This rather amazing advertisment was in today’s paper and is being sent around through the email by a great many slack jawed Red Plan skeptics.
MINNESOTA LEGALS Classifieds
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT Duluth Independent School District 709 has amended the district’s long range facility plan approved in a review and comment of November 2007. The revised plan includes the elimination of the construction of a new transportation facility; eliminates improvements to the Secondary Technical Center which will be sold, and redirects funds to build additions at the district high schools for vocational programming; acquires additional property and revises the Ordean and Denfeld school sites building programs; redesigns the Grant/Nettleton elementary school site; acquires additional property at the Laura MacArthur elementary school site; acquires additional property at Lester Park; and defers work on the Central Administration Building not deemed essential to the building preservation. The district proposes to revise the original financing plan by reducing deferred maintenance, health and safety and disabled access costs financed by alternative facility bonding by $4,009,311, decreasing projects financed through general fund installment financing by $1,715,448, and increases projects funded by leases under M.S. §126C.40 Subd.6. by $5,724,759. The proposed changes will change the “Red” plan financing as follows: Alternative Facilities Bonding, November 2007 R&C $66,078,531, Revised Financing Plan $62,069,220.00, Proposed Change ($4,009,311.00); Installment Lease, November 2007 R&C $38,577,573.00, Revised Financing Plan $36,842,125.00, Proposed Change ($1,715,448.00); and Lease Purchase, November 2007 R&C $189,228,886.00, Revised Financing Plan $194,953,645.00, Proposed Change $5,724,759.00; Totals – November 2007 R&C $293,864,990.00, Revised Financing Plan $293,864,990.00, Proposed Change $0.00. School board approval is required for these changes to occur. All financing components of a facility plan implemented by the local school board must meet Minnesota statutory requirements. If federal stimulus programs are used in this project, the district must comply with federal standards for use and reporting requirements. REVIEW AND COMMENT STATEMENT: Based upon the department’s analysis of the school district’s required documentation and other pertinent information from sources of the Minnesota Department of Education, the Commissioner of Education approves these revisions to the original facility plans. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE: Persons desiring additional information regarding this proposal should contact the school district superintendent’s office. Alice Seagren Commissioner May 28, 2010 D.N.-T June 3, 2010 166817
Posted: 06/03/2010 | Category: MINNESOTA LEGALS
I have only skimmed through this but here is some preliminary background and analysis:
Last December 7th Dr. Dixon sent a letter to Pawlenty’s Ed Comish Alice Seagren asking for approval for Red Plan changes. This was done before the School Board had approved any changes. The District never showed the letter to School Board members despite their request to view it.
A fan of the Red Plan and a Duluth resident who works for the Education Commission finally, grudgingly, sent Dr. Dixon’s mystery letter to a school board member after repeated requests to see it.
At no time has anyone shared the actual review and comment document with Board members. This is the same thing that occurred three years ago with the original Review and Comment Document. The Board approved it sight unseen. The public didn’t get to see it. The Trib didn’t ask for it. The folks at the Minnesota Department of Education were surprised to hear that the $293 million plan they had been sent was never viewed by the Duluth School Board.
This ad lists many changes to the Red Plan that have never been discussed by the School Board despite the advertisement’s acknowledgment that, according to the ad: “School board approval is required for these changes to occur.”
The changes involve, as one Board member told me, “the further rape of the downtown.” as funding for Old Central deemed “unessential” is scrapped and programs relocated (without Board discussion) to other parts of town.
In fact this news, required to be posted by law, has not yet been viewed by the School Board the public or the reporters of the Duluth News Tribune. No matter. Superintendent Dixon has been granted the powers of fiat to do what he wishes without the knowledge or assent of the Duluth School Board. At least as long as he has his silent, compliant and uninformed school board majority.
My take on this is that this comes close to an offense for which jail time is warranted. Its a shame that it is all taking place with the knowledge and apparent collusion of members of Governor Pawlenty’s Administration who are bending over backward to keep Dr. Dixon’s school board out of the loop.
