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The Nickel Tax and the Hardin County School Board
Did they qualify for the 2006 Nickel or the 2008 Nickel??

  • Questions raised by the School Board and Superintendent regarding the Nickel Tax. 
  • December 13, 2008 News Enterprise HCS, considers levying new tax.
  • Plans to hold public hearing December 29, 2008.
  • All board members and Superintendent Nannette Johnson agreed this was a bad time to consider raising taxes.

Before we examine the questions raised and activities of the school board, we’ll look at the School Board’s mission statement as it appears on the internet:

MISSION STATEMENT
As responsible stewards of the assests and resources granted by the citizens, the Hardin County School Board of Education will provide the best learning environment possible in order to ensure that all students can live successfully by contributing, competing, and interacting in their society.

I think it is fair to evaluate the board and superintendent by their own standards.

Other Facts:
Since 1989 – 90, enrollment has increased 12%.
The budget increased 389%.
The Administrative portion of the budget increased 785%.

News Enterprise (NE) December 12 – 13, 2008:

  1. Hardin County School Board has voted to hold a hearing to receive feedback on the possibility of levying an additional tax.

On October 27, 2007, the School Board, after lengthy discussion, the board decided to request permission from the commissioner of education to see if Hardin County Schools qualifies for a nickel levy tax. The motion be Mr. Charlie Wise and was seconded by Jo Emry and passed with a unanimous vote.

They were requesting permission in KRS 157.621, paragraph (1) (a) 2. A local school district shall meet the following criteria in order to levy the tax provided in subparagraph 1 of this paragraph:

C. CURRENT STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN EXCESS OF AVAILABLE CLASSROOM SPACE.

At the time of this motion, the district had 2890 spaces available for new students (956 for elementary, and 750 spaces under construction in the new Radcliff Middle School for a total of 3640 spaces.)

I don’t know the content of the lengthy discussion, but if it concerned qualification it was an obvious NO.
If it involved the district having 2290 spaces available in 2006 and getting approved for the second nickel levy tax they could have been hoping it would work a second time.

They obviously were not reviewing their mission statement, RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF THE ASSETS AND RESOURCES GRANTED BY THE CITIZENS.

On Dec 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Education, without adequate information, said, therefore, I will approve imposition of the additional nickel equivalent tax levy.

In the Dec. 28, 2008 News Enterprise, Superintendent Nannette Johnston has agreed that this isn’t an ideal time to ask for an additional tax, but she strongly supported it, pointing out the district has $75 million worth of projects needing to be completed and not enough money to do them.  The article states,” The district has been given an opportunity to levy the tax before students arrive; typically, growth nickels are levied afterwards.” (When the number of students is known.)

She said if the tax is not passed, the district will likely purchase mobile units to house students, instead of renovating Radcliff Middle School and building a new school.

Why would we spend $75 million dollars for something we have $75 million too much of; 3640 spaces??

On their website, Ft. Knox Schools have an enrollment of 2000 students, LaRue County has an enrollment of 2353 students. Hardin County’s available space is 182% of Ft. Knox enrollment and 155% of LaRue County’s enrollment.

Hardin County Schools is wasting over  $1 million dollars A MONTH on vacant space and wants to spend $75 million to renovate and build a new school. Do you think they have forgotten about the mission statement?

In the October 29, 2008 letter to the Commissioner of Education it stated we’re expecting 2000 students from BRAC and the 12-31-08 issue of the News Enterprise states, elementary students make up the majority of the 2833 school age children administrators expect to come to the area with BRAC. In the next paragraph it states the district as a whole has 2890 spaces available for new students.

At this point, I needed clarification on:

  1. How many students were coming with BRAC?
  2. Why would we most likely need to purchase mobile units with 2890 spaces available?
  3. Why do we need to build a new school?

My next step was an appointment with Superintendent Nannette Johnston, board member Charlie Wise and Associate Superintendent for finance and support, Gary Milby on January 12, 2009.

At this 3 hour and 50 minute meeting I stated;

Education is the most important duty of the citizens. We only have K-12 or 13 years to educate. Lack of education such as legal expenses, unemployment and social programs are more expensive and can be for 40 to 60 years.

