ED, Moyer's back at PMSA & D209 wants to raise taxes [D209]
The big news from last night's meeting of Proviso Township High School's board of education had to be the return of Moyer (see Proviso Insider) and the announcement that the district will be going to referendum for a tax increase.
Moyer is not only popular he commands genuine loyalty among PMSA students and parents. He had been critical of PMSA, so presumably he was offered some power to make changes.
The tax proposal will get some time at the November meeting. Part of the case for increasing taxes is repeating the claim that District 209 has run a deficit for the last ten years.
Mike Manzo, the former school board president, claims this isn't true. Manzo claims that when he was president of the board the district always had enough money in the working cash fund to cover the deficits in the other funds. But if this wasn't true the district would have been broke. According to Nikita Johnson, the business manager, the district will be truly broke at the end of the 07-08 school year.
I'm curious what the deficits have been. The current school board president Emanuel "Chris" Welch seems to be willing to buy popularity with district expenditures. The teachers got a generous contract right before he ran for state representative. Many of the district's contractors contributed generously to Welch's campaign for state representative.
Generally the board meeting was conducted in a professional manner which contrasted with the last board meeting.
There was a discussion about the district's second chance program for students who get booted from regular classes. Fields is proposing to use a private contractor and get the students out of Proviso East and Proviso West.
Fields suggested having the program at the schools wasn't much of a deterrent since students in the program had shorter hours than regular students.
Chris Welch said the situation was, "news to most of us." Being that the board voted to switch the hours from the evening to the day just a few meetings ago, it seems surprising to me that anyone was surprised about the current state of the second chance program.
I don't have strong feelings about doing the program on campus or off. However, it seems possible that a private vendor might be tempted to discourage the students from showing up. Fields claimed the cost was $5,000 per seat which is far less than D209 spends educating students ($14,093 in 05-06). So even if the students show up, I doubt there's much education happening.
In closed session the board decided to retain Robert Libka at a new salary.
If anyone cares, I sat during the Pledge of Allegiance for a couple reasons. One, I never much liked the Pledge. Patriotism is something you live in how you conduct your life. Empty words can't make up for neglecting one's duty on a day-to-day basis. Two, it seems absurd for the president of District 209 to be leading a pledge about "liberty and justice for all." The guy filed a bad faith lawsuit to try to squelch my First Amendment rights. And now the district has blocked access to Proviso Probe without even providing an explanation.
[UPDATE: Pioneer Press (Chuck Fieldman) covers Moyers' return.
[Isn't Moyers saying that Libka was a screw-up?]
Moyer is not only popular he commands genuine loyalty among PMSA students and parents. He had been critical of PMSA, so presumably he was offered some power to make changes.
The tax proposal will get some time at the November meeting. Part of the case for increasing taxes is repeating the claim that District 209 has run a deficit for the last ten years.
Mike Manzo, the former school board president, claims this isn't true. Manzo claims that when he was president of the board the district always had enough money in the working cash fund to cover the deficits in the other funds. But if this wasn't true the district would have been broke. According to Nikita Johnson, the business manager, the district will be truly broke at the end of the 07-08 school year.
I'm curious what the deficits have been. The current school board president Emanuel "Chris" Welch seems to be willing to buy popularity with district expenditures. The teachers got a generous contract right before he ran for state representative. Many of the district's contractors contributed generously to Welch's campaign for state representative.
Generally the board meeting was conducted in a professional manner which contrasted with the last board meeting.
There was a discussion about the district's second chance program for students who get booted from regular classes. Fields is proposing to use a private contractor and get the students out of Proviso East and Proviso West.
Fields suggested having the program at the schools wasn't much of a deterrent since students in the program had shorter hours than regular students.
Chris Welch said the situation was, "news to most of us." Being that the board voted to switch the hours from the evening to the day just a few meetings ago, it seems surprising to me that anyone was surprised about the current state of the second chance program.
