I wonder how long it will be before the board is back again with the same old story, asking for a tax increase?

The tax payers will continue to defeat any tax increase until serious reforms are implemented. Lets start with the next contract!

Answer is 2014. Earliest it can happen. Anyone wanting to place blame for all of this should focus their attention on the school board. They mishandled this from start to finish. Only way this would have worked is if they would have approached the teachers union and done an early negotiation. Even an unofficial food faith agreement. Demonstrated the good faith to the public early and then asked for what was needed. Instead, they tried to sneak this through. Shame on them. You can't blame the community. 70% is very telling. They are the only ones to blame.

Is the district coming back in April with the same nonsense?

Would have had to file a few weeks ago and you can't have the same question on the feb and April ballots. So, if they did file then we will see a reworded question in April.

Hey! I voted for DiMaria & NO on the proposed tax increase so I'm a happy guy!☺

To the members of the board of Golf SD 67, before you decide to put a referendum before the tax payers again asking for more money or feel compelled to continue negotiate contracts that give raises far beyond the private sector norm to the highest paid elementary teachers in the state of Illinois. Please click this link to see the impact the recession has had on the people of this community http://ilfls.com/free/search.php?city%5B%5D=Morton%20Grove&date_field=issue_date&Submit=1. These are all people who are potentially loosing their homes to foreclosure. Higher taxes is not the path to take when so many suffer. Then ask yourselves how can you continue to ask these people the tax payers to pay more when there is so much financial distress in our community.

Private school starts to look better and better with these clowns at the helm.

In order for our country to stand half a chance in the future the education industrial complex in this country needs to be swept away completely. Thanks for voting NO.

Those of you celebrating the outcome of this vote should be ashamed of yourselves. The problems this district has have not been solved, and please keep the cries of overpaid teachers and wasted dollars because they are just plain stupid.

If you look at the statistics for teacher salaries, they are commensurate with years of experience and level of education.

The calls from opponents of this referendum have all been about stopping what others have tried to do. Not one of you has advanced any ideas about how to make things better. It's all about how you don't want to pay any more in taxes for any reason at all. You've ignored all the information given about the concessions made and the problems that need to be fixed. And the reasons given all have to do with board members that no longer serve on the board or teachers that you had some personal grudge against.

The disdain for education and educators is a mystery to me. Claims that these teachers are just money hungry jerks who only care about themselves.

Hey, I have an idea. Why don't all of you that voted no go to the front of the schools with bullhorns and yell to the kids how greedy their stupid teachers are. Tell them how those useless programs like Spanish and Technology are extras and they only require the most basic education possible. Tell them that teachers should only make modest incomes, no matter what degrees they hold or how good a job they do.

Some people make me sick.

That's right Shawn. You must be right. The majority of the community must be evil because they disagree with you. Must be a lonely world you live in.

Shawn, what is your solution??

Shawn appears to be a true scholar. So eloquent of a response. Ladies and gentlemen. I present to to reason #67 this did not pass. Shawn supported it. People like him believe that it is ok to ask the voters to become a district with a tax burden amount the highest around to pay our teachers more than any others and he justifies it by citing awards that all other schools have. We are ranked 25th in academics and #1 in pay. They also believe they they should just keep asking for the same thing over and over again and not digest the fact that 70% of the electorate disagrees. Instead, they take the ridiculous position that they are right and the majority is wrong. More so, their academic prowess is demonstrated further by name calling and stealing signs. District is doomed by people like him.

I wonder how many District parents who might have voted for this (like me) were unable to after a full day at work, driving home in the snow, picking up kids, removing snow from my property and the property of my neighbors.

Why was this important vote on a Tuesday in February?

Newbiee,
You hit it right smack dab on the head!

I also wonder how many parents that were against this did not make it out for the same reason. If it was so important to you to raise our already high taxes than you should have showed up. How pompous to assume only people against this referendum could not make it to vote.

PT. you might be right, but assuming balanced hardships you can assume at least the same percentage of people that opposed it also didn't vote.

To answer your question, there was only ONE reason for them to place it on the feb ballot as opposed to April. The school board was literally trying to sneak this past the electorate. They figured turnout would be the lowest for this ballot. Same reason kids group was acting covertly. No signs. No open houses. But calling people they believed supported them. Similar to busing supporters to the polls. Sad but true.

