Are We Dumb, or “Racine-Dumb”?

The smoke has cleared, the dust is settling and life returns to the residents of eastern Racine County. Only now, after the bitter and nonproductive name-calling (from both sides!!), can we begin to understand the ramifications of the results of the June 6th referendum. To borrow a phrase from our favorite conservative talk show host, we are not only dumb, but “Racine-Dumb”.

By voting yes, we have condoned the continuing financial mismanagement of this district. What mismanagement, some might say? Here is a short list:

1. Selling valuable vacant land ($1.2MM) to fund a facility study that examined countertops, floors and what would constitute a “dream classroom”. I would have thought that the consultant would have provided blueprints, but alas, rumor has it The Paullin Group had to subcontract out those important duties.

2. I have also heard that the Paullin Group was not the lowest bidder. Open Records Requests have been filed to confirm this. It would not surprise me if it was true.

3. Paying the financial consultant group up to $304,000 in incentives because they found revenue enhancements. As you might know, one of the consultants, Nick Alioto, was the former business manager for Kenosha’s school district. Because Kenosha is similar in size and geographical location most of our revenues and expenditures would be comparable. All that would be needed was to do a line-by-line comparison of the districts’ financial statements and investigate the differences. I understand that incentives are used regularly in the business world, but I believe they have no place in governmental contracts. Couldn’t that $304,000 be better spent in the classroom?

4. On April 3rd, the financial consultant group, Public Business Consulting Group, was awarded a five-year, $2.5MM contract. When asked if this was a violation of Executive Limitation 6.7, (where the CEO cannot “commit to any single, budgeted purchase or expenditure greater than $75,000), our CEO said that there was not any violation since he had autonomous control over hiring district personnel. What the board, administration, and our local print media fail to realize is that this is NOT hiring district personnel; this is a service contract.

UPDATE 5-9-07:

Changes have been made to the executive limitations sometime since last April. The superintendent can now approve service contracts, provided they are for professional services (such as PBCG).


Please remember when the next referendum is placed on the ballot that our administration’s actions speak louder than words. Most of the big business decisions have nothing to do with children or the classroom. Our Board of Education, has given him free rein and has failed all of us miserably. How can this district focus on what is important – children and academics, when so much time and resources are being invested in everything but.