The North East School District, is proposing another tax increase of 3.98 percent. This follows increases the previous three years of 3.83, 3.82 and 3.94 percent.
With a commitment to woke policies, DEI and safe spaces along with declining student enrollment and constant tax increases, perhaps the taxpayers of North East should just say no. Perhaps, also, parents of school age children should seriously consider alternatives instead of sending them to the district’s schools.
North East could do better and North East deserves better, but with the current school administration it seems unlikely we’ll get better. As predicted, all we can be sure to get is higher cost.
Is this what the taxpayers, voters and parents of school children in North East want?
NE School Board meeting 4-24-25 Agenda
NE School Board backup documents 4-24-25
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Cliff says
I think the school should receive increases/decreases based on gpa performance
Ted says
This has become an addiction simply because they can. They’ll drop it down by 1% like they do every year and act like they done us a favor. This will continue until our legislators step in and put a stop to it.
Joan Bubna says
I don’t think they need it due to wasteful spending on an arch we don’t need In this tough times our economy is uncertain and cut to school funding it’s money that could be spent better not to make the school board to look good They need to rein in their spending
Ann Filutze says
The school district must get rid of excess spending! We the taxpayers can hardly make ends meet now! Do we still have 47% of our students at poverty level, needing reduced rate or free lunches? Thank you in advance for your attention and reply.
Step up NE says
There is no time like the present to show up at a board mtg and voice concerns and frustrations!! Please go tomorrow night!! If everyone commenting on Facebook would show up at this mtg maybe the board would feel more compelled to dig into expenditures. It’s the same few going all the time asking the hard questions.
Annmarie says
“With a commitment to woke policies, DEI and safe spaces along with declining student enrollment and constant tax increases, perhaps the taxpayers of North East should just say no.”
You make the argument that higher taxes are linked to “woke policies, DEI, and safe spaces” as if those are bad things. Then you add declining enrollment as if that isn’t part of a declining growth in population.. I don’t have kids here but I do want to spend my tax money on education.. It’s important to fund progress and education is part of that. Being woke is being aware. DEI is being open and welcoming to all. Safe spaces are important to prevent the bullying that seems to be common occurrence here., even in this article. All of these are exactly what we need more of, not less.
Always more to the story says
If only you knew what “safe spaces” were really about. The term “safe space” is very misleading.. I have children in the district. I know what their experiences have been and most of these rooms do NOT make true conservative minded children feel “safe and welcome”…. It’s a bunch of hypocrisy.
Also, maybe these tax increases can pay for class of 2026 graduation water and flowers. YUP! Class of 2025 has to pay for their own “graduation flowers and water”. Does anyone else find this ridiculous?!?
Stacy says
What do you mean by the class of 2025 is paying for thwir graduation flowers?
Jen says
I can back up this previous commenters remark. My son’s senior letter states “all seniors are required to pay $50 to cover expenses for cap and gown, graduation water, and graduation flower.”
This letter is on the school website under NEHS…click on “senior website” and then “summer letter class of 2025”.
Michelle says
Do they stream these meetings if so do you have a link?
Paul Crowe says
Correction: They do stream the meetings, see comment below . They specifically voted NOT to record the meetings.
However, a local citizen does record the meetings and puts them up here.
Jen says
Actually, if you go to the school website and click on agenda under “board of education” you can get a link to participate remotely… the school has previously voted not to record mtgs but a local community member does when she attends.
Paul Crowe says
Yes, I forgot about the participate remotely option.
Stop ignoring the facts says
Instead of raising taxes, maybe the school district should pass along the cost of online school onto the parents of students who choose online school, as this is one of the biggest factors of the tax increase. Parents of students who choose online school should be responsible for paying part, or all of the tuition that NESD pays per student.
Paul Crowe says
Parents who choose any option outside of regular public schools, (home school, private, religious, etc.) other than charter or online charter schools already pay the full tuition along with school taxes, so they pay twice. Charter schools are public schools, so using tax dollars to pay tuition for those schools makes sense.
What public schools never explain is why they don’t correct the issues that cause parents and students to look for alternatives.
An even better solution would be for parents to receive a voucher for the school taxes they have paid or for some set amount equal for every student, enabling parents to send those dollars to the school of their choice including the public schools. That way the best schools get the students along with the associated dollars and the sub-standard schools have an incentive to improve, however, public school administrators and teachers unions, adamantly oppose that option.
Eyes Wide Open says
Online visits are fine if it’s your only option. In face meetings have a much greater impact
You don’t even have to say a word. Just nod your head when someone from the public is speaking. Some of the older board members can’t be reached. The newer ones can be cracked under positive peer pressure. No violence that’s not who we are!