Elmhurst Gets A "Reprieve"....

The FWCS has suspended (for the time being) plans to close Elmhurst High School. And since Elmhurst won't be closing (soon), the addition planned at Wayne High School will likewise be put "on hold". These decisions are not final (what the heck IS these days?), and are subject to change somewhere down the road. Wendy Robinson stated that these two plans will be "moved to the back of the line".
Now don't go renting the dancehall and calling the caterer just YET....this isn't a done, final, etched-in-stone deal. What FWCS is "hoping" for is when all the OTHER schools have gotten their wishlists fulfilled, it WILL be time to close Elmhurst and put the addition onto Wayne HS. Still, for NOW...it's better than watching all that history go down the crapper, right?

Mark GiaQuinta and Jon Olinger both voiced reasons for NOT closing Elmhurst...and they BOTH cited the academics at that school. "There is some GOOD learning going on at that school", said GiaQuinta.

Now that DOESN'T mean that the $50 million that was to be used for Wayne and Elmhurst will "go away"...FWCS STILL plans to use THAT money as well, so the taxpayers aren't gonna catch ANY breaks over that., kapesh?

One Pleasant Center Elementary School father (Kevin Creed) said:" I feel like you're taxing me MORE, and you're taking AWAY my choice". You hit that nail squarely on the head, Mr Creed. And to think that the FWCS is but ONE of DOZENS of "entities" that CAN (and most likely) WILL levy (property) tax INCREASES to you and I. Who do you think is paying for that new runway going in at FWIA? We are.

There is SO much that is NOT being told to the taxpayers; We're just "expected" to act like nothing is wrong, question nothing, and just shell out more and more money...like we're printing the $hit in our basements! Overinflated property assessments, tax breaks for (new) businesses, clandestine entities levying increases without our knowledge....all of this needs to be a lot more "transparent". Let US decide where and when our tax monies should go...and for how long and at what rate, OK?

I say we start to question EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, 'cause there seems to be plenty of culpability to spread around! Resident Byron Wyss, who spoke against the project (as a "whole"...there's irony there...I was thinking "financial black hole" myself) said the district can't keep asking taxpayers for more money. "Where does the board think (aye, there's the rub....if you catch my drift) we're going to come up with ANOTHER $300 MILLION A YEAR at a minimum? The plan has gone beyond needs and wants and gone into dreams and desires."

Well said, My Wyss. And you know what? There might just be a city "slogan" in there somewhere...