By Highlands Community Council
The state Democrats and Governor Gregoire are doing it to us again.
They passed a bill that will allow the Renton School District to increase our property taxes once again through levies.
There’s also a dirty little secret that the Renton School District does not want you to know. What is it? We’ll let the cat out of the bag in a future post. Stay tuned.
Many people that vote for these levies may not realize that it directly affects their rent. Just because you live in an apartment or rental home, the property taxes for that building will go up. You may not see the increase until your lease is up, but you will feel the impact.
Maybe the Renton School District should figure it out that building new schools does not always improve test scores.
The Renton School District needs to get a backbone and start disciplining kids that act up in class. They should ban cell phones from being used during class and be thankful to the parents of private and home school kids that are paying for education TWICE! Once through their property taxes and again through their tuition and school supplies they must purchase. They are literally giving the Renton School District thousands of dollars per month for services they don’t use.
Renton used to have good schools. Many families in the late 60’s and early 70’s moved here to get away from the Seattle school district. A trend that continues today. Just look at the enrollment numbers for the Seattle School district.
Back in 80’s the Renton School District even closed some neighborhood schools due to declining enrollment.
They have now replaced just about every elementary school in the City of Renton but yet the test scores don’t seem to show any improvement. Where’s the problem?
The problem is we have a group of people running the City of Renton and the Renton School District that don’t care about the people, they only care about their power.
Remember this when the next election rolls around. Do your homework. Be certain you understand where your elected officials stand on issues important to you and don’t simply vote for them because “things seem to be going okay”.
- Look at your property taxes. They’ve gone up. Have you services improved that much?
- Look at your sales tax. It’s gone up. Do you get more out of the City of Renton with each tax increase?
- Look at your income tax. Oh wait, we’re not all paying that yet…but we will.
- Look at your cell phone tax. It’s gone up. Does you cell phone work better?
- Look atyour utility tax. It’s gone up. And don’t forget there are additional taxes buried in there you don’t even see. Now we collect garbage every other week but yet we pay more.
Bottom line is the City of Renton, the Renton School District, King County and the State of Washington need to figure it out that businesses are leaving and will continue to until we get control of the spending in this state. That means jobs go away and the people start to follow.
They can’t keep sucking the taxpayers dry. Eventually enough people will wake up and realize they are being shammed.
Off our soap box. Here’s the story that put us over the edge.
Legislature OKs schools raise more through levies
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - State lawmakers passed a bundle of major education reforms Thursday, including a plan that should help the state compete for the Obama administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program.
The education bills were the last major measures approved by the Democrat-led House and Senate on the final day of the 60-day regular session. They will be returning Monday for a special session to finish work on the state budget, but lawmakers were trumpeted the education agenda as a significant step forward.
Read the rest of the story at KOMONews.com.
By Highlands Community Council
Will we start seeing the same thing in Renton?
by Associated Press
Posted on February 19, 2010 at 2:12 PM
******
LONGVIEW, Wash. - New federal rules for low-performing schools are pushing out the principal of a Longview middle school.
School officials say they were forced to remove Bill Marshal from Monticello Middle School. The 59-year-old will retire at the end of the school year — a year earlier than he planned — unless he takes another job with the district administration.
Read the reset of the story at King5.com.
By Highlands Community Council
This seems to be an ongoing source of confusion for a lot of homeowners here in Renton who are wondering “why are my property taxes still going up on our family home if the valuation has gone down?”
The problem comes from the fact that properties in King County were assessed in January 2009, just after home values began to plummet in the region. Complicating this problem were TWO specific SCHOOL levies that voters approved in Renton that added $300 million. That was just the upfront cost. Now add another 5 to 6 hundred million more for interest and you have the true cost of the levy.
Voodoo Tax economics is the word of the day from the Renton School District Administration. They pushed misinformation to inform the misinformed that the School Bonds would hardly raise their property taxes. These overpaid school bureaucrats now consume more than 33.5 percent of your yearly property taxes.
