Photo from pro-tax hike group's website www.yesford200.com
A taxpayer in Wheaton-Warrenville's District CUSD 200 was appalled when reviewing a website proponents set up to promote a referendum calling for higher property taxes, so she wrote the following open letter to local administrators and the school board …
An open letter to District 200 Administrators and School Board:
Do you expect the educated taxpayers of District 200 to believe the vague, dire and desperate claims on the www.yesford200.com website?
I spoke with Dr. Schuler regarding some of the claims on the website and he told me that he was not affiliated with the website and was not responsible for the claims being made. He would have me believe that a website, with claims and photos of the conditions of our schools and photos of students for the purpose of passing a referendum that he is promoting is not affiliated with him or the district? This is obviously a group partnering with the District to pass a referendum. If he is not affiliated than who are the individuals behind this? (The Director of P.R. for the district?). This website is asking for donations, but no name appears on the website. Why all the secrecy?
Who paid for all the “Yes for 200 Schools” signs we see around our community? According to Elections.il.gov as of March 8, 2017 we know that our PTA’s School Board President Jim Vroman and the potential general contractor Nicholas & Associates funded “Yes for 200 Schools”, all of whom Dr. Schuler has direct ties to. Yet he would have me believe that he and the District are not affiliated with the website.
My challenge to the School District and School Board is this:
Please give the community specifics as to the vague claims on the website. For example;
- Which doors in which schools are insecure that would allow someone “DIRECT” access to our students?
- Which school/schools have rain water coming through the roofs and to what extent?
- Which school/schools have “VAST” stretches of extension cords, and are they a safety risk to the students?
- Which school/schools have overflowing toilets, and is the overflow due to the toilet being broken or someone putting toilet paper rolls down them?
If you cannot provide specifics to these claims than the School District and School Board need to put out a bold statement to the community disavowing false information that is misrepresenting the conditions of our schools in such a disingenuous manner on this website.
If these claims are true, than the taxpayers of District 200 should be expecting the resignations of the Administrators and our current sitting School Board for incompetence and negligence for jeopardizing the safety and security of the students.
This is good community with good people, and frankly, you have financially tapped most of us out. You neglect maintaining our buildings (and come to us for us millions of dollars), while you spend our hard earned money on edible arrangements for yourselves, taxpayer-funded retirement dinners every year. You allow employees to order gifts out of a catalogue for certain anniversary years, and demand taxpayers pay 100% for administrators' pension contributions. You spend money on lobbying groups (IASB), consulting and studies and giving out raises in multiyear contracts that were many years above the cost of living, etc. (For specifics please go to Dupagewatchdog.org)
I would ask for intellectual honesty from this District's officials instead of propaganda, and would ask that you either own up to your neglect in providing a safe environment for our students and resign, or disavow the scare tactics being utilized by the “Yes for 200 Schools” website that is trying to manipulate and guilt trip the good people of District 200.
Mary Ann Vitone
