School info

[JFPowers]

Or... Flip the Script.

Become an educational center of excellence that has extremely talented instructors that attract pupils from all over to enhance the teaching experiences of those working at BICS.

[meadefamily]

Jeff,

I happen to think the kids and teachers that are aleady there are exceptional.

[John Bolton]

I haven’t seen a spat on the forum this intense in a long while. A close reading shows that it goes well beyond the current forum post.
I haven’t posted in a while, However, tax reform is one of my favorite issues.

Adam, Ouch! You are doing your (our) cause little justice by publicly attacking Ken Taylor in such a manner. Your secondary posts, more measured, ended up merely defending your actions. You did not gain any ground.
A well honed military mind would have let the enemy walk into the trap. But you shot yourself in the foot. (I think it is in the training manual or at least in the “Art of War” treatise.)
You were right that you didn’t post any commentary, but you would have been better off letting Ken show his ass like he did and then, leaving out the personal attacks, point out the fact you were not the one who was overreacting. A spoonful of sugar....
Ken:
I don’t care where you got your wealth. I appreciate your sharing with those who need it. But it still only gives you one vote. You are truly a Saint, but if we don’t believe you, seems all we have to do is ask...

Meade family: I do not know you.
But it took several of your posts to finally reveal to me that you do not have any children going to school on the island. WTF?
Your posts, at first sounded like you had all this personal experience with the inner workings of the island’s school district. Do you?
It is easy to pontificate from the mainland about the island’s condition. But don’t think for a moment that you are speaking for all of us.
We, of the 94% of the tax paying base have absolutely no say on how our local tax moneys are spent. We can only vote with our feet. And by the looks of the current real estate market on the island the vote is, NO!!

Education is paramount, and those who chose to live and raise their children in a very extreme rural and isolated area are making a choice. Part of that choice is that they may not receive all the benefits of a modern education that is afforded to your child on the mainland.
Band, travel sports, psychological monitoring and special education, et al, is extremely expensive and is costed out by calculations of population density.
The students on the island get to have numerous World class nature trips, without leaving their backyard. Suburban or Urban students do not get these benefits as much though they probably need them worse that most rural students.
Living on Island has its drawbacks and it’s sacrifices. It has its benefits.
But you just can’t have it all. You can not expect to have the obviously struggling economy here on the Island foot the bill for the few children on the island to have ALL the educational opportunity that a student living in a suburban atmosphere to receive. Remember, the parents of these children are making this choice to raise their children on Island. They must take some responsibility with the issue of what the crippling effect the astronomical tax burden is doing to the island’s current economy and to it’s future.

So, before you tell Jeff that he is off base with his suggestions and analogies, please consider that life is a choice and a compromise.
Dr. Powers has presented very level headed possible solutions to a problem that can not be ignored. Jeff is looking forward past the horizon. I applaud him for it. His efforts have my support.

We of the 94% of the non eligible voting tax paying base are currently compromising because of the lack of efficiency in the current tax dispersal.
Perhaps it is time to have a discussion on what compromises the other 6% of the Island population is willing to come to terms with.

IMHO: Beaver Island is a hare’s breath from an economic implosion. Tough times are ahead in the World as the true cost of the affects of the pandemic are actually realized.
Whenever the country goes into recession, Beaver island has gone into Depression status. If the World experiences an economic slump, island business and the real estate market, which has been barley limping along even in the previous excellent world economy, will be devastated.

It is time to get our house in order.

[jmedlin]

Honestly, those budget numbers don’t seem extraordinary for a great school with dedicated educators and staff getting paid fairly. When I used to sub at the school, I thought the pay was pretty low compared to other districts I had done the same work for. If we don’t support education, we’ll be headed to the junkyard as a country faster than we already are. While online education can play a supplemental role, there’s the socialization factor of young people to consider as well. This island is already such an isolated community to begin with, if kids just stay at home all the time they really won’t learn to get along and may have trouble dealing with people in the real world when they get older.

