided was misleading. There are many things to consider when looking at a district's average salary or a salary schedule. A large number of teachers in our district have a Master's degree plus continuing hours. More than fifty percent of our teachers have been in the district for ten years or longer. Twenty-four teachers out of ninety-one have taught in this district for twenty or more years. These details mean two things. One, we have highly qualified and dedicated people teaching our children. And two, salaries for these teachers are going to be higher than for beginning teachers. There are also other factors inflating our average salary such as teachers being paid for teaching more hours than allowed in the contract. When looking at our administrators' average salary compared to surrounding districts, you must consider the fact that we have two first-year administrators. That would lower the average administrator's salary. Your website has become an important source of information for community members, especially regarding the Fieldcrest school district. Many school staff members check it regularly for information regarding our jobs and public opinion. I think it would be beneficial to elicit information from all parties involved in a situation before publicly presenting an opinion.
Lynn Tjaden
Editor's reply: You have made some very good points which I did overlook. I do not feel that Fieldcrest teachers are greedy. My main point of the editorial was that it is necessary to hold the line on salaries because of the school's financial condition. Also, I was asked by several readers to list the salaries in the link I put in my letter. The people who gave the link to me wanted to remain confidential. So I was the messenger. I did not realize that the link on salaries was not a state sponsored link and Superintendent Stagliano told me afterwards that the person who ran that website had an axe to grind. In summary, my intentions were noble but my execution was flawed due mainly to the fact that I am not a professional reporter. I realize that the teachers are a dedicated group who do a valuable service to our community, something which I could not do. You also must realize that a lot of people just like me are frustrated from increasing property taxes and no relief forthcoming from the state. If anything positive comes out of this editorial, it is that it elicited worthwhile comments that help us understand each other better. Further explanation of teachers salariesDave,I applaud your efforts to keep our community informed about teacher salaries. If I may, I'd like to add a few points to clarify what those printed salaries represent. In order to be fair, one should note that those salary figures include all compensation, not just base salary. In other words, if the teacher supervises an extra-curricular activity, that is included in the numbers that you reported. Those figures are also an average. This means that as older, more experienced teachers retire, they are replaced with less experienced and cheaper teachers. The lure of teaching in a smaller district is attractive to some, but the vast majority of the best teachers will go where the money is. Further, salaries also reflect, to an extent, the financial base of the districts which they represent. Several on the list have severe financial difficulties. Both Chenoa and Gridley are merging with neighboring districts. Roanoke-Benson just passed a referendum. Midland recently closed an elementary school. The problems continue. I would also like to dispel some misconceptions about teacher pay. Teachers do not get paid for all those holidays that kids are not in school. Teachers also do not get paid for summer vacation. This is a very big misconception that people have. When teachers receive salary over the summer, it is money that they have already earned. It is essentially back-pay. School districts in the State of Illinois are allowed to do this with teachers' pay. Although technically unemployed over the summer, teachers are forbidden from collecting unemployment. Many teachers spend their good quality summer taking classes, learning how to be better educators. This is also one way that they move higher on the salary schedule. I think to be fair, we should pay our teachers like we pay our daycare providers. Let's go cheap. How about $100 per week per child. If a teacher teaches only one class of 25 students, five days a week, that's $2500 each week. Maybe we could all get a nice child care tax credit on our tax returns! I think it is very important that the public knows how much their educators are earning. We can all remember a bad teacher we may have had. I can personally say that the vast majority of those that taught me were absolutely excellent. Thank you Mrs. Coons, Mr. Stolt, Mrs. E. Cunningham, Mrs. M. Cunningham, Mrs. Bennington, Mrs. Greskoviak, Mr. DiMascio. . . . . (the list goes on) I really can remember only one teacher that taught me nothing. He lasted one year and left our school. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Jeff Geringer
Salary comparisons among schoolsDear Readers;I have received internet links from several people that list salaries for teachers and administrators for each school. I am listing below the salaries for area schools to show how they compare with Fieldcrest. For those who want more information, click here.
The figures show that Fieldcrest is above average for teachers salaries and below average for administrators salaries for the above schools.
