MASON CITY – A school board meeting is planned for Monday evening gin Mason City, where the panel evidently will plan a new gym and swimming pool.
The Mason City Board of Education Committee of the Whole work/study session will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 3, 2018, in the Board Room of the Administrative Center, 1515 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City. There are at least two hot-button items on the agenda:
A facility planning discussion for a new auxiliary gym and swimming pool is on the agenda. This long-rumored project has left many in the community scratching their heads. Some say these facilities could be built near the football stadium, but nothing has been completely confirmed. Some are asking why a stagnant school district with little to no growth may need these facilities and is the school district simply looking for ways to spend the millions in taxes it drains from property owners.
Another item on the agenda is a discussion on administrator pay. This is a definite sore spot in Mason City with many citizens who have long felt that the persons at the top of the district have been too many in number and vastly over-paid. After scandals rocked the district – like importing Chinese students to get diplomas, employees taking funds without permission, and questionable leadership of a previous Administrator, citizens have a right to have their guard up about construction of new facilities and any pay raises for those leading the school system.
MEETING AGENDA:
I. Building Goals Report
II. Health Insurance Committee Report and Draft Recommendations
III. Energy Program Report: Rich Patras, District Energy Manager, will provide the Board with the Annual Energy Program report.
IV. Administrator Pay Plan Discussion
V. Facility Planning Discussion
VI. Preview of December 17 Regular School Board Meeting
Where does our superintendents children go to school Also for the gym situation as Scoot Warren said in the 70:s we had double the students and we made due with the practice schedule. We need more students to support all the increase in buildings and Administrator pay raises
Kids don’t need reading or writing they need work and lots of it. Kids today are lazy and don’t know the meaning of work. Why do we waste tax money on the lost generation when vets are hungry and streets need fixed along with no good housing.
I think Hellboy and Bob Ames should run the school together maybe they could get the loser brats to study and win some sports also clean up the city.
ADMINISTRATORS MAKE FAR TOO MUCH ALREADY! The teachers are the ones doing the real work, they need the raises!
I see teachers making 65.000-75.000-85.000 for 8 months work, I think that is enough
I have seen teachers/educators roll up to “work” in Jaguars. I know a lot of teachers are hard workers and deserve good pay but some of this is out of hand. Admins for example are vastly overpaid for keeping their chairs warm.
Where do you see “teachers/educators” pull up in Jaguars? You should have taken a picture. If you think our educational system is so bad in MC, then, Matt, run for the school board. Maybe you could get salaries returned to pre-1960 levels.
They make way too much already. Everyone pays their wages. Elderly and those with no kids sorry I want good streets law enforcement, Fire Dept first not someone’s brats that more then likely will move away or stay and sell drugs.
no amount of money will ever be enough for government employees.
They do not live in reality
Maybe they should buy some more shiny new goal posts. Why waste $ on school fix the streets and the north side bring back some jobs first.
Our tax dollars did not buy the goal posts.
I was told the booster club paid for them.
First the dead mall we keep pouring money into, then this. OMG
if not mistaken Penca continued giving special income raises correct?? Our income level in this town is very low. Now just look at the free lunch program and the free bus rides, Its all over this town. I wouldn’t be surprised in a few years if 90% of our school system will be free lunch and free bus rides. It sucks that I live less than 12 blocks from an elementary and my kids have to walk when the family 2 doors down has 2 kids ride the bus.
The income level of all jobs in this town is the reason we are where we are at. Lower in come = more crime, poverty, and lack of hope. No hope for things to get better, people suffer. Business don’t want to move to towns with no hope, as it is not good for business.
NO F**KING pay raises for our administration, The paras and school bus drivers need a fricken raise, Our administrators are just barley doing their jobs and packing extra $$$$ money in their bank account also make them accountable for all the bullshit that is going on at all the schools. Way to much favoritism and pushing off their work unto the teachers. Hope I don’t hurt to many feelings when you administrators read this.
I heard it on the radio in August. Then again in Forbes during the month of September. Real wage growth is actually falling.
Many people agree that given these times of low unemployment, and high demand, wages should be following. Yet, today’s real average wage has about the same purchasing power it did 40 years ago.
The School Board wants to reduce the real wages in Mason City(with few exceptions) even more.
Looking at our area, the median household income is lower than the State, but lags behind the country as well. Then, there is the fact that the community is losing population, meaning tax base. So those who remain, must pay more to cover the expenses of local government.
Now where does the Board expect these additional taxes to come from? Last year, they did not consider any of those variables, they just flat out gave increases despite shortfalls in revenue.
Are their heads in the sand?
Union Contract dictate pay for anyone in a union for step ups or what is settled for the raise. Administration has nothing in paper for a pay scale. The School board as been talking about it since Jana Arndt was on the board. So people got raises the board never knew about as nothing is written for administration. They are not giving raises, I don’t see that on the agenda I see a payscale meaning a set pay no more behind the table deals that Anita let happen. This is transparency this is everyone knowing the payscale this is called fixing the problem that Anita put in place with Hal and Ramona and that John B and Jodie A tried to keep going. Thus the audits. Get over yourself and let them fix what Jana Arndt found was the problem.
I never mentioned, nor alluded to union contracts. What was addressed in my comment was the Administrator Pay plan, as was listed in the agenda.
It is still my position that the Board should look at the economic reality of this community, and act accordingly.
Instead, it blindly passed an increase for administrators last year, despite (as the district stated, there was), a budget shortfall.
Absolutely NO, No, NO!