5 challenging 3 incumbents for 3 seats on Reynoldsburg school b...

Passing the levy will not alone solve the district's financial problems. In addition, the district must put the reigns on spending, or there can be no sustainability.

In a truely liberal demacratic approach she said and I quote "her priority is resolving financial issues by passing the November levy". Why not try to reign in the union, but then again that would go against the demacratic platform she runs on.
How pathetic is that?
She needs to go take couple of laps around the pool.

If you want to watch Elaine M. Tornero in action I'd suggest you check out "Right America, Feeling Wronged" on HBO. She is a case study in narrow minded bigotry. Stay away!

Bob wrote:

If you want to watch Elaine M. Tornero in action I'd suggest you check out "Right America, Feeling Wronged" on HBO. She is a case study in narrow minded bigotry. Stay away!

Congratulations! You just indicted more than half of the voters in Reynoldsburg.

Elaine Tornero didn't trust public schools with educating her children but now wants you to trust her on the school board that educates yours? I suspect she is a stealth candidate that wants to put Biblical creationism in the science class.

I love Reynoldsburg and have lived here for over 30 years. I know how precious our education is to our community. BUT I have never understood why the levy passed to build new schools with no money for their operation? I say that is putting the cart before the horse!
We are retiring and will be on a fixed income for the first time in our lives and are cutting back as everyone must do in this economy. We will not be voting for this new levy (although we have voted "for" each year before this one.) I have a question, why can't the district enlarge our present schools by "building up" on them? To me, that makes more sense because we all know it is much more expensive to build single floor buildings-right?

Senior citizens, in general, have the lowest rate of poverty of any group in the country. It is scary to go to a fixed income - knowing you will never get another raise! But that's life when you are retired. Responsibilities do not terminate just because one is retired. As long as one chooses to remain a homeowner, one must fulfill the responsibilities of a homeowner. In Ohio, that includes funding the police, the firemen, the library, and the schools. One retires from work, but not from life's responsibilities. We seniors do get many breaks - think of the homestead exemption, Medicare, Medicaid if we need it, and multitudes of senior discounts. No other demographic gets those kinds of benefits. Think of that before you cast a vote that will effectively deny Reynoldsburg's most needy group - its children, thirty per cent of whom live below the poverty standard - the education that is their best hope for their future.

We need new faces and ideas. No one is even talking of the thousands of dollars RSB is spending on legal fees for utilities for the new school.... which should not have been built. There is no money to run these schools. This was known going in. Replace the old member and lets get some fresh and sensible ideas going. I question the whole system with nepotism seemingly being a powerful driving force. Vote down the levy, Rid the school board... lets start over!

Vote no!! again and again and again!

Want to be heard. Just say no. Again. This board is out of touch. One has to question why some of them are on the board in the first place. Is it to protect or advance the interests of a wife or husband who happens to work for the system? Some have even had children in the system years ago and at the time they could have cared less. You wonder what changed years later and now a new found duty for "the kids". I personally don't buy it. Help keep people in there homes. Vote this levy down. We have Federal tax increases coming soon. Enough! The boards poor planning is not a reason to keep throwing money into a wasteful system. You are spending so many dollars on legal fees (utility suit with Licking Co), why? Our kids need this money. BTW how much is this costing or how much is this taking away from the schools?

If you vote "NO" on the school levy, you are not "punishing" the school board - you are punishing the students of Reynoldsburg, whose education is our responsibility. Don't kid yourself - supporting our schools, and supporting education, means paying for them. There's no way around that, no matter how "creative" your logic.
If you do not like the school board, there are replacement members running for the 3 (out of 5) seats on the board - vote for them. But vote for the levy, if you support the schools, education, and the students of Reynoldsburg.

By law, board members can buy and enjoy the school districts health insurance program. Mr. Swope is one of the board members who has decided he would like this benefit. He pays the full premium and it must be a lot cheaper than on the open market for a self employed business person. Does he have a conflict of interest in being re-elected.

We need to start over fresh with a clean slate of people who will listen to the people and not have their own agenda.

Vote no for Swope

If Mr. Swope pays his own premium, in its entirety, then it is not a burden on the school district. It's just a benefit for him. Buying one's own health insurance is very expensive - it is only smart to take the less expensive option if it is available to you. I would not base a decision to vote for or against Mr. Swope on this issue, but on his record on the school board. You might recall that he was the ONLY school board member who wanted to accept the teachers' union offer to give up half their contracted salary increase for 2009. He made the motion to accept that offer, that would have saved the district $450,000, and no other member of the board would second the motion. That was a horrible night!

What you may not know is that there was a back door deal to give back the 1.5% the following year.