Dave Uphoff
Taxpayer's revoltIt's time for the Fieldcrest School Board to come to a decision. Cuts have to be made NOW!! You've been nit-picking over a year hoping the state or the economy will bail you out.You have to cut staff, close a school (preferably Wenona since they aren't paying their share) or finish consolidation by combining the junior highs. You might have to do all the above. You can't continue to raise taxes and not expect the people to scream "ENOUGH!!" People have to understand the school is just a governmental agency, not a church, shrine or something sacred. The people at the Toluca meeting think it needs to be run more like a business. The farmers, retired people and others in the district who own the land and houses can't stand more. It's time to live in the REAL world. These new "fees" aren't affordable by some of the families in the district. The "pay to play" sports won't work when the parents and the players find out that just because you pay you don't necessarily play. When I plunk down my money for something I expect to get something for my money. Don't you? When the district was formed, 35% were considered low income, how much has that changed? It's funny that the people in Wenona helped come up with the fees since they give the district "token checks" with strings attached. The rest of us are disappointed and mad. If something isn't done soon we'll band together again and pay our taxes under protest or find some other way of tying up your money. We told you NO on the referendum, this is serious and so are we. Get it done.
John R. Welch
City needs to fix up downtown parking lotIn trying to beautify Minonk for the Sesquicentennial it would be good to consider doing something with the parking lot up town. What happen to the nice parking lot that use to be up there? It had trees and curbs and nice lighting. They took them away when the Dollar store was built and then nothing was done to fix it again. The holes in that parking lot are horrible. I would think the city would want to do something about fixing it before the Sesquicentennial. This parking lot does not give the city of Minonk a good impression to visitors.Karen Mooradian Editor's note: According to City Administrator Trent Smith, the parking lot is to be paved this summer, hopefully, before the sesquicentennial. Why aren't the "good" kids convicted?Dave, I was just reading up on the news in Minonk and I noticed the convictions made for the damage to your trees. Although I am glad to see justice served in that case I couldn't help but wonder why these boys were convicted of damage but the boys found to have damaged a tree at my house were let go. I no longer live in Minonk so maybe that's why this letter is easier for me to write and this judgment easier for me too make. Why is it that the children of Minonk whose parents don't have the best of last names are convicted and the ones whose parents are well known are not? Doesn't anyone other than myself ask themselves that? Can you seriously turn your faces away and close your ears to this??The kids involved in damaging my tree, never even got so much as a slap on the hand, their parents maybe smacked them and they certainly should have but the courts never even heard the case. I can assure you of that, but yet the kids responsible for your trees being damaged are being convicted and probably tortured by the citizens. The city calls this justice?? Ok, maybe it's not their last name. I say if you're going to be happy about this case then maybe you would be even happier when the "good" kids are convicted also. Rita Lovell Editor's reply: The "good" kids you referred to were given 20 hours of community service by the judge. They were minors and, therefore, their names could not be printed. If they were not minors, their names would have been printed on this website regardless of who their parents are. I am not happy to see anyone punished, but if punishment is deserved it should be served. Why else have laws? Milch is milk in GermanI enjoyed reading your editorial this morning. I tripped over the word MILCH, when referenced to cows. Actually, the work is spelled correctly. MILCH is German for the work MILK. My mother still says MILCH when meaning MILK today, so it looked perfectly natural to me.
Keep up the great work.
Fieldcrest South closing rumor unfoundedDave,I am not surprised that the rumor mill has been working full time in our communities. There is no secret that the Board of Education is faced with the prospect of balancing the budget to get its financial house in order. Our Administrative Team has been working on cost-effective strategies for keeping the integrity of the K-12 curriculum robust while at the same time reducing staff across all grade levels. The Board of Education sincerely regrets that personnel figure into this equation. It is a binary choice, spend less or tax more. Plain and simple. The work is very time-consuming, tedious and disheartening without having to deal with unfounded rumors. South is not on the radar for any closure. However, there will be class size reorganization across the District for the fall of 2004. Closing South IS NOT one of the options. Last, the Board of Education will not take any action this Thursday evening on Reduction in Force. Yours for better schools,
Michael A. Stagliano, Ph.D.
