By: Diane Benjamin The 1% Sales Tax increase is on the April 1st election ballet because it has a better chance of passing when few people bother to vote. If Tri-Valley really wanted your property taxes to go down, they wouldn’t propose a new bond for the exact amount of the one being paid off. […]
By: Diane Benjamiin 1) I had a cup of coffee at my Bloomington church yesterday. It tasted like dirt, now I know what all the social media posts about the water quality are talking about. The church has to buy a filter just to drink the water we pay a fortune for? We use very […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T Two readers who have been sending information. I’ve got a LOT more information, but start here. Executive Order on Education: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/ Indoctrination funded by the Department of Education – Over $1 billion: https://defendinged.org/investigations/granted/ This is what the money was used for, not education: Illinois Schools listed as receiving funds, The Regional […]
See #2. Sharon Chung thinks Illinois corruption is over. She’s funny: https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-02-13/central-illinois-lawmakers-react-to-former-house-speaker-madigans-guilty-verdict By: Diane Benjamin 1) Continuation of this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/02/13/unit-5-staff-only-meetings-1-sales-tax/ Video of the “staff only” meetings concerning the 1% Salters Tax increase will not exist. I received the response below to that part of a FOIA request: Diane, There are no public records responsive […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader: . Why are “staff only” meetings scheduled? Isn’t everything “staff” needs to know on the website? https://april1cent.info/ We still don ‘t know who paid for that site, WGLT forgot to ask. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-02-11/complaints-filed-over-alleged-political-advocacy-on-school-sales-tax-informational-website I filed a FOIA this morning on the meetings. Sometimes I get a same day response from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Few people probably know the McLean County Treasurer’s website has years of payments to every taxing district they collect property taxes for: https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/590/Taxing-Dist-Distribution-Settlement-Shee Someday if I really want a huge project I could compile tax payments to EVERY unit of government on your tax bill. If someone wants this project, or at […]
By: Diane Benjamin I wouldn’t know anything was sent out at Unit 5 if this guy had kept his mouth shut: (County Board member and music teacher) . Beirne must not know the administration is picking up CRIMINAL illegals. They aren’t interested in kids. Is Unit 5 harboring criminal kids Corey? In a follow-up post […]
By: Diane Benjamin Frequently I let things go that annoy me. Below is one of things that still annoys me 2-3 days later so it gets a story. Keep in mind his wife if running for the Bloomington City Council April 1st: Abby Scott Democrat County Board member Corey Beirne posted this days ago. If […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since most registered voters won’t even know there is an election April 1st, this will be on the ballot. Dist 87 meeting tomorrow: https://district87.diligent.community/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=287 From a reader: Let’s examine the numbers. District 87 enrollment has declined from 6,528 students in 2018 to 6,120 in 2024, a 6.2% decrease. Despite this, spending per […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you read the 2023 Youth Build Annual Report this Charter School is fantastic: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55bb8525e4b0a459046e6739/t/65b9afabb435b867dbf069cd/1706667953249/2023+Annual+Report.pdf Now see the Illinois School Report Card for YBMC: https://irc.isbe.net/School.aspx?source=profile&Schoolid=17064005026001C Chronic Absenteeism is 87%. The Academic Progress is redacted for Proficiency in English Language Arts, Math, and Science. Science Assessment shows 0% proficient. Graduation rate is redacted. […]
By: Diane Benjamin While ZERO of Connect transit electric buses are operational, last night Unit 5 bough 5 electric buses and 5 charging stations with $2,076,015 of your money. Austin Texas has 46 electric buses parked. Same manufacturer as Connect’s: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/capmetro-new-electric-buses-shelved Central States isn’t the manufacturer. Usually the Feds hand out grants to buy electric, […]
By: Diane Benjamin This slide is on the Unit 5 video from last night: See 3:33:59 https://vimeo.com/event/4378038 . What they are trying to say is the RATE of increase has slowed down while making it look like the actual increase isn’t happening. This slide is at 3:39:37 . The EAV growth amounts to an increase […]
By: Diane Benjamin Board candidate Casey Misch reported he was the only person running April 1st to actually attend the Tri-Valley Board meeting last night. Yes your property taxes got a massive increase because they can. Meetings aren’t on video and few people stand up to the Tax Class. You will get your property tax […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even though the agenda reappeared tonight’s meeting will not be legal. 48 hours means 48 continuous hours. Unit 5 is violating the Open Meetings Act. https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=660148 File: Â Exhibit 7.10-E3 Name or Gender Identity Change Request (revised 10-16-24) Your child can change their gender at school without you being notified. How many parents […]
See update: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/20/unit-5-agenda-is-back-see-this-item/ By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has a regularly scheduled meeting tonight: https://www.unit5.org/board-of-education/annual-meeting-calendar-notice-of-public-hearings An agenda was posted yesterday because I looked at it. This morning it is missing: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1482 . The Open Meetings Act requires an agenda to be posted for 48 hours before the meeting. It isn’t. If the agenda suddenly reappears […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read this story: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/11/12/schoolhouse_limbo_how_low_will_educators_go_to_better_grades_1070484.html?mc_cid=ac0e6166c0&mc_eid=a903ff179f Did you know some states are lowering standards to make assessments look better? The story mentions Oklahoma and Wisconsin are doing just that to combat declining test scores. It also mentions the new head of Maryland schools, Carey Wright, who is refusing to lower expectations for students. She […]
