Higley Schools Blog

19 Comments

1. Pamela:

   Although I think having someone in charge of fundraising, I do not think the timing is right. Our district is struggling to purchase necessary supplies for our classrooms, our teachers are asking parents for donations and have very few aides to help. We keep hearing that the district needs more money yet we have enough to create a new position. A position in which our district is paying almost 3 times what other districts are paying the same position. How does this make sense? Why is the board not questioning what the public clearly sees?

   In my day, we paid supply fees, book fees, locker fees, lab fees etc. If the fundraising is the only way they think will bring in extra money, then perhaps they should look at what is coming in from such. I have children of my own. On our street alone, 18 of 22 houses also have children that attend our school. Our neighborhood has over 100 houses and more than 80% house children from our school. How does that work with fundraising? It means a lot of children get very discouraged that there is nobody to sell to and in return, it becomes the parents job to try to sell to our coworkers, extended family and friends. I, personally, would rather write a check to the teachers of MY CHILDREN to use in the classroom for stuff they really need. I would feel more confident that they will be able to spend it properly. I feel that thus far, the district is once again proving they have no interest in the children and that this is just another position created to pad someones pocket.

   September 24, 2009, 10:01 pm

2. Geoff Johnston:

   Well there is no question it is a gamble. I suppose we will have to wait to see if the gamble pays off on this one. I suppose I just like that in such unusual times the district is thinking out of the box.

   September 24, 2009, 10:06 pm

3. Geoff Johnston:

   BTW Pamela — I think you have the wrong idea about the fund raising. As I understand it, the funds this new director is supposed to drum up are not supposed to come from parents and families in the district. Rather they are supposed to be raised from sponsoring corporations and other donors.

   If this was just a director in charge of candy bar sales (or whatever) it would be a ludicrous hire.

   September 25, 2009, 12:40 am

4. Pamela:

   Geoff, Don’t get me wrong, we are in need of someone to drum up funding for our district, however, I am questioning why they must have a director for such. Why are we paying someone 80k when surrounding districts are paying the same position so much less? What we have seen in the past, is that directors then need an administrative assistant and so forth. Where are these funds coming from?

   I have recently met with all of my chidren’s teachers to ask what I can do besides volunteering my time. They have all said similar things, but the biggest is donating paper. Now, you cannot tell me that the school district didn’t anticipate our teachers needing copy paper for the classrooms. Two years ago, the school ran out of paper in January and it was rationed for the remainder of the year. School has been in session 2 months and already they are in need of paper? How do they expect students to learn if they can’t even bring home homework packets? It’s bad enough they don’t have enough text books in most classes for a child to bring one home, should they need to.

   Bottom line, yes, we need someone to lead this challenge. I just question how we are going to afford it and why NOBODY is asking.

   September 25, 2009, 7:45 am

5. Geoff Johnston:

   I suppose we will have to wait and see if the gamble pays off. If the new director drums up more than a million extra dollars for HUSD in the next 12 months you can bet that every other district around will be copying us. If she brings in $81,000 I guess they will let her go and count it as a failed experiment. In other words, it is entirely a return on investment question. I suspect the potential reward justifies the risk in this economic environment.

   September 25, 2009, 2:07 pm

6. azfam:

   I have to agree that the position is needed, but the salary seems insane. HUSD hires directors non-stop. Why not hire coordinators and managers? The salary and the benefits the school pays out for a director position are outrageous. I don’t think it’s the time for HUSD to gambling with tax payer money, espcially since I just got a pamphlet in the mail that they are asking for another over ride this school year.

   September 25, 2009, 5:53 pm

7. Geoff Johnston:

   Seems like the argument for a director level person here is: You get what you pay for.

   Again, the salary will be moot if this person brings a million bucks in. Heck, if they can bring more than a million bucks paying half a million in salary would make sense.

   September 26, 2009, 7:23 pm

8. azfam:

   I am not seeing “we get what we pay for” with the other directors that are in place now….with Ciriculum, Technology and HR, the directors were hired as Director 1. Within months they were promoted to Director 2. What did they do that was so magnificent that they deserved a pay and title raise? Also- if we get what we pay for, then why did one of the Directors (who was on Birdwell’s cabinet) decide to leave HUSD so suddenly? In my opinion, he was the only director there who earned his pay.

   September 29, 2009, 9:01 am

9. Geoff Johnston:

   Yes, well the issue of whether other director level employees are a good value for the district is a worthy topic. But of course it is not really the topic at hand in this thread.

