MCGOP-Sponsored Non-partisan Event The next state-wide election – the 2023 Consolidated Election – will take place on Tuesday, April 4. This election will present voters with candidates for city and town councils, school boards, and perhaps a ballot measure or two – such as the Unit 5 proposal for a tax increase (following its defeat […]
The Woodson Center’s K-12 black history and character curriculum is based on the Woodson Principles and tells the stories of black Americans whose tenacity and resilience enabled them to overcome adversity and make invaluable contributions to our country. It also teaches character and decision-making skills that equip students to take charge of their futures. These […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Tuesday’s meeting a representative from Stifel Public Finance made presentation. As reported yesterday this presentation was to inform the board about the status of bonds, when some would be paid off, and clear the way for new bonds for another building project. If I hadn’t been at the meeting to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s live stream: https://vimeo.com/event/2815172 The video will not play for me! See if it does for you. Since I was at the Tri-Valley meeting, people who attended this meeting let me know what happened. If you can get the video to play, go to around 1:39. A retired financial guy from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course nothing is on line about presentations last night. I did attend and told them again I wanted the board packets on-line, I was asked if I wanted all 120 some pages. Duh. One board member said she looked at Unit 5 and District 87 and Tri-Valley was giving the same […]
By: Diane Benjamin The information below comes from 2 websites: Illinois School Report Card: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/district.aspx?source=studentcharacteristics&source2=enrollment&Districtid=17064003026 Open the Books: https://www.openthebooks.com/members/employer-detail/?Id=71090&tab=1&Year_C=2021 Both have tons of other information not detailed below! Quick lesson on using OpenTheBooks.com Click on Menu – LEFT SIDE – below the scrolling reports. Choose Illinois – Data is available for all levels of government. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda including possible budget cuts: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=566908 I’m told closing the school in Carlock has to be done, it doesn’t have enough students to justify the staff costs. Otherwise, cutting Administration is just now being considered? What took so long? Where is the report detailing NEW REVENUE? The referendum should be voted down […]
Who is attending?
By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 School Board did nothing to control costs, they just want you to pay more. They are putting the exact same referendum back on the April ballot. That is the same referendum that was defeated in November. The only way it passes in April is if supporters vote and you […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tri-Valley held a school board meeting on January 18th. I attended the December meeting: https://blnnews.com/2022/12/20/tri-valley-zero-transparency/ All I asked of them is post all information the school board members see before meetings. They failed again! The agenda was posted, noting else. The Board has retreat schedule for January 31st. The agenda is posted, […]
By: Diane Benjamin I would ask him but he didn’t respond to my last email. I heard a request was made to District 87 for John Wyatt Danenberger’s child (children) to attend Oakland School instead of Washington. Since Danenberger didn’t answer my last email I saw no reason to ask him. I asked District 87 […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT employee RC McBride chaired the Vote YES for Unit 5 group that failed to get the referendum passed in November. That should convince you WGLT actively tried to convince you to vote YES, RC is the General Manager. On January 19th WGLT did a story detailing draconian cuts that would happen […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government unions negotiate with friendly politicians over taxpayer’s money putting the public interest at odds with union interests. Private sector unions negotiate with management, public sector unions negotiate with the people they elect. The voice of taxpayers isn’t part of negotiations unless people representing them are elected. I ran across this on […]
If you didn’t read the decision, both objections were dismissed because the objectors didn’t include their addresses on the documents filed. The actual merits of their cases were never heard since not including their addresses violated state law. By: Diane Benjamin No one was kicked off the ballot. Details are in the File below. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin I didn’t remember this so I bet you don’t either. A question was on the 2014 PRIMARY ballot to add a 1% Sales tax to be used only for McLean County school facilities. I did this story about the tax: https://blnnews.com/2014/03/13/just-how-desperate-is-unit-5/ Voters were promised property taxes would go down if the tax […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/487/District/2640088/Board_Agenda_12.19.2022.docx.pdf Since they aren’t planning on anyone showing up to oppose the Tax Levy, the vote is right after the Public Hearing: Tri-Valley does not post any supporting documents for Board action. Obviously transparency and pesky taxpayers need to be avoided. The only way to know what the District is doing […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why are many local governments holding tax hearings? Here’s the legal reason: (35 ILCS 200/18-56) Sec. 18-56. Legislative purpose. The purpose of this Law is to require taxing districts to disclose by publication and to hold a public hearing on their intention to adopt an aggregate levy in amounts more than 105% of the amount […]
By: Diane Benjamin This sign is in a bathroom at NCHS: This organization wants to radicalize your children to demand an abortion law legalizing it across the nation. They want your kids in the streets demanding a law to legally killing their children. Activism forced on impressionable children has no place in schools. Forced motherhood […]
By: Diane Benjamin Back in 2018 Tri-Valley got voters to approve a referendum: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/29/tri-valley-referendum/ The property tax rate would have gone down because bonds were paid off. Work was essential at the High School, some classrooms had been created with temporary walls. Instead of asking for money just to fix essentials, Tri-Valley asked for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s packet: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4519 PDF page 49: Depending on the assessed value increase for your property, taxes should stay about the same as last year. If Unit 5 raises property taxes Normal wins big. Remember TIF districts? Normal has 5. Any increase in property taxes for TIF properties goes to the TIF, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Watch the fresh meat tossed in the water – it’s YOU. City of Bloomington, District 87, and Unit 5 are all holding property tax hearings because they want more of your money! What do all 3 of these have in common? Easy. The people who represent the citizens for all 3 are […]
By: Diane Benjamin This morning I spoke to a mother of a child in a Unit 5 school. I’m purposely being vague because I need to know if this is happening at other Unit 5 schools. Her child has twice had a nose bleed at school. She was twice sent to the nurse’s office. So […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below is a clear case of government not holding individuals accountable for their behavior. Instead of creating consequences for the problem students, all students were treated as guilty. The fastest way to change behaviors is consequences. The innocent children saw justice doesn’t exist because they were labeled guilty by being forced […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night my church served Thanksgiving dinner at Wittenberg Lutheran Center in Normal to foreign ISU students. These students were from all over the world. The event was called International Neighbors Night. Some of the countries represented were: China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Columbia, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Senegal. I know others […]
The article below is from a newsletter sent by FLAG – Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness. The founder is a legal immigrant and now citizens Nick Adams. He grew up in Australia wanting to be an American. His website is FLAGUSA.org. His mission is to teach kids what the schools aren’t. America is the […]
If you have kids in a local Junior High, ask them if any group has talked to their class – without parental consent. Remember how kids are now behind because of remote learning? It appears playing “let’s catch up” isn’t the priority. Sorry, no hints.