I don't have strong feelings about doing the program on campus or off. However, it seems possible that a private vendor might be tempted to discourage the students from showing up. Fields claimed the cost was $5,000 per seat which is far less than D209 spends educating students ($14,093 in 05-06). So even if the students show up, I doubt there's much education happening.
In closed session the board decided to retain Robert Libka at a new salary.
If anyone cares, I sat during the Pledge of Allegiance for a couple reasons. One, I never much liked the Pledge. Patriotism is something you live in how you conduct your life. Empty words can't make up for neglecting one's duty on a day-to-day basis. Two, it seems absurd for the president of District 209 to be leading a pledge about "liberty and justice for all." The guy filed a bad faith lawsuit to try to squelch my First Amendment rights. And now the district has blocked access to Proviso Probe without even providing an explanation.
[UPDATE: Pioneer Press (Chuck Fieldman) covers Moyers' return.
[Moyers] resigned in July, citing "a progression of issues regarding the direction of the Academy with which (he) could not agree.
"I left with a great deal of regret," he said. "Since I left, I've had a feeling of work undone."
Moyer's problems, he added, were with District 209's previous administration.
[Isn't Moyers saying that Libka was a screw-up?]
posted by Carl Nyberg at
5:14 PM
24 Comments:
I'd say the odds for successful passage of a school referendum is less than a third. I'd say that school officials know this. Their only hope is in mounting a huge community PR campaign, and even at that the chances would be slim.
Timing is everything, and now is simply not the time. I'd like to be proven wrong, but Proviso lacks a strong educational culture (meaning high level of academic attainment do not prevail); attitudes toward increased taxation are at this time extremely negative; residents simply lack adequate capacity to pay, and voter apathy remains a significant challenge. Patterns in land use (residential versus commercial) throughout the area are also too weak and fragmented to mount any kind of significant block.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, folk balk at paying more for what they perceive is, at best, a mediocre product. A referendum at this time is premature and I, for one, won't be holding my breath.
If he (meaning Fields) can pull this off, then he's worth every cent of his salary.
By
Anonymous, at 8:53 PM, October 24, 2006
Carl, what kind of milk do you want in your bottle? Soy, chocolate, vanilla. Stop your whinning!
You stated the board meeting was professional last night. Yes it was because one person was missing. No disrepect, considering the reason she was missing but, that one person is always keeping up mess.
By
Anonymous, at 10:10 PM, October 24, 2006
I'm EXTREMELY happy about Ed Moyer's return to PMSA. I wish I'd been at the board meeting because I would have given them a standing ovation. Ed's a most genuine person with a lot of integrity, credibility and strong principles.
With this gutsy and surprise hiring, the phasing out of Mr. Libka (another surprise), and the general housecleaning I have to say Dr. Fields has WELL exceeded my expectations. To me, he can complete the sweep if he can slide out Ms. Murphy and a couple of underachievers. Right now I'm a Fields fan. Finally, a man of action.
By
Anonymous, at 11:38 PM, October 24, 2006
Wow, I cant beleive it!
What a mess we are in! It was told to us by Dist. #209 Board President Chris Welch, that our financial situation was in the black (meaning good), when we purchased that new school (PMSA)for 40 million dollars, plus additional funds to renovate and operate. Additionally, it was told to us that our taxes would not be rasied, even when other board members (minority) spoke out against it. But what happened, you did a back door referendum against what the votes of Proviso Township wanted, and now just like the (minority) board members said we now going to pay for it, by way of raising our taxes, by the way of vote (and that will not work) so another back door referemdum will be done. This is a sad case of people doing whatever the hell they want to do, and now making the taxpayers pay for this 100 million dollar fiasco of a PMSA.
The only thing I can say is, we better wake up and smell the coffee, and notice that the smell is not good!
Its lie after lie after lie, and then more lies, on top of more lies!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By
Anonymous, at 8:55 AM, October 25, 2006
Wow, I cant beleive it!
