Out of control spending in Geneva schools

Using its numbers, the Geneva School District will run a deficit of more than $15 million for 2008 and 2009. One assistant superintendent said that in 2008 the district spent $3.1 million less than budgeted. Did she forget the budget called for a $10 million deficit? Taxpayers were in the hole $7 million instead of $10 million. Great job!

Don't jump to conclusions - it isn't about teachers and their salaries. It's about the administration's salary, number of positions and their spending. More than 120 employees have district credit cards used at places like Mill Race Inn, Meijer, Dominick's, Jewel, Jimmy Johns, Best Buy, Home Depot, 7-11, Apple Villa, Colonial Café, Corner Bakery, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Honeybaked Ham, The Little Owl, Old Town Pub, Orchard Valley Golf, Riverside Banquets, Zeppe Italian and Walmart. These charges run into the thousands every month. It's all on the district Web site, except who charges and why.

Geneva teachers are extremely qualified and do a great job and we need more. But administrators use them as pawns in keeping taxes and spending high. Suggest that the board reduce the budget and the rumors fly that teachers will be fired and class size increased. Not true. The district needs to reduce its waist size by not spending our money at restaurants. Twenty-two administrators make more than $100,000 per year in salary. Our superintendent gets a car, gas and more than $210,000 in salary. Do we need to feed him, too?

We need to become educated. Attend the board meeting on Sept. 14 and stop the spending of millions of dollars on a maintenance shed, another bus parking lot and practice field two miles away from the high school.

Bob McQuillan

Geneva