- April 26, 2024
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Paraprofessionals are essential for autistic child’s success
Dear Editor:
As a concerned parent of an exception education student, I understand the frustration of School Board member Sue Dickinson; however, give up? I will not!
My son has been successful due to the help of his paraprofessional today and for the past three years at Old Kings Elementary School. Taking this away would would harm his continued success! One of the main reasons for that success is the paraprofessionals.
I bow my hat to such a dedicated professional. Take away something that works? Tracey Umpenhour, you seem to be hurting our children! How dare you!
I need to ask, where does the state funding go for my highly intelligent, autistic when you cut these services?
In the last three years, being an involved parent, I have never seen you in a classroom, an individual-education-plan meeting (when your presence was requested) and understand you have never been a teacher. Do I dare question your qualifications, Dr. Umpenhour, in judging what's needed for my child?
Do you understand the needs of our ESE children?
Cuts below and increases above demonstrate your lack of concern for the kids in our community.
There must be a satisfactory solution for all parties involved without having to "fight" for these services for our children. We could be a model county for our troubled education system in our state if we could just all work together.
Paul Sosenko
Flagler Beach
Twenty-four dollars per year is not much to ask to support education
Dear Editor:
I would just like to share my opinion on the June 7 vote for the .5 mill for Flagler Schools. I am a mom of three, ages 9, 8 and 4, and I am the Parent-Teacher Organization president at our children’s school, Rymfire Elementary.
From all that I have learned about the vote (I have sat through four presentations thus far), here is what I know and what will affect me:
As a homeowner, it is going to cost me an additional $24 per year. I don’t know about you, but I can spend $24 looking at a department store from the outside.
My soon-to-be 5-year-old could be walking up to two miles to go to school. Gratefully, we don’t and if we did there is no way I would allow her to do this, but there are some in this county who will have no choice.
Both of my boys are in choir and this may not be there next year. I sang in my choir from grade school all the way through college; this is something that has molded me now, and it’s not something I want to take away from them.
My oldest son is interested in the running club, another possibility of not being there. With the rate of obesity in our society and my son being in the 125th percentile, if he wants to run, I will support that!
If a school closes, the car rider lines will double at your school. I used to be a car rider mom, and I remember having to leave for pick up at least 30 minutes early (and I was in the back of the line). I can’t imagine how early I would have to leave then!
Can you honestly say that you will turn your back on education in Flagler County? If it is going to take an increase in my taxes of $24 per year to help the schools, I will be there to vote! I also know that at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, the School Board is hosting town hall meetings at the Government Services Building. If you want to form your own opinion instead of reading others, you should go and check it out. Hoping for a bright future for my children.
Beth Blumengarten
Rymfire Elementary PTO president
Retired residents of Palm Coast shouldn't have to pay school taxes
Dear Editor:
Our retired residents can no longer afford to live in the county or city and are leaving every day.
Why not a tax exemption? Retired residents living in Palm Coast for the past 30 years or more, with or without children who never attended any Flagler school, should be exempt from paying school taxes.
Also, Palm Coast’s and Grand Haven’s stormwater systems spill over into the saltwater Intracoastal Waterway canal systems. Why do Palm Coast saltwater canal property owners pay stormwater taxes, while Grand Haven residents do not pay any stormwater taxes?
Walter Albano
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: City Manager Jim Landon’s answer to your question is as follows: “Canals are a part of the city’s stormwater drainage system; the Intracoastal Waterway is not part. Therefore, all property that drains into a city canal is subject to the city stormwater fee. Properties that drain directly into the Intracoastal Waterway are not.
“The portion of the Grand Haven neighborhood that drains directly into the Intracoastal is not charged a stormwater fee. The portion of the Grand Haven neighborhood that drains into the city maintained drainage system is charged the fee.”
Vote yes on the school tax; education is the key to the future
Dear Editor:
One of the basic principles to a strong and viable nation is a sound education, and that is even more true today.
We have all seen the erosion of jobs in the nation and the sorry plight of those who are graduating with degrees but are working jobs that have nothing to do with their level of education. Let’s face it: Manufacturing jobs are not going to come back unless our leaders can pull together to make that happen. Right now there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Higher education is the answer to better-paying jobs that the future will demand.
I know times are really tough, but the last people we should shortchange are our students. I also know that the education system is not perfect and needs to be fixed in a lot of ways. The present School Board has gone above and beyond in trying their best to deal with the lower funds they receive.
You know when times are good (and they were very good 1999-2007) that it is easy to spend foolishly, but when the rubber hits the road, as it did in 2007, the board got tough and did what they had to do; there does not appear to be anymore stretch in the rubber band.
So for the sake of our students and most of all for the future of our country, I will be voting “YES” on the referendum.
Tom McMullin
Palm Coast
More money for schools does not translate to better test scores
Dear Editor:
I can see why some people will swallow the hogwash that the raise in taxes is "for the children." Look at what we voted into the White House, Congress, the County Commission, the mayor’s office, the City Council and the School Board. After all, you can fool some of the people all the time, and they'll vote for anything.
I can see why the people employed by the school system and the teachers union will vote for the tax increase; after all is said and done, the largess will wind up in their pockets. Where else would it go?
I can even see why Valentine and Conklin can semi-truthfully say they have lost millions of dollars in the last few years. When Obama was buying votes with stimulus money (say hello to the IRS, Doug), they thought this was the new norm.
What I can't see is why the majority of the voters in Flagler County will not take the time or make an effort to go vote but will instead let the School Board con them. More millions of dollars will not improve the quality of the sorry education the students in Flagler County are getting. Not even Conklin or Valentine will tell you the budget will bring up the math or reading scores one iota! And telling me that it will only cost me $2 per week is like telling a patient that it's only a few cancer cells. Yeah.
Douglas R. Glover
Palm Coast
Using the sun in the Sunshine State
Dear Editor:
In view of the request by the Flagler County School Board to increase taxes by .5 mills to meet the needs of the school systems, it was very gratifying to see the installation of solar hot water on the gymnasium at Flagler Palm Coast High School, a savings of 25% to 30% savings in electrical costs.
The Energy Outlet is a local company, so it also puts money back into the county. While this might not seem like a lot of money in relation to the overall budget, if it was extended to other school property, it could add up to considerable savings.
Marjorie McNamara
Palm Coast
Being opposed to the school tax doesn’t make me insensitive
Dear Editor:
My previous letter was not in criticism of teachers: My letter was about fiscal responsibility.
Mr. Nemec, your boasting of “reading achievement” in Flagler County schools is based on a system of accreditation well known to be a joke.
The snarky comment that I “came to Florida to play golf” is gratuitous to all retirees here — judgmentally branding all opponents of the tax as uncaring.
You demonstrate unrealistic, insensitive ignorance of the situation of all here who are desperately under- or unemployed, where you wail that you haven’t had a raise in five years and you took a cut of 3% last year. Want to swap? Since 2007, my income has dropped 80% percent. And have you seen how many seniors work at Lowe’s, Walmart, and The Home Depot?
You yank at our sympathies by scapegoating taxpayers’ reluctance to tax more for supplies instead of correctly blaming bad money management. Look at all the savings just “discovered” by the School Board! And, here’s another: Phyllis Scheffler, while principal responsible for 1,200 elementary pupils for a Long Island K-8 school, had no assistant principals!
George Hibbard
Palm Coast
