Someone asked me to post this a talking point so here is my response to a comment left in another thread.
"so gathering information is a bad thing??? Shouldn’t tough decisions be made with the most information and research possible?"
Having information and being able to make a decision with that information are 2 completely different topics. The administration has done yeoman’s work on research and information gathering, specifically around the budget and the Maywood/Winnequah consolidation. In my opinion stating that you need more information is a cope out for not wanting to make the tough decisions. It is very easy to say I need more information and without it I feel I cannot vote on a specific measure.
Did the administration provide us with all of the information they had? I would venture to say no, but only because we did not hear the conversations that they had as they compiled the information into the packets that we received. I am sure that some pieces of information or rationale where stated verbally and so we missed out on those. Instead we got the most relevant and important pieces of information that the administration discussed. The opportunity for us as a board to gather any pieces we felt was missing was thru the question and answer sessions that we had with the administrators. They too attended all of the budget meetings and stood up and answered our questions.
If after all of that anyone felt they still did not have enough information then they were looking for a reason not to have to vote in my opinion. Does any board member like that we have to vote on these tough issues? NO! However, this is what we are elected to do. The biggest single source of frustration for me with this board is the inability or unwillingness to act on the hard decisions. Two particular items that emphasize this point are the lack of budget cuts since we are about $190k short of our stated deficit of $1M and the fact that we voted not to keep Maywood open or closed, but that we delayed having to make the decision.
Sometimes too much information gives you paralysis by analysis.
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From the May 14, 2008 School Board Minutes:
ReplyDelete"Susan Fox moved that a .80 FTE Assistant Principal for Maywood School be included in the 2008-2009 budget. It was further moved that the Monona Grove School Board President appoint a task force to examine the future of 4K through grade six programming in Monona to include staffing, and all Monona facilities usage, including potential closing of Maywood School, and sixth grade programming at Winnequah School along with whatever other topics task force members feel is appropriate to strategically analyze this matter. Susan Manning seconded. Discussion was held regarding funding. Administration will present at the next Board meeting information for funding this position within the proposed budget for 2008-2009. After discussion of the motion, a roll call vote was requested: Sobol – aye; DuPlayee – aye; McDade – aye; Kitslaar – aye; Fox – aye; and Manning – aye. Motion carried."
So, nearly two years ago Fox & Manning motioned to create the Ad Hoc Committee for the purposes of studying grade configuration -- including potential closing of Maywood School. The committee was created, they spent months studying this, gathering data and estimating costs.
On May 17, 2009 the superintendent made a presentation that stated that the consolidation would save $265,000 a year and include one time remodeling costs of $200,000.
Ultimately the Ad Hoc Committee made six recommendations to the board, including:
5. Maintain Winnequah and Maywood Schools until 4K-8 program in each community is determined, or until it is fiscally not feasible to operate both buildings.
The School Board accepted all six of these recommendations on July 8, 2009.
4K-8 in each community was studied at length and presented to the Board on December 22, 2009 (the district paid $6,000 for the study to confirm what the superintendent told the committee 12 months ago). It was determined that it would cost $1 million to implement and an extra $150-$200K a year in operating costs.
On January 27, 2010 the Board voted that it wasn't feasible nor fiscally responsible to separate 7th & 8th grade students. Therefore, they would all stay in Glacial Drumlin.
In February 2010, the Mayor and citizen of Monona cried foul because the potential closing of Maywood was a "surprise" and the Board clearly didn't have enough time to research it.
All of this time, effort and money was spent over a two year period to research these topics and on March 24, 2010 some Board members decided that they didn't have enough information and needed another year.
Exactly what is the definition of paralysis by analysis?
And sometimes you make decisions without anywhere near the amount of information needed and everyone suffers. Just look at how badly many of the decisions the cgvb make, when its obvious they do not have or do not care to have more information.
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