One last point and then I'm leaving this issue. Supporters trumpet that overpaid teachers and higher taxes are good for property values. I'm paraphrasing. Well, consider this.

Over the past year housing sales are sharply up. That tells me that people are still buying houses here and the district situation doesn't seem to be scaring them off.

Also, foreclosures are sharply up. That tells me that our neighbors can't afford their homes even before this proposed sharp rise in tax. I say our neighbors but this does not 96% of district employees. They all commute.

You can argue that the rise in foreclosures is due to the backlog release resulting from the removal of banking restrictions and they are now acting, but I would counter that in no universe will the foreclosure situation improve by raising taxes. Only someone like Obama would believe that.

The district has to recognize that economic and demographic forces in the community have dictated that new thinking and approaches are needed as to how to fund the schools. I'm in favor of higher fees for those special programs that the parents of the students feel are important. When I see a librarian (now retired) receiving pay of 139K that tells me that the priorities in the district are screwed up. The thought of higher degrees or years of service mean automatic higher pay is not the reality of the private sector. We need to bring private sector reality into our school operations and funding. Regarding the pensions, I feel that sleeping giant will hit us when (not if) the state shifts the liability back to the districts. That is when the liability of the 139K librarians with the 100K plus pensions will really hit home. Then we will all be asking ourselves (again) how do we get out of this mess. I personally like living in this community. I love the home my wife and I have built-up over the years. And my children like it here also. They attended Sd 67 schools. But my fear is that I will have to leave (possibly for another state) if the spiraling property tax burden continues at the current rate. When I moved in my taxes were 2K now they are approaching 10K. Where will they be when I retire (which is soon) 15K? How many of you can retire and maintain your current home in the district with the 5% and 10% property tax increases we have been seeing lately?

The benefits these teachers enjoy are unrealistic in todays marketplace. One hundred percent of health insurance paid? Who else has that luxury? Maybe the royal family in Britain. The teacher contract is killing the district, plain and simple

Why is it that my very valid points go without response? People keep talking about what property taxes are at right now. What about the four plus decades where there was no increase in the tax levy? What about the accolades this district has gotten? What about the concessions? What about the cutbacks?

No, instead I get people like Newbiee making stupid comments about how the district is 25th in academics and 1st in pay.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2010/Best-Elementary-Schools-Cook-County/

Not according to this 2010 look at Chicago area schools. Out of the top 35 schools(Hynes was #32 and Golf as #35) our District was only about ten thousand over the average of what teachers in that group were being paid. That amount is negligible, when looking at the bigger picture. Also, the percentage was almost 95 concerning meets or exceeds expectations.

Or is big news in cahoots with big education in an effort to swindle the poor out of more money. Ridiculous.

Amazing that no one seems to look at what this is doing to the kids. The community is at fault. As Shawn said, No increase in the tax levy for over 40 years? And a former superintendent that was given a rubber stamp of "yes" to whatever she asked for (including personal items) is what go got the district in this mess in the first place. She was hired and given that stamp by the school board elected by the community. The community dug the hole that the district is in, time to grab your shovel and help them out rather than burying them deeper.

Much like the state thr next shoe to drop will be the bonding agencies.

@Grandpa. Next election is in April but the board would have had to place this issue on the ballot weeks ago (already reported by others). So next elections are the Gubernatorial Primary Election March 18, 2014 and the Gubernatorial General Election November 4, 2014.
By March next year the new school board as elected this April will have had time to:
. 1. review district's financials / make necessary cuts to live within budget
. 2. start negotiations with the teachers union (maybe finish)
. 3. finish the construction the voters approved last November
. (I would have preferred the district hold off one or two years for the construction to build up the reserves by using the interest gained from the bond. But this did not happen and construction will proceed).
. 4. provide clear direction for the new superintendent
. 5. show the community the barebones needs of the district
. 6 AND YES, place another referendum question on the ballot

AS - "Why should the community pay for the school boards mistakes."

The school board is elected by the community.

How many Board members campain for their position? Most are seated by default they only need one vote to get the positon. That could have been their vote. Community members have spoken up MANY times. They are now choosing not to hear CONSTRUCTIVE Comments. Like I said you feel that strong write a check to the school, I have a huge tax bill to pay already.