What a mess we are in! It was told to us by Dist. #209 Board President Chris Welch, that our financial situation was in the black (meaning good), when we purchased that new school (PMSA)for 40 million dollars, plus additional funds to renovate and operate. Additionally, it was told to us that our taxes would not be rasied, even when other board members (minority) spoke out against it. But what happened, you did a back door referendum against what the votes of Proviso Township wanted, and now just like the (minority) board members said we now going to pay for it, by way of raising our taxes, by the way of vote (and that will not work) so another back door referemdum will be done. This is a sad case of people doing whatever the hell they want to do, and now making the taxpayers pay for this 100 million dollar fiasco of a PMSA.
The only thing I can say is, we better wake up and smell the coffee, and notice that the smell is not good!
Its lie after lie after lie, and then more lies, on top of more lies!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By
Anonymous, at 8:56 AM, October 25, 2006
Don't worry. Welch will throw another $100K towards the PR agency he hired, and make people think they need the referendum.
We pay more to crappy schools then Oak Park River Forest does. How is it that they are able to succeed and educate students and Proviso can't do anything right?
Get rid of the dead weight in the system. Quit wasting our money.
By
Anonymous, at 10:00 AM, October 25, 2006
We better realize that this cannot and will not continue to go on! How to you get a school, and dont know what financial condition we are in. Chris did make that statement that District #209 was financially sound when the school building was purchased, but now all of a sudden we have been overspending for 10 years, and about to be broke. This is truely a slap in the face of every person that has a true interest in children and education. This was clearly done for contracts and jobs, and now that the puppets couldnt make it look right for Chris Welch, they want to bring in so called professionals. You got to be kidding me, right? Everyone should be in an outrage !
By
Anonymous, at 1:15 PM, October 25, 2006
I knew it would happen but I did'nt expect Welch and his peons(Fields,Henry,Matlock and Adams) to do it themselves, but Welch never ceases to amaze me .
Welch has his Fields and his tampon,Nikita Johnson come on out and state the truth the 209 school district is broke and needs a tax referendum to keep on going!!!!!!
Well, I do recall when Welch had his radio show along with Don Sloan(Township trustee from Westchester) and along with Brian Cross(Gene Moore's shoe shine boy) how the three Liars,decietful hacks, tols the listening audience how the school was bought dirt cheap and there was no need to raise taxes!!!! They celebrated and laughed about how "smart they were" and how wrong others were about the PMSA price tag!!! They ridiculed Karen Yarbrough, Henderson Yarbrough, Arnie Bryant, Charles Flowers and others who contended that it would be impossible to not raises taxes, after the pushed the $40 million back door tax on Proviso taxpayers and Welch,Sloan ,Calderone,Gillian, Cross, Gene Moore,Pasquale and Serpico all told us that taxes were not needed to pay for the school!!!! Well of course those bums, and thieves were celbrating the building of the Magnet high school, all giggly and bubbly, these individuals,CHRIS WELCH,RON SERPICO,ANTHONY BRUNO,FRANK PASQUALE,TONY CALDERONE,VITO SCAVO,EUGENE MOORE,JIM PERELLI,DON SLOAN,TIM GILLIAN,AND BRIAN CROSS ALL STOLE THE $40 MILLION DOLLARS AND HAD AN EARLY CHRISTMAS, NOW SOMEON HAS TO PAY THE PIPER AND THESE INIDIVIDALS ARE HIDING BEHIND TREES AND SAYING WELL MORE MONEY IS NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES JOBS!!! NO CONCERN FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF COURSE, ONLY FOR TOP ADMINISTRATORS TOP HEAVY SALARIES AND POLITICAL HIRES!!!
But this will only prove the truest theory on Welch up to now, he is the main liabilty to bussiness as usual in Proviso and not only will his gang lose the elections and tax hike, this tax hike will effect the upcoming elections in Forest Park ,and Melrose Park and other villages against the entrenched corrupt regimes and his friends only have one person to blame and thats Welch!
