Pulaski School District Still Run By The Teachers Union

From the Shawano Leader.

By Leader staff

The Pulaski Community School District is seeking a 2 percent increase in the levy for the 2010-11 school year.

Residents attending the meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15 will be asked to vote on the increase from $13,635,965 to $13,926,276.

The general fund budget, which is the budget that contains most of the district’s revenues and expenditures, shows a slight increase of 3.1 percent.

Because property values in the district are not projected to increase and may actually decrease, the small increase in the total levy may yield a tax rate increase somewhere between 2 to 4 percent, according to superintendent Dr. Mel Lightner.

“With a normal property growth rate increase we would have seen a tax rate decrease,” he said. “However, since there may be a property value decrease, the small levy increase will produce a small tax rate increase.”

Residents of the Pulaski Community School District are invited to attend the annual meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Ripley Performing Arts Center in Pulaski High School.

“As challenging as this year’s budget was to balance, the forecast for next year and beyond is even more challenging,” Lightner said. “The Pulaski Community School District does a great job educating children and serving the community, however, it looks like tough choices will have to be made in the future. The state of Wisconsin projected a substantial budget deficit for the next two years. They will most likely give less money to school districts.”

For the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school year, the state reduced the amount each school district could raise in revenue. This has caused most school districts to make cuts in personnel and programs. The Pulaski Community School District balanced the budget by instituting employee layoffs, reducing hours, reducing benefits and freezing administrator salaries.

“Tough decisions had to be made in order to balance the budget. We were able to make cuts without raising class sizes or cutting programs for our students,’ said Dr. Lightner.

At the annual meeting, the 2010-2011 district budget will be presented, and various funds within the overall budget will be explained. This meeting offers an opportunity for residents to learn how the district allocates the money it receives from federal, state and local sources.

When I lived in Pulaski I attended last years meeting on the school budget. Just like last year the superintendent is asking for more money and laying the ground work for the next couple years of much higher taxes for the property owners in the district. Last year nothing was said about a pay freeze. No freeze on benefits. People are hurting in this country and the super didn't have the guts to stand up to the union.

Last year he purchased a front end loader to plow winter snow. What did that do? Add union employees and add to the payroll and benefits of the district. You talk about wasteful spending. Did you know all the bus drivers are union employees in Pulaski?

I remember last year some of the teachers cars with Obama stickers on the bumpers. I just knew who was running the district. This year just like last year, nothing will be said about laying off union teachers in the district or pay and benefit freezes. They will stand up and say they are for the children, we have the best school district in the state. We will have to cut janitors, cut office help, cut the band, take away sports, we cannot afford them, but no mention of the teachers giving something up.

The inmates (teachers union) are running the school district and they think their cash cow (property owners) will always take care of them.

The people who pay the bill better stop the Pulaski school district heavy handed spending before the bottom falls out. A side note, the school board is aligned and run by the teachers union so it's probably a lost cause. Pulaski Wisconsin is like living in the Moscow of the west, Madison Wis. Liberalism spreading like a cancer throughout the students and people living there.

Wonder who and how many people show up at tonight's meeting. I guess those who do show up should just bend over in their chairs and just take it!

Will they?