Bellevue's bermuda

[Souper]

I would like to think the H2O problem at Gilligan can be corrected. I wish my community had the tax base that Bellevue has now and will certainly have in the near future with the development of their riverfront properties. I say upgrade the facility and they will come... or more importantly, they will stay!

 

Dayton will have the same luxuary down the road and should be able to make similar upgrades as their tax base develops.

 

Both communities are very deserving and it will be fun to see their sports teams become competitive due to increased student enrollments and new sports venues.

With Kentucky's school funding formula, an increased tax base leads to less SEEK money from the state. It's a wash.

[Freebird23]

With Kentucky's school funding formula, an increased tax base leads to less SEEK money from the state. It's a wash.

 

 

That is an excellent observation! :thumb:

 

Please don't get me started on KERA and state school funding. If you want to get 'riled-up, take a look at Johnson Central's new sports complex on a related thread. Great for Johnson Central and the fine folks in Johnson County - but we are being harmed by the funding formula in N. Ky.

[Watusi]

I posted this in the Johnson Central thread, but will repeat it here.

 

Silver Streaker, Johnson Co has a considerable tax base and only one high school. They are not robbing you of any ammenities by building a new sports complex. And if you are barking about inequities in school funding, I invite you to take a look at coal severance taxes and the statewide exodus of them out of the EKY and WKY communities where they are generated. It far outweighs the perception that the NKY and other affluent communities are subsidising school funding for the state's less fortunate districts (of which Johnson County is not), at least in coal producing communities.

[leatherneck]

I posted this in the Johnson Central thread, but will repeat it here.

 

Silver Streaker, Johnson Co has a considerable tax base and only one high school. They are not robbing you of any ammenities by building a new sports complex. And if you are barking about inequities in school funding, I invite you to take a look at coal severance taxes and the statewide exodus of them out of the EKY and WKY communities where they are generated. It far outweighs the perception that the NKY and other affluent communities are subsidising school funding for the state's less fortunate districts (of which Johnson County is not), at least in coal producing communities.

 

Toots, your point about the CST is accurate, but do you think it tells the whole story? Do you think that N. Ky, Lou. and Lex get back anywhere close to the dollars they send to the state in corp. and individual income taxes, real estate taxes and gas/diesel taxes? They don't. Those dollars get spent in rural areas of the state to fund a lot of the projects (schools and otherwise) that occur there. I'd be fine with letting the E. Ky areas keep all their CST dollars if the urban areas could keep all the above listed taxes generated in the urban areas. Based on my recollection of a study completed about 2 years ago when I was on TriEd, the urban areas would come out way ahead if each area of the state got back the taxes generated in the respective area. I'll see if I can find the report and send it to you. PM me your e mail address as I don't think I have it anymore. LN

[Watusi]

Toots, your point about the CST is accurate, but do you think it tells the whole story? Do you think that N. Ky, Lou. and Lex get back anywhere close to the dollars they send to the state in corp. and individual income taxes, real estate taxes and gas/diesel taxes? They don't. Those dollars get spent in rural areas of the state to fund a lot of the projects (schools and otherwise) that occur there. I'd be fine with letting the E. Ky areas keep all their CST dollars if the urban areas could keep all the above listed taxes generated in the urban areas. Based on my recollection of a study completed about 2 years ago when I was on TriEd, the urban areas would come out way ahead if each area of the state got back the taxes generated in the respective area. I'll see if I can find the report and send it to you. PM me your e mail address as I don't think I have it anymore. LN

 

I'm in favor of neither, because it wouldn't be best for the State as a whole and it would foster more inequity. I just don't like to see selective complaints about the system from the haves every time one of the have nots spends a few dollars to improve.

[leatherneck]

I'm in favor of neither, because it wouldn't be best for the State as a whole and it would foster more inequity. I just don't like to see selective complaints about the system from the haves every time one of the have nots spends a few dollars to improve.

