Comments on: In support of $66 million school bond http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/ Ramona's Community Paper Since 1886 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:48:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: john rajcic http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-395343 john rajcic Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:25:11 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-395343 Hi, I want to get elected this is my last shot.....the bottom line is that Ramona with its $27million COP (Certificate of Deposit ) and Poway with its CAB(capital appreciatation Bonds )were instigated by the respeictive boards to circumvent having a bond election) so they could recieve funds from the state ( a sort of matching thing..You do this and the State willl do this...). I am defintely against the way the board did this....attend a board meeting and try to get a reponse to your concern...it never happens....I made several attempts to get the board to enagage me at board meetings...they give you 3 minutes and that is it ..never a dialogue..even if there are only 2 or 3 at the meeting(other than employees.. Hi, I want to get elected this is my last shot…..the bottom line is that Ramona with its $27million COP (Certificate of Deposit ) and Poway with its CAB(capital appreciatation Bonds )were instigated by the respeictive boards to circumvent having a bond election) so they could recieve funds from the state ( a sort of matching thing..You do this and the State willl do this…). I am defintely against the way the board did this….attend a board meeting and try to get a reponse to your concern…it never happens….I made several attempts to get the board to enagage me at board meetings…they give you 3 minutes and that is it ..never a dialogue..even if there are only 2 or 3 at the meeting(other than employees..

]]> By: sandra j http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-394944 sandra j Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:53:31 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-394944 Dr Rajcic, Perhaps a new approach you might consider in seeking a seat on the board would be to take a different (hopefully better) position than the present members on key issues such as this bond. That is one way I believe you could make a positive difference and gain my support. The present board unanimously approved placing the bond measure on the November ballot. It's not clear to me what you would do differently, but in your commentary above, I sense more than a little trepidation in embracing it. If that is correct, I hope you will take a more definitive stand against it and clarify your own proposals to strengthen our district and continue the exceptional education Ramona schools provide. Dr Rajcic,
Perhaps a new approach you might consider in seeking a seat on the board would be to take a different (hopefully better) position than the present members on key issues such as this bond. That is one way I believe you could make a positive difference and gain my support. The present board unanimously approved placing the bond measure on the November ballot. It's not clear to me what you would do differently, but in your commentary above, I sense more than a little trepidation in embracing it. If that is correct, I hope you will take a more definitive stand against it and clarify your own proposals to strengthen our district and continue the exceptional education Ramona schools provide.

]]> By: john rajcic http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-393927 john rajcic Mon, 20 Aug 2012 06:17:38 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-393927 Hi....politicians tend to hedge/obscure at times.....I am a candidated for the school board. we do not need 4 superintendents for 6,000 students... I ran for the board several times....telling the board that collective bargaining is a two way street....sound financial management is basic to any organization.... Your position is understood. John Rajcic wwwjrajcic.com Hi….politicians tend to hedge/obscure at times…..I am a candidated for the school board. we do not need 4 superintendents for 6,000 students…

I ran for the board several times….telling the board that collective bargaining is a two way street….sound financial management is basic to any organization….
Your position is understood. John Rajcic wwwjrajcic.com

]]> By: john rajcic http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-393919 john rajcic Mon, 20 Aug 2012 06:04:39 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-393919 Hi your points are well taken....I tried different approaches to get elected to the board... Politicians tend to be indirect/hedge/obscure(obscurant) at times!!!! .4 superintendents for 6,000 students is hard to justify... we also must more fully embrace technology/digital learning. I am an old guy....I left education years ago....I have been a sub in Poway the past 6 years. I do believe architecture sets a "mood" ..... I am a candidate for the board go to jrajcic.com......if you think I could make a difference, I would appriciate your support. thanks for your comments rajcic (like magic) Hi your points are well taken….I tried different approaches to get elected to the board…
Politicians tend to be indirect/hedge/obscure(obscurant) at times!!!! .4 superintendents for 6,000 students is hard to justify… we also must more fully embrace technology/digital learning.
I am an old guy….I left education years ago….I have been a sub in Poway the past 6 years. I do believe architecture sets a "mood" …..
I am a candidate for the board go to jrajcic.com……if you think I could make a difference, I would appriciate your support. thanks for your comments rajcic (like magic)

]]> By: Fed Up! http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-389792 Fed Up! Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:24:38 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-389792 And still the blue tattered tarp remains. Just shows there is no initiative or drive by the RUSD when someone posts a comment like the one above. You know they all read and follow these posts yet there is no concern on their part to clean things up. When you comment about it to the employees they just say it's not their job, it's someone else's. Jeez people. Quit being so lazy. Just goes to show why you should vote no when they have no concern about how a school looks. Unbelievable! And still the blue tattered tarp remains. Just shows there is no initiative or drive by the RUSD when someone posts a comment like the one above. You know they all read and follow these posts yet there is no concern on their part to clean things up. When you comment about it to the employees they just say it's not their job, it's someone else's. Jeez people. Quit being so lazy. Just goes to show why you should vote no when they have no concern about how a school looks. Unbelievable!