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Free cancer screening availableI would like to invite the Minonk Talk newsletter in helping me spread the word about a VERY important program available to women in Woodford County that are currently with out health insurance. The program offers FREE cervical and breast cancer exams to women that qualify. Please let your citizens know that they may find out more information on this important program by calling 309 467-3064 and ask about the Women's Health Program.With your help, we may just save a life!!
Jill Hageman
Fieldcrest cost per pupil explainedIn response to Dave Uphoff's reporting on the Annual Financial Report presented at last Thursday's Board meeting, I would like to add the following points for clarification.First, the Annual Financial Report is a description of the financial health of the District for all operations. It also takes into consideration borrowing, sources of revenue and property wealth. All the above factors and many more are interrelated to produce a profile to assist the Board in making cost effective decisions for educating our communities' youth. Dave is correct in pointing out that District 6 is not as "efficient" in overall cost of operations when compared to some neighboring school districts. This is not due to mismanagement but is primarily due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is deficit spending and low property wealth. For example, while some neighboring districts may have an estimated operating expense per pupil that is lower than Fieldcrest 6, those districts' property wealth and ratio of revenue to expenses is higher. The latest figures indicate that Fieldcrest District 6's estimated operating expense per pupil is about $7600. This figure includes the gross operating cost of a school district such as transportation, utilities, food service and so on. The state average is around $8100. Yes, District 6 is below the state average, but still higher in comparison to local area districts. We are rural, consolidated and spread out and in some instances, duplicating of services. We would like to have this number lower, say around $5,000 to $6,000. However, a very good indicator of why our financial health is not better is the simple fact that our EAV (equalizied assessed valuation or property wealth) per pupil is low. Our District, unfortunately, has to become more efficient with our relatively depressed property wealth. Fieldcrest has $84,427 dollars behind each student. Nine other area districts range from $89,000 up to $249,000. This figure is arrived at by dividing our District property wealth by our ADA (average daily attendance). I want to caution all readers that direct comparisons to area districts is not perfect because of economies of scale of different school districts. In other words, some are larger and some are smaller and efficiencies differ. Last, one figure that is not reported much and is a compilation of the above number crunching is the Instructional Expenditure per Pupil. This figure includes the direct costs of teaching students. Wealthier school districts (especially those north of I-80) spend considerably more per student than those downstate. District 6's instructional expenditure per pupil is lower than wealthier districts and lower than the state average. Does this translate into fewer opportunities for students? Sometimes. As District 6 begins to move towards a balanced budget and property values inch upward along with lowering of operating cost, the bottom line figures will improve and so will the dollars behind each student for direct teacher-student contact. In the meantime, the Board of Education is working with the administration to improve our economic condition.
Dr. Michael Stagliano,
Ex-resident wants to hear from MinonkI have recently gotten a computer. I am trying to learn a whole new way of life. It isn't quite like cutting hair! I was very happy to get the local news from MinonkTalk. I'd love to hear from my friends and clients. My address is jmamahall4.wmconnect.com. The family is doing fine in Colorado. I get to kid-sit and that keeps me happy. Donna and her two boys will be here, Easter, can't wait!
