DeKalb under the gun: Raise taxes or make dire cuts, including closing beloved Fernbank
Fernbank costs DeKalb $4.7 million to operate, a luxury the system can't afford any longer. (AJC)
Many of you have suggested that the cash-strapped DeKalb Schools close the Fernbank Science Center.
Someone was listening.
As a longtime metro Atlanta resident, I have been to Fernbank dozens of times with all four of my children. My kids love the nature exhibits and the Apollo 6 Command Module. I would hate to see this facility close, but I realize the financial crisis facing DeKalb and understand that there will be cuts of consequence and conscience. Some good stuff will end.
According to the AJC:
Each year, about 160,000 people, many of them schoolchildren, learn about frogs, snakes, bugs and other animals and plants during visits to Fernbank Science Center.
The decades-old institution, owned and operated by the DeKalb County public school district, has offered a hands-on education to students and other visitors from across metro Atlanta and elsewhere. However, it might close, under a recommendation Thursday by the school board’s budget committee. Fernbank Science Center, which includes a planetarium, is near the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which is operated by a separate nonprofit.
At an annual cost of $4.7 million, the building and its 56 full-time employees now are looking like a luxury to school officials. They are struggling with a $73 million deficit, and may have to cut teachers and school days to balance the budget.
School board Chairman Eugene Walker, who opposes closing the science center, said students go there to work on projects and learn about nature. “It’s a great educational opportunity for students that are interested in science,” he said.
This week, the school board adopted a tentative $759.7 million budget that closed the gap, but only with an unlikely $30 million tax increase. Several who backed the spending plan — a formality mandated by the state so the public would have something to comment on — said they had no desire to actually raise taxes. They’ll have to vote on a final budget before fiscal 2013 starts on July 1.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution polled eight of the nine board members (only Sarah Copelin-Wood could not be reached), and five said, to varying degrees, they opposed a tax increase.
“I will only consider a tax increase after we have made all the reductions we can,” said Tom Bowen, the board vice chairman. “Using reserves last year allowed us to escape some hard decisions.”
Bowen was referring to DeKalb’s savings account. Money piled up in flush times, but there are no reserves now. Indeed, this year, DeKalb may wind up $6 million in debt. If that happens, officials say they will hold off on paying bills until July or after, meaning the deficit actually could be closer to $79 million.
No other major metro Atlanta school system is in the same dire financial straits. Last year, the most recent for which figures are available, only a half-dozen public school systems in Georgia ended the year owing money.
The causes, though, are not unique: rising costs for items such as health insurance, and plummeting tax receipts. Property values, the foundation of the DeKalb tax base, will have seen a 25 percent decline from fiscal 2009 to fiscal 2013, according to school system financial officials.
Proponents of a tax increase, including Walker, note that DeKalb hasn’t raised its tax rate in nearly a decade. “The idea of just cutting to solve this problem is irresponsible,” he said.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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247 comments Add your comment
POP
May 25th, 2012
10:09 am
Waste of Money for years. Good riddance.
Veronica
May 25th, 2012
10:10 am
Btw – look to the classroom of teachers that arent up to snuff and there are plenty! Our kids are getting a DUMBED down, polictically correct education as it is, so why not close a resource for our future resources (our kids)!! Ridiculous to close a facility that has so much to offer! Kids today and their parents are mostly concerned if someone tells lil Johnny he cant have a mohawk (or a gun) or lil Susie is dressed like a Kardashian flashing her goods – that is the only time you see some of these parents. Teachers in the classroom, as we see on the news, are having relationships with their students, sexting them, sleeping on the job, cheating, bringing their own political agendas and revisionist history to the classroom and yet, they are collecting a paycheck for some that are incompetent (and there are some that are less than educated enough to teacher or even control a classroom full of kids). Start with cutting those wastes of space. We keep asking why our kids are dropping out? Why do our kids know nothing of history, civics, current events? Why cant lil Johnny figure out that if he has 30 kids by 11 baby mamas, he cant afford them making minimum wage? This is why…bc WE no longer value an educated population in this country. That will be our downfall!!
Ned
May 25th, 2012
10:11 am
I can’t help notocing that at least two patrons, “Teacher&Mom,” who traveled two hours, and Gwinnett resident “Veronica,” don’t actually appear to live in the county taxed to support this entity.
Linda
May 25th, 2012
10:12 am
Lynn Hamilton@ 9:36am – You and many others on here are thinking of Ferbank Museum of Natural History with the IMAX Theater. That is a completely separate entity that is run well by its non-profit foundation.
