Thanks for visiting the Fort Thomas Collaborative Blog. Please spread the word about this exciting new tool to your family and friends. Here, we will engage in the exciting task of leveraging our combined talents and resources for the benefit of the entire community.
In an effort to stimulate conversation and kick start this blog I suggest we first turn our attention to one of the most difficult problems we face, and that is funding for our schools. Many of you are keenly aware that the Fort Thomas Independent School District (FTISD) does more with less than just about any school district in the Commonwealth. Kentucky's statutory school funding mechanism, SEEK, interacts with other state statutes related to property taxes in a way that severely limits the FTISD's budget. That problem has been compounded by the Commonwealth's failure to fund education at adequate levels. These budget constraints limit the FTISD's ability to fund day-to-day operations and the district's ability to fund improvements to capital facilities.
Facilities, of course, represent another staggering challenge. Highlands High School is being renovated, but an additional $25 to $37 million is needed to complete the job, while Woodfill and Johnson are in dire need of replacement, at a combined cost of $30 to $40 million, depending on the size of the schools we build. Moyer, which is the most modern of our three elementary schools, needs substantial work as well that could cost another $5 to $10 million. Accordingly, we need between $60 and $87 million in capital improvements in our school district. Unfortunately, our current bonding capacity stands at a meager $10 million or so.
So where do we get the funding? Frankfort refuses to pay for the improvements we say we need, arguing we should "consolidate" two of the elementary schools to save money. The money saved from consolidation would be pittance, and would not address the issue of chronic underfunding. Even if we agreed to consolidate, Frankfort will not fund the building of facilities at market cost. Frankfort insists you can build a 600 student elementary school for a little over $10 million, while the reality is closer to $20 million.
The last two Local Planning Commissions struggled to balance our desire as a community to maintain our neighborhood schools against Frankfort's demands that we consolidate. The current plan calls for us to maintain our three elementary schools, a course of action sure to raise the ire of key players in Frankfort. The prior plan called for consolidation. Currently, the legislature has authorized the use of approximately $6.5 million to rebuild Woodfill, which is less than 1/2 what that will likely cost.
To summarize, our school district's operations budget is chronically underfunded and we need to invest between $60 and $87 million in capital improvements to modernize our school facilities. Your assignment as a concerned citizen is to begin brain storming solutions to this conundrum. Over the next several weeks I will post additional thoughts on this matter. For now, I invite each of you to subscribe to the blog and post your thoughts and comments in the comments section. If anyone is interested in writing a guest post please let me know. For now, stay tuned!
5 comments:
This is me wearing my parent hat, rather than my Collaborator hat. As a parent I am very impressed with the high quality education delivered by the FTISD and I am very concerned about how we secure that same high level of education over the long term if we cannot fund operations at the same level we have in the past. Also, I am worried about our crumbling infrastructure. I don't see how we can maintain the same level of excellence we have achieved in the past without achieving more financial stability as a district. The bottom line, therefore, is that we need to think outside the box to find solutions. I will post more on that in the blog.
Any other thoughts?
This is James again. I'm testing the comments section so I can tell you guys how it works.
This is James again. I'm testing the comments section so I can tell you guys how it works.
Hi from Mike Lehrter…another concerned parent.
There are many good reasons to keep our three elementary schools; the small school atmosphere feels comfortable and secure, neighborhood parents get to know each other and the teachers, parents find it convenient to volunteer and participate in school functions, and generally, it is not a hassle getting to and from the elementary schools. Parental Involvement is key to having successful schools. There is no doubt that parental involvement is enhanced by having convenient, accessible neighborhood elementary schools.
Ft Thomas is blessed with few traffic problems; mostly because folks do not drive through Ft Thomas to get anywhere else (unlike Highland Heights, for instance, which has nightmarish traffic on US 27 because of people driving through). Currently, the only times I have noticed traffic problems are at the beginning and ending of the school day. Any plan that will increase traffic problems should be avoided at all cost, and any consolidation of schools will inevitably lead to an increase in these traffic tie-ups. Imagine having to drive past the High School and through the center of town, through the school traffic jams, twice a day to get your first grader to and from school. The traffic will be twice as bad as it is now. As traffic worsens, how willing are you going to be to run across town for every school function?
Parental involvement will fall as the inconvenience factor rises.
I don’t have an answer to the funding issue, but keeping our three elementary schools should be the start point of any solution.
As a parent and involved citizen, most folks concerned about the schools are unaware that our State Senator and State Representative have failed to file legislation to assist with the funding problems faced by Fort Thomas Schools.
In the 2008 Session of the General Assembly there was no legislation filed by our State Senator which would help with Ft Thomas' funding problems.
In the House, the State Representative for Ft Thomas has not file any legislation in 2008 or at any time to help with the situation in Ft Thomas.
If you want something from Frankfort you have to send folks to the legislature who file legislation on your behalf and look for ways to better fund schools from the state perspective.
Neither legislator representing Ft Thomas supported raising the tax on tobacco products which was supported by many education groups.
With the additional tax on tobacco products, Ft Thomas and other districts could have avoided the cuts which are now occurring and will continue through 2010.
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