By: Diane Benjamin Below is another chart from the BNWRD financial statements. Since the source is the Economic Development Council, all local governments have the same information: Unit 5 has almost 300 more employees now than they had in 2014. That would make sense is they had more students. They don’t! https://blnnews.com/2023/11/01/unit-5-has-lost-1447-students-since-2016/ For the 2013-2014 […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT story on Unit 5 property taxes: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-11-16/unit-5-proposes-151m-tax-levy-but-plans-to-lower-tax-rate Your property taxes are going up because Unit 5 needs the money. Below is a quote showing the mentality of the people you elected: People buy homes to live in. It doesn’t matter how much more your house is worth if you aren’t planning […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is what the website looked like until yesterday. Click on About Us – then District Information. The Student Enrollment tab was listed which took you to this page: Student Enrollment has been removed as an option. The link used to be: https://www.unit5.org/Page/356 Click that now to see: This page is currently […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois State Board of Education hasn’t released the Report Card for Unit 5 yet for the 2022-2023 year. Keep in mind the previous year showed 29% of students headed to college needed Community College Remediation. https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/District.aspx?source=trends&Districtid=17064005026 How deficent are the students who choose not to go to college? Unit 5 has […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind voters were scared into giving Unit 5 the right to increase tax rates. The below is using the rate Unit 5 charged property owners in 2022. They now have the right to charge you much more regardless of how much the assessed value of your property increased. The below […]
By: Diane Benjamin We know the District 87 teacher’s union told teachers they aren’t allowed to discuss gender identity with parents unless the child gives written approval. I bet other public schools are the same. Schools: Kids do not belong to you. You aren’t the village raising them. You aren’t allowed to parent kids. Your […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ask your Unit 5 students if they had to DECLARE their pronouns. At least some Unit 5 high school teachers mandated it. Imagine being 14 or 15 and tip toeing around the other kids so you don’t accidently refer to a female as “she”when she wants to be called “they” or “them”. […]
By: Diane Benjamin One Public Comment was given at the last School Board meeting by the mom of a bullied student who was punished for defending himself. See 30:55 https://vimeo.com/event/3579210 When the Unit 5 School Board approved contracts on July 19th there was NO DISCUSSION. No recap for the public – nothing. Various Board members […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent this snip from questions parents are asked when registering their child. There is NEVER a need for a school to talk to your child’s doctor! Answer NO. You are the parent – not the school.
By: Diane Benjamin I would snip this graphic, but you would think I made it difficult to read on purpose. See the original source: https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/2484743/schools/211256?fbclid=IwAR0d5nuYGvS6KA9RJhiJOz3x_gLPIelytkYBawvD3sP-oHmwbwW9M24n9Eo How much did Unit 5 pay pearchjar.com to create flyers they could easily make themselves? (and be readable) I have a tons of thoughts on this, I’d rather hear yours. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Dr. Shelvin must believe people of color can not succeed without you paying to “empower disenfranchised communities”. She’s black and successful, how did she do it? DEI pays well – $35 an hour. I enjoy the leftist names for teaching Marxist ideology: Freedom School. Unit 5 doesn’t currently have “quality instruction”? Freedom […]
By: Diane Benjamin Instead of educating students, Unit 5 is using skin color to determine discipline. They are promoting the idea that deviant behavior is okay for some because they aren’t capable of socially acceptable behavior like following directions and not terrorizing other students. Are grades based on skin color too? Schools should offer equal […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received reports last school year of a female student terrorizing Benjamin School. She was bussed there from in town. Is this the same student or another one teachers aren’t allowed to discipline? Names redacted only because I wanted to:
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Uptown attractive! Where Normal is headed now that many residents have no representation in their government: h/t another reader In a Unit 5 classroom: What is PFLAG? Interpretation: Trans students get EQUITY, females get erased. See Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/gaslit-into-silence-swimmer-riley-gaines-explains-why-she-spoke-out-against-lia-thomas-and-trans-athletes This is Unit 5’s gender affirming care: […]
By: Diane Benjamin All of the emails below were received by FOIA. What the 47 “trainers” Dr. Shelvin sent across the district trained is still a mystery. Unit 5 didn’t keep the Zoom training. This email means another FOIA: Parents, ask your kids about this one, it is recent: The backstory on this one looks […]
By: Diane Benjamin I did this story about Unit 5 for a reason: https://blnnews.com/2023/04/13/unit-5-doesnt-have-a-policy/ That story is dated April 13th, responding to FOIA requests accurately is not a Unit 5 strong suit. I finally received the rest of my request yesterday although I still don’t know if everything was produced as required by law. This […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tax-Rates.org summarizes property taxes by state. Indiana property tax rates as a percentage of home value is less than half what Illinois is. Of course everyone knows schools drive Illinois property taxes. Indiana School Districts: The largest public school district in Indiana, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is an agile, innovative educational organization […]