How about you Run? If I was on that board trust me this referendum would have never even been on the ballot. Marks would have never been making $800 a day plus her retirement pay.

I'm a confirmed, committed No vote, now and in the future, but I do think there are some points in the recent comments about the community and the school board. We as a community have learned the hard way that we need to pay more attention to what is going on. This is our school district and we have a civic responsibility to take pride in it and not just send negative messages. A few people have made some big decisions that affect all of us over time. We need to be more of a presence and find a way to make things work more effectively. I'm disappointed that money went into salaries rather than maintaining the buildings for so long, but it's true that I need to ask myself why I let that happen when I was here the whole time. I'm not sure why we keep turning over superintendents but it is time to find out.

@District 67 mom. You are correct that taxes go up and sometimes go down. The correct wording should be the MAXIMUM TAX RATE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT 67 HAS NOT GONE UP IN 40 YEARS. This does not mean that SD67 has not raised our actual taxes. It means that it has lived within the tax rates fixed by referendum 40 years ago.
Tax rates fluctuate depending on the assessed valuation of the district as you can see in the following for a house in Morton Grove within SD67:
2011 8.319%
2010 7.361%
2009 6.605%
2008 6.269%
2007 6.477%
2006 7.318%
This is a range of over 2.05%. Taxes for this time period only went down 1 of the years. The rest the taxes went up even as the tax rate went down.
.
Since the assessed valuation of property as been so dramatically decreased in the past few years, the maximum tax rate is anticipated to be too low for even the cost of living increase as legislated by the tax caps in the mid-90s and definitely too low, per the school board, to maintain the level of excellence the community has come to expect.

I just want to say that the school district held several informational meetings to discuss all of these topics and the total community attendance across several sessions was under 10 people. If you have something to say, come to these sessions. Ask the questions, voice your concerns, suggest alternatives. Coming here to Patch.Com to rant and rave under aliases (some folks with multiple alises) is just cowardly.

I encourage you all to get involved to help solve these problems. Come to those district meetings, talk to the superintendent or the principals as their doors are always open. If you really think you have the knowledge, skills, and experience to make a difference for pete's sake RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD!

So many people have such firey opinions, many based on opinions and not at all on fact (example: Preschool was started as a way to bring money into the district and utilize empty classrooms. Preschool is not included for district residents. Its is tuition-based). I think it would be a much more helpful for our community to stop ranting and raving senseless on Patch and have courage to come forward with suggestions, ideas, and plans.

What does bare bones look like?
A K-4 school with one social worker at the school 2 1/2 days and the other Counselor 2 1/2 days..hope you don't have a break down when they're not available to see you!
No reading specialist...hope your child doesn't need services above and beyond the "norm"
Pay to play sports
No Clubs
No early busses if your kid needs help in the morning
or Late busses to stay if you need help after school
I mean, is this the school you all went too? Is this what we want school to be for our kids? Or the kids of this community? Send them home to watch TV and play videogames and become more socially maladjusted!?
Why move into the D67 part of Morton Grove when Parkview has all these things and more! They went for a referendum in 2004 that cost WAY more that what D67 asked for. Talk about sealing the fate of our property values more than the counries ecomonic woes.
And by the way a 500$ increase is about $40/month.

The real question is WHO made these decisions that people keep bringing up that have put the district in such a financial mess?? "The school board" is being blamed, but thats a general term. Is it these current members who signed off on Linda Marks cushy salary, car and hefty pension? Was it these current members who signed off on the teachers' contract? I'm very curious to know who exactly these board members are/were who ultimately locked in these cotracts as if money was unlimited! That way we'll know exactly who NOT to vote for, who to watch out for, or at least hold some specific people responsible. I'm sure FOIAs will reveal such information and the results may be surprising--they should be exposed! Who knows? It could be someone down the street from us, or one of these bloggers crying out against the referendum to cover their guilt? Superintendents are notorious for working X amount of years, retiring and then moving to other states to work, retire & collect yet another pension. And guess which state doles out the meatiest pensions?? Yours truly! Another question: if pension reforms go into place, will towns and districts be forced to fund ALL government workers' pensions? That would include not only teachers, but firefighters & police, & all other municipal employees. Would we even have a choice or would it all be thrown upon us? It's so messed up, makes me want to puke and move! Not to mention Cook County being the most corrupt and our history of corrupt governors!

