SWC 833's November 3, 2015 Bond/Levy Referendum Info

South Washington County School District ISD833 has 3 questions on the Nov. 3, 2015 election ballot - an operating levy for $525 per student and two bond questions totaling $142.5 million. Voters should get informed on these questions. This year, there are groups that are promoting the referendum's passage and opposing the referendum. This is good news for voters as it means they have an opportunity to hear both the pros and the cons of the referendum and can be fully educated on the issues.

The South Washington County Bulletin newspaper has published an article about the referendum and the two campaign committees.

For more information South Washington County District 833 residents can visit https://www.facebook.com/VoteYes833 (pro-referendum) or https://www.facebook.com/SWC4P (opposing the referendum).

District 833 is also hosting informational meetings: 

Superintendent Keith Jacobus and other administrators are hosting a series of “community conversations” about the ballot measures. The events are set for 6:30 p.m. at Park High School lecture hall Sept. 29, Oct. 13 and 27; 6:30 p.m. at Woodbury High School Sept. 23, Oct. 7 and 21; and 10 a.m. at the District Service Center Board Room Sept. 17, Oct. 1 and Oct. 22.

UPDATE: SOME @ISD833 Budget Cuts Tabled

We the people were heard. 

South Washington County School District 833 has determined to delay almost half of the proposed budget cuts.  Engagement of the public was part of the deciding factor for the decision to delay the cuts.  However, the district still intends to increase class sizes by cutting 25.5 FTEs and eliminate World Language from the elementary schools. 



Total Proposed Adjumstments

The District is also in the planning stages of coming to the community and asking for a levy increase - as they said repeatedly at the Budget Conversations, we are "$900/student below the state levy cap" and that, to them, just is UNACCEPTABLE since that is WAY below neighboring district spend on their schools. 



Proposal of Future Operating Levy Referendum

Anecdotal evidence, however, shows that those neighboring school districts, while at the levy cap still are struggling - somehow, even though they are at the approx $1500/student spending, they still have overcrowded classrooms - as many as 37 elementary students in a class has been reported by parents in some neighboring districts and program cuts. So who is to say that if District 833 reaches the cap that they will not have the same problems?  It seems that with a budget of approximately $225million/year the issue is not the amount of money received, but a SPENDING issue within the district and it is doubtful that the programs/teachers/etc. being proposed to be cut are the true reason for the overspending.

It would seem, since this has happened in the past, that District 833's tactics are once again to lead the people to believe that they are absolutely broke, then threaten to cut programs and services that are near and dear to the people's hearts, then "delay" those cuts in order to coerce the community into giving them what they really want: an approved referendum.

So, people, please do not go back to sleep.  We need to be asking for a line item budget that will give a clear picture of exactly why District 833 has found itself in the predicament it is in and then fix that problem. 

Call your Board Members and ask them to please continue to be diligent in their search for answers. Ask them to insist on receiving a line item budget before they make any more decisions regarding the budget or a levy referendum.  Remind them that they are the elected officials - put in place to be the voices of the people.

 School Board Contact Info:

Kath, Ron

School Board Chair

651-769-0291

rkath@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Schwartz, Katie

School Board Clerk

651-347-7656

kschwart5@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Johnson, Laurie

School Board Director

651-387-0427

ljohnson1@sowashco.k12.mn.us

McElwee-Stevens, Kathleen

School Board Director

651-459-5411

kmcelwee@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Witte, Michelle

School Board Director

651-402-3184

mwitte@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Van Leer, Sharon

School Board Treasurer

651-202-3848

svanleer@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Brunnette, Tracy

School Board Vice-Chair

651-321-8449

tbrunnet@sowashco.k12.mn.us

Levy Vote Yes Committee Campaign Violations Part II

It turns out that sometime after 3:15 on Friday, October 25, 2013, Committee for VOTE's co-Treasurer, Mary Scholz dashed into the South Washington County District Service Center and delivered the 10-day Campaign Finance Report.  After two emails to SWC833's Communications Director, Barb Brown, the CFR was emailed to me late Tuesday morning.

