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by Linda Moore
WOW!!! Have y'all been keeping up with the school explosion going on in the county? Have y'all been keeping up with how much money is needed? Did you know....... that if the county borrows money to build schools that the county MUST give the city one third of the money? How insane is that? I suppose that it's because the city is inside the county? Do you, tax paying citizen, want to borrow money and then give the city one third of that borrowed money? I can tell you here and now that the city board of education will arrogantly spend that money before they even get their hands on it. And the city would not bother to bid out any work . Historically speaking they would merely call Don Shell up in Knoxville and say, "We have money for you".
Let me give you hard working tax payers some statistics.
For the sake of propriety I'm including my state url link so that you can double check me on all that I say. http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/
For the school year 2004 the Bradley County School System had a total of 9,169 white, 196 African American, 147 Hispanic, 32 Asian, 6 Native American and 3 Pacific Islander..... students. We had 50 Limited English Proficient. We had 3.870 students that were economically disadvantaged.
For the school year 2005 the Bradley County School System had a total of 9,201 white students.191 African American students, 191 Hispanic students, 33 Asian students, 8 Native American students and 3 Pacific Islander students. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!! The Limited English Proficient was 69 students. We had 4.225 economically disadvantaged.
We get these numbers a year late. What were the jumps in Hispanic students, Limited English Proficient and Economically Disadvantaged last year? EVEN MORE RELEVANT...... What are these numbers this year????? I know for a fact that over the summer months we had an Hispanic population explosion of sorts in Bradley County.
Just so that everyone knows....... the jumps for Hispanic students in Cleveland City is greater than Bradley County and there are well over a hundred more Hispanic students than in the county. But I am two years behind counting this school year. Did I mention that I noticed at this site that city school scores have fallen in some areas? I haven't checked the county scores but you can use my link and study up on your school?
Hmm, what to do? I know this, The federal government requires that we teach regardless of legal or illegal status. The federal government requires that we spend lots more money for lots more classes to make folks, "english proficient." However, the County Commission and the City Council could, (if they would), enact ordinances to make it much tougher to hire or rent to immigrants. But it's looking like, (much to the chagrin of the tax payers), that they will not.
Do y'all remember when that lady tried to give land to the county to build a new school on? And the county said, "no, we take pride in looking a gift horse in the mouth; we don't need your prime property we have John and Jane taxpayer to pilfer from," remember that? Folks....... I think we need that gift horse's land. I really do. If she's going to be so generous to taxpayers as to give it; I think we should say, "thank you," and take that land. County commission, y'all might need to eat some humble pie and take that free land....... for the sake of the tax payers that you serve.
Our Hispanic population is growing by leaps and bounds. Our impoverished population is growing in leaps and bounds. We are past needing schools. What are you, the tax payer going to do about all of this? The County Commissioners and the City Council members and the Board of Education members, are not the bosses. You should never be thrilled or feel honored if they give you the time of day or answer a call. You should never ever try to impress them. They are the employee!!!! YOU ARE THE BOSS!!!! It is their job to do as you direct them to do. They are supposed to vote the will of the people and not assume that they know what is best for you. All of us are looking at very serious tax increases. I admonish you to call your county commissioners and your city councilmen and tell them what YOU want. I admonish you to be the BOSS instead of being sheep herded into corrals where you have no say at all.
If anyone needs contact information for the council, the commission or the board of educations, I have it. Folks, y'all need to be bossing these servants around instead of allowing them to run amuck and throw your money away. It's looking more and more like the contractors and builders, own and run Bradley County instead of the hardworking and tax paying citizens. Trivia: Construction is the number one job for illegal immigrants.
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