Thursday, April 14, 2011

News: Cave Creek Unified to proceed with school project despite lawsuit

From the Arizona Republic...

Cave Creek to proceed with school project despite lawsuit

A commenter below the article says it best... I'm always amazed to read about all the mysterious funds controlled by school districts, even as they cut teachers & programs, provide nationally laughable education, and continually ask for more money.How is it that the district has millions in unrestricted capital, but it begs, pleas, cajoles, and forces PTOs to pay for $9,000 copy machines, $3000 Smartboards, thousands for Core Knowledge textbooks and even has the nerve to make parents provide copy paper.

If it has all this unrestricted capital, why haven't the fire alarms been fixed?

9 comments:

  1. 3:14 - You are ignorant to the many laws and restrictions placed on schools and what money can be used where. Instead of being part of the problem with accusations, why not try being part of the solutions. "Laughable education"? Come on, we have the best performing and lowest taxed school district in the state. Look at the school taxes paid on the same value home in surrounding districts. There you will pay a minimum of 2 to 3 times what you pay here in CCUSD. Compare Arizona Department of Education report cards on CCUSD to PVUSD, DVUSD, SUSD, etc.

    I am convinced that our district is filled with a bunch of loud-mouthed, self serving Libertarians who are incapable of ever saying something positive about CCUSD as long as they are required to pay school taxes on their property. My solution for those of you who don't like to pay your fair share of school taxes is to move to a community such as Sun City where you don't have this cost. God forbid, should you ever need to sell your home in those communities, they are very difficult to sell. Good schools provide good home values, period. If only CCUSD was allowed to educate the village idiots.

    - A Cave Creek Republican for Education.

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  2. This is not about political ideologies. It is about poor leadership. The district is "led" by a self-serving superintendent who is underhanded, deceptive, and out for her own personal gain. If you want this district to improve, the community needs to rally to have the Board fire Debbi Burdick. It worked with Tacy Ashby.

    Then again, many believe Burdick was behind that to get her "spot" and manipulated that situation.

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  3. To all the Deb Burdick fans out there... please enlighten me to the good that she has brought to this district,show me one shred of accomplishment and I promise to weigh that against the demise and destruction that has been witnessed at her control. This is your chance to sing her praises,the community is waiting!

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  4. To CC Republican for Education,

    You, sir, are the most toxic commenter on this blog. You must work for CCUSD. School Districts use these laws to manipulate the public into giving them more money. Most parents support schools and are willing to give money to schools. The problem is what the district will do with that money. School Districts are not good steward of our money. In 1999, Scottsdale USD was fined $300,000 by the County Attorney General Office for mismanaging its bond money. School Districts do not have a good record of spending our money wisely. You, sir, are spreading propaganda and you need to keep your toxic comments to your CCUSD friends not us.

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  5. To 12:38 - It is said that if a comment offends or riles up someone, that typically means its the truth. Thank you for proving my point. BTW - I have no affiliation with CCUSD, just a parent who opens his ears and pays attention to facts. I typically ignore the selfish, public ed hate talk of Libertarian organizations like Sonoran News and Watch. There is absolutely nothing that CCUSD could ever do or say to gain positive recognition from them and their handful of minions. I let the facts speak for themselves. Best school report cards in the state and one of the lowest taxed districts. I love CCUSD and am absolutely amazed at what they accomplish with so little. They have been losing millions a year from the state and community. The community will not even support the pitiful 5% K-3 override that the majority of all districts in the state enjoy. The only other override is the current 10% M&O that is ready to expire. We will see if the community also takes that money away in November. CCUSD is helping to hold up your resale property values and you prefer to bash them. Brilliant.

    - A Cave Creek Republican for Education

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  6. There are Debbi Burdick fans?????????

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  7. Replying to April 14, 3:14pm, the "mysterious funds" are not so mysterious if one knows where to look! A Scottsdale Republic reporter said that the parking lot renovation/drainage funds would come from unrestricted capital outlay accounts and from "adjacent way" funds.

    Apparently, in the last 3-4 school years, CCUSD has been accumulating funds in the unrestricted capital outlay accounts until, at the end of the last school year (2009-10), the total accumulated funds were about $1.25 million. This accumulation occurred when unrestricted capital outlay revenues continually exceeded actual expenditures over this 3-4 year period.

    As for Adjacent Way funds, about $1.5 million in this account has been relatively dormant, collecting interest only for the last 3-4 school years (except for a relatively minor actual expenditure on 2006-7). This fund represents an excess of special levies on CCUSD taxpayers (over actual expenditures) that were collected for the construction of access roadways around CCUSD's southern campus.

    The Scottsdale Republic reporter writes that these Adjacent Ways funds were maintained by CCUSD for several years specifically intended for sidewalk and parking lot repairs. Perhaps, this reporter should read the law (ARS 15-995, Special District Assessment for Adjacent Ways by School Districts) which states "....a school district shall not use any portion of the monies generated from the special assessment for any construction, maintenance or other improvements to the school district property except improvements necessary to assure safe ingress to and egress from school property, directly adjacent to the public way, for buses and fire equipment....."

    Interesting, using Adjacent Way funds, originally intended for access roadway construction for the CCUSD's south campus, to renovate parking lots and drainage in the north campus. One wonders whether the Scottsdale Republic reporter verified the information probably provided by CCUSD administrators.

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  8. 4-20@8:24 am Apparently not!

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  9. To the Cave Creek Republican for education:
    I've spent hours in the classroom, I've spent months chairing fundraising campaigns, I have voted yes for everything the schools have asked for. The list goes on but not anymore Deb Burdick and this school board have run and are continuing to run this school district into the ground.

    I suggest you open your eyes and ears and take notice of what is going on around here! The community is not responsible for loss of our excelling label, the turn over in staff or the loss of 100's of students...the district is!

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