I also received notice from the Administrative Law Judge who is currently reviewing the case to decide if enough evidence has been given to move the matter to a Probable Cause hearing (via telephone).  Due to the fact that Committee for Vote miraculously filed the CFR at the last minute on Friday,  I have moved to withdraw two charges against Committee for Vote:

 "1.       Failure to file a Campaign Finance Report ten days prior to the general election. (211A.02)2.       Failure to report additional expenditures: print and online advertising (WoodburyPatch.com, Woodbury Bulletin, South Washington County Bulletin newspapers and WoodburyBulletin.com): approximate cost $1440.00.  (211A.02)"

However, I stand by the other charges.

A few items to note on the 10 Day report:

It would seem that Mary Scholz once again missed an important line - "Project Title or Description" is left blank.  Perhaps that was intentional because Ms. Scholz was confused about exactly what she reporting in this section (it's starting to look like Ms. Scholz wasn't given any training on CFRs)?  It looks like she may have been using this area to itemize donations over $100, but it's hard to tell for sure: "Name and Address of Recipient" leads one to believe that the Committee for Vote spent $2500 for Advertising with Kraus Anderson and $2500 for Promotion with the Principals Association.  However, given the amount of money listed in the "Contributions" section, it is more likely that these two organizations would have donated to Committee for Vote and Mary Scholz, in her hurry to file before the 4:30pm close of the DSC on Friday, October 25, 2013, failed to properly fill out the CFR. Again.

Looking closer at the contributions (if that is what these are) and the organizations, it is also important to note that Kraus-Anderson is one of the largest construction firms in the state, and is more than likely the company that will benefit the most by Question 3 - the bond levy - and part of Question 2 - "Safe Schools - passing because it is likely that Kraus-Anderson will be awarded the construction contracts, since it was the company that was awarded the last major construction contract in South Washington County - the $90 million East Ridge High School.

Furthermore, "Principals Assoc," probably is short for "South Washington County Principals Association" which is the formal way of saying "Principals' Union."  "DSC" stands for "District Service Center." Amazing! The Principals Assoc has the same address as the District Service Center.  No wonder the union would want to contribute $2500 to the levy campaign - they probably owe that much for their office space in the DSC...that is paid for by taxpayers...and who else will benefit by a levy passing?  That's right, the principals - when they go to negotiate their contracts they can point to the levy increase (which, by the way, all goes into the District's GENERAL FUND) and say, "We supported the levy increase! You got the levy increase! So give us raises!" Guess what else?  The school principals pay dues to the union.  It was union dues that paid the Committee for Vote $2500 to convince taxpayers that the district needs more of their hard-earned money.  Where does the principals' dues come from?  Out of their paychecks.  How are their paychecks funded? BY THE TAXPAYERS.  Any more questions?

In the Woodbury Bulletin article about the complaint against Committee For Vote, Winnie Williams is quoted:

"....she has talked to people involved in past pro-school levy campaigns and they don’t recall a similar level of scrutiny paid to their activities. 'I don’t know where it comes from,' Williams said."

Gee, Winnie, I wonder???

Updated 4:04pm October 30, 2013

Campaign Finance/Fair Practices Rules Complaint Filed on School Levy Vote Yes Committee

Press Release

Campaign Violation Complaint filed against “Committee for Vote” aka “833 Yes Yes Yes”

For Immediate Release on Monday, October 28, 2013

Woodbury, Minnesota, October 28, 2013:  A Complaint with the Office of Administrative Hearings has been filed against the South Washington County School District833’s Levy Vote Yes committee (“Committee for VOTE” aka “833 Yes Yes Yes”) on Monday, October 28, 2013.  The complaint alleges the following violations of the 2012 Campaign Financial Reporting andFair Campaign Practices (MN Stats. 211A and 211B):

1.      Failure to disclose campaign financial information: “$0” total contributions, yet expenditures total “$3236.50” with “$2200.00 cash on hand.” (211A.02) 

(Exactly whom has donated? According to co-Treasurer, Mary Scholz, it is small bucks from "parents and schools unions"...)

