Don't blame the people in the system, blame the people who called to complain. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction but it's a response to public complaints. The stadium lights at LHS are one example. They were installed by the boosters. GMHS's lights were paid for by the taxpayers and are much newer. When the lights at LHS fail, I wonder if there will be money in the budget to replace them.vraiblonde said:That is such crapThis is why I hate bureaucracies and avoid them at all cost.
Local business can't donate to local schools
- Thread starter sonsorae
- Start date
People complain all the time - it doesn't mean you have to appease them. Or you could simply say, "Sir/Madam, our school needs so many things that we would be more than happy to take your donation to pay for it. Please send me your logo and let me know how you would like your copy to read on your sign, and I'll take care of that right away."BernieP said:
Fingel_Hymer
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BernieP said:
That's an easy one. The answer is no. That seems to be a big problem with SMCPS, there's no fore thought. They wait until things are "broke" then ask for the money to beginning the planning process to replace them.... After the funding debate, planning etc, six years later, there's your new lights.
Fingel_Hymer
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BernieP said:
What are you basing this statement on? Not to call you out, but you're wrong. All of the high schools have and continue to use booster funds to make improvements to their fields and facilities. Great Mills put in irrigation systems for their practice fields, built a new outdoor building. Chopticon is always doing improvements to their fields out front.
the irriagtion system along with the new stadium were put in as part of the expansion of GMHS. It is my understanding that all work to school property is done by school system staff out of Leonardtown.Fingel_Hymer said:
Let's just say out of sight, out of mind, is used as a rule of thumb for the use of private funds. If the public can see it, then it's being down by the school systems staff. Video recording and editting equipement would be an example of something that can be purchased with booster funds. Equipment for the snack shack - because the boosters run that. But the fields - NO. People have offered to come in and put a load of topsoil down and reseed the football field and they have been told NO.
Again, the perception is that LHS gets a bigger budget, that it gets more because of racial and economic biases. In this day and age of political correctness perception is reality. The SMCPS have enough problems, the last thing they want is legislative or state school board questions about unfair allocation of funds when they go begging.
I what they are saying as far as the budget is concerned, however.... the fact of the matter is, the hands of people on the board of education are not tied. They can play that game... but in the end its B.S. Local businesses should be allowed to donate cash in exchange for advertisements for improvements of the field. I don't see why pepsi/coca cola can market their product at the games, or if Bill Gates foundation was to donate 1000 new computers to the school system to replace existing ones.... your saying the school system couldn't accept it because in 5 years it wouldn't be in their budget to replace such a donation???! So if Bill and Tom's Tractor business or Sheehy Chevrolet wanted to advertise??? thats not allowed?
In the end, its sad that the students suffer, they play in deteriorating conditions (lack of decent terrain/sod), track facilities that are getting older, scoreboard that is not working... etc... yet we could have facilities that mirror the ones at the naval academy but choose not to because its not in the best interest of our children, or its not politically correct? So who decides what is, the school board?!? When Thomas Stone has a nextel Tower on top of their school, or Chopticon has a pepsi machine in their school under contract to be refilled weekly? And your trying to say that the Board of Ed. buckles under pressure because the kids in St. Mary's Co. get donations to get better facilities, but in PG county, they choose not to accept and therefore have "ghetto" facilities, and don't have the budget?? Well in the end the kids lose.
In the end, its sad that the students suffer, they play in deteriorating conditions (lack of decent terrain/sod), track facilities that are getting older, scoreboard that is not working... etc... yet we could have facilities that mirror the ones at the naval academy but choose not to because its not in the best interest of our children, or its not politically correct? So who decides what is, the school board?!? When Thomas Stone has a nextel Tower on top of their school, or Chopticon has a pepsi machine in their school under contract to be refilled weekly? And your trying to say that the Board of Ed. buckles under pressure because the kids in St. Mary's Co. get donations to get better facilities, but in PG county, they choose not to accept and therefore have "ghetto" facilities, and don't have the budget?? Well in the end the kids lose.
Fingel_Hymer
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BernieP said:
Please go back to my reply. I indicated pratice fields. The irrigation system for the stadium field was part of the project there, but the irrigation system installation on the practice fields as well at the big galvanized barn style building was all installed with booster money.
The boosters might not be able to spread a load of topsoil, but I know that they are doing work at all three schools in one form or another. Just take a look around.