The Fernbank Science Center is a run-down former elementary school that is filled with dull out-of-date displays. It costs the school system millions and sees only 160k people a year. If the school system would finally let it go, a private foundation would probably sweep it up and make it a jewel of a science center along the lines of the museum.
A Conservative Voice
May 25th, 2012
10:19 am
Instead of closing “Fernbank”, fire all the “Idiots” in the system. Be ’bout even money wise…….
Carol Napier
May 25th, 2012
10:25 am
I would gladly pay increased taxes to keep Fernbank Science Center open. My daughter, who wants to be an astronaut, has taken many high school courses through Fernbank. We first learned about the STT program at Fernbank from a older kid in our neighborhood. That kid went on to get an aeronautics engineering degree from GATech, a masters from MIT, and now is working on designing the next generation of space vehicles. The WORLD needs Fernbank. Don’t close it!
Patricia
May 25th, 2012
10:26 am
I personally think that they should NOT raise our taxes in DeKalb County! Taxes are way too high now. They JUST raised it last year and 9 years in a row since I purchased my home in DeKalb County! They need to cut the new superintendent’s pay in half. She is NOT a good person for the school system. As a tax paying citizen, I do not appreciate the fact that DeKalb County Schools are constantly defending her, but it has been proven that she is NOT the right person for a job like that. The school system she came from is doing worse since she has been there. She has brought it down. At the same time her pocket is getting fatter. Cut her salary..in fact just put an interim there and get rid of her all together. I want to have the right to vote for a new Superintendant…
NONPC
May 25th, 2012
10:36 am
Fernbank is a great place for school aged children. I had not realized that it was funded by Dekalb schools.
Even with all of its benefits to all of metro Atlanta, Dekalb has a priority responsibility to the students and taxpayers in Dekalb. Sentiments for FSC aside, it is unconscionable to fund FSC when the Dekalb School Budget is in such dire straits.
FSC is a metro-wide resource. Hopefully, someone will step forward to turn it into a non-profit institution… solicit corporate and private donations to establish an endowment, and charge fees appropriate for keeping the center running.
dcss failing
May 25th, 2012
10:37 am
As Mark, a previous poster pointed out, Fernbank is about much more than field trips for 3rd graders. STT and Advanced Studies absolutely changed both my kids lives. Those programs were directly responsible for their interest in science. My daughter is about to enter a very prestigious PHd program and my son is planning to study physics in college. Without STT and Advanced Studies, I have NO doubt, they would not be where they are today. There are 2 astronauts from Dekalb County schools that both participated in STT and both attribute that program to kindling their interest in science that led them to where they are today. Yes, I realize that not everyone can particpate in those programs. Why bring everyone down the the same level, rather than trying to raise up those we can? Make parents responsible for transportation if they want their kids to participate. That will save a lot of money, time, and gas. There is SO much waste in DCSD, legal fees, etc. etc. It is disgusting!!!
Brewmaster
May 25th, 2012
10:38 am
Just another example of a bloated government beaurocracy bankrupting an otherwise fine institution. Same thing they did with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Solyndra. The list is too large to print. Now they will probably let the building just sit there and deteriorate instead of selling it and the land to some “evil” capitalist. The land alone is probalbly worth $70,000,000. How many vacant school buildings could Dekalb County sell and get back in the black ?
Justwondering
May 25th, 2012
10:40 am
Carol
The article is misleading. We need to cut 73 mllion dollars. The maximum tax icrease would only raise 3O million. We need Huge cuts.
Brewmaster
May 25th, 2012
10:42 am
These 56 employees will be re-depolyed to administer Obamacare in the same efficient manner.
Former Student
May 25th, 2012
10:43 am
I’m a former Dekalb student. I have a close friend whose father is one of those 56 employees. I’ve also been through their Scientific Tools and Techniques (STT) program in high school along with multiple elective after-school classes. I owe an extraordinary amount to the dedication of that facilities staff. I’ve never met a group of teachers so focused and encouraging of their students anywhere else (including college). Their staff goes beyond what is expected of any other teacher. They work nights and weekends continually to work with their students. I can proudly say that I would not be in the field of study (IT) I am in today without their help and dedication. It would be a shame to let these teachers and their workspace go.
erin
May 25th, 2012
10:46 am
I went to DeKalb County Schools in the 1980s/90s and remember many, many, many field trips to the Fernbank Science Center. I always loved it. My mom would take me to the planetarium on trips to the center outside of school as well. And I always loved the planetarium shows.