Hope to hear from you,
More comments on teacher salariesI'm not debating right or wrong for teachers salaries to be published but the information is published and if people would look closely there is also a link to a report card on the performance of all schools published by the state school board. Every time my contract has been ratified my wages are published on the front page of the Pantagraph. So Mr. Johnson, mine are published! Many unions currently are taking wage cuts and benefit cuts in these hard times. Mr. Geringer, many people receive salaries and technically do not get paid for holidays and vacation time except that their pay is averaged to be the same all year. So teachers are no different. It is a yearly salary! I want the best teachers possible for all children including mine that we can hire in the school system. But like many tax payers my taxes have increased 28% since 2001 with another increase coming this year. I don't know anyone who has had wage increases of this size. I don't know the answer. Teachers deserve good pay but tax increases need to stop or at least slow down to equal inflation. Perhaps some of your readers know how to do these things.Tim Spencer Why teachers?Having taught for many years in several schools with varying student ages and backgrounds, I now offer my comments. Teachers are not the community's enemies! Frankly speaking though, elderly tax payers, state officials and administrators often are. I grew up and was educated in Minonk. We had our favorites who usually were the prettiest, easiest graders and those who took time to help us understand the subject matter. The vary favored ones were those who took the time to, not only teach us, but spend time getting to know us. In return, we GOT TO KNOW THEM! They never frequented the local bars, or other night clubs near by. If any did, some Dad would have seen them. God help any young female teacher who would dare date a local, or those same sex teachers who might share an apartment or travel together. My recollections were that small town teachers were "PUBLIC DOMAIN". After all didn't the locals pay their salaries? Gone are the days of country schools, Miss Swan, Miss Gray, Mr Wise, Miss Norton. Woe is me! No, I don't think so! Today's teachers are better educated. Many have attended small schools like Fieldcrest and most will spend summers in graduate schools and workshops trying to improve their skills. I wonder how many parents of teenagers have taken the time to visit their schools and discuss their kids work habits. A report card is such a sterile thing and unfortunately "after the fact". Get to know your teachers, make them feel wanted. If they don't ask you about your salary or how much taxes you pay, seems fair to not ask them about theirs. Anyway, teachers paychecks are public record. What would happen if our Government would begin to publish everyones Income Tax return? (touche) And remember that teachers are generally young and dedicated and wouldn't even think of becoming one if they didn't want to help your sons and daughters. Have a nice day!Albin Johnson Disappointed in editorial on teachers' salariesMany of us are disappointed in your editorial, Dave. You said that you've talked to several people, but did you talk to any teachers? I've not heard one teacher say they would have to have a raise with all the financial troubles the school has. I did hear several agree that if they have a salary freeze, the administrators' salaries should also be frozen. Have you no problem with administrators getting a big raise this year?Marcia Stolt, Teachers' Aide at South Editor's reply: Marcia, I have no problem with the administrators' salaries being frozen. In fact, I think it is a foregone conclusion that if the teachers accept a salary freeze, then the same must apply to the administrators. I apologize for not mentioning that in my editorial. I did not ask any teachers on their opinion of a salary freeze because I did not want several answers to be interpreted as the consensus of the other teachers. My objective was to give what I felt was the public's opinion, not the teachers' opinion. The taxpayers pay the salaries and I felt that their opinion was more relevant. Looking for money for science departmentI was wondering if anybody knows about what happened to some money that was collected for the science department? This year four thousand and seven hundred dollars were collected for science lab fees. Unfortunately the science department was only given four thousand and two hundred dollars. With the extra five hundred dollars we could have gotten animals for biology to disect or gotten the new hundreth precision scale for the physical science and chemisty classes.Daniel Hawk There were 5 Waite UphoffsHi Dave,I enjoyed your last article about old names. At one time there were five men named Waite Uphoff. They all attended an Uphoff reunion that I think was held the second Sunday of July in 1942 at the Minonk Grade School. (The reunion was moved from the Minonk Park because it was raining that day.) I recall this as my father took a picture of the five Waite Uphoffs. I still have the picture, but can not identify them all. Four of the Waite Uphoff's were first cousins, and were the oldest son in each family.
I also have a picture that my father took at another Uphoff reunion of four John Uphoffs'
German explanation of milchDavid, mein gut freundin, MILCH kommens aus weibchen milch kuhs !!
verge'ben mir,
Origin of German surnamesDear Dave,Since I'm a genealogist, I read with interest your article on names. You are right about most of them. The one thing I found out about German naming is that there was a definite process in naming the sons. 1st son was names after the father. 2nd son was named after the mother, using her maiden name as his first name. Example: In the Danekas family there were men called Folkert. No, other German family had Folkerts. Then I found out that my gr gr gr grandmother's maiden name was Anna Folkerts. Since then, I have found the chart of child naming that was used in Germany. This can become a big clue in trying to trace family members. Keep up the good work. We will probably have some WARM weather for Minonk in Phoenix get together. It's 93° most of this week.
