Service Solutions donates $25,000, but ...

At the March 8, 2022 board meeting everyone got all excited about a $25,000 donation from Service Solutions. Service Solutions has been contracting with Richland 2 for 28 or 29 years; no one was sure which.

Now the reason this may not be such a big deal, or worthy of a photo opp with the trustees and the superintendent, is that the $25,000 was not an unrestricted gift. The staffer called it "a BIG check", and Holmes referred to it as "a big deal".

Yes, $25,000 is a big deal - maybe. But it losts its luster for me, when it was explained that $20,000 of that amount is for ten $2,000 scholarships and $5,000 to the R2 Ready-to-Read program. Will Anderson clarified that the scholarships go to students of employees of the custodial staff (Service Solutions' employees). Will said they are given priority.

Thanks to Will Anderson for injecting truth and transparency into the presentation!

So, in other words, Service Solutions, rather than awarding the scholarships directly to employees' dependents, funnels $20,000 through Richland Two on the condition that it go back to children of its employees.

Is that a "donation"? Really?

Manning attacks Agostini

At the March 8, 2022 board meeting there was a COVID-19 Update. Following that update, Trustee Agostini thanked the staff. She also expressed disappointment that the majority of the board had not supported Trustee McFadden's request on February 8th for the update.

Then Trustee Manning just had to have his say. He commented on a logic class he had taken in college, where he learned the term "poisoning the well". He explained what that meant. Listen to this.

Tap this link to play that segment of the 3/8/2022 meeting: https://www.vibby.com/v/m1e6uRt3s2

Keep in mind that this board just spent hours in TWO workshops titled "Executive Coaching and Parliamentary Procedure". Those workshops were supposed to begin the healing of the chaos, discourtesy and disrespect on the board. Manning's body was there.  Both workshops. You can see it in the videos. But ...

So what did Manning do? He attacked Trustee Agostini for "poisoning the well".

Maybe, instead of logic, Manning's time in college would have been better spent in a class in Professional Courtesy.

Plus, his comment was a violation of Board Policy. He was disrespectful toward another trustee.

His comment about "poisoning the well" had absolutely nothing to do with the presentation! His comment should have been only about the presentation and not about a comment made by another member of the board.

Perhaps he feels safe from board discipline because he is part of The Core Four. If a complaint were filed against Manning, the board would hear it. Then the board would vote. The result of that vote would continue to secure Manning's seat, because it would be

Motion to censure Manning

Yes: Agostini, Scott, McFadden (3)

No: Holmes, McKie, Caution-Parker, Manning (4)

Motion would fail.

But November 8th draws closer every day.

Equality or Equity - Employee Bonus

The school board apparently did not understand that the motion on which they voted on February 22 was NOT the same as the written request made by Administration, which was shown on the projection screen.

When the superintendent explained the request for $6.45 Million for full-time and part-time employee bonuses, he explained it from his favored position of equity, not equality.

The written request was from a position of Equality. All full-time employees would get a one-time bonus of $1,580, and all part-time employees would get a bonus of $789. Everyone in each group gets the same. That's what was sent out to the trustees in the board packet. That's really easy to program and pay. 

But the superintendent said all full-time employees would get a one-time bonus of $1,000 net after taxes, and all part-time employees would get a bonus of $500 net after taxes.

That is different. That's equity at work, just as the superintendent and many on his staff prefer. The same outcome, regardless of cost.

The trustee-elect McKie made a motion that followed the superintendent's error right down the rabbit hole. And that's what the trustees approved.

I wondered if Dr. Harry Miley, the Chief Financial Officer, was having palpitations as he listened to the superintendent and trustee-elect McKie. Why didn't he interrupt and correct the error, before the trustees voted?

My answer to that question is that he probably knows he'd better not interrupt or correct the superintendent in public. Maybe not even in private. Miley is a good guy. I'm sure he likes his job. 

So what if hours and hours of staff time will be required to program payroll computers to pay out exactly $1,000 net to full-time employees and exactly $500 net to part-time employees? After all, it's just taxpayer money. 

If an employee gets more or less than that exact amount, will he file a grievance? What will that cost? Maybe some employees will file a class-action suit against the district for more or less gross pay than the employee in the next cubicle.

Parents: Richland Two Restroom Policy?

Parents of Richland Two students, do you know what the restroom policy is at your child's school?

Aren't most restrooms designated for either boys or girls?

If your daughter is in the girls' restroom, does she want a boy walking in on her? Do you?

Looks like a boy, walks like a boy, talks like a boy? Is it a boy? Or is it a boy pretending to be a girl?

I am so glad that I do not have a child or a grandchild in public schools these days.

So, what's the deal? How is Richland Two handling the transgender issue? Can a boy decide he wants to be a girl and then just walk into a girls' restroom?

What about locker rooms for students who participate in sports and who change into sports clothing or a uniform? Or don their swimsuits? Do girls have to allow boys in the changing room? 

So, parents, how do you feel about that? And how do your children feel about it?

Are your children being brainwashed and conditioned in their schools to go along with the woke leadership and policies that somebody else puts together? Did you get a chance to add your input? 

What if enough parents go against the flow and say, "No more"? Will they be able to say it loudly and publicly enough that their protests won't get buried in someone's closet?

Just how big is the transgender population in Richland Two schools? 1%? Less than 1%? Should 99% of the students have to put up with something that the 1% want?

What, exactly, are Richland Two's Policies, procedures and Administrative Rules on this topic?