By
Anonymous, at 5:43 PM, October 25, 2006
A Public Service Announcement
We interrupt our regular blogging schedule for the following Public Service Announcement:
HAS ANYONE SEEN EUGENE MOORE AND RONALD SERPICO ,TONY CALDERONE AND CHRIS WELCH?
IF YOU DO, PLEASE CALL THE FBI WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THEM TO QUESTION THEM ABOUT WHAT ANTHONY BRUNO TOLD THEM ABOUT THE 209 $40 MILLION DOLLAR PMSA CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND WHO GOT WHAT FOR WHAT AND WHY.
THANK YOU, YOU NOW CAN GO ON YOUR REGULAR BLOGGING.
By
Anonymous, at 5:59 PM, October 25, 2006
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE WORST SITUATION THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EVER BEEN IN.
WELL WE SHOULD THANK CHRIS WELCH AND GENE MOORE FOR ALL THE MESS THEY HAVE PUT US IN. NOW ONLY GOD CAN GET US OUT OF IT!!!!!
HOW DO YOU GET SO BLIND WITH FAVORS, THAT YOU WASTE TAXPAYERS MONEY AND FORGET ABOUT EDUCATING CHILDREN?
GET READY PROVISO TOWNSHIP, BECAUSE WE NEED CHANGE, AND COME APRIL (2007), IT MUST HAPPEN!!!!
By
Anonymous, at 10:33 PM, October 25, 2006
Judging by the way those two (Libka & Moyers) spent time together over the past summer it seemed obvious they were collaborating over something. They seemed more like a team as opposed to being at odds with one another.
By
Anonymous, at 4:29 AM, October 26, 2006
Yeah like a team of people that are conspiring to get over on the taxpapers. Isnt it interteresting how at first, Motyers said that he thought the school was headed in the wrong direction, but now he says he made a mistake, he is glad he returned (the worst of politics at its best)
By
Anonymous, at 3:36 PM, October 26, 2006
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Anonymous, at 9:55 PM, October 26, 2006
Wallace is a total disgrace to the educational community. She curses the kids and parents out daily. She is a uncontrollable emotional beast. I have worked in the school system for almost 20 years, I have never witnessed such a display, show, tantrum, or whatever you call it before in my life from a professional.
Where did she come from? Is she qualified to be principal of a school? Do she have a Phd? Is she on medication, prozac? Why isn't someone addressing her behavior? I see lawsuit if she continues her uncontrollable displays of beast like behavior, especially putting her hands on the students. And her sister is just as bad. Who died and made them queens of Proviso West?
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Anonymous, at 8:23 AM, October 28, 2006
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Anonymous, at 12:08 PM, October 28, 2006
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By
Anonymous, at 1:01 PM, October 31, 2006
Breaking news!
Embattled Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch who has been referred to as a “disgrace to the black race,” can now be referred to as a “disgrace to the Cook County Democratic Party” with his endorsement of Republican Robert Ingraffia for Cook County Regional Superintendent of Schools.
Through various sources, the Outsider has obtained video footage that Democrat Welch, who has fleeced Cook County tax payers for millions of dollars through back door deals, nepotism and cronyism, has been witnessed placing campaign signs through out Cook County for the Republican Party.
The Outsider has learned that Democrat Welch is working behind the scenes for the Republican Party due to the fact that Superintendent Ingraffia has turned a blind eye to the blatant abuse of Welch’s Presidential powers, therefore allowing Mr. Welch to continue to fleece tax payers for multi-millions including construction kickbacks and obtaining District jobs for campaign contributors and fellow “do nothing” school board members Sue Henry and Shirley Madlock.
Do you think Chris Welch is a disgrace to the Democratic Party with his behind the scenes work for the Republican Party? Should we continue to allow Welch to fleece Cook County tax payers for multi-millions while our schools suffer tremendously from a deficit Welch created? Does Welch really think that District 209 tax payers are stupid?
