[This message was sent to the School Board]
Terri,
Thanks for your acknowledgement that board members are committing
diligent hours to the capacity issues. Remember that
one board member cannot speak for the group, but in my opinion, it is fine
to use information from my presentation. Actually, this is public
information since it has been presented at an official school board meeting
and is posted on a public website. Both reporters and individuals regularly
take ideas expressed by school officials and respond to them in the media.
Keep in mind that these are possibilities, drafts, and suggested plans from
indivduals, not a board position.
Your insurance idea: One of the challenges which WAPS faces perpetually
is keeping all constituents informed. Most ideas from the public on how we
might save money, diminish inefficiencies or improve our organization are
already either in practice or have been ruled out. For example, you raised
a very good suggestion about combining health insurance efforts. We already
do that. You are correct in believing that other SE MN
districts/communities are struggling, too, with their coverage costs. WAPS
partners with a huge pool of state-wide education customers to get the
lowest possible insurance rates. Every year or so, administrators assess
whether this approach is the most cost-efficient method available.
Routine practices like this are not newsworthy, so the media does not
report them. Therefore, citizens often assume that WAPS has overlooked an
obvious factor in district management. I do not mean to be off-putting,
simply realistic. Recently, I got three suggestions for improvements. We
are currently practicing two, and the third is illegal.
I appreciate your email, Terri, and no, I don't consider it as
"complaining." It is advocacy and civic engagement.
Thanks,
Sharon
----- Original Message -----
From: "t h" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 8:03 PM
Subject: Tues. night meeting
> Dear School Board Members:
>
> I wasn't able to be at last Tues. night's work session (physics homework),
> but just got a recap and found the schoolboard web sit with Steve and
> Sharon's proposals posted.
>
> I cannot begin to say thank you enough for the obvious time and effort all
> of you are making to look at the district's problems and potential and to
> come up with long term solutions. I was disappointed that neither paper
> gave very detailed reports of the happenings Tues. night, in particular, I
> am sorry that neither Steve's 15 point plan, nor Sharon's more general
> presentation were reproduced. I am wondering if you would allow me (or
> someone else) to include these two plans in a letter to the editor to
either
> paper, if you have no plans to do so yourselves. Of course, I will abide
by
> your wishes, but I think the public would benefit greatly.
>
> Something that I have been thinking about for some time is the fact that
the
> school district, the city and the county all are facing exhorbitant costs
> for providing health care coverage to its employees. Is it possible that
> savings could be found if the 3 entities formed one group for the purposes
> of health care coverage? I am certain other school districts/communities
in
> S.E. MN are facing the same struggle. Is there a way that various school
> districts in SE MN might combine as a group for health care savings?
MNSCU
> uses such a system and is able to offer excellent health care for much
less
> than the district pays currently. Just an idea that might be much more
> complicated than it seems on the surface, but perhaps worth pursuing.
>
> Again, I cannot begin to thank you all enough for all of your hard work,
for
> all the flack you have been taking, and for listening to all of us
complain
> at you.
>
> Terri Hyle
>
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>
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