Seriously--who are/were those school board members? They were publicly elected, so their names should be exposed! How will the public know who is not watching out for everyone's best interest? I support public education wholeheartedly, but there's a responsibility to have foresight. Whoever gave a superintendent such an outrageously high salary (and a car on top of it!) with public money was irresponsible bc we're still paying for it--her pension! Whose bright idea was it to pass a contract spiraling teachers' salaries out of control? Balance is key! Teachers do work very hard (maybe not all, but what profession doesn't have its slackers and incompetents) and it's a worthy profession bc they educate kids and bring a lot of work home; but they go to work about 9 1/2 months out of the year, and if you include spring and winter breaks and other days off in between -- it's maybe a little over 8 months. #67 salaries are more than some who work year-round and maybe get a few sick days here & there and a couple weeks off. People have had their salaries frozen for years, and bc funding is taking such a hit, bad economy, how can we continue to give guaranteed raises? Unions don't even care for all their members, only those at top paid positions & those holding offices. And it's the younger, dynamic teachers who end up cut first before the old, lazy (and expensive) teachers protected by tenure. Great system! In the real world, most people get fired if their performance is poor!

It's so frustrating that all of these selfish people with no solutions and stupid ideas are just running rampant on this article.

For one, almost all of the good points brought up by me, Donald India, and a few others whose names escape me, have been thoroughly ignored. Instead we get weak arguments and stupid statements about how educators have no real world skills or how you don't want to pay for an education for someone that isn't you, because we all know that your education was likely paid for by only your parents, right? Most of you are probably public school educated, but since you got yours those stupid kids can just deal with it on their own, right?

Maybe you guys want to actually focus on the valid issues, not rant about your personal grudges against former or current board members.

Maybe you can explain why you didn't complain for decades when the tax levy wasn't being increased, because that's one of the main problems that caused this issue. But no, silence on all the issues being brought forth that you have no answer for.

Oh, now I know why the poor kids have to go to such run down school buildings and have such a crappy gym in the middle school. It's because a superintendent was worried about her own salaries and perks and getting cushy ones for her teachers. Finally the buildings will be taken care of, but what good is a new gym when there's no sports teams?

The new gym actually has nothing to do with sports teams. It is being built to allow the district to meet the mandatory state requirements of kids having PE each day. Currently with the Hynes gym functioning as both a cafeteria and a gymnasium, there are not enough periods in the day for all of the kids to have PE. The district has been granted a waiver from the state regarding the PE requirement for many years, but that is due to expire. So just to be clear, this gym is not a luxury but a necessity to allow 67 to meet the requirements of the state. It's unfortunate that so many people are not aware of these facts when the district has been bending over backwards to try to educate the community. Let's not continue to be uneducated voters because that simply hurts our community.

You want to know why I used harsh language and namecalling? The reasons are threefold.

First, I abhor dishonesty. I have an especially sore spot for people who argue dishonestly. Making things up and ignoring facts because they conflict with what you want is the quickest way to get me to realize that you aren't interested in an honest debate; you just want to get your point across, and have no interest in hearing what the other side has to say.

Secondly, if you say stupid things, expect to have them called out on their stupidity. Calling the teachers greedy con artists who only care about getting paid is not only demonstrably wrong, it's an affront to the very nature of what being a teacher is about. Saying education is not a right is stupid. Complaining about having to pay taxes because you aren't going to reap the benefits of those taxes is stupid. Say stupid things, and they will be labeled as such. Saying "awwwwww" as if I'm someone looking for sympathy is a douchebag move, especially when you ignore the valid statements I've made.

Finally, it just plain pisses me off to see people working against their own best interests. So many people play the short game, and never look down the road. More cuts and concessions will have to be made. Does anyone realize that the schools factor pretty heavily to people looking to move to a new area? Does anyone realize that our area has already had decreases in new homeowners?

So don't try to take the delicate sensibilities route and start swooning and needing fainting couches because I used rough language. I didn't start this conversation talking like this but this issue has been going on for a while, and all I hear from the opposition is years old grudges and selfish notions.