Sincerely,
Need to restore the faithDave, I found the recent e-mails on your site interesting. The school district problems are beginning to get people interested, especially some of the mothers. As I noted, mothers seem to be able to strike fear in others if their offspring are threatened. Small towns all over America are feeling nervous about the Iraqi war fiasco, especially since so many of their youth are in the Natl. Guard. The small towns also see jobs lost to big corporations whether it is in retail, farming or manufacturing. My dad started his dental practice in Chicago and St Paul. But he was from a small town and wanted to raise his kids in a small town so he moved to Minonk. As you know, there are benefits to living in a town like yours. Unfortunately, the state and federal governments find little profit in small places and much more interest in the larger cities. I fear the politics of over spending on the politician's pet projects and the tremendous cost in money and integrity that's lost just in electing a president leaves the mind to but wonder what's left for the little tax payer but higher taxes.Well?? changing the subject, along with the "Passion of Christ" movie and the novel "The Di Vinci Code", we now have a new flap in regards to the Bible's interpretation. I havent seen the movie as I had about all the violence I needed in the movie "Mystic River". I found the book (DiVinci) a rather good mystery with a lot of interesting Christian history used to thicken the plot. The moral here? If we don't have FAITH in our families, in schools, the work ethic, and a FAITH that our lives have some purpose other than selfserving ends, then all our efforts to be wealthy or religiously pious are just wasted. Albie Johnson Questions effect of farmland values on Fieldcrest financesFirst of all, I commend you for managing a great website. I follow it regularly.You mentioned in your editorial that Eureka's district was confined to Eureka itself. Congerville and Goodfield are in that district as well. They used to have grade schools in each of those towns, I think they still do. The district covers the whole southwest corner of Woodford county until you enter El Paso district on the east side - and goes north to Metamora and Roanoke territory. I suspect their district is spread over nearly as many acres as Fieldcrest. So then the question remains - why are their costs per student lower? Why does the financial future of the district have to hinge on an increase in farmland values / taxes? I thought farmland tax rates were also tied to productivity index ratings? Long term corn yield trends are inching higher, but that is offset by decreasing yield trends for soybeans. In addition to pi's, it is my understanding that interest rates and, yes, fair market values are factors that affect the tax rates on farmland. And also there is a 5 year lag before these factors kick in, and the next adjustment could conceivably lower the rates slightly, however, it is probably more likely it will increase them somewhat, according to my sources. Either way, I don't see how this event will have a dramatic effect on the financial situation of Fieldcrest. If, indeed, district expenses cannot be cut any farther, why not generate support to encourage our lawmakers to increase the state income tax slightly with the new portion going exclusively to schools? If memory serves me correctly, a past editorial of yours supported or at least considered an increase in the state income tax. This would spread the increased tax burden more evenly over everyone who works in our state and is compensated for that work. And, yes, farmers and other property owners would also participate in those increases, if they had taxable income. Expecting property owners to bear most of the increases in school funding is extremely unfair when they are contributing so much already. Our law makers get into office on promises to not raise taxes. Then after they are elected, they sneak in the back door and increase licenses and other fees. Now the governor is threatening to put a sales tax on farm chemicals, machinery and other farm inputs that have been exempt from sales taxes for years. That would immediately force farmers such as myself to buy those inputs out of state or off the internet to avoid those increases in the cost of production. Then when the local suppliers of those inputs start closing their doors, imagine the effects to the local communities throughout the state. Is that not the same as raising taxes? Why can't our lawmakers be up front and admit that raising state income taxes is one of the most fair solutions to the financial crisis in IL schools?
Arlen Ruestman
Rumors about closing Fieldcrest SouthDave,I am emailing you to give a heads up on what is going to happen at the school board meeting on Thursday. I started hearing last Wednesday, 2/25, that at the next school board meeting the board was going to make an announcement and Fieldcrest South was not going to be happy. After asking questions, rumor has it that they are proposing to close Fieldcrest South. This is an outrage, and I cannot believe the thought of this has arisen, due to what we worked for 4 years ago to expand the school and the new addition being built. I am trying to pass the word to as many people as possible. We have to fight this and try to stop the boards possible plan. Please plan on attending the school board meeting this Thursday, we are going to need all the support we can get. I am aware that nothing has been stated in public, but a board member did confirm the rumor. Sincerely, Sherry Stalter |