Now, the thing is, I went one day in 2009 on a trip back to Georgia … it was NOT the same! So many exhibits I knew and loved gone … the dinosaurs in the front entrance, the geologic formations and rocks and things to the right.
I can’t imagine kids don’t still enjoy the center and can learn a LOT by going there, but it’s not the same. In fact, the very day I was there, a field trip of kids from a DeKalb County elementary school were going through the museum and they all seemed just as entranced by the place as I and my classmates always were.
Having said all of that, I really, really hope a private entity can take on the running of the center. It’d be a truly awful loss for DeKalb County schoolchildren for the center to close.
Brewmaster
May 25th, 2012
10:48 am
Former Student, I aplogize for my comment about the empolyees, if they are truly that dedicated. The beaurocracy behind them was probably the problem, the same way teachers unions use over half of the education budgets intended for local schools.
Concerned mom
May 25th, 2012
10:59 am
Fernbank serves a much more important purpose than field trips. It provides high-quality science instruction for high school students, including AP courses and science classes that relate to potential careers, such as animal science, forensic science and food science. Our high schools can’t afford to offer these classes on their own. We need students who are better trained in science and dismantling Fernbank will take us backward.
Cliff Claven
May 25th, 2012
11:03 am
Can it not be absorbed by the non-profit group running the Natural History Museum?
Razorburn
May 25th, 2012
11:06 am
@ Justwondering..
You are a mean, bitter person. Chill out. Anyway, I am off to the beach. Care to join? Or would you rather read comments and belittle folks.
James
May 25th, 2012
11:08 am
I’m a Fulton county resident, our system doesn’t have such luxurious facilities such as Fernbank. Let me take a stab at saving all of the whining on both sides. First what is the real value of the center to the educational system. Are students test scores in Science boasted by trips to the center? If not, then the value is being over stated. If so, then there is one reason to save the place.
1) 56 employees? Seven in Administration? All that’s needed: Director and Secretary/bookeeper. Nine in Instructional Media? Cut to a Designer and 2 Techs. 28 INSTRUCTORS??? Assign them to schools. Need only Two Physical Scientist and Two Life Scientist (teamwork people, science teachers should teach during visit and not watch). Four in Reception? One needed. One in Media Center? That’s all. Three in Security – Contractor it out at significant savings. Six in Grounds – I know DCSS has Grounds folks in the system use them. Four Custodians – need two
There’s 15 full-time folks. The savings is about $2.7 million. The cost is now $2 for admission and $5 for Planetarium FOR EVERYONE INCLUDING SENIOR (especially SENIORS) and raise another $300k in admissions
If not shut it down or see if Fernbank Museum, Bernie Marcus, Ohthur Blank, Tyler Perry or some other entity wants it. Holler.
yuzeyurbrane
May 25th, 2012
11:10 am
It’s time to put your money where your mouth is, as they say in poker. I live in DeKalb and my kids are grown. Therefore, I get little direct benefit from the school taxes I still pay; however, one of them being the Fernbank Science Center and Planetarium which is open to the general public. Direct benefit aside, we all have a duty as citizens to provide for the common good and to provide for an educated populace. It is time to say that yes we will sacrifice for the next generation by providing a quality public education so all can grow to the best of their abilities. Private entities have their place but as we will soon learn from the Fernbank Museum’s takeover of Fernbank Forest, it all comes at a price that many in the general population simply cannot afford.
edugator
May 25th, 2012
11:11 am
There is much good in DeKalb, including Fernbank, some of the Magnets, and most of the teachers. If we lose them now, we’ll never get them back. Look elsewhere- the salaries of folks in non-teaching, non-school based positions should be one target. That anyone involved with public education makes a 6 figure salary is absurd, except for the super and a handful of other folks with real responsiblities.
Head in the Sand
May 25th, 2012
11:13 am
Brewmaster, everything is not Obama’s fault. I know it must feel “right” for an obvious party-liner to place all blame on one party, but the truth is that it is not reality and is much more complicated than that. Much like the federal deficit problem, we cannot cut our way out of this. Taxes must be raised as part of RESPONSIBLE cutting, even if only in small increments over time. Having said that, I do plan to vote no on TSPLOST, but not because it’s a tax…for a myriad of other reasons. As for Fernbank…I have no problem handing over the reigns to a private company, but that should be worked out as part of the deal to let it slip out of DeKalb’s budget, and possibly saving the employees’ jobs as well.