By
Anonymous, at 2:41 PM, October 31, 2006
I think its time to get Chris Welch out of office. I heard that he had Proviso High School Employees placing Republican Robert Ingraffi signs out, in Hillside. What a shame and a disgrace to the Democratic Party! Welch should be held accountable to the people of Proviso Township for his actions, and be voted out immediately!
By
Anonymous, at 5:18 PM, October 31, 2006
I also heard that not only is Welch working hard to help elect the do nothing, stealing,lying Republican Ingraffia, he also working with his minions the township trustee and republican from Westchester Don"Hillybilly" Sloan and the township community liasion Tommy Robbins,along with Brian Cross to help elect Gomelinski against our own friend and ally of the taxpayers and Proviso residents, Tony Peraica.
Do you think Don Sloan and Tommy Robbins are a disgrace to the Republican Party with there behind the scenes work for the Democratic Party and Todd Stroger? Should we continue to allow Sloan and Robbins to fleece Cook County tax payers for multi-millions while our schools and township services suffer tremendously from a deficit Sloan and Welch created? Does Welch and Sloan and Robbins and Cross really think that District 209 tax payers and Proviso Township taxpayers are stupid?
By
Anonymous, at 7:56 PM, October 31, 2006
I wish we could 100% clean house. First, the board members. Second, the administrators who kiss someone's behind to get the position though not qualified. I want new people that have dealt with similiar issues and that aren't connected to anyone. I am sick of god parents, losers, politicians, jerks, sex partners,and liars. Everyone has the interest of the students at heart, but noone is willling to work together unless you are on their team. If you are really for the students it would not matter what side of the board you roll with you support a good decision and cause. We have many adult children running the district. Close PMSA it is a waste of money. East looks terrible. Sell it! Renovated the other schools. Create the same program at one of the existing schools. Imagine if we would put 40 million into existing schools. Help!
By
Anonymous, at 9:44 PM, October 31, 2006
Welch is a total disgrace to our township, he is a lier, a con artist and a loser. How can you be so stupid, to steal money from taxpayers and think you wont have to pay the piper
By
Anonymous, at 10:04 PM, October 31, 2006
Steven said...
"The proposed property tax increase stands a snowball's chance in hell of passing. Taxpayers are fed up with the continuing procession of incompetent and self-serving board members and administrators who think they can piss money away while milking us dry."
Unfortunately for us, the voters don't have a say in this. The board is required to hold a public hearing on their proposed levy. As they have each year, they then vote to approve the increase. You can "testify" at the hearing and voice your disses; displeasure, distrust and distaste for the Dis-trict. There will be muttering and whining that they are forced by circumstances beyond their control to pass the levy with the increase intact, or perhaps drop it to 6 or 7% to show they are not being unreasonable...
Luckily for us, the tax cap will limit the increase to 5% or the CPI whichever is less. Still, 5% of $55 MILLION is a TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR increase!
The 11% levy increase all but assures that they will squeeze every penny they can out of their maximum tax rate.
I hope voters keep this in mind when the district DOES go to referendum for a tax rate increase. The campaign for that will doubtless carry promises that the district will NEVER try to tap the maximum.
District 209 has been tapping the max every year and have shown no inclination or ability to account for their spending.
By
Anonymous, at 6:22 PM, November 03, 2006
Fact is Chris Welch inherited a $14,000,000 surplus and turned it into DEFICIET. Also, Mr Welch approved over $60,000,000 in debt for the school district. He used taxpayers dollars to fund his campaigns and line the pockets of his friends like Serpico, Moore, Scavo and Bruno. Mr Welch did have one accomplishment at district 209-----Under his tenure, District 209 achieved the lowest test scores in their history.
By
Anonymous, at 5:50 PM, December 01, 2006
Proviso schools have enough money. The problem is the corruption. Our tax dollars are going to political insiders like Gene Moore and Anthony Bruno and even Vito Scavo(IFPC WORLDWIDE SECURITY) INSTEAD OF GOING TO EDUCATION. Vote NO to a tax hike and vote NO for Chris Welch's candidates.
By
Anonymous, at 5:56 PM, December 01, 2006
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