School board says NO to budget

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The Columbia School Board unanimously declined to pass a 2017-18 budget at Thursday's board meeting. The budget is contingent on continuing the shared services agreement with ELANCO. So far, ELANCO's board president has been unresponsive on the matter.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Maybe there is hope after all.
June 15, 2017 at 8:43 PM
Anonymous said…
We should not be sharing the services time to get out the sooner the better
June 15, 2017 at 8:55 PM
Anonymous said…
What needs to happen. 1) Back and re-adjust budget. Especially the deal with IU13. 2) Increase class sizes from 12:1 w/aides. 3) freeze ALL wage increases, make cuts were in personnel, have personnel pick up extra duties 4)Run system within means and use what's in reserves to offset expenses.

Or consolidate with another district

Or lock the doors and hand over to State to run

Or send students to another district, use building for other business like Borough Hall Admin

So many possibilities.

When a business is mismanaged and funds are hard to come by or are dwindling. It time to cut the loses.
June 16, 2017 at 10:05 AM
Anonymous said…
You cannot simply increase classroom sizes! What our teachers are dealing with as it is, is more than they should be expected to handle. Many of our teachers are only part-time. We do not have the faculty to do the basic day-to-day basics. For example, we have band and music teachers teaching 'Career Choices', etc. So many teachers left our district, and what was left, well, they were expected to pick up everything/classes, as if we had full faculty. What teachers are there, are working hard for our kiddos! I, as a parent and teacher, see both sides. I do not like everything that's been happening, neither do our teachers. I just wish our administration (and school board) would see this! When...WHEN will the $$$ we do receive, trickle down to the students, instead of a bloated administration? Why do we have a DO? (I mean,do we know what the job qualifications are YET?) I still do not understand how this position was even legal. Job qualifications are something that EVERY business puts out there, BEFORE any hiring. The loss of IU is going to be difficult! I understand that there are extra costs in using IU services, however, we are doing our STUDENTS a disservice, especially when we pay our superintendent (for one day a week), and a DO extravagant amounts of money. I wish I had all of the answers. I've appreciated some of the things that our school board started to take a stand on, but it's not been enough.Everyone needs to remember that come elections! Thanks to our teachers who work hard, tirelessly and for the students. Let's see how this plays out. I'd like to thank Mr. Black, Dr. Parkinson, and Dr. Smith during this difficult time. I know that you have our students in mind, as you make tough decisions. Please don't lose that focus!
June 16, 2017 at 12:25 PM
Anonymous said…
This is a great time for those of us who oppose the Elanco agreement to E-mail all the Elanco Board members and ask that this bogus agreement not be continued. The email addresses of all Elanco Board members were published on this site before and if posted again we could flood them with our views that this agreement be discontinued .
June 16, 2017 at 1:02 PM
Unknown said…
I think more pay is in need for better teachers and staff! Think about it!! Our kids need the best and the only way to get this is pay and benifit so let's get the ball rolling!!
June 16, 2017 at 1:10 PM
Anonymous said…
RISE UP TAXPAYERS. FLOOD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MTGS AND BORO COUNCIL MTGS. BOTH OVERSPEND BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. NO.
CONCOLIDATE NOW. TIME FOR THE STATE TO STEP IN.
June 16, 2017 at 1:21 PM
Anonymous said…
Great idea!... Cole , could you please repost the emails for Elanco? Thanks for your service to our town.
June 16, 2017 at 7:03 PM
Anonymous said…
$ 66,000 to 88,000 and a retirement at $ 3500 and SS, for working 6 to 7 Hrs a day, 180 days a year, plus $ 2700 a month for Health Insurance, Really. More pay and benefits makes better students, 74 Graduated, at a cost of $ 250,000 each.
June 16, 2017 at 7:47 PM
Anonymous said…
WE NEED SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THE ELANCO DISTRICT TO GO TO THEIR BOARD MEETING AND VOICE THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE IN COLUMBIA WHO OPPOSE THE AGREEMENT ! DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW SOMEONE WHO COULD DO THIS?........ THEIR BOARD SHOULD KNOW WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING HERE.
June 16, 2017 at 7:48 PM