Dekalb taxpayer
May 25th, 2012
11:14 am
Matt, I don’t know why, but my Dekalb home has decreased in value by about $80,000 and the tax assessment has decreased by about $40,000 and my property taxes haven’t decreased one penny. If the tax rate is increased, I will be paying MORE than ever before.
john
May 25th, 2012
11:16 am
Put a toll on it like the lexus lanes in gwinnett. That way only the privalleged and wealthy can go and the STRA can make more interest!
Dunwoody Mom
May 25th, 2012
11:17 am
Here is an assignment for those who believe that the school district should continue paying for Fernbank because we need actual data and facts behind your assertions:
1. Number of students who visit the Science Center per year and what activities do those visits entail.
2. How many students participate in the STT per year along with the costs of providing STT.
3. Provide a correlation between the Fernbank offerings and Science scores in DCSD.
4. Provide the number of students that take AP offerings at Fernbank.
5. Provide the number of students that actually utilize the additional offerings at Fernbank.
6. Provide the schedule and lessons plans of the teachers that suppposedly visit the schools in DCSD.
7. Provide the actual itinerary, including school and classrooms that each Fernbank employee visits per school year.
Thank you, I’ll be waiting.
Freidenker
May 25th, 2012
11:18 am
Teach the science, tax the churches. Churches are like Waffle Houses, two on every corner. I don’t need to hear about their benevolence, yes some do great things, but as organizations they need to help the bigger poor, our country. Time WILL come my praying friends.
James
May 25th, 2012
11:20 am
@Dunwoody Mom good post
enough already
May 25th, 2012
11:21 am
Perhaps the 400 some odd brother in laws, sisters, nieces, uncles and cousins that all have jobs at the county office could be (gasp) fired? It has only been the recommendation of two audits (that are tax dollar funded but our elected leaders decided were inconvenient to follow through on). The administrative growth has outpaced county population growth by over 1000% the last thirty years. Any private entity this top heavy would have been restructured years ago. My mother has been a DeKalb teacher for years and it is appalling to hear of the state of her school. Blatant prejudice against Caucasian employees throughout the hierarchy, disrespectful and unruly students, thug and gang parents that have the audacity to yell at an educator when they report their child’s misbehavior. DeKalb can’t wait to follow in Clayton’s footsteps (sooner or later you drive affluent residents out and run dry of other peoples money). The idiots and “doctors” in the county office are the most uneducated, impractical group of buffoons in the state. Why does a high school need four assistant principals? One is practical and furthermore these are high paying jobs. Unfortunately, DeKalb’s populace is more interested in keeping their political machine in motion than actually improving their community. Also, the spending priorities could not be more backwards. Why do we need a security camera on every school bus? Why do we get new buses every three years? (they used to be ancient) Whose idea was it to put a land-line telephone in every class room five years ago? A field trip for teachers to see their buffoon CEO sings “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands” in a stadium. You can’t make this stuff up. A curriculum that prioritizes “diversity” over math, science and proper English. Putting handicap students in all of the general classes so they can slow down the other students.
DeKalb should start firing at the top. Sell its underutilized and unused facilities. Suspend ALL capital improvements to buildings and structures, freeze teacher pay, sell Fernbank or seek a private partner, not purchase any new vehicles, and furlough administrative office workers. A leader with relevant BUSINESS experience could balance the budget in a very short time frame while keeping class sizes where they are or smaller.
funny
May 25th, 2012
11:34 am
Close it. It is worthless. Many times schools bring in the Atlanta Zoo to talk about animals and science. Fernbank is a waste when you have snobbish employees who fail to understand that the science center’s purpose is to assist with developing young science minds. Weekly trips for Fernbank ES? How did those weekly trips help DCSD? They did not, only a select group.
Glad SEMAA is gone., It was impossible to get your children in because space was wasted by the “friends and family” plan- holding for a select few.
Sell it to Tellus to be its Atlanta campus. Tellus is magnificent. I love transportation day! My teens love going to Tellus, even if we have to drive over an hour. Lesson is taht if you give a great product people will come.
For the school system to have a reserach and grant department that did not bring in grants, but monitored what hard workding teachers submitted. Retool that department to mandate that every employee in that department is required to bring in at least 4 grants annually or lose your job!
Patrick Edmondson
May 25th, 2012
11:42 am
As a retired Dekalb Co teacher of the Gifted I can tell you without the Science Center there is nothing to stimulate the wonder and amazement that sparks an interest in science. Below Middle School facilities, supplies, and trained personnel are mostly absent for inquiry science.