]]> By: Solar1 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-385864 Solar1 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:06:39 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-385864 The new fire fee, the sales tax increase, now a school bond. Yea right. The new fire fee, the sales tax increase, now a school bond. Yea right.

]]> By: Local http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-384865 Local Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:47:22 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-384865 I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. This Bond must not pass. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. This Bond must not pass.

]]> By: Guest http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-384518 Guest Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:36:59 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-384518 Agreed. And I guess the tattered blue tarp that is hanging over the entrance at the Ramona Community School on Hanson Lane and Ramona Street is supposed to make us think this school needs this money for improvements. It does not. It just means the lazy employees they keep employed aren't going to do anything they don't want to do and continue to draw a paycheck. VOTE NO! This is ridiculous! Agreed. And I guess the tattered blue tarp that is hanging over the entrance at the Ramona Community School on Hanson Lane and Ramona Street is supposed to make us think this school needs this money for improvements. It does not. It just means the lazy employees they keep employed aren't going to do anything they don't want to do and continue to draw a paycheck. VOTE NO! This is ridiculous!

]]> By: Enough is Enough! http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-383587 Enough is Enough! Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:41:14 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-383587 Please, noone in thier right mind is going to support this. The School District is structurally flawed and that needs to be addressed first. This is an extremely expensive bandaid that does nothing to fix the problem. Elections fix problems in school boards. I will vote for a real fix after the next election, not an additional loan and cosmetic fix for a school district that is struggling to make payroll. It is CRAZY that the school board had the nerve to ask this community for more money when their performance has lead them to insolvency and state take over. Please, noone in thier right mind is going to support this. The School District is structurally flawed and that needs to be addressed first.

This is an extremely expensive bandaid that does nothing to fix the problem. Elections fix problems in school boards. I will vote for a real fix after the next election, not an additional loan and cosmetic fix for a school district that is struggling to make payroll.

It is CRAZY that the school board had the nerve to ask this community for more money when their performance has lead them to insolvency and state take over.

]]> By: sandra j http://www.ramonasentinel.com/2012/08/01/in-support-of-66-million-school-bond/#comment-381397 sandra j Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:21:42 +0000 http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=16117#comment-381397 Dr Rajcic, In reading your commentary, I have a hard time correlating the headline with the content. You provide almost no support for this bond other than what I believe is it's largest fault: that most of the money will ultimately go to salaries by offsetting other general fund expenses. When I say most, that's taking into account that nearly half of the bond proceeds won't lead to any improvements at all; $25 million is designated to pay off loans that were already taken out to pay for improvements that weren't needed and haven't help the district's situation at all. I agree with your comments regarding the failings of the past and present superintendents. What have they done to show that they can now manage the district within their means? They already have this money spent (literally!) and it still doesn't address the district's larger budget concerns. During a time of declining enrollment the district needs to to cut back, but that is doesn't jive with their growth model so they spin it as a crisis instead. Defining and executing strategies to improve educational efficiencies is the move into the 21st century I would like to see. If the administration can demonstrate substantial cost reductions and operate within the generous funding they have and continue to enjoy, perhaps their salaries, spiked or not, might be justified. Until then, passing this bond looks to me like fighting a fire with gasoline. Lastly, I hope you were able to set your mother straight on Ramona's concern for our kids. Those relocatables, staffed by extraordinary teachers, yielded outstanding test scores from some remarkable students. Don't let her believe otherwise. Dr Rajcic,
In reading your commentary, I have a hard time correlating the headline with the content. You provide almost no support for this bond other than what I believe is it's largest fault: that most of the money will ultimately go to salaries by offsetting other general fund expenses. When I say most, that's taking into account that nearly half of the bond proceeds won't lead to any improvements at all; $25 million is designated to pay off loans that were already taken out to pay for improvements that weren't needed and haven't help the district's situation at all. I agree with your comments regarding the failings of the past and present superintendents. What have they done to show that they can now manage the district within their means? They already have this money spent (literally!) and it still doesn't address the district's larger budget concerns. During a time of declining enrollment the district needs to to cut back, but that is doesn't jive with their growth model so they spin it as a crisis instead. Defining and executing strategies to improve educational efficiencies is the move into the 21st century I would like to see. If the administration can demonstrate substantial cost reductions and operate within the generous funding they have and continue to enjoy, perhaps their salaries, spiked or not, might be justified. Until then, passing this bond looks to me like fighting a fire with gasoline.

Lastly, I hope you were able to set your mother straight on Ramona's concern for our kids. Those relocatables, staffed by extraordinary teachers, yielded outstanding test scores from some remarkable students. Don't let her believe otherwise.

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