2.      Failure to properly fill out first Campaign Financial Report: no “Office Sought or Ballot Question” listed on Line 2 (211A.05).

3.      Failure to file a Campaign Finance Report ten days prior to the general election. (211A.02)

 (According to District 833 Communications Officer, Barbara Brown, there were several CFRs filed on Friday by 3pm, but none of them were from "Committee for VOTE.")

4.      Failure to report additional expenditures: print and online advertising (WoodburyPatch.com, Woodbury Bulletin, South Washington County Bulletin newspapers and WoodburyBulletin.com): approximate cost $1440.00.  (211A.02) 

5.      Failure to list use of address and conference room in Parkwood Place building (7650 Parkwood Place, Woodbury, MN; Suite 270 leased by Carter Bergen, PA, building owned by JBL Properties): estimated rental cost (from http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17616038/7650-Currell-Blvd-Woodbury-MN/) divided by 2 (approximate shared total rental cost $1062.00): $560/month, beginning in June 2013. Estimated Cost: $2655.00 (211A.02)

Contrary to the FB post shown below, Mary Scholz claims the Committee for VOTE uses the conference room at the above address.

 6.      Failure to post signage at 7650 Parkwood Place, Suite 270, Woodbury, Minnesota designating office as “Committee for VOTE” location. (211B.04)

7.      Failure to file Final Campaign Finance Report or Yearly Reports for “Committee for Vote” – campaign committee formed during ’06-’07 South Washington County School District 833 levy referendum campaigns in the years since the committee was formed. (211A.02, 10A.20)

8.      Failure to use correct mailing address on signage and other campaign material (see attached). (211B.04) 

The "slander" referred to here was one tweet by none other than yours truly, MNHockeyMama, pointing out the fact that the management company of the building at the address listed on all the Committee for Vote's material (except the decals, those have no address at all), had no record of them as building tenants. Somehow, that tweet became "news."

Decal handed out by the Vote Yes committee - see any address or "Paid for by..." statement? Yeah, me neither.

9.      Failure to amend signage, website, Facebook page and online advertising when notified of incomplete address. (211B.04)

This sign and another popped up in my neighbor's yard on Saturday, October 26, 2013. There is nothing "amending" the address listed on the sign - a handwritten scrawl is all it would take to be compliant - apparently, Committee for VOTE believe they're above the law.  I used to believe that it was ignorance and stupidity. Now I know it is arrogance.

An expedited hearing has been requested. 

Updated: October 30, 2013

"Leadership" at SWC 833????

The following is a video published on the South Washington County District 833 Schools website. It was filmed at the "Back to School Event" prior to the 2013-14 school year.  Included in the video is Superintendent Jacobus, several school board members and Dr. Jacobus's administrative cabinet, along with presumably the entire District 833 teaching staff attending teacher workshops prior to starting the school year.

This video leaves me shaking my head in dumbfounded disbelief that the very school district that had so many controversies last year would begin this new school year with this performance.  If the vision of the very short man surrounded by what is only to be assumed to be a group of...bodyguards? Secret Service? Thugs? Goon Squad? - isn't enough, three of the men are also sporting large Afro-style wigs, for absolutely no apparent reason. Ironically, or perhaps, intentionally, one of the Afro-wigged men also happens to be the East Ridge High School Principal, who was at the center of one of the major controversies last year when he failed to vet a school-wide presentation commemorating the Black Panthers on Valentine's Day.  But here he is, sportin' a huge wig, "protecting" his superintendent's walk into ERHS's gymnasium.

What exactly was the goal of this performance? What was the district leadership attempting to portray with this stunt? And how could the members of the school board sit there and watch this without serious concerns over the image or perception such an act was producing of the district and its leadership, especially when there are five school board seats opening up this fall, with thirteen challengers running against four incumbents, and the district is asking the voters for more money in a levy referendum as well?