Also, some folks complain too much about the property taxes here in my humble opinion. I guess I can’t really complain, the taxes for my shotgun shack on ten acre dirt farm run about $350 a year with the PRE, and I’m not about to move to some backward place like Alabama just to save a couple of hundred dollars. If I move anywhere, it will be to Canada where they have higher taxes but a higher overall standard of living with affordable healthcare, education and opportunity for all. People in this country have been brainwashed by bogus organizations such as the billionaire funded ‘tea party’ movement, which has convinced people that taxes are the enemy when they’re really not, they are just a necessary part of maintaining a balanced and equitable civilization.

-jam

[John Bolton]

No one has mentioned that taxes on the wealthy are too high. No one mentioned Betsy Devos.
No one said the wages of the school employees are too high.

What is being pointed out is the infrastructure that is in place was intended to be supported by a school that had two hundred or more Children, but only has about 50. Price cost per pupil is out of proportion. The issue has traditionally been addressed as ,” Let’s have a mileage and the off islanders can pay for most of it” .
It is now way out of whack.

We are asking for leaders to look for solutions, not be told to Stop Bitchin’
The school tax is not just for non residents.

Those who have second homes are not necessarily Blessed.
Because they love the island so much, many have worked extremely hard and saved out of proportion to their incomes to attain a second home on the Island. We watched as the taxes went up with the values of the property we had purchased so many years ago.
Now the taxes are so high many can not and / or will not afford them.
Children of the early tourist migration will not pay the taxes that are required to keep a house they inherited.

If someone is paying only $350 per year in property taxes living on Beaver Island,they are the ones who should consider themselves “Blessed”, as many folks are easily paying Fifteen times that amount to maintain a home on the island. For many, their island home property tax is three times the amount of their primary residence tax, even though the value of their primary residence may be much more, living in other areas.
The Island’s real estate market is deluged with these homes.
The numbers tell the story.

Trying to deflect the issue by flippantly telling everyone to “quit bitchin’ about your school tax”
Is the same methodology that Mr. Trump and Company use to deflect criticism.

I am saying that we must put our house in order here on the Island or it may face economic devastation
At that point, there will be few if any children left on the Island for the infrastructure to support. Families will leave to find work. All those jobs with the school district will disappear, anyway.

Social Distancing is what Beaver Island has been doing since it earliest settlement. Now there are technologic solutions to problems Social Distancing produces. Let us embrace them. Jeff Powers is on the right track. Time is right and there will be social programs become available to help us find long term solutions.
The school tax issue is just one of the many that we taxpayers are facing trying to keep Beaver Island economically viable.

Finally,
The North Shore was best ridden down in the car bay, as the ride was smoother and you were closer to your beer cooler in your truck...and it only cost about $5.00 one way....
The beer was your true expense..

[meadefamily]

John,

If you read my post I very clearly stated that my daughter did not attend BI schools, nor has she ever. I also stated that I understand as all schools, there are issues. IMO Jeff's post had merit, which I also stated in past post. The part of Jeff's post I opposed was his stating that online learning would help with the tax bases for districts. IMO I also dont think that the thought really outlined the impact of moving in that direction. For the record I am also a tax payor on BI, bought here knowing my taxes.

My experience in schools is between my husband and I having 5 kids, 3 attending public and 2 private (1 home schooled for a short time.) I also like all other parents have been thrown into online school with COVID, have you??? Online learning has been a challenge for alot of families during COVID. Next time you decide to attack me get your facts straight. I certainly would not speak for others, and in the future I would appreciate if you would not speak for me. I also clearly stated In my last post that everyone has different needs and for some online learning is great. Next time perhaps you should read a little slower and read the ENTIRE post. My post was based well beyond the scope of BI, which was also clearly stated in the past post.

My experience on BI is owning, paying taxes, loving the Island and having many dear friends that I care about live here. Friends that live here year round. This island is not your playground, it is people's homes. So the WTF comment you made, should be made back at you. WTF are you thinking that an Island of Citizens should conform to fit the needs of 2nd home taxpayers? Again, not speaking for anyone other than myself. If I was lucky enough to live here year round I would be upset at the notion someone wanted to lower thier taxes on thier 2nd home by selling my child's education down the river and potentially taking several jobs away from residents.

