The letter-writer is talking about the Owen J. Roberts School District, but I bet you can find similar examples of wasteful spending in your local school district. It's so easy to spend someone else's money.
The lack of accountability on the part of school administrators is appalling. Of course, the real culprits are the elected school board members who rubber-stamp everything school administrators want.
A 'caviar lifestyle' at taxpayer expense
I think I've been completely off-base about the wasteful spending in the Owen J. Roberts School District. It's incomprehensible that these highly educated people would use our tax dollars in such a disrespectful manner. The money that they're wasting has to come from a source other than tax dollars, otherwise, it would be nothing more than a blatant abuse of power.
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Several months ago, after a severe thunderstorm, I witnessed a beautiful rainbow which, from my vantage point, terminated at the OJR Administration Building. If folklore holds true, there should be a pot of gold somewhere in that building and I believe that's where they're getting the money to fund their irresponsible spending, not our tax dollars.
I read with interest an article in the Aug. 28 edition of The Mercury regarding parental complaints about school supplies the children needed to provide for themselves. Superintendent Myra Forrest stated at the Aug. 25 board meeting that student supplies would not be ordered because of "budget constraints." Since a child's job is being a student, and hopefully a good one, I have no problem with them providing some of their own supplies, or the tools to do their job.
If the budget is really so tight, why do we continue to supply laptop computers to the teachers? Wouldn't a computer be considered a tool of the trade to a teacher? Most of the professionals I know personally supply the tools required to perform their daily tasks.
Also in these days of "budget constraints," why was a catered luncheon given at taxpayer expense for approximately 120 staff members on Aug. 27? The menu, as I remember, consisted of assorted wraps, smoked turkey breast, sliced ham, roast beef, honey mustard chicken salad, cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, olives, homemade rolls and croissants, potato chips, fresh fruit salad, veggie parmesan pasta salad, assorted pastry slices, soda, coffee and bottled water. I found that this luncheon cost approximately $1,500, although the district price may have been slightly less, since they are such good customers, spending thousands of dollars per year on catering.
I'm sure there are senior citizens, struggling to pay their taxes, who would love to be invited to a catered luncheon rather than eating "Meals On Wheels." It's amazing that money can be found for parties, but not for pencils. I believe the main reason this irresponsible behavior is perpetuated is that most of the OJR administrators live outside the district and don't contribute one penny to the system from which they drain assets.
Our new "Wildcat TV" could be an excellent informational source for us taxpayers. Since every good TV station has investigative reporters, we could designate one student to check on my "pot of gold" theory and one to follow the administrators on their daily routines to report on how our tax dollars are used or abused. Realistically, I have my doubts about the "pot of gold" theory so unfortunately that returns us to the abuse of power theory. A TV exposée such as this needs a catchy title to "hook" the viewers so considering how some of our tax dollars have been misused, we could title this segment, "Wildcats Gone Wild! Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless!"
I believe it's time to ask the superintendent to return our checkbook and bid her farewell, since it has become obvious that our cornbread community can't begin to support her caviar lifestyle.
Stay tuned!
JIM FITCH
Bucktown
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