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LenMullen
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 321
Location: Danville, NH
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 Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject: Out of Touch |
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I just found these comments interesting.
from Timberlane struggles to collect school lunch debt
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High school Principal Donald Woodworth said about 15 families have run up debts of $200 or more, accounting for the high school's portion of the uncollected debt.
Woodworth said yesterday the sum is in the "significant thousands of dollars."
Woodworth said the recession has cost jobs and some families, who used to rely on two incomes, have not trimmed their expenses to fit one salary.
"Some households used to be earning $170,000 and now one person's out of work," he said. "They're down to $65,000 or $70,000 a year, but they still have the expenses from their old lifestyle." |
LOL! 'Significant' thousands of dollars. 15x$200=$3000. My tax bill has gone up that much in the last few years. I guess when it comes to math, the fish rots from the head down.
Families used to be earning $170k? According to the Melissa Data, the $65k or $70k would represent a significant boost in income over 2006 earnings... 
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"I've been teaching here for 20 years so please don't assume that kids can add, subtract, multiply and divide integers without problems. Especially subtraction, as I found that many have trouble with." TRMS Math Teacher |
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TRHSparent
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 147
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:21 am Post subject: |
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Instead of purchasing a new antenna to improve radio reception at the high school, the $9000 should have been used to reduce negative balance for food services. Shouldn't the school be giving back to the community??? I thought more community service is one of the HS goals in the strategic planning document. Instead of going to the state for extra funds, which in the end the taxpayers will have to fork up the cash, use the money in our current budget. If we lasted this long without an antenna, I'm sure the school could manage to wait a little longer and assist the people who need help now. I'm not suggesting a welfare system but lending a helping hand. "It's for the children!!!"
If some households had an income of $170,000 and now must live on an income of $65,000 or $70,000 a year, that's a huge adjustment! If that household purchase a home based on a $170k income, I doubt they could purchase the same home at $70k. The mortgage payment alone must be breaking their budget! Maybe if administration had a small fear of losing their income, maybe they might gain a grip on reality. |
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TRHSparent
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 147
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:32 am Post subject: |
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After posting, I decided to read comments on Eagle Tribune site and found this:
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| I dont know if any of the previous commenters actually have children who go to the Timberlane District, they all seem to have "easy solutions" well, reality is, it is not as "easy" as making a sandwich at home for these kids... I have kids in the district and I do make sandwiches for them during the week, kids today dont want to be bothered carrying in these sandwiches. I finally had to threaten my kid with punishment if he ate at school and to take the sandwich I made. The story here is that the policy with the school is for the parents to pay ahead of time and the kids get a credit card like account, who wouldnt want to blow the money on all these sugary drinks and desserts ? The lunch may cost 2.00 regularly but add all the extras this school provides for the kids and they spend up to 5.00 a day, which adds up quick and the kids dont realize. I have numerously talked to the director in charge of the lunch program just to get the run around. Their solution is to just keep feeding the kids what they want and bill the parents. This is how the bills get so high. I have paid everytime they send me the bill and I am tired of it. If they want to keep feeding my kids whatever they want go for it. Im not paying. I have put over 600.00 dollars on two accounts this yr already! Im done. Im so happy this was front page news and hope more parents speak up, this is a fight I have been fighting for over a year now, and I cant be alone. |
That's why my kids pay in CASH but only the HS allows cash purchases. I do recall that school administration thought they could make extra money by changing food services. Seems to me that the school waited to long to put controls in place. |
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LenMullen
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 321
Location: Danville, NH
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:51 pm Post subject: I have an easy solution... |
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...and I am actually looking into this.
When the boys and I camped out on the USS Joseph P. Kennedy last month, we had two meals on the USS Massachusetts. They managed to get many hundreds of scouts and their families in and out of the cramped mess hall very quickly. My oldest commented that he would still be in line at the HS as we were dropping off our trays.
How did they do this? There was one hot meal and choice of two boxed meals (PB&J or turkey club, all meals were prepaid, and we were called into dinner just in time to enter the line.
What if we did this at TRSD? The Massachusetts had less seating than any of our schools -- including the middle school. All were fed within an hour. And the cost was modest.
We'd hire a food service to bring in meals. During home room, we'd hand out 'chits' for the selected meal. This information would be passed on to the service and they would bring in meals just in time for lunch. Kids would be called into the cafeteria at intervals that would keep the lines short and the tables full. There would be no onsite preparation and no direct cost. We could do away with the expensive and slow checkout process and ensure kids get a balanced meal.