The bad thing is WHEN the school board closes Fernbank Center, the land reverts to the museum where developer board members plan to open Fernbank Forest off Clifton to build upscale golfing condos. The added traffic and loss of cooling, aerating trees will greatly lower the quality of life all around the area. The fix is in according to personnel who have been threatened with economic revenge if they speak.
Sam
May 25th, 2012
11:52 am
What a tragedy! Who’s going to take up the responsibility now for indoctrinating school kids in the latest evolutionary fantasies? Oh, right, there’s always the public school system. Tax money well spent.
Nick
May 25th, 2012
11:56 am
Thats a shame, maybe if these ignorant representatives would stop flooding their own pockets with money, our cities and counties wouldn’t be completely broke. Seems like every day we here crap like this. We the people of this country need to stop just accepting this type of crap from our government and stand up and say enough is enough.
Ron F.
May 25th, 2012
11:57 am
Dunwoody Mom: They were busy using reserve funds and everyting else to keep up appearances. It’s sad to see the collateral damage now. They’ve made it hard for all of us in public education to have a good reputation. Guess I better get the kids up there soon before they shutter the place for good.
edugator
May 25th, 2012
12:02 pm
Dunwoody Mom- always the cost of something, never the value. Close Fernbank and we’ll never see its like again. The savings will be plunged into some scripted bit of nonsense curriculum or the depths of MIS.
Dunwoody Mom
May 25th, 2012
12:09 pm
In this case the cost is the value. This school district is in dire financial straits – we have to quit thinking emotionally, but fiscally. Until someone can provide proof, datawise, that Fernbank is worth the money that is pumped into year after year, I have no problem with it being closed.
dubious
May 25th, 2012
12:11 pm
We don’t need to keep Fernbank open to continue the STT program running. Why can’t that be housed in one of the high schools that has excess capacity? The same teachers could teach, but not in a stand alone facility with all the costs that go along.
catlady
May 25th, 2012
12:24 pm
First, get rid of 2/3 of the CO staff (and not by moving them to the individual school budget). Then, look carefully at the third that are left and cut all those with “questionable” degrees. THEN, consolidate job descriptions so that 1/2 of the remaining are gone. THEN, we will look at other savings. There is NO GOOD REASON to have so many non-teaching staff!
Athletics
May 25th, 2012
12:36 pm
Elizabeth…To your response about cutting Middle School Sports in DeKalb….Here is a news flash about this suggestion from someone inside…Middle School Athletics’ in DeKalb believe it or not, operates in the “black” meaning just from ticket sales alone funds all transportation, coaching, officiating and uniforms/equipment needs. There is a surplus at the end of the year that assists funding non-ticket sports in the high schools. So in retrospect, if you cut Middle School sports in DeKalb, you would be in a bigger deficit. Crazy isn’t it? Not many on the outside know this. If you want to cut sports, you must cut sports in the high schools that do not charge for entry to the events and these sports drain the budget. 4 item lines keep sports operating in the county…Middle School Athletics… High School Football…High School boy’s and girl’s Basketball. The rest of the sports deplete the revenues of these 4 items. So the answer is, if you do not want to cut sports, then charge entry fees, or go to a pay to play system for those sports that do not charge entry fees. Many schools do this in times of desperation. The clear answer is to follow the recommendations of the auditor that we paid so much for. Cut the areas of excess and stop trying to justify those positions.
Teacher
May 25th, 2012
12:44 pm
Fernbank brings the Starlab portable planetarium to many schools every year. Fernbank is also vital to the Science Olympiad programs and Lego Robotics teams. I guess these things also have no value or not enough value. Better to put our money toward legal fees, scripted lessons and paper pushers. When this is all said and done, Dekalb will have run off everyone who can afford to move or send their children to private schools. The “equity” we will be left with will be below our current level of mediocrity.
yes i am worried
May 25th, 2012
12:45 pm
Patrick Edmondson
The garden is already gone. That is a done deal.
How do other system’s that don’t have FSC (not even close) have such better outcomes for far more students, of all races, economic levels, etc in science than DeKalb does?
I think that is a valid question.
How far this county has fallen
May 25th, 2012
12:52 pm
New motto: DeKalb, the NEW Clayton County
Tax the rich!
May 25th, 2012
12:54 pm
Yeah! That’s the ticket! Big Government will save DeKalb!
