I am also very disappointed in what a poor job was done in planning at the elementary school. When we moved here they were finishing up the work on that school. Not even 20 years yet, only 13 and they are already crying about space.

Now Melissa is pretty honest, and good with numbers herself. However she needs to challenge Heidi more, and look for more ways to cut more from the budget. Maybe start with the district office staff. I am always amazed how many people stand around in that office. In this time of recession people should be doubling up in duties, not standing around looking bored.

No. I am not Heidi's neighbor. I am Melissa Hammann. Katy is just my favorite name.

The bonds that will be paid off in 2014 are from work done in the nineties (probably 1994, before we lived in this district). These are usually 20 year loans, so that would make sense. The High School loan is due to be paid off in 2021.

O.K. I see know where katy says 2021 it will be paid. Then some one does need to inform the district staff , by that I mean the ladies in the district office, they have it wrong, as it was within the last year I was told 2014. NO wonder why there is mis information it starts at the school. If it was not so sad they do this it would be funny.

I was told by district staff that the loan would be paid off in 2014. So if thats wrong they need to be told. However I don't believe that is wrong because I was around when this was voted on and thought we were told then it was 2014 it would be paid for. I don't see this community with standing another school being built in the next 10-15 years so Katy you better hope you are right, anything before then will be a very hard sell and I don't see it passing a referendum. The district has robbed the community for long enough.

You I believe are also the one who is Heidi's neighbor, and Heidi's puppet. I can just imagine how those back yard bbq 's go.

OK, I'll play along. The High School loan won't be paid off until 2021. 12 years from now the currently exceeding-capacity elementary school may or may not be bulging at the seams. That's the nature of enrollment projections and the current open-enrollment environment. Nobody can accurately predict such things, so we take a best guess stab at things based on the data we DO have. We are committed to paying off current loans prior to building another school. Kindly do not read that as "we will then build another school." If we need to, I'm sure the board at that time will pursue all options.

As has been stated, the minutes are publicly available. I believe it was Dennis Hatfield who made the "friendly amendment" to sell the house for not less than we spent on it. The first house two years ago somewhat less than broke even. This year, they broke even. Other projects such as Habitat for Humanity or remodels have been suggested on numerous occasions for future projects, but consensus was that the students signed up for the course next year expect the experience of building a house top to bottom, not a scaled down version. But it has been suggested as an alternative next year when the course description is finalized in December.

I have voted against administrative recommendations a number of times. I was on vacation for the July meeting, the date of which was changed to accomodate another meeting. I have been dealing with school finance for over 4 years now. It is unlike any other budgetary process that exists. I invite the public and queenb in particular to attend meetings and learn the complicated process if they are concerned that the school district is pulling the wool over their eyes. One cannot get the full impact of a meeting from a blog and listening to audio snippets on a blog.

And given the difficulty of producing a school budget which meets all of the statutory requirements, please do not malign our hard working business manager. She has answered many hard questions we have asked of her. She doesn't hide anything, because in many cases it's just her, me and the budget in the room together. Our board is composed of a group of mostly fiscally conservative people with a very wide variety of backgrounds. Two of us are scientists, one is an accountant, one is a college administrator, one is a former Chicago school council member, one is a professional quilter and one is a business man. None of us can be bamboozled easily.

Most importantly, if citizens are concerned, please come to the meeting on Monday, August 31 at 7pm in the High School Media room and let your voice be heard.

Herbers tried to put something in place so there would be conditions on selling it. But as some one so correctly stated, no one had a backbone to tell ms.carvin no way. He stood alone as the rest of the board was the usual- yes ma'ams.

I will only comment that the land that the new high school was built on was bought in 1961 for a lark. Building began in 2001. So the 1961 school board was incredibly helpful to the 2000 school board 40 years in advance.

I did not say that land purchase and new buildings have not been discussed. There was an entire ad hoc committee formed and then disbanded last year revolving around this subject. The conclusions of this committee can be found on the school web site. This board is very adament that no new building will take place until current debt is paid off. Those who make the time to attend board meetings in addition to perusing the blogs would know the rest of the story.

Land that was purchased this year (at the July meeting) was for the new building trades project house for 09-10 school year.

also hard to look 1.1% increase as good when you are already at the top of the county in tax levies.

O.K> not in the next few years? When 10, 15, you can not deny its in the works or you would not be looking at buying land..

There would not have already been adhoc meetings if it was not seriously being looked at.

Give me a break Katy, instead of trying to defend what you do, fix what you do.

Evansville has the second highest taxes in the county thanks to the school district.

The district has not done a good job of managing its money at all.

Second highest.

You want to save money, no need to buy the land.

Suck in like the rest of us.

This is the umpteenth time I have read that the school district is considering "building another school in the next few years." That is patently incorrect. It's one of those recurring rumors that simply won't die. I am on the school board and know that we are not trying to "build another school in the next few years."

Having put that old saw to rest, I'd like to address the proposed increase in school levy. Since I'm on the finance committee as well, I am conversant with the topic. School finance is a nightmare maze to navigate. Our district is extremely fortunate on many levels. We have an amazing business manager who is a genius at explaining budgetary issues to the board. We have had increasing or stable enrollment for the last 5 years. This in turn leads to stable or increasing state aid. Those districts surrounding us which face 20% increase in mill rates have had decreasing enrollments for years now, and have faced more and more deficit situations because of it.

Our 1.1% proposed millage increase is a result of essentially neutral property values, a situation that has not happened in over 20 years. If we had experienced typical property value increases this year, we could have seen a decrease in our proposed mill rate. We are lucky that our property values did not decrease any more than they did. This would have necessitated a higher proposed mill rate.

Finally, all citizens should know that there is a public meeting at 7pm on Monday August 31st at which the annual budget is presented and put to a vote. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, comment and vote on this volatile subject.

They need to do more to lower our tax levy. I am not certain if they thought people would be excited by this or what. For some reason they are thinking people are going to go along with building a new school in the next few years. I have talked with others who feel the same way, no way. Between the cities hole they are in and what the school is trying to do to the residents they are going to tax people right out of town.

Evansville schools are already at the top of the scale when it comes to taxes levies and spending. Evansville residents pay 10.24 per thousand as it is. So to say we are fortunate is crazy. When they stop their spending, and start lowering that tax base then we will be fortunate. We are second only to Clinton in the entire county when it comes to tax levy for the school.