A Taxpayer's Guide to Surviving CUSD 200: Part IV

It's one of those ironies in life that our local school district CUSD 200 is ostensibly charged with raising energetic, educated and engaged children so as to prepare them well for adulthood.

Ironic, I say, because one of the things CUSD 200 administrators cherish most about the adults in our community is the fact that, statistically speaking, we are lazy, ignorant and apathetic.

(It kind of makes you wonder if that cafeteria food doesn't include a few special ingredients that kick into action after graduation... but I digress.)

Why do CUSD 200 administrators like adults who are lazy, ignorant and apathetic? Because they don't vote and/or don't vote effectively.

Now before I proceed I want to be clear that when I call people lazy, ignorant and/or apathetic, I'm using strong words in an easy-going way. These words describe me as well as anyone else in this town.

For a case in point we need look back no further than the last CUSD 200 referendum. We as a community voted Yes on Hubble. (And we ended up with a school that was too big along with taxes much higher than the ones promised. History repeating itself? But again I digress...)

Where Hubble is concerned, how did I myself vote?

Well, for starters, I'm not sure I showed up for the election. Lazy? You bet. ("Too busy" always sounds better.)

For seconders, if I did vote, I certainly cannot remember today if I voted Yes or No. If I had an informed opinion then, I think I'd remember it now. Ignorant? You bet.

What I remember better is that feeling I get in any given election while checking off boxes for names I don't even recognize... that feeling of "Oh, well" that goes hand-in-hand with the realization that i have no idea how I should be voting. Apathetic? All too often.

So as I toss these random insults about, rest assured that they land in my lap as well as they do anywhere else.

Moving on.

When the referendum goes to ballot next week, I'm told that only a few thousand votes will be cast.

Tip #6: CUSD 200 is counting on that.

(For tips 1 through 5, please refer to my prior blogs, Part I, Part II and Part III)

Lazy people especially don't vote in off-year elections. So turnout will be even lower next Tuesday than it will be in big election years.

Tip #7: CUSD 200 is counting on that.

I'm also told that anyone seeking to halt the CUSD 200 gravy train starts off in the hole about 1,500 votes, because the "party machine" ensures that 1,500 voters show up to push through stuff they want to pass.

Tip #8: CUSD 200 is counting on that.

But in the spirit of fighting against the tide, I suggest here an antidote to our collective lethargy. Let's make this blog a community exercise-your-brain event. A participatory sport. So get off your sofa, lazy-bones...

Here's the plan.

I invite readers to answer one or more of the following questions, and if you have special credentials, don't be bashful. Tell us why we can trust your answer more than someone else's. (The fact that you're not a sitting board incumbent will definitely be treated favorably, FYI.)

I'll start off with some easy questions, and for the ambitious there are some tougher ones near the end.

(And yes, this blog is done in the spirit of Tom Sawyer, who convinced other kids to pay for the privilege of painting the fence for him. I'm out of town, missing key statistics, and short on time. But you didn't read that....)

Question #1: The current Jefferson building is about 25,000 square feet. The referendum is for a new building roughly 60,000 square feet in size. How much bigger is the new building as compared to the current one? Have you seen that statistic noted anywhere by any CUSD 200 administrator or board member?

Question #2: The proposal back in 2007 for a Jefferson rebuild was for a building about 50,000 square feet in size. Is that bigger or smaller than the one on offer today?

(Yes, I did promise the questions would start off easy...)

Question #3: Visit this census data link and tell us (a) if it's reliable, and (b) what it says about the population of Wheaton children aged 0 through 4 as it has changed over the last decade. For extra credit, how might this information tie in with recent decisions made by the city of Chicago having to do with school closures?

Question #4: Do you have any recollection of Dr. Harris or any board member explaining how the answer to Question #3 might impact the size of the building required for the Jefferson project both for today and going forward? Does it make sense for the building "need" to have grown between 2007 and today?

Question #5: CUSD 200 received 10-year enrollment projections in February. Kyle Nenninger (a non-incumbent candidate worthy of your vote) requested a copy of those projections. Kyle is still waiting. Do you think it's a coincidence that CUSD 200 still has not released the figures? What are you willing to bet those stats won't see the light of day until after the vote on Tuesday?

Question #6: Apparently the new Jefferson building is going to house about 400 kids. At 60,000 square feet, how many feet of building space, (halls, bathrooms and all...) is that per child?

Question #7: Question #6 was a trick question. It's a half-day pre-school, so only half of the 400 kids are present at any one time. Would you care to revisit the square-foot per child answer you provided for Question #6?

Question #8: Do you know the three CUSD 200 board incumbents running for re-election? So as to not vote for them on Tuesday?

Question #9: One incumbent is not running again. But he's got a successor all lined up. Who are these two people?

OK. A couple of toughies... Get your googling fingers ready.

Question #10: Do the research and let us know how this Jefferson plan compares with any other pre-school built anywhere within 50 miles of our community. In terms of size? In terms of cost? Cost per child? Cost per square foot?

Question #11: In terms of classroom space, what is the federal and/or state mandate for preschool kids? What is the standard practice, if it is different? What do we expect at Jefferson? Assuming what enrollment level? Is that low? High?

Question #12: A $14M check unexpectedly came in the door last May. How much has CUSD 200 already spent? How much of the money is sitting around? What do you think CUSD 200 plans to spend it on? (Google won't help you here, but healthy skepticism will aid you greatly.)

Question #13: Which sounds better for a fundraiser pitch? "For the Kids"? Or "For our Pension Fund"?

Question #14: Does the answer to Question #13 have any relevance to Question #12 in light of the fact that the state of Illinois appears to be moving toward some form of pension reform?

Question #15: How much money is the state of Illinois now paying to retired CUSD 200 District Supervisor Catalani? How does the economic term "moral hazard" apply to this situation?

Question #16: How many sitting CUSD 200 board members voted for the salary and pension benefits that Catalani is now enjoying?

Question #17: Are you going to allow this game to continue? If so, just conveniently fail to vote. All will proceed according to CUSD 200 plan.

Well, friends, I could probably come up with a few more questions. But the workday beckons, so I'll stop here. I look forward to seeing your responses.