ATTENTION PONTIAC SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTERS

What happened at the so-called “Town Hall Meeting” held on 2-22-16 by members of the school board to inform the electorate and answer questions about the upcoming election issues?  A pep rally, where there was none of the promised fair and even distribution of information about the upcoming proposal vote, the millage renewal and the sinking fund.  However, no one in opposition to the millages was allowed to participate and indeed, all but one of the over 20 questions I submitted were ignored. The panel introductions alone took 75 minutes of the allotted 90 minutes for the meeting. 

Obviously, the euphoria of the 120 or so attendees following the “Vote YES” rally must have been short lived, or the realization by the WeCareMovement that their proposals may fail.  Because, before they even lost this vote they already tried to get two new proposals on the ballot for May 3, 2016.

As an ongoing testament to their ineptitude, The Oakland County Elections Commissioners would not allow them to put it on the ballot. Below are their meeting minutes.

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONERS   

The Board of County Election Commissioners meeting was called to order by the Honorable Linda S. Hallmark on February 24, 2016 at 1:32 p.m  Commissioners Meeting. 

NEW BUSINESS:  A. SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF PONTIAC BALLOT LANGUAGE. 

Joseph Rozell, Director of Elections addressed the Commission regarding ballot language submitted by the School District of the City of Pontiac and stated the ballot language was not properly certified to our office as it contained a contingency and should therefore be disapproved.

Moved by BROWN seconded by HALLMARK that the ballot language not be approved.

VOTE ON DISAPPROVAL OF BALLOT LANGAUGE: AYES:  BROWN, HALLMARK, MEISNER        NAYS:  NONE

The ballot language was NOT APPROVED

CLARIFICATION: You cannot place a proposal on the ballot based on the

contingency of winning of losing the ones on the present ballot.  In other words:  Wait until you lose this time before you try to lose again.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS FROM THE WECAREMOVEMENT

Much to their credit, they are offering free rides to the polls on Election Day.  We applaud their effort and encourage all of our “Vote No” friends to avail themselves of this service. The following is their notice:

Need a Ride to the Polls?

CALL WeCareMovement

At 248.979.3483

This is a copy of both sides of a mailer sent out to all households

in the Pontiac School District where there was a voter last May,

I apologize for the size of the print, I couldn't figure out how to

get it larger, my bad. Use the ZOOM on your computer.

THIS IS DISPICABLE

Here are pictures of the inside of just one of the closed down, shuttered and or sold Pontiac School District school buildings. These happen to be pictures of Lincoln School, several years after it was closed. The Board of Education closed the buildings, nailed the doors shut and placed plywood over all the windows and walked away.

This is evidence of what they left behind in the dozen or so buildings that were closed. Thousands of desks, tables, chairs, lockers, etc.  Thousands and thousands of books.  They just left them, like rats deserting a sinking ship, without any consideration of reuse or repurpose.

It has been estimated that as much as $750,000.00 worth of property was lost due to this unpardonable act of omission and poor judgement. This is a text book explanation of malfeasance in office. Now the School District is coming to the residents wanting more money to mismanage and waste.

This writer finds it reprehensible that these people have the gall to come around seeking even more money, after demonstrating that money and accountability has no meaning.

If a Board of Directors of any company ran their business this way they would all be fired and most likely would face criminal charges and civil lawsuits.

A GUEST OPINION

Editor’s note:  This was submitted to me by a Pontiac School District resident and is reprinted with her approval.  The writer has many excellent points and they should be considered. At this point, we still believe the PSD can be saved if restructured correctly to avoid dissolving. 

 Starting with fiscal measurements:  Pontiac has 4,400 students to Detroit’s 52,000, yet has a $33 million deficit compared to Detroit’s $261 million.  PSD’s debt/student ratio is a whopping $7,500/student, 50% higher than DPS’s $5,019/student!
 
Pontiac is also worse academically.  PSD’s best school scores only in the 8th percentile on Michigan’s Top-To-Bottom School Rankings.  DPS has high-scoring schools like Renaissance (98th) and Cass Tech (78th) while Pontiac’s High School has the lowest possible ranking:  zero percentile. 
 
District residents, victims of PSD’s 30-year downward spiral, beg for reform.  Surrounding communities including Auburn Hills, Waterford, Orion, Bloomfield and West Bloomfield have areas within PSD. So here’s the kicker: PSD students have attractive alternatives – through assignment to successful adjacent districts -- if PSD were dissolved.  Administrators (appointed, not elected) impede citizen inquiries. 
 
Under state law, residents can petition for district reorganization.  In 2013 Auburn Hills leaders requested petitions which had to be issued by Oakland Schools Superintendent, Vickie Markavitch.   She flatly refused to issue petitions, violating citizens’ first amendment rights. 
 
