Posted on September 21, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Overwhelming public support of an elected North Judson-San Pierre School Board was not enough to overcome the estimated $15,000 cost to transition from the current appointed body. Members voted four to one last night to maintain the status quo. The most recent appointee, Derrick Stalbaum of Rich Grove Township, cast the lone vote in favor of transition via community committee. After polling the board, President Pat Goin said, “I will support whatever plan is brought to the school, hear that loud and clear. I think all the rest of the school board members will, too. We just don’t have the money to pay for it right now.”
Board members received 206 signed responses to a Google survey posted on the school corporation’s website, with 417 comments offered. Of those, members say 85 percent favored an elected board.
Several members of the public who spoke after the board’s decision questioned why cost was never raised as a factor before and pointed out the board’s promise to base their decision on survey responses and the will of the people. Matt Bailey has been one of the leading voices for change. After the meeting he said he was disappointed but not surprised.
Earlier this year, Bailey offered to share in the cost of drafting the transition plan if the board made a decision at its June meeting. The board instead opted to gather more information and give members of the public a chance to weigh in. Bailey says the funding issue was not raised again until 8 p.m. Monday when he got an email from a board member asking if he was still willing to contribute.
He’s previously stated the Bluejay Nation Pride group would proceed with a referendum if the school board failed to act. There’s not time to get the question before voters this fall. Bailey says he’s not yet sure the next steps in the process.
“We’re definitely going to move forward, but what that forward is, there’s some different options there. This has been a long process. It’s been five months now. It’s just something that we need to sit down and think through and make that decision and take those next steps,” Bailey said after the meeting.
A transition plan needs to be drawn up before a petition can be circulated to bring the matter to a vote. The school board’s attorney has advised completing a plan would cost about $15,000. Bailey’s group has already spoken to an attorney about what that process entails. At this time he’s not sure whether they will try to schedule a special election next year or wait until 2018. A special election would carry an additional cost.
WKVI will air the entire discussion on Sunday at noon on Kankakee Valley Viewpoints, as we have throughout this process.
Showing posts with label elected school board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elected school board. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
N.J.-S.P. Board Schedules Work Session
Posted on September 19, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board will discuss whether or not to transition to an elected board during a work session meeting this evening. The 6:30 p.m. session is open to the public, but no formal action can be taken. Members plan to review input from residents offered via Google survey as well as comments shared during a public meeting last week held for the sole purpose of letting the public weigh in on the contentious topic. A total of 10 people spoke, with seven favoring an elected board.
School board members will take action on their recommendation during tomorrow’s regular monthly board meeting. Should they decide to remain an appointed board, Matt Bailey has previously stated he plans to gather the necessary signatures to bring the question to voters who reside within the school district. First though a transition plan has to be drawn up and presented.
Should the board agree to the change, they would have greater control of the process, including the number of members, term lengths, composition of districts, how the terms would be staggered and whether or not there would be term limits in place.
Tomorrow night’s meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board will discuss whether or not to transition to an elected board during a work session meeting this evening. The 6:30 p.m. session is open to the public, but no formal action can be taken. Members plan to review input from residents offered via Google survey as well as comments shared during a public meeting last week held for the sole purpose of letting the public weigh in on the contentious topic. A total of 10 people spoke, with seven favoring an elected board.
School board members will take action on their recommendation during tomorrow’s regular monthly board meeting. Should they decide to remain an appointed board, Matt Bailey has previously stated he plans to gather the necessary signatures to bring the question to voters who reside within the school district. First though a transition plan has to be drawn up and presented.
Should the board agree to the change, they would have greater control of the process, including the number of members, term lengths, composition of districts, how the terms would be staggered and whether or not there would be term limits in place.
Tomorrow night’s meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Public Comments Favor Elected N.J.-S.P. School Board
Posted on September 13, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Members of the public who spoke during last night’s North Judson-San Pierre School Board meeting expressed overwhelming support for an elected board. The five-member appointed panel is meeting Monday evening for a work session to discuss next steps and will announce during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20 whether they will voluntarily transition from an appointed to an elected body.
Of the 10 people who signed up and spoke, seven favored a change, one opposed it and the other two stressed the necessity of doing what is best for the community without formally stating a position.
Board members listened intently without comment. At the conclusion of the meeting, Matt Bailey reaffirmed his support for a change to an elected school board.
