Letters to the Editor 03-07-2003
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Legislative Priorities - Burket Meeting - Burket Decision - Organ Donation - School Prayer
Legislative Priorities
Editor, Times-Union:In response to Senator Kent Adams:
As a teacher, parent and grandparent in Kosciusko County, I am asking you to give Warsaw Community Schools a fair share of the tax monies allocated for education. Your claims that you are an education advocate and that our children are our most important asset are not consistent with the policy you presently endorse, which includes teacher lay-offs, freezing the educational budget, forced program losses in various schools, increased school accountability with fewer resources and raiding the teacher's retirement fund to balance the budget. You are elected to represent the interests of our county and our children. It is time to put your promises into responsible action. The central problem is the "target-based formula for ADM." It has a built-in inequity and Kosciusko County children are the victims. You must spearhead the effort to make it equal for all students in the state of Indiana.
There needs to be a plan similar to the plan being advanced by South Knox School District that endorses having this inequity corrected over a period of 10 years. In our situation under their plan, WCS would increase our present revenue by approximately 50 percent by the end of the 10-year period.
I understand too that this year there is a shortfall in the budget for all state programs and that with a money crunch there needs to be some belt tightening, but not at the expense of our children. Your attempt to hold us hostage by threatening to cut funds for children, services for the elderly and the needy is irresponsible. Clear leadership is needed; it must be a bipartisan "biting of the bullet" and doing whatever is necessary to solve the budget problem in a fair and responsible manner. We need to have at least a 5 percent increase in school funding each year for the next two years in order to keep programs and teachers and meet state standards. Providing excellent educations for our public school students is the most important responsibility of our state government. These students are our future. Our responsibility for ensuring their success is a shared one. You need to see that our efforts are supported with tax dollars. It is time to do what is right for our children, not what is easy. It is time to reform the "target-based formula for ADM" to make it fair and equitable for all Indiana students over the next 10 years and it is imperative that the legislature increase annual school funding by 5 percent each year for the next two years to ensure our budget requirements for Warsaw schools can be met. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Christine Foster
Warsaw
Burket Meeting
Editor, Times-Union:Parents of Burket and Mentone Elementary School students, are you aware that on Monday March 10 Karen Boling is going to suggest to the Tippecanoe Valley School Board that the kids at Burket should start going to Mentone this fall when school starts in August, so Burket can be used for alternative learning for less than 70 kids? Does this seem like a silly idea to anyone other than me? If the committee that came up with this idea thinks that the 120+ students from Burket are going to become one with the Mentone kids, they are kidding themselves. I know, I lived through that in high school when Tippy High School opened. They will always be "the Burket kids." I am proud to say I am "a Burket kid" and the mother of two "Burket kids," so let's let "The Burket kids" stay at Burket. Please, parents, we need to show up at the school board meeting to have our voices heard! Proud to be a Burket Hawk!
Brenda Engle
Claypool
via e-mail
Burket Decision
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in regards to the Tippecanoe Board meeting that was held on 2-27-03. I am the parent of a fourth-grade student attending Burket Elementary School. I attended the meeting and I saw most of what I said that night was not published in the Times-Union, only the part that looked agreeable to the board's views. So, this is my chance to speak have the public to hear MY words. In the meeting, the board told the community there is a need for an alternative education center. Alternative education is a school for students that may not be comfortable in their own school, in danger of dropping out or getting expelled. One member said, "They are not bad kids, but they may be disruptive to the other students." My reply to this was, "Although I do not want my child to suffer in his education, we need to teach kids to get along or they will not be able to have an adult conversation when they grow up like we are tonight!" If we do not make our children learn to get along now, how do we expect them to have relationships in the future?
So, at this point they tell us that the best choice for our alternative school is Burket Elementary. I see the move in many different ways. They have tried to close Burket about every year, and is it fair because of a bad decision that the board made, for our children to be uprooted and moved out of their comfort zone? The school has always preached "Burket Pride," and so I ask you to remember these students and parents are showing today our pride in our school. We have not had the best of gymnasiums,or even classrooms,but we do have the best teachers, and when you walk down our one hall you will see Burket Pride.
We do have other ways to teach alternative education, such as the Central office. We will be saving hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, they say, so let's let the community guide you through a plan that just might work this time! As we know, the Central office, which is located on Ind. 19, is not being utilized, and this is one option. It would be ideal for an alternative school location, it is close to both the middle and high school, both are sources for our need. I ask you this, why is it that you are more willing to accommodate the alternative ed students, that you tell us are not comfortable in their own school, and expect our children to adjust to a new school? I am my son's biggest fan, so before I give up on his school, I will need you to remember that there are other ways to get this done. I challenge you to except this option with an open mind and make it work. You asked for other options, here you go! Our children do not want to leave THEIR school, and they are not comfortable in your decision, and they have no alternative!