By: Diane Benjamin This website is funded by the Democrat Party with money Pritzker is pouring into local elections. Non-partisan doesn’t exist and hasn’t for a LONG time (if ever). https://defendourschoolsil.com/ Below are some bills the Democrats just passed they say who the extremists are: HB 3093 – Requires all public restrooms be stocked with menstrual […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m pretty sure most of you got a card in the mail from Responsible Cities telling you who to vote for. Guess who also got a card in the mail addressed to “Responsible Citizens at . . . .”: Me I can’t vote in Bloomington elections -their preferred candidates are on the […]
By: Diane Benjamin This comment was made today to a story from November of 2019: Unit 5 indoctrinating kids with CNN. I am printing it because most people won’t see it. It breaks my heart that some Unit 5 teachers are doing this to kids. I know some schools have banned To Kill A Mockingbird. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Besides the fact that Weikle has known about the “structural deficit” for years and did nothing to fix it, she is either allowing illegal activity or promoting it. Anyone believe how she runs Unit 5 is perfectly legal? She is hiding what is really being taught to your kids. What did Dr. […]
The below is compiled from data on the Illinois Sate Board of Education. More in this story: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/policy-shop/the-policy-shop-how-to-fix-illinois-public-schools-falling-test-scores/ Quality of Education is going down. More money isn’t going to reverse this course. Electing the people who caused the problems won’t either. Don’t get excited about Unit 5 being above Statewide average. Illinois is BELOW the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5’s own data shows controlling costs isn’t happening. They have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Start with this chart complied from OpenTheBooks: https://blnnews.com/2022/04/01/unit-5-did-esser-funds-inflate-salaries/ Compared that chart with the one below compiled by Unit 5 – PDF page 15 https://www.unit5.org/cms/lib/IL01905100/Centricity/Domain/51/CAC%20Financial%20Presentation%2002-02-2022.pdf Why did PERSONNEL costs (blue line) skyrocket since 2015? The […]
By: Diane Benjamin If Unit 5 has a deficit of $12 million in the Education Fund, why is the referendum going to give them $20 million? This is the wording on the ballot: The below is a screenshot of the now deleted Frequently Asked Questions on the Unit 5 website: There is no guarantee the […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Biological males are using female restrooms at Normal Community. The rights of females are immaterial. Cancel culture cancelled the right to privacy for females. 2) Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/22/proof-normals-staff-runs-the-town/ Remember all those “community” meetings Normal had to hear what people wanted to see in Uptown South? The email Mercy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is what was put in staff mailboxes at Colleen Hoose and possibly other Unit 5 schools. It does not have a name other than the Vote Yes symbol used by the Political Action Committee who is trying again to raise your property taxes after failing in November. This is obviously a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Only contributions to candidates or political action committees over $1000 are required to be immediately reported. Other contributions are reported quarterly. That means you won’t know who contributed to either until after the April 4th election since reports won’t be filed before then. Reports are available on Illinois Sunshine for contributions that […]
By: Diane Benjamin The ethics ordinance Unit 5 has posted on their website is REQUIRED by State law. It’s there to pretend legislators want to clean up corruption in Illinois. Every level of government is required to have one that meets certain standards. Of course nobody is in charge of enforcing it. John Adams said: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Not to one employee who while at events the last two nights, being compensated as part of his job, campaigned FOR the referendum. I’ve got video. What is Unit 5 going to do to Corey Beirne for violations? Does Unit 5 have ethics? https://www.unit5.org/Page/297
Any Unit 5 teachers/employees get something stuffed in their school mailbox that just might be illegal? 😉
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 didn’t like the results of the November referendum – so they demand you vote again. Vote No Again Ask Unit 5 Board members how it is possible to be this irresponsible with other people’s money. Anybody see a problem? Anybody? Tim Gleason is pulling the same stunt on Monday. His […]
By: Diane Benjamin Dennis Grundler showed how a candidate forum should be run today! The audience submitted questions to him in writing and then he asked them. MANY more topics were covered this way with close to zero waste of time. This way is much more informative than most debates where one person creates questions […]
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 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 […]
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 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 […]
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 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 […]