Guys, this is all pointless. Vote is over. Measure was defeated a third time. It would be defeated 100 times if the same measure was put to the voters without any change or new information. Bottomline is time to move on. Get mad...but no one really cares.

Now we are going to see some real progress. Contracts are up in June and the Board has the responsbilitiy of figuring out a fair solution. Look at all the neighboring districts. Teachers are agreeing to 0-2% pay raises in light of the hard times and the harder times coming down the pipeline. Finances are only going to get worse. I'll be watching this very carefully. Teachers have the power to solve this. Yes, it will be a bitter pill to swallow and the grand old days will be over, but it is the only solution.

District needs to make changes and run a leaner ship. Some will argue that it is already too lean, but in hard times, the current cuts are reasonable. Paying for full-day kindergarden and sports is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme and not a novel concept. This, in combination with responsible contracts, and the public may tolerate another referenda. Yes, some will oppose a tax increase no matter what, and others will vote yes no matter what. Both of these groups are equal in guilt. The solution will be made by those in the middle.

Kinda like the good old USA, but we see how well that is working.

Yes, thanks for the clarification. The gym is primarily being built because the school can't get anymore waivers for the gym requirement. But it should be built so it can be used for multiple purposes. Maybe rent out? I hear park district is getting involved in some possible agreement, but they are also squeezing money from the school right now with that crappy park. Doesn't have like 3 or 4 gyms? Their k-8, but also have several gyms. So, yes, for all the classes to have gym everyday, you need more space, but the new gym could possibly be a revenue opportunity for the school. But it is the salaries and benefits of the teachers that are not in touch with reality. Again, I support education, but the facts show unrealistic picture. And this was done by past board members and superintendent who did not look far enough down the road. Even if economy is good, should we be wasteful? We all know costs go up, that is why some start saving for their kids college as soon as a mom gets pregnant.

And I should apologize for generalizing that all veteran teachers are bad, they are not. But there are some who don't put in the effort, young or old. They don't respond to emails by parents, they fail your child without giving you advance notice. Schools should be able to get rid of these kinds of teachers, but unions protect them and the schools can't do anything unless it wants a lawsuit that will put it in more debt. It's ashame the kids will get the short end of the stick. The union should be concerned about quality teachers, too, and really need to be realistic with this new contract. Referendum for their salaries failed three times! Do they want the classes to get bigger and get their colleagues fired so the tenured ones with enormous paychecks can stay? I hope they see the big picture and do whats right by all, the kids, the Taxpayers, and their fellow teachers. I'm still looking for more names of former board members to answer the question why they gave a superintendent such an inflated salary & car & pension and passed a teachers contract that put the school and us taxpayers in the position we are today. Were paying for the "sins of our fathers"! Everything has a history. This did not happen overnight.

If that's the case, we need to get ride of her in April!

That's good. I think these new guys will set things right.

No, Gina. I meant who approved her well over $200K plus salary, plus car & hefty pension when she was here full time AND drew up the teachers' contract before she left? That $800 a day was AFTER she left & they hired her for consultation, as needed, when things went south with her replacement. At least I don't think she collects pension on that and I don't even think total was that huge compared to that salary and bumps to get a hefty pension. What did that overall add up to? Close to $300K?? We're paying her pension based on her salary when she was here full time and are paying the price for that contract she drew up with the teacher which the back-then Board approved! So, where are the others?? Was Gail there then, too? And if she was, she didn't do it all on her own you know. Who are they? Are the same ones still there? If not, expose those past Board members. We can't fully blame a new group that's trying to do damage control, but I'm sure mistakes are being made. Wish more people put their hat in the ring to run given this referendum circus has been going on for a while. Guess I'm equally to blame.

The very person who has been so outspoken about the financial irresponsibility now... was at the root cause of it (in cahoots) with Marks for YEARS! Just look at the board voting record!

Wow! And double Wow! Sue Pellicano, one who is blaming this Board for the mess she and her fellow board members made. Thanks Sue! Now tell us who your partners in crime were (aside from Linda Marks). If this is true, so unbelievable that she has the nerve to flap her gums and not even slightly admit to any of it! Probably thinks the more she yaps against the school, the deeper she'll bury her past! I am so glad I'm pushing the question: who are those board members?? Mr. India, others?? Stand up and take some responsibility, too! It's all public record & there are people out there who remember the past and bold enough to speak out. Or are you disguising yourselves as anti-referendum supporters like Ms. Sue here hoping no one would even imagine you were a past School board member that started this downward spiral. But Mr. India is supporting a tax hike anyway.

