Re dmets comments - points well taken however, to my knowledge, the township has no other sources of sigificant revenue so where else but taxes do you propose that the funding comes from?
Re Peace2u comments - the law of supply and demand is a simple one and i guarantee you that the district that pays the lowest salary will end up with the least talented teachers. Change in this district would be great and a properly funded school system would definitely be a change. I graduated from Fitch in 93. When I was in 5th grade in another city i had computer classes (public school), when i moved to the Austintown district i didn't see a computer again till i was a senior in high school. That is just pathetic and a simple example of the disadvantages that the Austintown children have against most of the country. Again, its just sad and you're never going to see things get any better in that town until the schools are improved.
I really don't understand a mentality like your's Grumpy. Some people are struggling so everyone has to take a pay cut? Didn't realize we were socialists. Teachers don't make any more money when the economy is booming but you want them to take the downside when it is in the dumpster. You continue to say how much teachers are paid as if it is a lot of money. It may be alot of money compared to a community that is under the national average of higher educated residents but $65k is not a lot of money for someone that invested 4 years of college and a year or two for a masters and worked with the same employer for 10+ years. Cut the salaries and the only teachers you will get are the ones that can't get jobs anywhere else in the country. You need to take a step outside of your community for a second and see what works in other places. It is a very short term and self centered mentality not to provide currently for your schools. The same old Youngstown-on-the-decline cycle is going to continue as the educated youth moves away at the first opportunity.
Your idea of "more and more money" is significantly less than most communities are providing toward their schools. I understand that Austintown does not have the lowest property tax rate in the world but your overall taxes paid are very low.
What is the average home value in A-Town? $80k? A $1,200 to $1,500 average property tax bill? Where I live that same house would cost no less than $250k and the taxes would be $5,000. The local government's cost of providing community resources (teachers, cops, roads) does not cost 3.3 times as much where I live. Teachers are paid pretty much the same everywhere with immiterial differences same with cops and other civil services. P.S. - where I live they have school ratings by grade and every single school from every elementary school through the high school has an A rating. This does not have to do solely with the ability to properly fund the school but also the fact that it is a community that holds education as a top priority. So I pay more to live in this particular community than places 5 miles away but I have the ability of sending my kids to public schools and not having to pay private tuition. I had to pay more because people recognize and appreciate the value of a good school system. So I work a little harder and longer each day so I can provide that for my family and I guaranty you that it is well worth it.
Every time I come back to town I hear the same old complaints about how nothing is really improving but no one is ever doing anything about it. Not having enough money is an excuse for particular situations. Sure some people are down on their luck, but anyone that's not working 50 hours a week and has the ability to do so has no credibility for saying they can't afford to invest in their commnunity. Its not that they can't, its that they chose not to. It is not a priority and it has not been a priority in Austintown. So long as it isn't, more and more youth will move away and things will continue to get worse.
Unfortunately for Austintown's children, the vast majority of Austintown's residents have historically shown no interest in investing in their community. Austintown will never be able to turn the corner from its constant state of decline until its residents become willing to dip into their pockets to improve the schools.
The constant complaints about salaries of public employees in Austintown is ridiculous. Teachers get paid well? News flash - they get paid horribly. $70k after 15 years with a masters degree is good? Who are you comparing that too? Obviously not a professional with a similar educational background. Where I live they have problems getting teachers on better salaries since they could not even think about purchasing a home on that level of income. If salaries in Austintown do not keep up with the nation, it will not attract any talent (including talented teachers) and the schools will get worse and worse.
As for the misconception about how hard teachers work - they bust their butts using the limited resources they are given to do a job that should be viewed as supremely important but is treated as poor. It is obvious that anyone posting comments to the contrary has never known a good teacher.
Austintown will continue to see its property values decline. No major employer that requires an educated workforce is going to set up shop in a town with poorly funded schools. No one wants to subject their children to a poor education.
Education is key to a better life. The people of Austintown should want that for their children and their community. I graduated from Fitch. It needed better resources when I went there (early 90's) and it is a safe bet that comparatively those resources are fewer now. Its time to stop putting your children behind the 8 ball from the start of their lives. Want Austintown and property values to improve? Make the school system the best in the area. Home values will rise and new homes will come, when that happens your tax rates can decrease to account for the increased tax base. Its a system that works time and time again, just requires a little less selfishness than normal.
Austintown schools seek new five-year levy
Re dmets comments - points well taken however, to my knowledge, the township has no other sources of sigificant revenue so where else but taxes do you propose that the funding comes from?