I don't yet know how many were server or how much the service cost, but I am told the information is on the way.
Anyone interested in turning the food court back into a cafeteria? How inexpensive would meals have to be before you would support limited choices? How much food subsidy do we get already?
_________________
"I've been teaching here for 20 years so please don't assume that kids can add, subtract, multiply and divide integers without problems. Especially subtraction, as I found that many have trouble with." TRMS Math Teacher |
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Le Canard
Joined: 16 Jun 2008
Posts: 106
Location: Danville
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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Well it comes down to the SAU having decided to fund the school to be part of the welfare system. Does the school take food stamps?
I know I am cold and heartless, but Hannifords and McDonalds will not spot me $200. for food so why should the SAU?
While on the the subject of money, is our sport's consultant still on the payroll?
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therents
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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| When Woodworth pulled the 170K salary out of his hat, he showed the SAU'S elitist attitude. I believe they think every family is making that amount of money which is why they can spend spend spend. |
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therents
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Just how many families that make 170K would send their kids to Timberlane?????
Not this family. |
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PBealo
Site Admin
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 307
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: |
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More than you'd think. A two income household of professionals or semi-professionals can easily earn this.
The average income per household in Rockingham County is around $81K as I recall from doing some work for Plaistow on "Workforce Housing".
Peter Bealo |
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therents
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:02 am Post subject: |
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| PBealo wrote: |
More than you'd think. A two income household of professionals or semi-professionals can easily earn this.
The average income per household in Rockingham County is around $81K as I recall from doing some work for Plaistow on "Workforce Housing".
Peter Bealo |
so if one family is making 170K then another family is making about -10K to fit the average.
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PBealo
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Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 307
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| Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Not a gaussian distribution. Welfare counts as income, so it bottoms out somewhere positive.
Peter |
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therents
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:38 am Post subject: |
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Peter,
Understood about wealth distribution.
when Mr Woodworth was picking a number out of the air, my guess is he either picked a number which he felt was representative of the community. As your post pointed out 170K is much higher than the 81K average. If the school thinks I typically family earns 170K, then no wonder they want to spend spend spend, but what about the family that is struggling at 50K. There is not consideration for them.
If Mr Woodworth was not picking a number out of the air then my second guess is he was using a number from a family that he might have spoken too. If he did, he did not mention the family, but shame on his for using actual data. Based on that little information, it is possilbe for some peope to figure out who he might have talked to. The information was probably given by the family think it was confidential.
I was glad to see the news clip on WMUR sunday morning.
I mentioned to my kids that a parent had told me of a teacher who had given a student money for lunch because the student had limited food over a few days. My kids informed me that many teachers have given kids money for lunch.
I don't want to pay for HS students who are "playing" the system to see who can get the highest debt, but I do want kids to have enough to eat. I've told my kids, if they know of a friend who is not eating due to financial issues that they should buy them something to eat. |
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PBealo
Site Admin
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 307
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:37 am Post subject: |
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That is very kind of you and a great lesson for your kids.
Its funny how some parents, just a very few I believe, don't send their kids to school with money for field trips and the like and expect the school to make up for it. A friend of mine, now with no kids remaining in the system, who has a huge income and net worth did that as a matter of course. I never understood the ethics of that. the same fellow is very giving to charities.
On the other hand, one very talented TRMS kid just couldn't get the money together to attend SYMS music camp last summer because of legitimate home issues and an anonymous person I know got him there.
I guess it all balances out in the end...
Peter Bealo |
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TRHSparent
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 147
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:42 am Post subject: |
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From my April 24 posting:
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| The lunch may cost 2.00 regularly but add all the extras this school provides for the kids and they spend up to 5.00 a day, which adds up quick and the kids dont realize. I have numerously talked to the director in charge of the lunch program just to get the run around. Their solution is to just keep feeding the kids what they want and bill the parents. |
Because of rising costs in utilities and food, lunch prices at the HS will increase to $2.50. Breakfast and adult food purchases will also increase per the June 4 SB meeting. FYI, Mr LaSalle stated that the amount of regular lunches purchased remain constant but a la carte items have decreased. Not enough revenue has been generated to pay food services so an increase will occur this fall. The district needs revenue from a la carte to support cafe services so that's why parents will continue to get the run around and not place controls on extra purchases. |
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