Tuesday, April 2, 2013
VIDEOS: Rockwood voters on Tuesday decided the fate of Proposition S, a $38.4 million no-tax rate increase bond issue, after several months of many public debates about its timing, focus and amount.
A four-sevenths, or 57.14 percent, majority was necessary for passage of Proposition S on April 2 among voters in the Rockwood School District. Prop S was offered as a $38.4 million no-tax rate increase bond initiative that focused on safety, technology and school improvements. The proposition was not passed by voters in Tuesday's election, by a 52.98 percent (9,256 votes) against or NO versus 47.02 percent (8,214 votes) for or YES. That's a difference of 1,042 votes. Rhonda Costa, chair of the "Yes on Prop S" committee, said committee members were most surprised at the degree of negativity that kept boomeranging back. "Every time we tried to move forward, the conversations and focus seemed to drag us back. How can we focus on what our …
Friday, December 14, 2012
LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK: For many years, Rockwood School District leaders have used bond funds to pay for ongoing maintenance. But that source of funding came to abrupt halt once the April bond issue failed.
Is Rockwood School District's financial future really a case of comparing "apples and oranges"? It was lately, with today (Friday, Dec. 14) being the last day to submit feedback regarding the district's situational and strategic comparison—all while facing a $5.1 million budget deficit. After comparing the proposed apple versus orange pictures, or scenarios that resulted from the past several months of a community engagement initiative, of Rockwood's potential future, feedback can be submitted a variety of ways: Both Apple and Orange pictures/scenarios include the district eliminating about $1 million from the operating budget for the coming school year. But, the proposals suggest tax increases that would raise revenue over that of the …
Friday, January 20, 2012
A $43.5 million bond measure was proposed at Thursday night's Rockwood School District board of education meeting. After two discussions, a $43.2 million bond issue was voted by directors to move forward.
Two underpinning goals anchored the presentations and discussions at Thursday's night Rockwood School District board of education meeting regarding a proposed $43.5 million bond measure for the April 3 ballot: maintaining safety and achievement. What amount of money will it take to keep students, staff and visitors secure, and what amount of investment does Rockwood need to support the world-class education that has come to be expected for Rockwood students? After two rounds of discussions, the board's directors arrived at the slightly adjusted price tag of $43.2 million as the immediate future total needed to execute mission-critical projects. Greg Holthouse, a Rockwood citizen and chair of the 2012 Bond Issue committee, recommended the …
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Language for any proposed April 3 ballot items must be certified next week, making tonight's Rockwood School District Board of Education meeting the deadline for a final decision about whether to place it there this spring.
Financial needs and finances in general has been the proverbial hovering cloud over Rockwood School District for a year or more. While Rockwood's board of education directors decided in August to not pursue a tax levy on a Nov. 11 ballot, discussion at the group's last meeting Jan. 5 did not rule it for the April 3 ballot. But now the discussion carries with it a $43 million price tag. Due to next week's deadline for certifying language for April 3 ballot items, tonight's board of education meeting is the last one prior to that submission. So it's time for a final vote. At the Jan. 5 board of education meeting, much of the presentation time by Rockwood department heads and the resulting discussion with board directors was about priorities …
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Any potential bond language to be on an April 3 ballot must be certified by Jan. 24. Board of education directors need to decide about the bond issue at the Jan. 19 meeting.
Presentations from three Rockwood School District departments at Rockwood's board of education meeting Thursday night led to board directors again discussing the possibility of placing a bond on the April 3 ballot. "For the Rockwood District, we do rely on a bond to be issued every two years, said Dennis Griffith, Rockwood's assistant superintendent/director of administrative services in a presentation Thursday evening. "We can argue about it, but that is where we are. Whether things change in that avenue going down the road, I don’t know." Griffith summarized points from a Rockwood bond issue committee meeting held Jan. 3. Another bond issue committee meeting is scheduled for Jan. 17. "We'll be here on Jan. 19 at the next board of …
Michael Rhodes
8:52 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
My first choice is to not reduce staff in any area (unless what was stated above by another poster is true where people are just twiddling their thumbs). I think the reverse needs to happen. Rockwood has more students per class than the state average and ranks at the bottom for the number of students for each admin. Seems to me Rockwood is under staffed already I am also realistic in that it will… more ›