Re Peace2u comments - the law of supply and demand is a simple one and i guarantee you that the district that pays the lowest salary will end up with the least talented teachers. Change in this district would be great and a properly funded school system would definitely be a change. I graduated from Fitch in 93. When I was in 5th grade in another city i had computer classes (public school), when i moved to the Austintown district i didn't see a computer again till i was a senior in high school. That is just pathetic and a simple example of the disadvantages that the Austintown children have against most of the country. Again, its just sad and you're never going to see things get any better in that town until the schools are improved.
July 31, 2008 at 4:59 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown schools seek new five-year levy
I really don't understand a mentality like your's Grumpy. Some people are struggling so everyone has to take a pay cut? Didn't realize we were socialists. Teachers don't make any more money when the economy is booming but you want them to take the downside when it is in the dumpster. You continue to say how much teachers are paid as if it is a lot of money. It may be alot of money compared to a community that is under the national average of higher educated residents but $65k is not a lot of money for someone that invested 4 years of college and a year or two for a masters and worked with the same employer for 10+ years. Cut the salaries and the only teachers you will get are the ones that can't get jobs anywhere else in the country. You need to take a step outside of your community for a second and see what works in other places. It is a very short term and self centered mentality not to provide currently for your schools. The same old Youngstown-on-the-decline cycle is going to continue as the educated youth moves away at the first opportunity.
July 31, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown schools seek new five-year levy
Your idea of "more and more money" is significantly less than most communities are providing toward their schools. I understand that Austintown does not have the lowest property tax rate in the world but your overall taxes paid are very low.
What is the average home value in A-Town? $80k? A $1,200 to $1,500 average property tax bill? Where I live that same house would cost no less than $250k and the taxes would be $5,000. The local government's cost of providing community resources (teachers, cops, roads) does not cost 3.3 times as much where I live. Teachers are paid pretty much the same everywhere with immiterial differences same with cops and other civil services. P.S. - where I live they have school ratings by grade and every single school from every elementary school through the high school has an A rating. This does not have to do solely with the ability to properly fund the school but also the fact that it is a community that holds education as a top priority. So I pay more to live in this particular community than places 5 miles away but I have the ability of sending my kids to public schools and not having to pay private tuition. I had to pay more because people recognize and appreciate the value of a good school system. So I work a little harder and longer each day so I can provide that for my family and I guaranty you that it is well worth it.
Every time I come back to town I hear the same old complaints about how nothing is really improving but no one is ever doing anything about it. Not having enough money is an excuse for particular situations. Sure some people are down on their luck, but anyone that's not working 50 hours a week and has the ability to do so has no credibility for saying they can't afford to invest in their commnunity. Its not that they can't, its that they chose not to. It is not a priority and it has not been a priority in Austintown. So long as it isn't, more and more youth will move away and things will continue to get worse.
July 30, 2008 at 6 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Austintown schools seek new five-year levy
Unfortunately for Austintown's children, the vast majority of Austintown's residents have historically shown no interest in investing in their community. Austintown will never be able to turn the corner from its constant state of decline until its residents become willing to dip into their pockets to improve the schools.
The constant complaints about salaries of public employees in Austintown is ridiculous. Teachers get paid well? News flash - they get paid horribly. $70k after 15 years with a masters degree is good? Who are you comparing that too? Obviously not a professional with a similar educational background. Where I live they have problems getting teachers on better salaries since they could not even think about purchasing a home on that level of income. If salaries in Austintown do not keep up with the nation, it will not attract any talent (including talented teachers) and the schools will get worse and worse.
As for the misconception about how hard teachers work - they bust their butts using the limited resources they are given to do a job that should be viewed as supremely important but is treated as poor. It is obvious that anyone posting comments to the contrary has never known a good teacher.
Austintown will continue to see its property values decline. No major employer that requires an educated workforce is going to set up shop in a town with poorly funded schools. No one wants to subject their children to a poor education.
Education is key to a better life. The people of Austintown should want that for their children and their community. I graduated from Fitch. It needed better resources when I went there (early 90's) and it is a safe bet that comparatively those resources are fewer now. Its time to stop putting your children behind the 8 ball from the start of their lives. Want Austintown and property values to improve? Make the school system the best in the area. Home values will rise and new homes will come, when that happens your tax rates can decrease to account for the increased tax base. Its a system that works time and time again, just requires a little less selfishness than normal.
July 30, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. permalink suggest removal