By: Diane Benjamin County: Bloomington Unit 5: Added together: (😣) Yes: 16,547 No: 19,196 Stay tuned draconian predictions from Unit 5 Only 52.44% of registered voters in Bloomington bothered to vote. The County only had 60.52%. Obviously the Republic can’t be “kept” when citizens don’t participate. . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Check your kids classroom library. From the Unit 5 Education Association website: https://ufea.org/from-the-president-october-28/ Books available start at ages 0-5 and go through high school. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXbGxgNoFVpBj35JFUQr33PvLKHUo6VBs_nWX4f-iACJcTpQ/viewform Kids are very impressionable. Is that the goal of Prairie Pride Coalition? Are some Unit 5 teachers replacing the values of parents with their own? Bloomington probably […]
Read the comments to this story! By: Diane Benjamin I wrote this story back in 2013: https://blnnews.com/2013/09/27/the-common-core-approved-sex-ed-book-caution-graphic/ Sexualizing kids in Public Schools has been going on for a lot longer than I remembered! That story has a link to an approved sex ed book for ages 10 and up. I’ve noticed that book being downloaded […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has gone woke. The Superintendent uses pronouns on emails. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion permeates the curriculum because Unit 5 hired Dr. Shelvin to indoctrinate the staff and students. Teaching a color blind society has been shelved in favor of the Marxist ideology of division. Human Resources offered counseling to all […]
This one reveals who designed the three billboards. School Board elections are next April. Angels4Freedom will be promoting candidates for both Unit 5 and District 87. . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Enrollment last year: Unit 5 just posted the new enrollment: 197 fewer students, but they need more money. Did you know Income Inequality is higher in Blue States than Red? https://www.dailywire.com/news/blue-states-have-worse-inequality-than-red-ones-new-census-data-shows Before voting on Unit 5’s demand for more money, see what they did with the money they already have: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:272dce9b-d9ad-3886-8b64-4b28ffafcc1b That […]
By: Diane Benjamin See Unit 5’s state report card here: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/District.aspx?source=trends&Districtid=17064005026 Graduation rate is 90% 35% need Community College remediation 30% of 8th Graders pass Algebra 1 26% are chronically truant (90% graduate?) Unit 5 is currently spending $12,000 per student. Unit 5 now wants a tax increase expected to raise $20,000,000. h/t a reader: […]
By: Diane Benjamin 3 HUGE issues you need to consider before you vote: (other issues later) 1) The SAFE-T act is a pro-criminal bill passed by Illinois Democrats and signed by Gov. Pritzker. It will increase crime across Illinois. Any candidates that don’t REJECT this bill don’t need your vote. A DEMOCRAT State’s Attorney has […]
If you can’t take your children out of Public School, you have rights! Put your child’s school on notice: https://drive.google.com/file/d/156iLYqm-dtswZnHDAfOJY8HeR5OHYH19/view Email and present it in person! See more at: https://courageisahabit.org/ . . . .
Did Normal West High School really spend the entire first day of school in EVERY class reviewing pronouns? Maybe rename the school to Normal Woke West. No education, no syllabus review, just propaganda. Unit 5 need more money however.
By: Diane Benjamin If you know a great local teacher let me know! I was told about one at Normal West: John Bierbaum, Social Studies Teacher. Bierbaum also teaches civics the way it should be taught, no ideology just facts. Your kids have one chance to learn about their country, they will learn truth in […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=542269 The Unit 5 School Board will vote to raise your property taxes tonight: Some things Unit 5 doesn’t want to hear: Quit wasting money on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion because it teaches kids to judge each other based on the color of their skin. Opt out of Comprehensive Sexual Education like […]
By: Diane Benjamin School Districts request waivers of tuition so out-of-districts students don’t have to pay tuition to attend. The requests are usually for multiple years and for children of District employees, some like Tri-Valley requested a waiver for only children of licensed staff. This is a follow-up to this story, I wanted to see […]
