First, even if you don’t read further, here are the online locations for the South Kitsap School District’s budgets and levy proposal. Study them, break them down, and you’ll be shocked — and maybe disappointed:
• 2008-2009 budget http://www.skitsap.wednet.edu/145510226144544883/lib/145510226144544883/08-09_Budget_ABCs.pdf
• Revealing Budget Proposal: http://www.skitsap.wednet.edu/145510829122652993/lib/145510829122652993/Levy_Plan_Proposal_9_25_08.pdf
Using the term “replacement levy” is only the district’s way of disarming the public. This levy is a hold-up of the worst kind.
It is totally wrong to deliberately mislead the voters this way and then claim it’s “for the kids.”
They want to trade up from a Cadillac to a Lamborghini, folks. We’re talking increases in millions.
They compare their salaries with large city salaries and say, “See?”
Hey, Let’s go out to Longbranch or over the mountains to Kettle Falls and average in all of these salaries. Picking who we average against just isn’t fair.
If you listen to our budget administrators, you have to “pay for good talent” — as if the smaller schools use less-than-good teachers.
That horse doesn’t fly, folks.
Several salaries are going up over the four-year term of the levy from $10,000 to almost $15,000 per year. (In the second site above, divide salary amounts by FTE’s to get individual pay.)
Just one of these individual salary increase proposals is more than some folks on fixed incomes make.
These salary increase proposals have been incorporated into the levy, so don’t be misled by someone saying it’s only a proposal.
Now compare total salary increase percentages to study materials for the kids. By that I mean books.
Then remind yourself, “The state constitution requires the state to fully fund K through 12. The levy is the extras.”
If I saw some salary conservation in our administrators, it wouldn’t bother me so much.
A few years ago, we got behind our teachers and gave them great salary increases, along with good benefits, and have provided for that every year since.
Times are hard now, though, and folks are out of work and having hard times heating their homes and making the high payments.
But while they’re being asked to make cuts, where are our school administrators and others making the same sacrifices?
I think we’re close to being out of control now, and they want our kids from 3 years old and up.
I know I’m probably rambling a little, but please review the facts — especially the levy proposal. Then vote against the levy, if you haven’t already.
JIM MARTIN
Port Orchard