“It allows 100 percent of the community that choose to get involved can vote to do so. Everyone has a say. That’s the way it should be. All of us should have a say. Then not only do you have a say, but you’re allowed to run for the position if you feel you have the qualities and credentials to do so. Then we the people make that decision if you would be the best person for the positions.”
Bailey added the current appointed process is very exclusionary.
“With an appointed board, less than 1 percent of the people are allowed to be involved—one to three people making the crucial decision of who is running our schools and making decisions for our children and future generations. So we see the appointed process flawed in many ways. Not just that it keeps 99 percent of all the citizens from participating, but normally when the process does happen, we don’t have a clue that it took place.”
Wayne Township resident and North Judson-San Pierre graduate Nathan P. Origer spoke in favor of keeping an appointed board. He says greater accountability is a laudable goal but is not guaranteed, even if board members are elected.
“That accountability argument assumes that you are going to get a better candidate because the person you vote out, if you do vote somebody out, that somebody’s going to step up and that somebody is going to put his reputation on the line to publicly campaign and is going to put money into campaigning. It also assumes that somebody can’t do sufficient damage in four years. I work in government, I work in county government. It takes less than four years for somebody to set back progress decades. You don’t need to wait to get them out to see that, and sometimes that damage cannot be undone.”
Origer says the school board is not the issue when it comes to declining revenue and drops in enrollment. Rather it’s an issue of economics and demographics.
“Going from an appointed board to an elected board because you don’t like how the transparency is missing for some of the townships is like going to a neurosurgeon for a paper cut. Replacing an appointed board with an elected board to solve problems rooted in economics and demographics is like going to see a psychiatrist because your car won’t start. This is not going to fix things, and we’re going to take some serious risks by making change for the sake of change.”
WKVI will air last night’s meeting in its entirety on Sunday at noon on Kankakee Valley Viewpoints.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Members of the public who spoke during last night’s North Judson-San Pierre School Board meeting expressed overwhelming support for an elected board. The five-member appointed panel is meeting Monday evening for a work session to discuss next steps and will announce during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20 whether they will voluntarily transition from an appointed to an elected body.
Of the 10 people who signed up and spoke, seven favored a change, one opposed it and the other two stressed the necessity of doing what is best for the community without formally stating a position.
Board members listened intently without comment. At the conclusion of the meeting, Matt Bailey reaffirmed his support for a change to an elected school board.
“It allows 100 percent of the community that choose to get involved can vote to do so. Everyone has a say. That’s the way it should be. All of us should have a say. Then not only do you have a say, but you’re allowed to run for the position if you feel you have the qualities and credentials to do so. Then we the people make that decision if you would be the best person for the positions.”
Bailey added the current appointed process is very exclusionary.
“With an appointed board, less than 1 percent of the people are allowed to be involved—one to three people making the crucial decision of who is running our schools and making decisions for our children and future generations. So we see the appointed process flawed in many ways. Not just that it keeps 99 percent of all the citizens from participating, but normally when the process does happen, we don’t have a clue that it took place.”
Wayne Township resident and North Judson-San Pierre graduate Nathan P. Origer spoke in favor of keeping an appointed board. He says greater accountability is a laudable goal but is not guaranteed, even if board members are elected.
“That accountability argument assumes that you are going to get a better candidate because the person you vote out, if you do vote somebody out, that somebody’s going to step up and that somebody is going to put his reputation on the line to publicly campaign and is going to put money into campaigning. It also assumes that somebody can’t do sufficient damage in four years. I work in government, I work in county government. It takes less than four years for somebody to set back progress decades. You don’t need to wait to get them out to see that, and sometimes that damage cannot be undone.”
Origer says the school board is not the issue when it comes to declining revenue and drops in enrollment. Rather it’s an issue of economics and demographics.
“Going from an appointed board to an elected board because you don’t like how the transparency is missing for some of the townships is like going to a neurosurgeon for a paper cut. Replacing an appointed board with an elected board to solve problems rooted in economics and demographics is like going to see a psychiatrist because your car won’t start. This is not going to fix things, and we’re going to take some serious risks by making change for the sake of change.”
WKVI will air last night’s meeting in its entirety on Sunday at noon on Kankakee Valley Viewpoints.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
N.J.-S.P. Board Schedules School Board Input Meeting
Posted on September 7, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Residents of the North Judson-San Pierre School District will have a chance to publicly weigh in on whether the school board should be elected or appointed. The corporation has scheduled a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in the N.J.-S.P. High School auditorium for the sole purpose of seeking input on the topic.
Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin says a neutral moderator will facilitate the meeting so board members can listen intently to the comments and not be distracted by keeping time, calling on speakers or responding to comments. She says the moderator will help assure the meeting is productive and effective.
Each person who wishes to speak will sign up ahead of time on a clipboard at the auditorium entrance. Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to speak and may only speak once. At the conclusion of the public statements, the pro-appointed and pro-elected positions may each have a representative make a summary statement lasting no more than five minutes.
The school board is also gathering public opinions about whether the school board should be appointed or elected via online survey, available at N.J.-S.P. Community School Board Input Survey.
The board will announce at their regularly scheduled Sept. 20 meeting whether they favor transitioning to an elected board or maintaining the appointed status quo. Should they opt for the latter, supporters of an elected board have advised they plan to proceed with a petition to bring the question to voters.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Residents of the North Judson-San Pierre School District will have a chance to publicly weigh in on whether the school board should be elected or appointed. The corporation has scheduled a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in the N.J.-S.P. High School auditorium for the sole purpose of seeking input on the topic.
Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin says a neutral moderator will facilitate the meeting so board members can listen intently to the comments and not be distracted by keeping time, calling on speakers or responding to comments. She says the moderator will help assure the meeting is productive and effective.
Each person who wishes to speak will sign up ahead of time on a clipboard at the auditorium entrance. Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to speak and may only speak once. At the conclusion of the public statements, the pro-appointed and pro-elected positions may each have a representative make a summary statement lasting no more than five minutes.
The school board is also gathering public opinions about whether the school board should be appointed or elected via online survey, available at N.J.-S.P. Community School Board Input Survey.
The board will announce at their regularly scheduled Sept. 20 meeting whether they favor transitioning to an elected board or maintaining the appointed status quo. Should they opt for the latter, supporters of an elected board have advised they plan to proceed with a petition to bring the question to voters.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
N.J.-S.P. Board Seeks Public Input on Elected v. Appointed Board
Posted on August 17, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board wants more input from the public before making a final decision about whether future boards should be elected or appointed. They’ve posted a N.J.-S.P. Community School Board Input Google survey on their website to gauge input from all residents of the district. Those without computer access will be able to complete it at the junior/senior high school media center on Aug. 31 from 6 until 7 p.m. and Sept. 6 from 7 until 8 a.m. It will remain on the site through Sunday, Sept. 18th.
Additionally a public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12 in the high school auditorium to give residents a final chance to weigh in. Each person will have three minutes to speak and will only be allowed to speak one time.
The board will meet in executive session on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 prior to their regular monthly meeting to review the data and discuss next steps prior to announcing their decision at the 7 p.m. meeting.
Matt Bailey has led the charge to transition from an appointed to an elected board. He says the easiest and least expensive route is for the board to vote to change. Doing so would also give them the right to write a transition plan.
If they choose to maintain the status quo, Bailey is prepared to move forward with the necessary petition to bring the issue to a vote.
The entire elected versus appointed school board discussion from Tuesday’s N.J.-S.P. School Board meeting will air Sunday at noon CDT on WKVI’s Kankakee Valley Viewpoints program.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board wants more input from the public before making a final decision about whether future boards should be elected or appointed. They’ve posted a N.J.-S.P. Community School Board Input Google survey on their website to gauge input from all residents of the district. Those without computer access will be able to complete it at the junior/senior high school media center on Aug. 31 from 6 until 7 p.m. and Sept. 6 from 7 until 8 a.m. It will remain on the site through Sunday, Sept. 18th.
Additionally a public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12 in the high school auditorium to give residents a final chance to weigh in. Each person will have three minutes to speak and will only be allowed to speak one time.
The board will meet in executive session on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 prior to their regular monthly meeting to review the data and discuss next steps prior to announcing their decision at the 7 p.m. meeting.
Matt Bailey has led the charge to transition from an appointed to an elected board. He says the easiest and least expensive route is for the board to vote to change. Doing so would also give them the right to write a transition plan.
If they choose to maintain the status quo, Bailey is prepared to move forward with the necessary petition to bring the issue to a vote.