Perhaps we need to stand back and look at this funding problem from another perspective. Can the community continue fund several independent school districts considering demographic and financial changes in Niles and Morton Grove? Maybe Golf SD-67 should merge win another district or districts. Then we could eliminate any synergies created in staffing. Also any tax oriented funding and referendum would be broader in base and maybe less impactful on the tax payers. I know the state of Illinois is looking at reducing school districts through mergers to reduce administrative and instructional overhead. Private business does this so why can we? Generally in business if you are the smallest in your segment, may times it becomes a decision of merge with a competitor or go out of business. SD SD67 maybe its time to recognize that a district with only 500+ students is no longer feasible in this demographic, political and financial climate? Maybe its time to make education more efficient and cost effective!

I wrote this suggestion in the past in The Patch: the VOTERS have already given the SD67 a potential 'temporary' solution for the education/operating fund. The vote in November for the construction authorized a $7.9 million bond. The arbitrage can be legally transfered annually to the Ed Fund. The revenue interest generated by a fund does not have to reside in the same fund. So if the construction is delayed for (say 2 years) the district may be able to transfer a badly needed half million into the Ed Fund. Financial managers looking at the full scope of SD67's situation should have presented this viable opion. This is why I wrote that I did not favor starting the construction immediately and to wait until the summer of 2014 or 2015. But advice can only be given and forced to be accepted. Maybe it would NOT be too late for the newly elected board to dealy the construction planned for this summer and use the money for education.
Would love to read potential solutions from others.

Perhaps instead of all this petty bickering among the recent YES and NO voters, those dissatisifed with the outcome of the rejected referendum should really be upset with the vast majority of lazy slugs who didn't even bother to vote. The voter turnout on 2/26 was incredibly low. With options including a few weeks of early voting and absentee ballots there's just no excuse for not voting. And as for the disgruntled YES voters who are so angry about the outcome we have to wonder if these people did any campaigning in the weeks before election day to try to encourage as many people as possible to get to the polling places on election day if not before. Giving us "valid points" after the results are in is like closing the barn door after the horse escapes.

Dist 67 has a foundation that the concerned YES voters, and others, can make contributions to. If the 314 YES voters pledged the referendum tax amount of approximately $500, this group would immediately generate $157,000 for the teachers.
This money would be immediate and D67 would not have to wait for the state to give them the tax money. Let's write those checks tonight !! Don India , you lead the way.

First, let me state that everyone who is bashing the teachers and their salaries, to please think for a moment. If any of us were offered raises and great benefits, would we really tell our employers "No thank you. The company has been far too generous and in fact, I would love to give some back if at all possible!" Somehow I think we would all answer no to that. Next, everyone who has commented on this site has only been able to do so because of teachers! They are the reason that we can read and write. Everyone who has a job only has it due to teachers. Who do you think taught all the classes that made us what we are today! We could actually survive in this country without a lot of the professions and jobs that you all work, but without teachers we would just be bumbling idiots! To every single person commenting on this board, I bet there are plenty of people who think that you are overpaid, have too good of benefits and should even be fired! So who exactly do you think deserves the salaries of teachers? Yourself?

I am surprised that no one mentioned Joe Brunner as a key conspirator in this mess. When he was on the school board, he negotiated the teachers' contract!

Can we get some checks from Don India, and Shawn and Mr Brunner ? It would be a quick $1500 for D67. You 3 are leaders...lead by example and fund the schools you supposedly care so much about. If it was taken from you as a tax you would have to pay. Why not give of your own free will if you are so passionate about your cause ?? It's tax season and I am sure this would be a tax deductible donation too.

Sue Pellicano should Walk the Talk. She voted for the overly generous teachers' contract when she was on the school board. Now she smugly sits in the back of the room at board meetings criticizing the same contract deal. If she means what she says, she should make wrongs right and run for the board as a write-in candiate in April. Now is the time for her to put up or shut up!