Comments on: Trustees poised to place $60M bond on November ballot

By: Ramona homeowner

Ramona homeowner — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 02:37:01 +0000

There is only ONE jun ior high school and ONE high school. What do you propose be boarded up and closed?

You betcha the administration is top heavy and pay is over inflated.. That should be part of our planning as we vote for school board members. Do you vote? If not, you have nobody to blame other than yourself for not electing representatives who reflect your views. Even when compensation and staffinf is fixed itt is pocket change. Yes, there has likely been some mismanagement. The community can get invioved in the citizen oversight panel to ensure that the money is spent as intended.

I hate additional taxes. I'm unemployed and hurting. Yes our property values are shot, but want them to get better? They won't if our schools are bad, you can count on that.

By: Andy Harvey

Andy Harvey — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 15:06:16 +0000

I did read the article. Part of the the loan is to pay for the new schools at Hanson and the Community school. Both of these projects were approved by the 2004 administration and board. In my view they are what got us into this mess. The present finacial officer is to blame as well. It is my opinion they should be the ones to pay the bill because of their lack of planning! However, the community did get those buildings and the community must pay for them. If the state takes over it will be a hugh black eye for our community. We will not be able to find home buyers or renters to come up here. People will beigin to leave and the local buisiness owners will really feel it, many will have to fold.
We must think ahead. What is done is done. The question the bond poses is, are we ready to step it up and help our community with a bond. I am not in favor of more taxes by any stretch of the imagination, but sometimes its just the lesser of two evils.
I urge the board to find the most affordable bond measure possible for the homeowners of Ramona.

By: Ramonafan

Ramonafan — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 06:38:23 +0000

Let's see…my water bill will be going up about 16% between Ramona Water and MWD,
SDGE wants more money to pay for fires and Sunrise Powerlink, I have to double pay on my fire protection, and my DMV fees have gone up amost 50% over the last 5 yrs. When is it going to stop? The School DIstrict overbuilt and is in a mess because of it. I 'm sorry, but enough is enough. Shift students to the newer schools and board up the old ones if we're short of kids. I'm tired of paying for inflated adminstrator salaries. I've already kissed my property values goodbye courtesy of the fradulent US banking system AND helped bail them out. Sorry – I'm short on cash. Bare-bones the administrators and eliminate some sports. Expand the 4H agricultural programs and co-op the vacant farmland around here, sell fresh produce and oat hay locally, and the kids can learn a viable trade and make money for schools. Innovation – an aniquated American term not found in the modern American brain.

By: sandra j

sandra j — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:46:57 +0000

Lisa,

From the prior Sentinel article at:
http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/03/22/survey-s...

"Presented with three choices — $60, $50 or $45 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year — respondents preferred $45, with 49.5 percent in favor. When the options were presented per month — $5/$4/$3.75 — that favorable response was nearly 8 percent higher, 60.4 percent."

Most residents preferred the $45 per $100k assessed figure, which equates to $3.75 per month. Your suggestion that 3 to 6 times that amount ought to be adequate is unlikely to fly with most homeowners. It sounds like RMWD is about to take a similar bite from us all. Lord knows if we don't have quality water, our property values are bound to suffer more.

By: SDCE Resident

SDCE Resident — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:08:06 +0000

Did anyone read the article? The school District is defunct, the state will most ikely have to take them over, part of the $60 million goes to repay a $25 million loan and we are expected to give them more money? It is like giving a drug addict more drugs …crazy. Once the School District is back in the black and being run correctly, then they can ask for more of our money.

By: Lisa Bried

Lisa Bried — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 19:05:27 +0000

Ramona homeowner is right. Your property values will go down even further if we don't take care of the local school system. Most of the houses built up here in the last 15-20 years were attracting home buyers because Ramona had a growing reputation for good schools. If we don't protect the schools and the high caliber of education we have here, we can kiss our property values good-bye. Also people who currently have renters will want to find better districts for their children and they will leave, further devasting home values.. Our school district effects more than just students and the parents. It effects all of us.

By: just wondering

just wondering — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:42:53 +0000

What good is a brand spanking roof and smooth black top going to do when there are no teachers or support personnel left to educate our kids?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 04:15:22 +0000

Local,
While I agree the board should look at all avenues for cutting the budget, the state's contributition to local school district's is shrinking. Even with a lot of cuts in admistrative salaries and laying off administration in a top heavy school district, there still will be an enormous need for us(citizens of Ramona) to keep our local school district solvent. No amount of budget cuts will put us in the black long term. Most home owners will pay between $10 and $ 20 a month more on their property taxes. Aren't our future generations worth that?
Lisa Bried

By: sandra j

sandra j — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:48:11 +0000

I will oppose this bond, and will encourage others to as well. Even though the money it raises might not be used to pay district salaries, I have a feeling I'm going to end up doing that somehow. Between that and the rural fire tax I've had enough for now.

The school's infrastructure is more than adequate, particularly considering the declining enrollment trend that shows no sign of reversing. Two schools still have that new campus smell, and at least one more should be considered for closure.

Let's see how the district handles the current budget mess before making matters worse. And let's see the Sentinel report on Isom's scrape.

By: Ramona homeowner

Ramona homeowner — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:24:46 +0000

Hey Mr. Local, do you own a home in Ramona? If this bond doesn't pass you can tie a rock to your property values and watch them sink even deeper than they are now. The high school and middle school are both dumps. Dumpy schools don't attract families with money or businesses. Its of financial benefit to the whole community to have quality schools whether you have kids in them or not.