Nov. 4 was a good day for school bond issues throughout Kansas. Of at least 16 proposals that were on the ballot, 12 passed. In addition to Wichita’s $370 million bond issue, other bonds approved by voters were: Olathe, $68 million; DeSoto, $75 million; Baldwin City, $22.9 million; Anthony-Harper-Chaparral, $6.5 million (the larger of two bond issues on ballot); Sterling, $20.4 million; Manhattan, $97.5 million; Leavenworth, $57.8 million; Sabetha Wetmore, $8.3 million; Garden City, $97.5 million; Hugoton, $21 million; and Fowler, $2 million. Failed bond votes were Holton, $21.3 million; Marysville, $24 million; Herington, $29.9 million; and Anthony-Harper-Chaparral, $1.5 million. On a per-pupil basis, several of the approved bond issues were significantly larger than Wichita’s.
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7 Comments
Difficult to believe this red state finally decided the kids education was important enough to pay for. Good job.
and the eagle continues its sales job on this bond issue with the line:
“On a per-pupil basis, several of the approved bond issues were significantly larger than Wichita’s”
But…the thread very conveniently IGNORES the almost $13,000 per student currently being spent by USD259–one of the HIGHEST rates in the country. Why is education more expensive in Wichita than just about anywhere else in the country? Answer..it isn’t–we just have the most incompetent and wasteful BOE in the country.
I cut the boys and girls some slack and voted for the bond. Figured it will be awhile before they need to be asking for more money.
I see they are appointing oversight committees on expenditures which was what was requested.
I was disappointed in my mother and brother voting against the bond issue.
But then? Mom’s kids are grown and brother doesn’t have any.
My sister and I voted FOR the bond issue.
That bond issues such as this continue to pass, even with narrow margins shows that Americans are coming to understand that it really DOES take a village.
I voted against the school bond issue. I am not disappointed that there is more money available for our schools. What disappoints me is that now that there is more money available the real challenges, the serious problems won’t be addressed at all.
More money for art classes and music classes. We don’t teach art although there are some “crafts” classes available for a few. We don’t teach music although there are some “vocal” music programs that do a bang up job. A very few gain appreciation for art and music and when they are in the upper grades they may then have opportunities for learning. There is little time for these electives even then. When they must choose between a foreign language (necessary for college) and art appreciation, well, back to we don’t teach art and music.
Our students aren’t allowed to play a musical instrument until they are 5th graders and then no band, just strings. Band instruments and instruction aren’t available until 6th grade (middle school). We lose many we may have interested at a younger age.
Many of our middle school students must take double hours of core subjects where they are taught to pass the test. No emphasis on teaching how to think, no time for that. No time for our teachers to entice interest, to actually do what these professionals yearn to do — turn a student on to learning!
Now because our students must take double hours of core subjects they have few choices of electives. There aren’t any hours for choice, they must be schooled to pass that test. So, fewer enroll in the instrumental programs with their single hour of choice.
Folks, art and music enrich life. And they teach us how to think.
Same with books. Our professionals don’t have the time to entice and interest our students in the magic of reading. Our students can’t explore other worlds and thoughts and stretch their imaginations. They must pass that test. The test that proves whether they do or don’t possess a few facts and doesn’t look at whether they are capable of thinking, capable of imagining, or whether they have learned to be curious.
Their time must be spent learning facts (not use of resources where all these facts can be found!), but facts so the test might be passed.
More money to spend. Nary a penny addressing the true problems. Which once again are buried.
Linda,
I don’t know that school district you’re describing, but it sure doesn’t include the schools where my kids go – USD259.
Very well said, Linda! I voted NO, too, for much the same reasons.