2012 Mill Levy Not Enough To Save German Language Program at Florence-Carlton
May 6, 2014 1 Comment
May 04, 2012 … “the mill levy will be used to retain two middle school teaching positions, one high school foreign language teaching position, and will help to prevent maintenance supply cuts. It will not go to the superintendent.” – Florence-Carlton Superintendent, John C. McGee, via the Missoulian
FLORENCE – Superintendent John C. McGee called for a SPECIAL MEETING of the BOARD of TRUSTEES Monday evening, May 5th, 2014 (the eve of the Trustee Election). At the meeting, Superintendent McGee recommended Reductions-In-Force (RIF’s) (firing Teachers) as a solution to balance the alledged Budget shortfall that has yet to be proven to the Public and one Trustee in particular. McGee further stated the following:
… it was a difficult decision, but it had to be made because of budget constraints and declining enrollment. The news was hard to take for those who showed support for the teachers.
The quote at the beginning of this article was made by McGee in May of 2012. In the May 8th, 2012 election, the Florence Carlton School District 15-6 Taxpayers voted to approve a $130,000 Mill Levy. The Levy was presented as a way to ensure that Florence would be able to KEEP the GERMAN LANGUAGE program. In the months preceeding the Mill Levy Vote, a group, which included Florence Teachers, formed “PASS IT – Florence”. On this page you will find the following information and comments urging community members to VOTE in FAVOR of the LEVY:
PASS IT – FLORENCE
Description
We are People Actively Supporting Schools In our Town – Florence. We welcome supportive posts and will only accept posts from individuals who identify themselves. We will NOT accept anonymous posts.
Ironically, only two years later, there is not enough funding in the current Budget to maintain the program, so it is cut. One fact that is disturbing to many who voted for the Mill Levy in 2012 is that the Superintendent recently received a 3-year extension to his contract with a 6% Raise in the face of being reprimanded by the Montana State Board of Public Education in September 2013 for his multiple acts of PLAGIARISM in the Florence School Newspaper over the course of at least 3 years.
KPAX was at the Meeting and filed this report:
17 hours 39 minutes ago by Jacqueline Quynh – KPAX News
Discussion heats up over Florence teacher cuts
FLORENCE – It was an emotional night for parents and teachers as they grilled the Florence Carlton School Board about why they are letting teachers go.
The school board ended up cutting two positions – with a math teacher and a foreign language teacher losing their jobs. Because of an unexpected resignation on the staff, a librarian will keep her job, although her duties will change somewhat.
Superintendent John McGee says it was a difficult decision, but it had to be made because of budget constraints and declining enrollment. The news was hard to take for those who showed support for the teachers.
“I would like to know as a first year German student what am I supposed to do for my second year of German to get into college?” student Jade Zeiler asked.
“I’m sorry again we don’t have a crystal ball to make this all better, so what the opportunities are going to be available will be put you guys, and you guys will be able to make some sort of decision about how you want to proceed,” chairperson Pat Appleby stated.
“So yes we don’t have a crystal ball, but we can’t be sitting here doing a trial and error, when the people that people that actually suffer, are the students we are actually trying to prep,” parent Roger Castillo commented.
The eliminated teachers will be effective at the end of the school year this year. Some students we talked with say they may look into how they can attend schools in Missoula to continue classes that will also be cut as teachers are let go.
The job cuts will take effect at the end of this school year. Some students told us they may transfer to Missoula schools to continue classes that have been affected.
Florence Carlton Review 
COMMENTS: