By: Diane Benjamin
I sent a FOIA request to the District office yesterday. It was answered the SAME DAY!
Now, if the District wants REAL transparency, start recording and posting School Board Meetings instead of holding meetings in a small room that barely allows citizens to attend.
How much did the glossy magazine cost?
The contract with Jouney12 is for TWO YEARS.
The magazine will be printed 4 times a year at a cost of $39,000 a year – postage included:
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2000 copies are printed. So $39,000/8000 copies = $4.88 each, not including staff time accumulating and writing stories.
The document below explains why Tri-Valley did this. J12 wants to improve the perception of public schools. Stopping the constant property tax increases would be a good start!
I did read the first magazine cover to cover, only because we were traveling and hours in a car gave me time. It was good, but is it essential?
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I flipped through the magazine, but I didn’t get the purpose. Literally, did not see a clear message from the magazine.
But I did consider it another waste of my tax dollars!
The school doesn’t need to waste money trying to “market” the school to me – I already pay a large amount of my taxes to the Tri Valley Schools – and I don’t have a choice!
I received (2) copies of the marketing magazine in the mail and I saw the magazines piled up on the counter at the Downs Post Office.
It is 2026….
I receive e-bills and e-statements from everyone now. No one at Tri Valley Schools thought about sending their marketing materials to us electronically?
Or better yet, just focus on spending our money on teaching the kiddos reading, writing and arithmetic!!
I was there at this meeting when the owner of this “magazine” gave his sales speech. The Superintendentsaid this was needed to change the negative views about the boards decisions and to head off what they were doing by making decisions a positive before the people of the district would speak out about issues. Sales pitch was good, he even said positive propaganda in the pitch. This publication has already been used in alot of schools who needed a spin on what the boards and staff. Owner of magazine is retired teacher and found a thing to sell.
However, Ask your kids about the people featured in the publications now and in the upcoming magazines and follow the donations……
Interesting
Reminds me of when all of the McLean county school districts spent public tax dollars on a massive PR campaign to try to sell the benefits of a “yes” vote on the 15% sales tax hike. Oh yeah and then they illegally coordinated and shared privileged information with a political action committee ran by a former superintendent and a current Unit 5 school board member.
Interesting
As you said..”Now, if the District wants REAL transparency, start recording and posting School Board Meetings instead of holding meetings in a small group barely allows citizens to attend.”
Concur. This applies to all boards, villages, cities and counties regardless of size in my opinion (pre and post meeting) . But serving on boards and witnessing things over last few decades it’s clear a few select nepotistic corporate relatives, sports/church club types dont question the projects or strategy or money. Lable it so administration and operations or safety and anything goes. $$ funnel.
Lessons on Leadership 🙃😡
District 87 is an abomination behind closed doors where citizens only know if they attend
I fear it’s district wide
Call me old fashioned.
I remember when I was in grade school the principal along with the teachers put together a newsletter that was sent home with the students to be shared with parents. I bet that didn’t cost no $39,000 and had valuable information for parents.
$39K, what a joke! Are they offering recycling for the printed rag ?
It’s a complete waste of money for them to send it to me and I’m assuming others as well. I don’t have any current (and have never had) connections to Tri-Valley schools. I also don’t have school age children. It was in my recycle bin as soon as I walked in the door.