By: Diane Benjamin Social Media is full of outrage because people recently got their property tax assessment. They see HUGE increases and think their property taxes are going up. They haven’t gone up YET, only you can stop it. The assessed value is used by all the government units on your tax bill to decide […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did they check this person? https://normalcommunity.unit5.org/faculty/faculty/staff-master-list#R . Ruskin was fired as Assistant Warden at Pontiac prison. This WEEK 25 story has many details and proof she was terminated: https://www.25newsnow.com/2022/12/05/inspector-generals-office-alleges-gross-misconduct-by-pontiac-prison-staff/ Click on the 50 page document linked in that story for intense details. Ruskin was making a good living in Pontiac – from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has a page linked to their Home page called US and State Political Contacts: https://www.unit5.org/about-u5/u-s-and-state-political-contacts I don’t know why this page is on a school website. Worse, Unit 5 is displaying disinformation. All the highlighted people aren’t in office anymore and haven’t been for quite awhile: . If you look […]
By: Diane Benjamin April 2024: Today:
By: Diane Benjamin I had hoped at least one parent would have shown up at the Unit 5 School Board meeting last night to talk about the issue below. One parent did speak about fights at football games, but no one spoke on this issue. You can see her comment at 35:10. She was followed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe schools wouldn’t need more funding if they weren’t required to educate illegal alien kids that only the far left think have a right to be here. We are forced to pay for illegal immigration without a vote. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-09-05/mclean-county-school-administrators-ponder-a-countywide-sales-tax-after-failed-effort-in-2014 Read the article. Public schools are now horrendous. School administrators want a 1% […]
Response: By: Diane Benjamin Why is Corey make himself prime for a story? Yes, school shooting are traumatic horrible events that should never happen. They are worse when the shooter is known to law enforcement, the student’s parents, and the school and all of them do nothing to protect vulnerable kids! That is the case […]
By: Diane Benjamin How much are you paying Unit 5 in property taxes? See this story from November of 2023. It shows last year Unit 5 had 837 students in English as a second language classes. Now Unit 5 has 1100: https://www.unit5.org/departments/english-learner-programs . Enrollment at Unit 5 had been decreasing for years. Since Illinois is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently many parents don’t want to see how bad their child’s school really is. Waiting until your kids grows up to find out they can’t read or do math? The local Public School system is robbing you and your children and charging you more to do it! Enrollment at both Unit 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader
By: Diane Benjamin I got mine today. 🤑 I looked up some random properties to see how bad the tax increases are. Bloomington: Net taxable value for 2023 is $55,521, taxes increased $213.28 from last year (Dist 87) Net taxable value for 2023 is $136,131, taxes increase $382.70 from last year (Unit 5) Normal: Net […]
I hear NCHS students will be doing a charity talent show. Fabulous except where the money raised will go: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. That organization is an NGO with more than 90% of it’s revenue from tax dollars. Obviously there aren’t any local or state children that need “relief”. Did students or advisors pick PCRF? […]
By: Diane Benjamin NPR story: https://www.npr.org/2022/09/14/1122895362/illinois-now-requires-media-literacy-instruction-in-its-high-school-curriculum Parents have a problem because “media literacy” depends on who constructs the curriculum and who teaches it. Anybody think “media literacy” includes all sides of issues? If you need proof see this story written by a Normal Community senior for the school paper: https://nchsinkspot.com/uncategorized/2023/11/14/floridas-threats-to-ap-psychology-should-scare-you-but-dont-let-them-psych-you-out/ The story has many errors, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has a link on their website for strategic plans, the plan they passed last night isn’t on it: https://www.unit5.org/cms/lib/IL01905100/Centricity/Domain/2992/District%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf There isn’t a link to the plan in the agenda either, just a line item with no explanation: See 9a https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=627064 See the discussion with slides begins at 28:00: https://vimeo.com/event/3825867 Supposedly […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/07/this-survey-is-real-your-kids/ According to the IYS website, the survey many area schools are participating in will be given to 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in Illinois public schools. Keep in mind the University of Illinois is conducting the survey. Tri-Valley sent a copy of the survey to parents with the […]
See the 8th grade survey in this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/08/follow-up-see-the-8th-grade-survey/ By: Diane Benjamin See this link: https://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/conducting The University of Illinois is conducting this survey via public schools. Below are the McLean County schools participating, others may still sign up: Your child’s school isn’t going to ask for permission to survey anyone. A parental opt-out form is available here: https://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/conducting/opt-out/ The three […]
By: Diane Benjamin A Facebook page for parents of Unit 5 kids has been taken down. It only lasted a few days. Many parents appreciated a place to discuss school issues, County Board member Krystle Able didn’t. Under socialism you aren’t allowed to even have causal conversations against the elites. You are expected to only praise Unit 5 and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Beginning the path to being REAL NEWS started when WGLT reported this: https://blnnews.com/2023/11/17/3-things-you-need-to-know-4/ . Unit 5 won’t tell you how many of those students are ‘immigrants”, they claim they don’t ask. This week WGLT did journalism again: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-01-11/immigration-advocate-says-dozens-of-bused-migrants-are-already-living-in-mclean-county Bused illegals from the southern border are already here! The Immigration Project can’t say exactly how many however: […]
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 […]