Donaldo
May 25th, 2012
12:55 pm
Public-private partnerships are one solution, along with small tax increase, and employee & program cuts. How about offering a major company the naming rights to Fernbank in return for a fee, eg. Coca Cola/Fernbank Science Center, staffed by a few paid mgrs. and a force of volunteers and students seeking math/science degrees, partner with GA. TECH, UGA, GA. ST to staff with interns. Ask all teachers who want to continue employed to volunteer a small pay cut + small increase in class size, in return, we get Schools of Education to offer interns to help. We go to major corporations to sponsor schools, in return, students are mentored by company volunteers as a partnership, these are just a few ideas, I am sure with some thought we can come up with many more, the main idea is that we have to change our education model…….rethink our systems….and if necessary relieve the burdens put on by teacher unions…..We need major sweeping innovation, not bandaids which eventually will result in more of the same……..Think about it!!!
Dunwoody Mom
May 25th, 2012
12:57 pm
@Teacher, how many schools see the Starlab? Please name them and the number of students involved. Science Olympiad and Robotics teams can be housed in every school, as they are in several currently or have teams within attendance clusters, there is no need for a separate facility for this.
wut?
May 25th, 2012
1:01 pm
WoW—I thought for sure EVERYTHING in the Dekalb School System would be soooo much better when they renamed all the schools!
Concerned Student
May 25th, 2012
1:06 pm
I am extremely disappointed in the county for even considering to close Fernbank Science Center. Over my years in the DeKalb County school system, I took full advantage of Fernbank Science Center in field trips and SEMAA camp. While school teachers handed out countless worksheets and busy work, Fernbank offered hands-on activities that inspired me and sparked my interest in science. Now, at high school, a high percentage of the gifted students choose STT and Advanced Studies classes over the basic science courses. Every student I’ve talked to offers high praise of Fernbank, and I have even signed up for an Advanced Studies course next year.
Cutting Fernbank Science center will take away a wonderful learning opportunity from me and thousands of fellow DeKalb County school students. I understand that DeKalb County is under a severe budget deficit, but Fernbank is a neighborhood institution that offers programs one cannot find elsewhere. When valuable institutions like Fernbank are cut, people cannot complain about the United State’s sinking education quality and the loss of access to quality science and math education.
Jackie
May 25th, 2012
1:09 pm
@Dekalb taxpayer – I agree with your comment 100%! A tax increase will more than likely drive more people out of their homes because they are struggling as it is. Once more people lose their home the taxes will decrease even more. How does this help? On top of that if the TSPLOST passes (hopefully it won’t be), Dekalb and Fulton residents will be paying 2 cents and everyone else will pay 1 cent! DCSS should start the cuts at home – in their main office.
As I was saying before being censored ....
May 25th, 2012
1:13 pm
(Re: Maureen’s prior topic, Private School Tax Credits)
Maureen, no one is getting away without paying taxes. It’s a TAX CREDIT, which allows the income earner to direct a portion of the school taxes paid—to the school where his/her child’s education is actually occurring. In other words, it operates just as do other tax credits you personally favor.
Unlike an AJC subscriber, who can cancel their subscription upon determining your publisher’s claims of “balance” are a scam—taxpayers don’t actually escape paying.
If you’ll forgive me borrowing your petty tone—it’s funny that the 17-year-olds you cite would no doubt understand all that, but you don’t. Could it be the biased way in which you set up the premise?
Now try “explaining” to them the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Dunwoody Mom
May 25th, 2012
1:18 pm
The latest Facility Assessment report indicates that FSC also needs about $1.6 million in repairs.
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/vision-2020/facility-report-fernbankScienceCenter-(2011-09-13).pdf
Also interesting, how does one operate a computer lab in this day and age with no wireless connectivity?
Technology Readiness->Electrical Power
Less than half of the instructional spaces have sufficient electrical power requirements and outlets for the minimum number of computers.
Technology Readiness->Cooling The rooms do not have adequate year-round cooling and ventilation.
Technology Readiness->Drops Almost all instructional spaces have only one drop.
Technology Readiness->Wireless The majority of the main building has wireless capability, but the computer lab does not. The annex building does not have wireless capability.
Technology Readiness->LAN-WAN Performance Internet connectivity is available, but it is very slow for the needs of the school and its program.
Ned
May 25th, 2012
1:21 pm
Is there some reason this has to be an “all or nothing” discussion? Atlanta Public Broadcasting is run by APS but relies heavily on other funding sources . . .