The entire elected versus appointed school board discussion from Tuesday’s N.J.-S.P. School Board meeting will air Sunday at noon CDT on WKVI’s Kankakee Valley Viewpoints program.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
N.J.-S.P. Officials Discuss School Board Transition
Posted on July 19, 2016
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board will announce at their Aug. 16th meeting what process they might favor in terms of transitioning from an appointed to an elected board. Members held a work session last week with members of the Bluejay Nation Pride group and their attorney to discuss the process.
Elected school board advocate Matt Bailey says his group will move forward with a petition to bring the question to the voters if the school board does not take action. However, Bailey’s attorney Todd Wallsmith says such a petition must contain the specific plan to structure and elect a school board.
Several questions remain, including whether the board would have three, five or seven members and how districts would be drawn to ensure fair representation based on population.
Should the school board agree to the transition, they could have a greater say in answering those questions.
The current board members want time to discuss the issue, and may schedule some public forums to gather input. None have been set at this time. Residents can also email board@njsp.k12.in.us with their input. Members ask that they include addresses and telephone numbers with any correspondence should follow-up be warranted.
As such the discussion of an elected versus appointed board is not on the agenda for tonight’s N.J.-S.P. School Board meeting. Items for discussion during the 7 p.m. session include final approval of a state-mandated criminal gangs and gang activity policy, discussion of the technology coordinator position and salary and a secondary crossing agreement.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board will announce at their Aug. 16th meeting what process they might favor in terms of transitioning from an appointed to an elected board. Members held a work session last week with members of the Bluejay Nation Pride group and their attorney to discuss the process.
Elected school board advocate Matt Bailey says his group will move forward with a petition to bring the question to the voters if the school board does not take action. However, Bailey’s attorney Todd Wallsmith says such a petition must contain the specific plan to structure and elect a school board.
Several questions remain, including whether the board would have three, five or seven members and how districts would be drawn to ensure fair representation based on population.
Should the school board agree to the transition, they could have a greater say in answering those questions.
The current board members want time to discuss the issue, and may schedule some public forums to gather input. None have been set at this time. Residents can also email board@njsp.k12.in.us with their input. Members ask that they include addresses and telephone numbers with any correspondence should follow-up be warranted.
As such the discussion of an elected versus appointed board is not on the agenda for tonight’s N.J.-S.P. School Board meeting. Items for discussion during the 7 p.m. session include final approval of a state-mandated criminal gangs and gang activity policy, discussion of the technology coordinator position and salary and a secondary crossing agreement.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
NJ-SP School Board of Trustees
From the North Judson-San Pierre School website about an elected school board. You can see a larger/clearer copy there. http://www.njsp.k12.in.us/
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Elected School Board Advocates Schedule Informational Meeting
Residents of the North Judson-San Pierre School District can learn more about the effort to elect school board members during an informational meeting this evening.Matt and Becky Bailey are leading the charge to change from an appointed to an elected board. During the May 17th N.J.-S.P. School Board meeting, they asked the existing school board members to consider voluntarily stepping down during their next meeting on June 21st.
If not, Bailey told the board he’s financially prepared to proceed with a referendum and any appeals that may occur as a result. He says a committee has been formed, and the first steps have been taken to bring the matter to a vote of the people if necessary.
Bailey notes more than 96 percent of school districts in the state operate with elected boards.
More information will be shared tonight at 7 p.m. at The Carpenters Yard in North Judson. It’s the old North Judson Lumber Yard on Main Street, located across from the fire station.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Businessman Pushes for Elected N.J.-S.P. School Board
A North Judson businessman and his wife are leading the charge to change the makeup of the North Judson-San Pierre School Board.
Matt and Becky Bailey have three children in the school system and promised during last night’s board meeting to support new Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin “100 percent.” However, he says many people in the community have legitimate concerns about things like school ratings. Bailey says two employees he hired altered their relocation plans when they saw the school’s grades on real estate websites.
He also pointed to the number of families who have, quote, “cut and run” from N.J.-S.P. for various reasons. Bailey says the ones who have stayed behind want to see real change in the form of an elected school board.
He asked all of the board members to consider unanimously voting for an elected school board at a future meeting, as that is the easiest route to transition.
“If not then it would be the process of us doing the petition and getting it on the ballot for a vote, and then going through the appeals if it goes to that point. We are financially prepared to do that, and we feel that we have a group to put the time and energy in to make that happen,” Bailey said.
He asked the school board for formal consideration of his request at their next meeting. It’s scheduled Tuesday, June 21st at 7 p.m.
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