   September 29, 2009, 4:19 pm

10. azfam:

    I am trying to look at the big picture. The district is asking voters to approve another over ride this fall. Do you think they have a chance of getting it? (It barely passed last time) I do not think it will pass, and it is disheartening to me since my children are in the k-3 classes that will be affected.
    I am troubled by the way the district handles their monies, and I am disturbed that our board members seem to be entranced by Denise, the way the last board was entranced by Joyce.

    September 30, 2009, 2:06 pm

11. Geoff Johnston:

    In this economic environment I think another override will be very tough to pass. But who knows, in off year elections the turnout can be unusual.

    September 30, 2009, 2:12 pm

12. Stacy LaGoy:

    Regarding the override…This is a K-3 override. Arizona statue is very specific on these funds. These are not funds that can be used in any other maintenance and operations expense. I have had several conversations with the HUSD CFO, Kent DeYoung, about this topic. As a parent of HUSD children there is no choice but to vote “YES” for this override. The tax rate that the district levies on homeowners has dropped over $.90 this year due to the State lowering the QTR and the district not levying for excess utilities. This override adds an additional $.23 to the tax rate, still over $.60 lower than last years tax rate. It is a drop in the bucket that adds up to over 1.4 million dollars for K-3 education.
    We need to hold the district accountable, ask questions, seek answers. At the same time we need to give our children and our community quality public education. More cuts from the State are imminent; we need to protect HUSD’s youngest learners.
    As I said, as a parent in the district there is no other choice but a “YES” vote.

    I do think the K-3 override will pass because we live in a community that values education and is willing to invest in education.

    Stacy LaGoy

    October 1, 2009, 2:33 pm

13. Chris:

    I plan to vote no to this override! My family here at home has 6 votes towards Higley district. I will not approve this due to district is too top heavy. We need to stop hiring directors, and coordinators. And stop adjusting staff wages to along with job title changes. My wife works for this district and she did not get no raise this year. They were told there would be no raises this year since there is no monies. But then they are adjusting certain staff wages. That doesn not seem fair.

    October 1, 2009, 9:36 pm

14. Chris:

    I hope my postings make it in to the Higley Blog this time. The last time I or friends of ours tried posting items. They were never posted. Who decides what gets posted or is the person who is in charge of this blog allowed only to post what Dr. Birdwell or board members allow. That is why I have been staying away from this site lately, because the general public isn’t allowed to post what they are feeling.

    October 1, 2009, 9:41 pm

15. Geoff Johnston:

    Sorry Chris — it got caught in moderation. Should be ok now.

    October 2, 2009, 12:44 pm

16. azfam:

    I am with Chris on this… HUSD would not need to ask for more money if they knew how to spend it on the kids in the first place.

    October 4, 2009, 10:20 pm

17. Stacy LaGoy:

    89 school districts in Arizona have a funding question on the ballot for this November.

    October 5, 2009, 2:50 pm

18. Pamela:

    my question, Ms. LaGoy, is do we know how many of those other AZ districts currently are continually letting valued, long term staff members go and bringing in high paid people in, creating new positions, and additional perks? Unfortunately, I do not know that. All I can do is worry about my children, in this district, that are going without the basics unless, we the parents, donate them. Perhaps if the economy was better and I was receiving the perks that some of our district employees were receiving, I would not feel so bad about a slight tax increase to fund the schools. In the case of our household, our property value is about 40% less than what we bought it for, our utilities continue to rise and the cost of living is much higher than what we have coming in. It would seem that perhaps the district should look at other ways to save money and not bring on so many chiefs/directors etc for a while before asking for more money.

    Wake up Higley! It barely passed last fall, things have not gotten better for anyone and you have not proven yourself responsible with the funding you have gotten thus far. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…..

    October 5, 2009, 11:07 pm

19. Stacy LaGoy:

    The tax rate for Higley has dropped $.90 since last year. This is due to the state lowering the QTR and not allowing districts to levy for excess utilities. After adding in the additional $.23 cents for the override our tax rate is still $.67 lower than last year.
    As Geoff has earlier pointed out this is not the topic at hand. Thanks for letting us cary on.
    I am avaliable at yesforhigleykids@gmail.com for further discussion.
    We all want the same thing, the best education for our children.
    Thanks for your feedback and comments.

    October 6, 2009, 8:29 pm

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