Around that time came calls to dissolve PSD, with Buena Vista and Inkster.  Dr. Markavitch’s impassioned speech to Michigan’s Education Committee saved PSD.  She proposed, and won, control through a consent order giving Oakland responsibility for PSD until it was fiscally sound, likely to take 12 years. 
 
Subsequently Dr. Markavitch retired as Superintendent but took a lucrative new “Cost Recovery” position in Oakland Schools. Dr. Markavitch customized her new job overseeing PSD.  Its lofty “Chief Executive Officer” title comes with an equally-grand paycheck of $158,920/year for a reduced work schedule (80% of a normal year.)  Oakland Schools’ website lists the first responsibility as implementing PSD’s consent agreement. 
 
Dr. Markavitch and PSD administrators guaranteed themselves employment by preserving Pontiac School District.  Since then, PSD borrowed $20 million from the state and lost another 6% enrollment. Claims of deficit reduction are suspect.  Beyond job security, one might ask:  why retain this failing district in the middle of strong districts? Why block citizens from requesting state review?  It’s time to take a hard look at Pontiac School District’s viability and the involvement of Oakland Intermediate Schools.

YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS UP

On February 8, 2016 WXYZ Ch. 7 did a broadcast piece on the Pontiac School District. The whole piece was one sided and so full of half-truths and misinformation as to make it sound like a propaganda piece prepared by a publicity firm for the District.  Be that as it may, the following is just another example of how inept the school district is, and why we must vote these increases down and attempt to restructure and reorganize this embarrassment we call the Pontiac School District.

In the TV interview, Robert Englund, Facilities Director, states:  “Replacing the boiler system at just the Pontiac High School will cost more than $6 million.” 

In the mailer sent out for the August 15 vote, by WeCareMovement.com, a front for PSD Board of Education members, they had these bullet points:

          2.87 mils for the next 5 years

          7 million Dollars for 5 years: $35 million

          Money dedicated to repairing schools

          8 schools to be repaired

          Boilers and ventilation first

Let’s go to the calculator:

          8 boilers @ $6 million X 8 schools…………..$48 million

          Stinking Fund: 5 years……………………………. $35 million

          Shortfall (without fixing one other thing)..$13 million

Let’s not even consider how no one administering this school district has clue about what they’re doing with their money.  They have a 30 year proven track record of incompetence.

Consider this:  Do you think  maybe this might not be the last time they ask for more money? Pass or fail, they’ll be back on August 2, 2016 and November 8, 2016 and beyond.

 I HATE THIS PART OF BEING INVOLVED IN A “CAUSE”

10,000 mailers and 250 yard signs are not cheap. We need money to help pay for our cause and the time has come to reach out.

Besides devoting hundreds of hours to our cause, C.A.R.E. Committee members have donated a lot of money, it’s just not enough.

We are not like a committee formed by a member of the Pontiac School Board, to get out the “YES” vote.  That committee was lucky enough to get a $1000.00 donation from a PSD administrator. Or for that matter we don’t have a $5 million dollar property to sell for $1 million and then get a $3000.00 donation from the buyer. (Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections)

Please help, if you can, by sending a check, in whatever amount you are comfortable with.  THANK YOU

Make checks payable to “C.A.R.E. Committee”

Mail to:   C.A.R.E.

           P.O.Box 492

           Keego Harbor, mi 48320

HOW DARE YOU BLAME THE TEACHERS

Today, for the third time, I watched as someone used social media outlets to blame the teachers for the being part of the problem with the Pontiac School District.

Here’s a bulletin for you wrong minded people who have obviously suffer from your brain being deprived of oxygen over a period of time:

THE TEACHERS IN THE PONTIAC SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE TRUE AMERICAN HEROS

These teachers have sacrificed thousands of dollars of income over the last several years.  They watched as the school district, through mismanagement, malfeasance and incompetency tried to get away without paying their insurance premiums.  They are committed to the school district and the children or they could have just moved on to other opportunities. The teachers use their own money to buy supplies.  They are working in the same environment as the students they are teaching. 

By way of comparison let’s examine a list of what the school district administration, school board, Oakland schools and emergency managers from the State has sacrificed during the same time:

a.  Nothing

b.  Nota

c.  Nil

d.  Naught

e.  Butkas

f.   Zero

g.  Zilch 

Bottom line………I salute the teachers of the Pontiac school district because at 72 , I can still hear the voices of Mrs. Arnold and Mr. Hughes, my favorite teachers from the 4^th and 8^th grade.        So keep up the good work teachers and   THANK YOU!