 

 

The reason the haves (at least if that's what you consider the Ft. Thomas School District) have with facilities like JC's getting built with state dollars (if that's the case) is our district is way underfunded by the state. The SEEK formula is seriously flawed because it is heavily based on local real estate value assessments. And in Campbell County the PVA does his job and it assesses the real estate at fmv which is the law. I know for a fact that in many of the rural areas, the PVAs don't assess at fmv (I and my family own real estate in rural counties and I follow the sales. Its been a long time since I saw a sale price of real property in the rural counties be equal to or less than the assessed value, which is pretty conclusive proof that the PVA's aren't assessing at fmv. I on the other hand would consider myself fortunate to be able to sell my home and other real estate that we own in Campbell County for the assessed value.) As a result of the PVA in Campbell County doing a "good job" in assessing real estate, we get hammered under SEEK and have to support the schools by passing local tax levies. Unfortunately, when we do that, the SEEK formula then holds it against the school district that the school is getting local tax dollars, so we get even less state money. Now that doesn't make sense does it? We don't get enough state dollars to even cover the cost of maintaining our existing schools and paying our teachers. My guess is that the percentage of local taxes paid to support a public school district in Ft. Thomas has to be in the top 2 or 3 in the state. When we decided to renovate the high school (which was way overdue: no air conditioning, plaster walls falling apart, inadequate electrical system to handle computers, 40 year old boilers, terrible science labs, cramped class rooms, etc. you get the idea) we had to raise over $2.5MM in private donations to be able to do so. As you know, the Field Turf was paid 100% with private donations as the school district couldn't afford 1 cent.

 

Hopefully that will make it more understandable why some people getting totally ripped off by SEEK get a little hot under the collar when a "few dollars" are spent on athletic facilities (actually, my guess is that, based on the description of the JC facility on the other thread, if it is being built with state dollars, we are talking more than just a "few dollars"). Furthermore, if the dollars were being spent on needed academic facilities or higher teacher salaries at JC, it may be a little more palatable, but on sports facilities when there are school districts not getting enough funds to repair/replace crumbling academic facilities? (And you know how much I love athletics). Good Lord, if they have the tax dollars to spend on sports facilities, shouldn't those dollars been directed elsewhere by the state to programs to educate parents on the importance of making sure that their kids go to college and other programs to end poverty in E. KY?

 

Sorry Toots, you and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, but we are way apart on this one. Respectfully, LN.

[Watusi]

To be fair, we don't know where the dollars are coming from, that question has gone unanswered. It has been assumed to be coming from their district, but not confirmed.

 

That said, I appreciate your detailed response and I think it is safe to say that walking a bit in each other's moccassins would probably enlighten us both.

 

There are inequities in the system, no doubt, but those are not limited to one area and it gets old when rural school systems are continually looked down upon as nothing more than a financial drain on the more deserving urban residents.

 

I know the SEEK funding leaves some to be desired, but it is a good thing your communities can afford to make up the difference. No way any EKY community could come up with 2.5MM to fund any sort of school project. It would be impossible.

[Watusi]

I'm also sorry I got this thread off track. This would have been better to just confine it to the JC thread.

[nyrangers]

Thati is okay........watching grass grow is a little boring anyway

[leatherneck]

Thati is okay........watching grass grow is a little boring anyway

 

 

By the way, I noticed the field driving into the office this morning. You are right, its coming along great.

 

And I to apologize for contributing to getting off track.

 

Toots, you know I love you:D

[katbird]

I'm in favor of neither, because it wouldn't be best for the State as a whole and it would foster more inequity. I just don't like to see selective complaints about the system from the haves every time one of the have nots spends a few dollars to improve.

The problem is that the "haves" pay for the "have nots". Then the "haves" don't have. That's the issue!!!! Take a tour through HHS and you might understand where the supposive " haves" are coming from........:thumb:

[Watusi]

Toots, you know I love you:D

 

Now there's a big comfort. :creepy: :jump:

[bulldog77]

First cut was Thursday and the field is really starting to thicken up. Has to be cut about 3 times a week now until the frost. They keep saying it will grow like crazy once the cutting begins.

[Qryche11]

From the bridge today it looked like some spots were greener than others. What is the cause of that? thicker areas I am assuming.

[letabrotherspeak]

The problem is that the "haves" pay for the "have nots". Then the "haves" don't have. That's the issue!!!! Take a tour through HHS and you might understand where the supposive " haves" are coming from........:thumb:

So in your opinion the just because one child is born into a family in an area that is not affluent, should not be entitled to an equitable education compared to those who are born into an area that is affluent?