I'm saying that the tax revenue they do have is stretched very thin. What would make you think that's not true?

 

Im saying that they have the money now to build a new elementary school this year. Therefore they had the money that they could have improved facilities at other existing schools. Boone Co is always building something new in recent years, which means they must be handling their funds well in order to build these buildings. Why cant they upgrade current facilities?

Im saying that they have the money now to build a new elementary school this year. Therefore they had the money that they could have improved facilities at other existing schools. Boone Co is always building something new in recent years, which means they must be handling their funds well in order to build these buildings. Why cant they upgrade current facilities?

 

Did you not see the part where I said the other option is to jam them into buildings or put them in trailers?

Did you not see the part where I said the other option is to jam them into buildings or put them in trailers?

 

Perhaps I am not displaying my point well enough. In order for Boone Co to build these new buildings for the crammed schools, they have to save up the funds correct by budgeting accordingly? Once the new buildings are built, what happens to that budget of funds that was set aside to build new buildings? What do they do with that money? If they are taking lets say 25% of the budget each year to build capital assets, then once the buildings are built, what happens to the 25% of the budget each year?

 

Kenton Co was able to add new additions to all three of their high schools in the past 10 years, why cant boone?

Perhaps I am not displaying my point well enough. In order for Boone Co to build these new buildings for the crammed schools, they have to save up the funds correct by budgeting accordingly? Once the new buildings are built, what happens to that budget of funds that was set aside to build new buildings? What do they do with that money? If they are taking lets say 25% of the budget each year to build capital assets, then once the buildings are built, what happens to the 25% of the budget each year?

 

Kenton Co was able to add new additions to all three of their high schools in the past 10 years, why cant boone?

 

I am not versed well enough on public school budgeting procedures to answer that.

 

Kenton is not a good comparison though as they have not had to deal with the growth that Boone County has.

 

Perhaps I am not displaying my point well enough. In order for Boone Co to build these new buildings for the crammed schools, they have to save up the funds correct by budgeting accordingly? Once the new buildings are built, what happens to that budget of funds that was set aside to build new buildings? What do they do with that money? If they are taking lets say 25% of the budget each year to build capital assets, then once the buildings are built, what happens to the 25% of the budget each year?

 

Kenton Co was able to add new additions to all three of their high schools in the past 10 years, why cant boone?

 

Boone County's budget is cut to the bone and they operate on paper thin budgets. This is NOT due to mismanagement, bad budgeting or wasteful spending. It has much more to do with the funding formula that the state has set up in order to manufacture equality throughout the entire state. IMO, the amount of funds taken should not make prosperous districts suffer to the point of shoe string budgets. At the end of the day...........the formula is badly flawed and needs to be recalculated.

I will shed some light on this topic. The Floyd County Board is fitting the bill for Betsy Layne and Prestonsburg's Turf. In about 5 years their will be a new road that will pull South Floyd and Allen Central closer. They will combine and have a top rate facility. The reason it is easier to build rather than fix up is because their are funding in certain areas. Their are always money, but it has to be used on different things. The lawyer at Betsy Layne was going to put it down, but the board agreed not to let him, he was wanting the field named after him. They declined the offer. Now they are throwing a million out of their own pockets. I applaud the Floyd County Board for spending money on the students at the respected schools.

To CoachJ and others I am going to ask what I feel like is a stupid question but here goes, does the State of KY own/operate the EKY coal mining operations or are they private businesses? If they are private businesses then coal from EKY and local energy costs have should have nothing to do with the amount of tax money that is paid any school system. One is a for profit business and the other is a state imposed tax.

 

And I know I am in the minority here but I think cities/counties should have the type of services (police, fire, public service, schools, etc.) that they (and they only) are willing to pay for.

I will shed some light on this topic. The Floyd County Board is fitting the bill for Betsy Layne and Prestonsburg's Turf. In about 5 years their will be a new road that will pull South Floyd and Allen Central closer. They will combine and have a top rate facility. The reason it is easier to build rather than fix up is because their are funding in certain areas. Their are always money, but it has to be used on different things. The lawyer at Betsy Layne was going to put it down, but the board agreed not to let him, he was wanting the field named after him. They declined the offer. Now they are throwing a million out of their own pockets. I applaud the Floyd County Board for spending money on the students at the respected schools.

 

All I can say is it must be nice...

