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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > August > 20
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
This time the big guns are on board early
Mayor Rhine McLin
At last night’s board meeting the mayor, city commissioners and a host of community leaders rallied around the school board as it placed a 4.9-mill levy on the November ballot.
This was a noticeable change from 2007, when it took weeks for the city commission to formally endorse the 15.17-mill levy try and the chamber of commerce only grudgingly signed on after demanding data and meetings with school officials over more than a month of discussions.
In 2007, the board’s huge levy request left everyone shocked and more than a few key Dayton players dismayed. A quick consensus formed that there was no way voters would pass such a big levy. A lot of people were ticked off the school board put them in what they viewed as an impossible position of having to anger a huge swath of economically troubled constituents in order to support the schools.
This time things were different. Interim Superintendent Kurt Stanic immediately began courting Mayor Rhine McLin to co-chair the levy campaign upon his arrival here this summer. But McLin told him flat out that she would not support any levy bigger than 5 mills. That was even a little less than what Stanic wanted — he was shooting to keep the levy under six mills. But he had to go lower to get McLin.
So now the fun begins. For the average home valued at about $59,000, the new taxes will be about $96 a year if the levy passes. School officials were quick to point out that is about $8 a month, an amount they hope voters can stomach even in hard times. The players are in place and the political season kicks off in earnest after Labor Day.
What do you think? Will this smaller levy make it this time?
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Prom cop wins at the state fair
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a fascinating prom innovation — the dress enforcement officer. First Alter and now Chaminade Julienne Catholic high schools arranged for Sunny Hickey, an accomplished seamstress, to guard the door at their proms armed with a sewing kit to enforce modesty on young ladies who arrive show just a bit too much skin.
Hickey is a great character. She is a tiny little lady with curly hair and a big smile who is impossible not to like. Imagine the kindliest grandmother you know. That’s her. She has a great rapport with the girls, some of whom seem to genuinely not realize their dresses are inappropriate. She does an excellent job of using her sewing skills to tastefully improve dresses without ruining them.
And once the word got around that Hickey would be standing by with her thread and two-sided tape, there was a noticeable improvement in dress modesty.
Frankly, I am surprised other schools haven’t tried this. Hickey made a point to say that she was not looking for work. A St. Henry parishioner and parent of Alter alumni, she does her prom work for the Catholic schools out of a sense of religious mission. But there have to be other sewing experts out there who could probably be had for a small fee to police other proms. I would expect principals and superintendents would love to have their services.
As for Hickey, her story has a happy addendum. She has competed at the state fair for more than 40 years in sewing competition. While I interviewed her and Lisa Powell photographed her in June she was working on a reversible coat for this year’s fair. I got a nice letter from her yesterday in which she mentioned that the coat won “best of show” at the state fair.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Teaching and Learning