There was no reason for you to attempt to belittle me and be rude.

1. Turning Beaver Island or any school district to an online only learning environment is insane. Parents have choices available to them and can choose what fits thier families needs better.
2. Many parents are not logistically equipped to assist thier kids with online learning. Bad internet, have to work, teaching would be a challenge, too many kids to be effective...
3. Kids have different learning abilities. For some online learning would be a disaster. For others they would do great.
4. Closing a school district ANYWHERE for the sake of saving tax dollars is a terrible idea, especially on an island where they can not bus to another district.
5 My knowledge of BI is the 12 years we have been here and the friends that I have seen thier kids grow up in the district. The parents, teachers, admin and support staff truly care about the kids. If you can't see that then you need to look a little closer.
6. You think the economy has challenges now, closing the school so you can save on your taxes is sure one way to seal the doomsday approach you have. Likely one of the largest employers on the Island. What about the teachers admin and staff?? You close up the school then how do they survive?
7. You talk about choice, yes people here have chosen to live here including you. JMedlin and Ken summed it up beautifully...

[John Bolton]

Meade family
Sorry if you feel I was off base in my commentary concerning your opinion of the local situation here on the Island. However, you are still using generalities in your assessment of what is going on.
I am saying the infrastructure of the local school district is not in line with the physical needs of the island’s student population. This situation has been going on for a long time. It is not going to get better if the issues are not addressed.
Because of the social and economic choices of the local leadership there will continue to be fewer and fewer children living full time on Beaver Island. Period.
Read my post.
I did not ask for a school closure. I asked for solutions to infrastructure problems.
I was addressing the local problem here on Beaver. My scope was focused , not schools in general.
I talked about taxes as an economic issue for island growth, I did not say anything about selling children’s education “down the river”.
I did not talk of taking away jobs , in fact I stated that the jobs will disappear on their own because of an imploded economy.

My “experience” is raising offspring, too. Paying off the post graduate tuition costs years later. My parental choice. My sacrifice.

Covid is a challenge.
We are all making changes from our precise norm and sacrificing many things we use to take for granted.
This is my point exactly. Things are changing. Economic platforms and structures are changing.
Will we keep up?

You came here 12 years ago, I understand (?)
Ok that was before the boom and busts years of the nineties. The BUST came on September 12, 2001.
The island’s perceived growth curve was shattered and has never recovered. We are still living in a situation where the infrastructure outlays of the nineties are not being utilized by any means, population wise (tax base).
So the Island built a school to hold the “projected” 200+ kids that were going to live here in the 2000’s.
We also built a new medical Center for which I understand is, percentage wise, one of the most underutilized Medical Centers in the state. The population is just not here.
We built a second Fire Station to prepare for the expected population explosion to serve the community. The population did not come.
New town halls. New Ferry dock. New parks like the one behind the township Hall that has had no real use (I named it Mosquito Park)
There was even talk of the Township buying Whisky Island!

New hotel went up. It’s been for sale for years. New businesses were opened.. and closed
The great tourist stampede never materialized.
The BUST came. The building stopped.
A lot of workers, along with their family and children left the island.
Business contracted.
With the contractions came the loss of ownership diversity of the remaining businesses. This in turn squelched competition and the Island has suffered in the availability of quality services.

Most of this situation was here when you arrived 12 years ago. Fell in love with the island. Bought some paradise. Completely understandable.
So yes it Is your playground.
Welcome.

Ok here is the peeing contest...
When I arrived 45 years ago, a broke , hippie, college drop out with no money. I too, fell in love. I camped for months on the island that first summer. Later summers I returned. Every summer,. I have not missed a summer in 45 years.
I worked on building Ken Taylor’s Island Home. I was payed $4.00 per hour.
I went back to school. I got married, had a child, worked like the devil. I sacrificed.
I rented cottages until, I, along with my good buddies, bought our first cabin (Timbuktu)
Sold it years later and then the school expenses hit and I had to return to renting cabins.
12 years go by and I afford a second home on the island over in the, “Hood” as we all call Pt St. James.
14 more years go by and we can afford to sell that home and move farther down island, where we wanted to be thirty years before. But I had to makes sacrifices for my child’s education and had to wait that 30 years..

