Damn, someone else has actually looked and understands where his tax dollars are going (“While others struggle, D96 keeps getting more,” Letters, Dec. 8), while we taxpayers and the village are going down the toilet along with the country’s financial situation.
While the value of my home has also gone down quite a bit, my taxes have gone up almost $1,400 a year. Almost $1,000 of it goes to – guess where? – the schools, of course, and the village of Riverside lost money.
The schools have their hands in my back pocket so much it’s getting harder and harder to sit down. We’ve got to make a stand with Riverside-Brookfield High School looking at an increase of $400 a year and District 96 looking for more money. How much can we stand?
Recently, RBHS issues short-term warrants to meet a bond interest payment due Dec. 1, putting us on the hook for an additional $5,500 in interest payments on the loan. Then they extend a vendor contract with no bids and earn a $100,000 grant from Aramark, the school’s custodial contractor. Evidently we must be paying too much for their service if they can give us back $100,000. This is the same company that RBHS opted not to pay because they were short of cash.
I think we need more visibility and accountability as well as some concessions from the teachers and staff to keep more money in our pockets and perhaps send a bit more to the village to provide the services we need.
We’ve seen both school districts fall short of the state’s AYP and No Child Left behind. Just what are we paying for?
We have to stake a stand and vote no to RB’s 2011 referendum and let the schools make hard decisions like we had to do.
Frank Vlazny
Riverside
