I support the future of students in their educational growth, imagination, creativity, but I will not support the mistake of approving a referendum because I want no more funding failures. I am one of the voting public demanding to know what we are "buying" by raising our taxes and believing District 535 needs to be on a financial diet.
The suggestion to have Superintendent Dallemand and seven other high-level district employees (not teachers) take unpaid furloughs during the current academic year seems to have disappeared. Why? Furloughs would far exceed cuts to make high school schedule changes resulting in "reduced graduations requirements." Dumbing down our graduates is not acceptable.
Where is the school administration's sacrifice? How about a Dallemand and his cabinet 15 percent sacrifice before asking for a sacrifice from the community. Roll back all administrative salaries to July 2008, reduce central administrative positions and their staff 15 percent and freeze administrative wages until 2012. This should come before cutting reading teachers. Cutting reading teachers will hurt test scores. Cutting a cabinet member will not.
No on the referendum is my vote.
Arlan L. Wilson
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Rochester
