By: Diane Benjamin

The Unit 5 School Board is meeting tonight at Normal West – 6:30. Comprehensive Sexual Education is on the Agenda: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=531212

I watched most of the Phase II Community Engagement virtual meeting last night. Way too much of the presentation consisted of what Unit 5 could do if they had more money instead of why they have a deficit in the Education Fund. They seriously played down possible new revenues from Rivian, expiration of the Uptown TIF, rising property values, new housing construction, and Beich expansion.

One thing taxpayers must understand:

Just like Bloomington and Normal funds are segregated by type. Gas taxes are used for roads even though previously General Fund Revenues paid for roads. It’s a game to prove why tax increases are needed.

This slide is from last night: https://vimeo.com/713108914/5abd17632b

This slide has a couple problems, see the last point. Unit 5 wants to “parent” your kids instead of teach them. That $21,549,685 Unit 5 got under the Care Act was suppose to help students catch up, provide mental health counseling, and improve schools. Where is that money? In Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff and trainings Unit 5 doesn’t want you to know about? https://blnnews.com/2022/03/11/unit-5-dr-shelvin-and-the-cost-of-equity/

Funding from the State of Illinois keeps decreasing because PENSIONS keep taking a bigger and bigger part of the budget. Our gutless leaders in Illinois refuse to fix the problem. Are they waiting for bankruptcy?

What about that Real Estate crash in 2009? Has the EAV recovered? Yes it has!

I don’t see data just for Unit 5, but this is for the Town of Normal: https://countyclerk.mcleancountyil.gov/DistrictInfo.aspx

In 2009 the taxable EAV was $814,766,800

In 2021 the taxable EAV was $917,014,900

Can Unit 5 do math?

2007: $751,300,159

2008: $784,520,837

2009: $814,766,800

2010: $822,142,018

Look up more yourself!

The taxable value of property has been growing every year. The tax rate has grown too. Just the increase in EAV provided more money to the Education Fund, of course the large salary increases were not mentioned. Unit 5 did mention they have the second highest level of Administrators to Students. Easy cut there they don’t want to make. See the slide at 24:07.

What Unit 5 did in this presentation is make School Choice the only solution. Money should follow the student instead of washing through the Unit 5 bureaucracy. Parents should be able to choose the school that is the right fit for their child, not pay for every program their child has no interest in. I guarantee schools would instantly improve if they had to COMPLETE for dollars.

Back to tonight’s meeting: Comprehensive Sexual Education is grooming students. Parents can opt their children out, but the schools are counting on students discussing what is taught and therefore spreading it anyway.

Check out the Gender Cool website https://gendercool.org/

State Farm is gone, but lots of other companies who support teaching transgender and non-binary are still there. There is also a long list of media.

One more: Unit 5 conducted a telephone poll last night. One of the questions asked was whether you were male or female. The other seventy some genders weren’t an option – except in schools. School Board elections early next year!

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