Anonymous said…
I understand that the reading specialists we have, are gone with the new budget. If this is true, this is a great disservice to the students that need this help. Will members of the school board or the director of operations pick up the slack? No way!! As much as I love sports, is it time we cut some sports or activities to pay for services that are needed.
With a limited tax base,no financial decision is easy, and some will be hurt by these decisions, but the school district is on borrowed time. Either the state steps in and takes control or we merge. It will not be easy.
June 16, 2017 at 9:38 PM
Anonymous said…
The damage is done! In the school dist. and the state itself! Its only going to get worse and it is a matter of time before this country is third class!
June 17, 2017 at 8:25 AM
Anonymous said…
Right. Let's continue the race to the bottom. That's been working GREAT the past few decades.
June 17, 2017 at 10:44 AM
Anonymous said…
OK. FOLKS YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISTRICT ONLY PUTS IN 10,000.0 DOLLARS TO COVER SPORTS....TO MY KNOWLEDGE the teams run on monies they help earn through the Boster Clubs. They only thing that I am aware of besides salaries are officials and some equipment. The coaching salaries that some get after 15 years are the same that a new Jr. Hi coach gets for the first year at 95% of all the other school districts. Teachers do one HELL OF A GREAT job at Columbia. Those going on to college are prepared to survive and flourish and those that wish to go to a technical school ( such as Stevens College of Technology ) can usually qualify for scholarship! I am not sure where someone got the ratio of 12 to 1 ...for the most part classes run at about 25 or more per class. Many teachers have stayed and dealt with the Board which has changed for the 5 th year in a row ! The board is trying to do the best they can with the monies that come in !!!! consolidation ??? only three schools border the district and that would be paramount to annexing you in and that will ONLY HAPPEN if the state choses too. How about everyone quit bitching and everyone pitches in to HELP the students and not be self serving. How can you help????? Have a meeting and find out? no board / no teachers bet it turns into a shouting match?
June 17, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Anonymous said…
If it would turn into a shouting match nothing would get done.Cooler heads are needed to overcome these obstacles.
June 17, 2017 at 6:13 PM
Anonymous said…
I am all in favor to let the School District go down the tube and let the State take over the District so that we can cut our LOSSES. SHUT IT DOWN
June 17, 2017 at 8:25 PM
Anonymous said…
Well I would say that the issues through the past year would include how the partnership with elanco was somewhat laughable with all the technology problems the school had and had to wait for elanco to send a tech person oUT Everytime there was an issue with the labtop or networks or wifi. Second would be that not many students have respect for the administration, which is understandable seeing how the past few years weve had different principles and it's difficult for students to get a hold of or coordinate with the administration. There's alot of issues present and not all of them can be fixed.
June 18, 2017 at 12:53 AM
Anonymous said…
I'm so glad that we have Mr. Leader on the board. He has the guts to say no and he questions many items. We need more like him, sensible and not intimidated.

Kathy Hohenadel is another board member not afraid to ask questions, however often her questions are met with veiled hostility.

Columbia's school district needs more board members like these two rather than "yes" people.

June 18, 2017 at 6:55 AM
Anonymous said…
Best wishes to both!
Something needs done, ASAP
June 18, 2017 at 6:56 PM
Anonymous said…
Elanco doesn't want us as you can see from the board minutes they ignore our calls. Taxes are way too high here and it's still not enough money to run the school properly. The state needs to come in at this point as far as I'm concerned. It needs to be over and done. Tax reform is another big issue that needs approved by the state. If everyone's paying for education that is a tremendous help not just the burden of those of us who own a home.
June 20, 2017 at 1:27 PM
Anonymous said…
Do not try to discredit the teachers, they work hard and care immensely for the children in this community. Their lack of resources and support from the one day a week superintendent more than likely makes their job a little harder, however, they do an amazing job with the little they have.
June 23, 2017 at 1:19 AM
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