Mary Hardesty
Mentone
via e-mail
Organ Donation
Editor, Times-Union:Thanks to a generous eye donor, five-year-old Trisha can now see well enough to attend school and also play her favorite games.
At 2 years old, Trisha was adopted from an orphanage in Russia. Her adoptive parents immediately noticed that she had a lazy eye and could not see objects with this eye unless they were placed directly in front of it. An ophthalmologist found that she had a corneal opacity due to corneal scarring that occurred most likely from an infection contracted in infancy. Such opacity prevent light from properly entering the eye.
A corneal transplant would be required to replace the clouded cornea with a clear, healthy one. After a successful transplant, Trisha could not only see, but a change in her personality occurred as well.
Thanks to someone who donated his or her eyes at death, Trisha can see and function now as a normal child.
March has been labeled Eye Bank Month in an effort to call attention to the need for corneal tissue with which to replenish our eye banks. It is possible for you and me to give sight to another, but only if we tell our families of our desire. Physicians are reluctant to remove corneal tissue and other organs without permission of next of kin.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
School Prayer
Editor, Times-Union:I have been thinking a lot about the age-old debate about prayer in school. Then a while back I hear of an alternative lifestyle club (gay club) in the high school. I remember reading that a lot of people in the community supported the club. I for one think that they have a right to live their lives as they see fit too. However, I wonder how it is that a club such as this is permitted and prayer is not. The kids today do not even say the pledge of allegiance in school, but they can have a club that teaches and/or approves an alternative lifestyle. It may give them a place to go where there are others dealing with the same issues that they are. But what about those kids that are Christians? They cannot have a school-related club. And as far as I can tell whether it is prayer or it is an alternative lifestyle, are they not the same in a way? It is a choice of how you live your life. So what we are telling our children here in Warsaw, Indiana, is it is unconstitutional to allow prayer or the pledge of allegiance in school, but we can promote homosexuality. Seems to me we are telling our children one is better than the other. Just my opinion.
William Roberts
Warsaw
via e-mail
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- Legislative Priorities - Burket Meeting - Burket Decision - Organ Donation - School Prayer
Legislative Priorities
Editor, Times-Union:In response to Senator Kent Adams:
As a teacher, parent and grandparent in Kosciusko County, I am asking you to give Warsaw Community Schools a fair share of the tax monies allocated for education. Your claims that you are an education advocate and that our children are our most important asset are not consistent with the policy you presently endorse, which includes teacher lay-offs, freezing the educational budget, forced program losses in various schools, increased school accountability with fewer resources and raiding the teacher's retirement fund to balance the budget. You are elected to represent the interests of our county and our children. It is time to put your promises into responsible action. The central problem is the "target-based formula for ADM." It has a built-in inequity and Kosciusko County children are the victims. You must spearhead the effort to make it equal for all students in the state of Indiana.
There needs to be a plan similar to the plan being advanced by South Knox School District that endorses having this inequity corrected over a period of 10 years. In our situation under their plan, WCS would increase our present revenue by approximately 50 percent by the end of the 10-year period.
I understand too that this year there is a shortfall in the budget for all state programs and that with a money crunch there needs to be some belt tightening, but not at the expense of our children. Your attempt to hold us hostage by threatening to cut funds for children, services for the elderly and the needy is irresponsible. Clear leadership is needed; it must be a bipartisan "biting of the bullet" and doing whatever is necessary to solve the budget problem in a fair and responsible manner. We need to have at least a 5 percent increase in school funding each year for the next two years in order to keep programs and teachers and meet state standards. Providing excellent educations for our public school students is the most important responsibility of our state government. These students are our future. Our responsibility for ensuring their success is a shared one. You need to see that our efforts are supported with tax dollars. It is time to do what is right for our children, not what is easy. It is time to reform the "target-based formula for ADM" to make it fair and equitable for all Indiana students over the next 10 years and it is imperative that the legislature increase annual school funding by 5 percent each year for the next two years to ensure our budget requirements for Warsaw schools can be met. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Christine Foster
Warsaw
Burket Meeting
Editor, Times-Union:Parents of Burket and Mentone Elementary School students, are you aware that on Monday March 10 Karen Boling is going to suggest to the Tippecanoe Valley School Board that the kids at Burket should start going to Mentone this fall when school starts in August, so Burket can be used for alternative learning for less than 70 kids? Does this seem like a silly idea to anyone other than me? If the committee that came up with this idea thinks that the 120+ students from Burket are going to become one with the Mentone kids, they are kidding themselves. I know, I lived through that in high school when Tippy High School opened. They will always be "the Burket kids." I am proud to say I am "a Burket kid" and the mother of two "Burket kids," so let's let "The Burket kids" stay at Burket. Please, parents, we need to show up at the school board meeting to have our voices heard! Proud to be a Burket Hawk!
