Dear Neighbors, Football and Swimming will not be cut at the High Schools!! C4CH expresses an opinion on this matter given the angst in the community created by special interest groups. We keep a positive view that student experiences will not be weaponized to prevent overdue work rule and program reforms. Rest assured this "fanning the flames" tactic can be ignored and is right out of the administrative and Teacher's Union playbook to create fear in vulnerable parents and students. Ignore this tactic. Rest assured your sports team and school identity will remain intact. Attacking the football program instead of reforming outdated work rules isn't the answer. No outdated work rules have been reformed in recent decades, absolutely zero, so we can expect a reluctant administration and union to negotiate hard using any tactic available. Union-friendly Board members sacrificed facility improvements for reform and time has now come for Union contract reform as well as a deep look at the curriculum and costs. The teacher's Union is already negotiating their next raises and benefits, opposing needed work rule reforms. The Union leaders are clever, stoking angst to get taxes increased for their members. Voters, parents and students need to be aware of the strategy being employed by special interest groups and reject the use of kids and parents in Union negotiations. Recall that the Teacher's Union recently donated $32,000 to the 2nd failed referendum campaign which gerrymandered $29.5M of annual routine facility improvements out of the regular annual budget and into the referendum to be available for employee raises, benefits, pensions, etc... This budget gerrymandering was set up inside the referendum by the Administration and Union leadership to fund new union contracts with no reform of costly outdated work rules and benefits (reference C4CH's email blast on budget gerrymandering by the admin and Union). The Union is very upset their referendum tactics failed given their donation and Union-favored Board majority elected last term. Now we hear crowing that favorite sports programs might be in jeopardy if a huge tax increase is not approved.
Average total gross compensation without benefits for teachers is approximately $110,000 with nearly free healthcare, and free healthcare after retirement plus a generous pension. Yet for some reason the sports programs might need to be cut to help pay for the teachers' new contract and safety improvements - don't believe this storyline.
Nearly all of the tax increases in recent history went to the employees while a shrinking % of the budget was going to the facilities. This trend must be reversed, not accelerated.
Our community is smart. We hope parents and students will not tolerate being used by special interest groups.
C4CH & the community as a whole support the swimming and football programs. These programs will remain. C4CH also supports a reasonable referendum amount as already outlined in the online and phone surveys.
We want good teachers and we pay them well. Taxpayers deserve a fair and sustainable contract with significant work rule reforms. C4CH wants no further actions which utilize the kids and parents as a commercial bargaining tool. It is un-American.
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Fiscal Conservatives - if you are interested or have a candidate name for D86, D181 or the Village of Clarendon Hills, please email us back as we may be able to support your efforts.
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Thank you for your support! Please sign up on our website and refer your friends and family. Visit C4CH Website
Respectfully, Your Neighbors - C4CH