Perhaps I am not displaying my point well enough. In order for Boone Co to build these new buildings for the crammed schools, they have to save up the funds correct by budgeting accordingly? Once the new buildings are built, what happens to that budget of funds that was set aside to build new buildings? What do they do with that money? If they are taking lets say 25% of the budget each year to build capital assets, then once the buildings are built, what happens to the 25% of the budget each year?

 

Kenton Co was able to add new additions to all three of their high schools in the past 10 years, why cant boone?

 

The buildings are not paid for completely once built. Much like the house you or someone has built. The problem in Boone is that they are having to build a new school almost every three years or so to keep up with growth. Plus they have put additions on to all the existing high schools and middle schools in the last 5 years. So they are constantly having to budget for ever increasing costs to build new and update buildings.

 

Kind of like once you are about to pay your house off, you by another and still keep the old. So now you still have your mortgage on the new, in addition, to the maintenance and up keep on the old. But you cannot rent the old to offset the costs. I hope I am explaining it right.

Wheelwright and McDowell consolidated in the fall of 1993. That makes South Floyd High School almost 20 years old. Allen Central's building is older, but not sure on a date. Probably some time in the late 70s/early 80s. I do believe, just from appearances, that Allen Central High School's building is larger than South Floyd.

 

So what happens to these two buildings when the new school is built?

Perhaps I am not displaying my point well enough. In order for Boone Co to build these new buildings for the crammed schools, they have to save up the funds correct by budgeting accordingly? Once the new buildings are built, what happens to that budget of funds that was set aside to build new buildings? What do they do with that money? If they are taking lets say 25% of the budget each year to build capital assets, then once the buildings are built, what happens to the 25% of the budget each year?

 

Kenton Co was able to add new additions to all three of their high schools in the past 10 years, why cant boone?

 

Once these new schools are built, do you not think there are substantial operating costs? Things such as teacher/administration salaries, books/supplies, school buses, electric, heating, maintenance, and on and on? The completion of the brick structure is hardly the end point of the process.

 

With regard to Kenton County - I have been told that because they are, for the most part, land-locked, their school populations have essentially remained steady for years. Therefore, they have no need to build entirely new schools to support such rapid growth as is occurring here in Boone County, and have the available funds to vastly upgrade their existing facilities. The improvements made to the sports facilities at Dixie, Simon Kenton, and Scott over the past five years has been staggering. No such luck here in Boone (other than Ryle's football field, which was done entirely with privately-raised money). Every extra dollar that comes in is put towards the next new school building to be built.

 

It is even more challenging for the non-football sports at Boone Schools. Football draws a good crowd here in Boone County and the gates are substantial, regardless whether the A.D. keeps a percentage of the gate or not. But what about a sport like baseball? The games are not highly attended, so there is little income generated. There is zero dollars provided by the school itself to the baseball program - all monies are self-generated. As in 100%. And since we don't have gates revenues or substantial concessions sales (at Ryle the band works the concession standsat football games and keeps all profits), we have to come up with various other fundraising plans - working Xavier basketball games, selling t-shirts, selling Reds' Kid Glove tickets, selling "Diamond Club" memberships, etc.... All of this is essentially put on the backs of the parents.

So what happens to these two buildings when the new school is built?

 

Not a clue. Might see conversions to middle schools. Could become elementaries. I suspect they'll want to keep South Floyd's building since it is so new.

The lawyer at Betsy Layne was going to put it down, but the board agreed not to let him, he was wanting the field named after him. They declined the offer. Now they are throwing a million out of their own pockets.

 

The more I read this part the angrier I get. We suffer where I live (Boone County) because our tax dollars are handed out to Counties that don't pull their own weight and then we find out the high and mighty Board of Ed in charge of Betsy Layne high school turned down who knows how many 100s of thousands of dollars because the donor wanted the field named after him and they decided to use money out of their own pocket.

 

Please please please tell me this isn't true!?!?!?

It's true guru. I think it's a shame, but it's the truth.

The more I read this part the angrier I get. We suffer where I live (Boone County) because our tax dollars are handed out to Counties that don't pull their own weight and then we find out the high and mighty Board of Ed in charge of Betsy Layne high school turned down who knows how many 100s of thousands of dollars because the donor wanted the field named after him and they decided to use money out of their own pocket.

 

Please please please tell me this isn't true!?!?!?

 

I agree. Unless this lawyer is some slimeball that the school simply did not want to be associated, it's hardly an unreasonable request for someone donating a substantial sum of money to want the field/building/whatever named after themselves or someone else. In fact, it's pretty much the norm. It would be fascinating to know the reason the school board did not feel this was appropriate.