Brenda Engle
Claypool
via e-mail
Burket Decision
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in regards to the Tippecanoe Board meeting that was held on 2-27-03. I am the parent of a fourth-grade student attending Burket Elementary School. I attended the meeting and I saw most of what I said that night was not published in the Times-Union, only the part that looked agreeable to the board's views. So, this is my chance to speak have the public to hear MY words. In the meeting, the board told the community there is a need for an alternative education center. Alternative education is a school for students that may not be comfortable in their own school, in danger of dropping out or getting expelled. One member said, "They are not bad kids, but they may be disruptive to the other students." My reply to this was, "Although I do not want my child to suffer in his education, we need to teach kids to get along or they will not be able to have an adult conversation when they grow up like we are tonight!" If we do not make our children learn to get along now, how do we expect them to have relationships in the future?
So, at this point they tell us that the best choice for our alternative school is Burket Elementary. I see the move in many different ways. They have tried to close Burket about every year, and is it fair because of a bad decision that the board made, for our children to be uprooted and moved out of their comfort zone? The school has always preached "Burket Pride," and so I ask you to remember these students and parents are showing today our pride in our school. We have not had the best of gymnasiums,or even classrooms,but we do have the best teachers, and when you walk down our one hall you will see Burket Pride.
We do have other ways to teach alternative education, such as the Central office. We will be saving hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, they say, so let's let the community guide you through a plan that just might work this time! As we know, the Central office, which is located on Ind. 19, is not being utilized, and this is one option. It would be ideal for an alternative school location, it is close to both the middle and high school, both are sources for our need. I ask you this, why is it that you are more willing to accommodate the alternative ed students, that you tell us are not comfortable in their own school, and expect our children to adjust to a new school? I am my son's biggest fan, so before I give up on his school, I will need you to remember that there are other ways to get this done. I challenge you to except this option with an open mind and make it work. You asked for other options, here you go! Our children do not want to leave THEIR school, and they are not comfortable in your decision, and they have no alternative!
Mary Hardesty
Mentone
via e-mail
Organ Donation
Editor, Times-Union:Thanks to a generous eye donor, five-year-old Trisha can now see well enough to attend school and also play her favorite games.
At 2 years old, Trisha was adopted from an orphanage in Russia. Her adoptive parents immediately noticed that she had a lazy eye and could not see objects with this eye unless they were placed directly in front of it. An ophthalmologist found that she had a corneal opacity due to corneal scarring that occurred most likely from an infection contracted in infancy. Such opacity prevent light from properly entering the eye.
A corneal transplant would be required to replace the clouded cornea with a clear, healthy one. After a successful transplant, Trisha could not only see, but a change in her personality occurred as well.
Thanks to someone who donated his or her eyes at death, Trisha can see and function now as a normal child.
March has been labeled Eye Bank Month in an effort to call attention to the need for corneal tissue with which to replenish our eye banks. It is possible for you and me to give sight to another, but only if we tell our families of our desire. Physicians are reluctant to remove corneal tissue and other organs without permission of next of kin.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
School Prayer
Editor, Times-Union:I have been thinking a lot about the age-old debate about prayer in school. Then a while back I hear of an alternative lifestyle club (gay club) in the high school. I remember reading that a lot of people in the community supported the club. I for one think that they have a right to live their lives as they see fit too. However, I wonder how it is that a club such as this is permitted and prayer is not. The kids today do not even say the pledge of allegiance in school, but they can have a club that teaches and/or approves an alternative lifestyle. It may give them a place to go where there are others dealing with the same issues that they are. But what about those kids that are Christians? They cannot have a school-related club. And as far as I can tell whether it is prayer or it is an alternative lifestyle, are they not the same in a way? It is a choice of how you live your life. So what we are telling our children here in Warsaw, Indiana, is it is unconstitutional to allow prayer or the pledge of allegiance in school, but we can promote homosexuality. Seems to me we are telling our children one is better than the other. Just my opinion.
William Roberts
Warsaw
via e-mail
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