Hailey Crowder, Senior and Journalism Student at FLSD wrote an interesting article for the spring 2022 Fountain Lake mailer that district patrons have recently received. This is an Open Letter responding to her comments, which are italicized.
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Dear Hailey,
I can understand how deflated you and other Cobra fans are about your school’s recent millage defeat in the special election on February 8, 2022. While you have identified how close the total vote was in that race, I think you will agree that reaching those 572 people who didn’t vote will be difficult in the future. I submit that perhaps that group didn’t vote because they didn’t like the package that Fountain Lake School District (FLSD) was selling, at the prices and conditions that the district was proposing.
FLSD was asking for permission to borrow $44,250,000, to be repaid, plus interest, by district property owners over the next 30 years.
Hailey correctly wrote in her introduction: A school district is required to have a minimum of 25 mills…dedicated to maintenance and operation.
She and probably others appear to misunderstand that those 25 “M&O” mills are already guaranteed by the 34.8 mills that every property owner in FLSD owes and will continue to pay.
This election was not about the 34.8 mills FLSD approved several years ago. This ballot asked for a 5 mill increase for a proposed new K-3 elementary school; a new workforce/community center; a new performance arena for 2,000 people; new roads and an ADA parking lot; plus kitchen/cafeteria space, new classrooms, and playing fields.
All of us have trouble getting our heads around how much goods $44,250,000 will buy. Let me give you a concrete example: in the U.S. today the average price of a shiny new car is $31,000. Now picture a parking lot lined with 1,419 new cars. That is the extra buying power of the $44,250,000 that FLSD requested.
FLSD didn’t lose the election solely because 572 patrons didn’t show up at the polls. It lost because the superintendent and school board members over-reached with their “laundry list” of community-building and entertainment projects. Did the district consult forum groups made up of honest cross-sections of its patrons, not just the stalwart few who attend school board meetings, to find out what they want and are willing to pay for? We are the ones being asked to foot the bill. FLSD’s problems are larger than a “turn out the vote” campaign. Ms. Crowder continues…we implore all of those who support this school and her endeavors to get out and vote. To which we reply, AMEN!
Congratulations to you and your class upon your graduation!
Patty MacDonald
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Tom Blakeman
04/19/2022 — 6:29 am
Yes.
Tracy Brey
04/19/2022 — 7:25 am
It’s definitely a large sum of money but it’s difficult for the District (or any District resident) to consult with ‘forum groups made up of honest cross-sections of its patrons’ when the online moderators of these groups (such as the one where this article is posted) don’t allow comments on their posts. But yes to your question, there were several in-person Town Hall meetings held covering every piece of the Millage increase. The support was there, the votes were not.
HSVP C
04/19/2022 — 7:43 am
Tracy Brey
04/19/2022 — 8:18 am
I didn’t accuse you or your character of anything, I simply stated that the Facebook page where this was posted (and how I found it) does not allow comments on their posts. It’s obviously their right as it’s their page but that doesn’t go very far to promote discussion. I do not know you and you shouldn’t assume to know me. I don’t ‘assume’ this website is ‘biased’ and I never ‘accused’ you of anything………falsely or otherwise. On the contrary, your entire comment is an attack on me when I simply stated a fact. I have no idea who moderates what nor do I care. I’m just tired of information being ‘left out of’ or ‘twisted’ in ‘opinion pieces’ on both sides of the issue.
And Thank You for the idea! I honestly hadn’t even thought about submitting my own Op-ed! I will definitely consider it!! Have a great day!
HSVP C
04/19/2022 — 8:48 am
You have not been disallowed from commenting. I have too many sites to monitor, so there is no commenting on the pages. Those pages are mine and links to articles are published there and you most certainly are allowed to comment. I have not attacked you. I assume nothing about you. This is an impartial site, as are the FB pages. I have given you your solutions. I am more than happy to publish opinion pieces and have always done so. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Kind regards,
Cheryl
Tracy Brey
04/19/2022 — 9:05 am
You do not have to publish this but I would like you to know that the two Facebook pages I follow (Hot Springs Village Community and Hot Springs Village Gazette) that shared this link do NOT, in fact, allow me the option to comment on anything that is posted. I know many people who have also mentioned not having the option to comment on these pages as well. I only have a ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ option. I have screenshots that show this to be true but don’t see a way to share them with you. You possibly may have the comments turned off in the settings. Since the moment I joined both groups, this has been true. I have never had the option to comment on any article that has been posted. So like I said, my misstatement was not making clear I was referring to the Facebook pages where this piece was shared.
HSVP C
04/19/2022 — 9:15 am
That is absolutely true. The two FB pages do not have the option to comment. But you do have the option to comment here. I have too many sites to monitor and cannot do it all. This makes it easier for me to only allow commenting here. The purpose of those two sites is to let people know the articles are published, not to discuss things there. I am sorry if you don’t like the way I operate, but I only have so much time. The FB pages are not groups. They are business pages so that folks can see what is published on this website. I think we may have gotten off to a bad start, and for that, I apologize. I understand the confusion between us. Your comments are welcome here. Let’s take the subject back to FLSD, shall we, instead of talking about how I run the FB pages. Thanks, Tracy, hope you have a lovely day.
Rose Harrigan
04/24/2023 — 10:16 pm
As long as Fountain Lake School District continues to think that Hot Springs Villagers have deep pockets that they can dig into in order to fulfill their wildest and most expensive dreams, the votes will probably never be there. For many years I supported the schools in the areas I lived in. However, I have never been asked to fund a theater for 2,000 people. Fountain Lake already spends more per student than any private school my children or grandchildren have attended and for which I paid tuition as well as school taxes on my property. It is interesting that they have indoctrinated the students to believe they are entitled to have so much more than what they already have.
HSVP C
04/19/2022 — 7:58 am
Obviously, you have a misstatement in your comment because here it is published. You have always been free to submit your own opinion piece to this site, as is anyone else in the community. Have a good day. – Cheryl
Lynda L Narug
04/19/2022 — 7:47 am
Husband and I met in highscool, in 1954. That highschool was a 3 story, 1 building, yet we managed to get a good education that allowed us a decent retirement in HSV. We did not have a car until just before we married and paid for it in monthly installments. It’s very difficult to understand all that FL has and still wants more.
HSVP C
04/19/2022 — 9:22 am
It is the policy of this website to not publish comments without a first and last name. Thanks in advance for your understanding.
Lynda L Narug
04/21/2022 — 10:05 am
My husband’s name is Raymond. We were next door neighbors before we met in school. That was a very long time ago. Now here over 22 years, still love it. Seems like our new GM is on the right path for HSV, understands what it needs to return to why we bought our lot in 1998.