No, it was not a "back door deal" - the concession was never represented as anything but a one-year deal. That was the deal the school board representatives who negotiated it with the teachers' union representatives indicated they would accept. And then they made their surprise move at that school board meeting, and gave lame excuses for why they had done it. And so that opportunity was lost for good.
Though the amount was large enough to be significant, it pales in comparison to the actual budget deficit the school board faces now. The schools need money, period. That's the only kind of support that they are lacking.

In response to the Dispatch Candidates questionnaire, Ms. Tornero says "The average salary for a teacher in Reynoldsburg is over $50,000. This figure is in line with the average salary for a teacher in Ohio, but higher than the income of the average Reynoldsburg worker."
Why should the salary of a Reynoldsburg teacher be comparable to that of the average Reynoldsburg worker? The average Reynoldsburg teacher has a post-graduate degree, while the average Reynoldsburg worker has only a high school education. There should be a difference in their salaries!
It is disrespectful to teachers to imply that their profession is not deserving of a professional salary.
The only valid comparison of salaries would be between teacher salaries, and the salaries of other professionals with post-graduate degrees.
I am a senior citizen and my children are long past their school days, but I always taught them that education was the key to getting anywhere in this life. I believed, and still believe, that education is the key to success and a better life. If you believe this, then I think you will agree that our well-educated, professional teachers deserve to be fairly compensated for their skills - and not condemned to poverty because they work in Reynoldsburg.

Responding to the Dispatch questionnaire, Mrs. Tornero says "I will support offering music and sports programs on a pay-to-participate basis." In other interviews, she has said that she paid for her children's art and music classes, and therefore all parents should be responsible for paying for any "special" classes for their children. This solution leaves the children of poor working class families out of the equation, in Reynolsdburg.

Do you really think this is fair? Do you really think a two-tiered educational system is best for any community? Do you think such a heartless division of the “haves” and the “have-nots” is in anyone’s best interests? Do you really believe we don’t have a responsibility to provide for all the children of Reynoldsburg, what is available to all the children of Columbus, Pickerington, Gahanna, Whitehall? Do you really think it is wise to deny a full and well-rounded education to those who already have the least? Don’t you believe that education is the key to success? Don’t you believe that every child in our care, deserves the chance for success? Are you really a member of the “I’ve got mine – to bad about the rest of you” class? Please, don’t be.

Please vote for school board candidates who care about something other than their own taxes.

Mrs. Tornero said, in her responses to the Dispatch Voters' Guide questionnaire, "I will support bringing back school busing under a pay-to-ride arrangement." This solution is not legal in the state of Ohio. A school board candidate who would make such statements without researching, is too reckless, too inexperienced, and too ill-informed to be on the school board. A simple call to the school administration would have enlightened Mrs. Tornero - but she did not make that call. This is just one example of many, that demonstrates she is not a credible candidate for school board - she is just a disgruntled, wealthy taxpayer whose civic interests do not extend beyond her own welfare.

Please vote in new members to this board. Old members just do not get it!
We've voted two levies down. This bunch is out of touch!
Did you catch Swope's campaign add about now is not the time to "train" new board members?
How arrogant! Please rid the board of him first!

Anyone have an idea how many board members have relatives working for the school system?
Makes you wonder if our kids interests are being looked after or .... maybe just maybe our board are looking out for their own special interests. This elite group of memebers needs to go!

As someone who has worked closely with Daryl Albrecht, I can wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy for Reynoldsburg school board. Daryl is eminently qualified for this position. Here are some reasons you should vote for Daryl Albrecht.

* Daryl is a natural leader, who leads by example and consensus. He does not lead by bullying, nor by politicizing issues, nor by exploiting divisive issues. His leadership is always honorable, respectful, responsible, and effective.

* When Daryl sees something wrong, he takes action to fix what he can, and suggests actions for others to fix what they can. He never says something does not work, without supplying ideas to fix the problem.

* Daryl is commited to Reynoldsburg schools, which his children attend. He has been an active parent at the schools, and has been recognized for his volunteer activities at several achools.

* Daryl has been asked to participate in every advisory capacity, in support of the school district. Why? Because he gives generously of his time, his experience, his technical skills, and his business acumen. And because his participation always makes a meeting or an entire organization run better and more effectively.

* Daryl has no partisan loyalties or biases, and no political or social agenda. His sole reason for running for school board, is to keep our schools' quality, and to make them better.

* Everyone who has ever worked in a community group with Daryl has come away from that experience with great respect for his abilities, his energy, his competence, and his innate leadership skills.

* Daryl is a successful businessman, in a high tech industry, and understands dollars and cents, along with common sense.