We all agreed the elementary years are our best chance to rescue dropouts and fix truancy issues.

Ten minutes into our conversation, Mrs. Johnston stated we only get paid to keep Kindergarten for a half  day, but we keep them all day. My response was if we have $15 million dollars to waste on vacant space we don’t have a funding problem, we have education problems.

A few minutes later Mr. Wise said prevailing wage adds 25% to the cost of renovating or construction. I responded, if we have 15 million dollars to waste on vacant space, we don’t have a funding problem.

Six times I had to remind them that we don’t have a funding problem if we have $ 15 million dollars to waste on vacant space. (Neither time did anyone question the $15 million I was referring to.)

In the May 7th, 2009 edition of the News Enterprise reported HCS approves four roofing projects with an estimated cost of $2.7 million. These repairs could have been done in smaller contracts and avoid the 25% prevailing wage and 21% covers available space for a total of 46%.
Forty six percent (46%) of $2.7 million dollars is $1,242,000.00.

Do you think they have forgotten their mission statement? (I.E. Responsible Stewards)

In the meeting I asked how the administrators arrived at the 2833 students from BRAC. The answer from Mrs. Johnston was its in your information request.

In the request to Dr. Jon Draud, Commissioner of Education they said, “The Hardin County Board of Education is requesting your approval to determine if we qualify under HB 704 to levy an additional five cents (0.05) equivalent tax rate for facilities. We believe that approximately 2000 students will impact Hardin County Schools in the near future.

Our understanding of provisions of HB 704 are:

(C) 1.b – The commissioner of education has determined, based on presentation of CREDIBLE DATA, that the projected number of students is sufficient to require new facilities or the renovation of existing facilities to accommodate the new students.
We’re expecting 2000 students and have 3640 available spaces and need to build more?

In our meeting I stated: If we put the correct data in the form of a test question, 8th grade students will get it right. Hardin County Schools only presented half of the required information to the Commission of Education, and he got it wrong.

Addendum #2 of the request states FY 08-13 that the total number of school age children gained (Soldiers + Civilian) = 2427.

Addendum #3 (3) b.: Col. Needham provided information regarding BRAC’s impact on school transition.

(b) 2. 60% of off post students will most likely attend Hardin County Schools (HCS) and Elizabethtown Independent Schools (EIS).

  • 60% of 2427 = 1456
  • If EIS gets 25% = 364
  • If HCS gets 75%  = 1092

How did HCS arrive at 2000 or 2833 in the News Enterprise on 12/31/08?

In Addendum #3 (5) (b) : The request stated Hardin County Schools has one nickel tax, when in fact the county already had two.
Vacant space has cost the district tens of millions in the past and will cost tens of millions before the vacant space is filled. Why build more?

In Addendum #3(5)(b)(6): Average school construction time is 16 months. Based on the past figures, Hardin County Schools has space for 47 years and wants to build more.

In the May 29th, 2008 edition of the News Enterprise it states that trends show improvement in graduation rates. NORTH HARDIN HIGH SCHOOL’s rate was almost 78% when the state average is almost 84%. Missed days of school for the 2007/2008 school year cost the district approx. $2.3 million dollars. If the board and administrators could not determine if Hardin County Schools qualified for the second and third nickel tax, are they qualified to manage the citizens’ assets and resources?

WHAT DO THE CITIZENS DO NEXT??

  1. Give the School Board and Hardin County Schools an opportunity to respond to the decision they have made. (I called Superintendent Johnston for an appointment to discuss questions regarding the material in my information request and she declined.)
  2. Kentucky’s Education system is broke from the commissioner down.
  3. We need a committee to look into the problems of Hardin County Schools.
  4. Hardin County Schools needs to tell us what the problems are and it’s not overcrowding as Superintendent Johnston stated in the June 21, 2009 issue of the News Enterprise. Past history indicates funding and facilities are not the problem.
  5. Contact Joe Janes with your concerns.

To contact the Hardin County School board, please refer to their website for all of their contact information: www.hardin.k12.ky.us/boardabout2.htm

Joe Janes can be reached at 270-268-3191 or at