Every year we would jump in our camper truck and make the cross country journey from California to Beaver Island.
Almost every year Richie would ask me, “You live in California, why would you come HERE?!”
I am in love...

I too have friends on this island . They too, attended Beaver Island School. Many attended back when the Nuns ran the school. (wow, I have heard some stories there!)

I have been self employed retail business owner for most of my career and definitely understand the trials and tribulations of what the local businesses have to face on Beaver.
Everyone who ends up on this Island has a personal story.
Many of them include sacrifices to be here.
I am just one of them.

IMHO: if Beaver island is to survive and prosper economically, it can not depend predominantly on the taxes produced by the 94% of non residential property owners.
It must find new, innovative ways in which to actually produce income, not depend on the limited available funds siphoned off from the property owners. Until that happens, the Island must find ways of becoming more efficient in order to keep the island economy afloat. If we don’t plug the leaks we will sink into the Lake...
So I will stick with my original statement that parenting is full of choices. I will add that it is full of sacrifices and life decisions, too.
The future is coming whether we like it and prepare for it... or not.


Ok, I’m done. Going to crawl back into my internet trolling cave now.
Enjoy your Summer. I will.

[AEW]

Good to hear your wisdom again John Bolton. I hope all is well!

[Sour grapes]

Way to try and backpedal John.

[John Bolton]

At least I always use my own name to my posted opinions. If I see you on the street we can have a discussion or a street brawl, depending on the issue... old west style.

Anyone can criticize under the cover of an Avatar...(meow)

[Sour grapes]

Not a criticism, just an observation. Purr purr Richies rules, he allows Avatars so why not. Your backpedling was not caused by my Avatar, you did that all on your own.

[John Bolton]

Hiding behind Richie’s skirt.
You take no chance of having anyone really know what you are representing.
Anyone can call or write me....Or talk to me in the street.
I stand by my statements.
I will take criticism, constructive or not, from any “real” person.

You...?
For all I know, you sit next to me as a friend in the Pub, yet from behind Richie’s skirt you take swipes...
Your observations as “Sour Grapes” hold little credence.

This year you can hide behind a mask, too.

[Sour grapes]

Richie in a skirt, now there is a visual.
Yup, you got me.

[meadefamily]

John,

I appreciate your comments back. The part that got me going was your comment and almost entitlement that comes with on being part of the "94%" ers, as you call yourself. I find it offensive and in poor taste. I can assure you that as a tax payor, home owner and part time resident on the island I dont feel that my tax status gives me any more rights than the locals that live here.

You talk about choices, and I know your last post was heartfelt and sincere from your prospective. I however feel that with all that said as a property owner of a second home you made a very deliberate choice to come to the Island, many people that live here year round did not make a choice to be here. They were born here, or came because of jobs, families, etc. Choosing where we live year round is a much harder choice that buying a second home. Throwing up the "well it is your choice card" is ill suited for.this scenario. The only ones that truly made 100% choice are us second home owners. When we made that choice we knew we would be non-homestead, we knew we did not have a vote and we knew we were buying at risk on an island with many logistics to be here. With that said, I hope that the Island can continue to work together and make it through this COVID crisis. It has taken its toll on all of us.
Adams original post was in poor taste, and done in spite. He has no vested interest on the Island. His post to Ken was even more outrageous and wrong. The last thing we all need right now is fighting, irrational debates and name calling. This year has been hard on our teachers and students. They need our praise and support. I encourage you to go and watch some of the videos from the drive by *parade for the graduates from last weekend. The community support and love for the students was amazing and as important as a class of 100. This is just one of *the many things we have grown to love about the island. A community, a true community.
*edited for typos

[BI Pirate]

I'm wondering if they have a different calendar here in Cuba. I'm looking at the one here on the icebox, as they call it. The calendar says June but reading the forum it sounds like Beaver Island is stuck in March and cabin fever season. God I miss it. I see even Retired Chamber Guy has come down with cabin fever Carolina style. Hot and humid down here mixed with long spells of outdoor rum drinking. Stay safe.