When it comes to SOARING PROPERTY taxes, count your lucky stars you don’t live in Renton.
Add to that the fact that test scores have yet to improve significantly and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. It’s no surprise that 2 of the 3 council members that have school age children choose private school or homeschooling over the Renton School District.
By Highlands Community Council
UPDATED 2/11/10 6:15 p.m.:
There’s even more to this story that we first realized.
On Tuesday evening the Senate returned to the floor shortly after 11 PM and passed SB 6130 which will:
- Remove the two-thirds legislative vote requirement for tax increases;
- Eliminate all public email notification for tax increases; and
- Eliminate the citizen advisory vote on tax increases.
Who do these people in Olympia think they are?
UPDATED 2/11/10 12:24 p.m.:
Wash. Senate OKs suspension of Initiative 960
OLYMPIA, Wash. - With a second vote in as many days, the state Senate has suspended a tax-limiting voter-approved initiative.
Read more at NWCN.com.
UPDATE:
Senate Ways and Means passes bill that would ease way for tax increases
The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday afternoon approved Senate Bill 6843, which would suspend Tim Eyman’s Initiative 960 and let lawmakers increase taxes with a simple majority vote.
The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Story continues on Seattle Times Blog.
Read more »
By Highlands Community Council
January 27, 2010
For more information contact:
Gregg Zimmerman, Public Works Administrator 425-430-7311
Alex Pietsch, Community & Economic Development Administrator 425-430-6592
Preeti Shridhar, Communications Director 425-430-6569
Renton, WA: New sidewalks are appearing in the Renton Highlands as part of the city’s redevelopment plan for the neighborhood. As part of the city’s Sunset Area Community Investment Strategy, work on a new concrete sidewalk is underway from NE 5th Street to NE 20th Street, between Edmonds Avenue NE and Monroe Avenue NE, in the Renton Highlands.
A total of 4,700 linear feet of sidewalk is being constructed. The project includes new four-foot wide sidewalks and installation of 20 wheelchair accessible ramps to significantly improve pedestrian safety.
“This project will greatly enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in the Sunset neighborhood,” said Mayor Denis Law. “Sidewalk improvements were identified as one of the key priorities of the Highlands community and this project is part of our overall redevelopment plan for the neighborhood.”
The Sunset Area Community Investment Strategy (CIS) is based on the recommendations of the Highlands Task Force, and proposes a plan for redevelopment and public investments in the Renton Highlands. The timing of the CIS is in conjunction with redevelopment plans for Sunset Terrace, a Renton Housing Authority property, as well as potential development by the Renton School District. CIS recommendations include creating a “third place” or public gathering space in conjunction with a relocated and expanded Highlands library, initiating pedestrian and streetscape improvements, advocating for improvements on Sunset Boulevard, and the development of a sub-regional storm water drainage facility.
The sidewalk project will cost $148,606 and is expected to be completed by March. For more information on this project and the Sunset Area Community Investment Strategy visit RentonWa.gov.
By Highlands Community Council
Gov. Christine Gregoire toured Dimmitt Middle School Tuesday to promote the state’s qualifications for $100 to $200 million in federal grant money.
Dimmitt was selected for the tour because of the Renton School District’s collaborative and systematic model for helping struggling schools, Gregoire said. “This whole district is taking up the challenge.”
Story continues at the SeattlePI.com.
By Highlands Community Council
This year’s election seems to be coming down to how the government should spend you money.
We’ve seen the Renton School District rebuild or remodel just about every building they (we) own but yet the test scores continue to decline. Do your research and come to your own conclusion who should be elected.
http://rentonhighlands.org/tag/renton-school-district/
By Highlands Community Council
U.S. Department of Education’s General Counsel to Visit Washington State to Listen and Learn
The U.S. Department of Education’s General Counsel Charlie Rose will visit Washington state to continue the national discussion on education reform and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). As part of the Department’s “Listening and Learning” tour, Rose will visit Aviation High School in Des Moines, Wash., and Renton High School in Renton, Wash. He will tour the schools and meet with teachers, students, parents, staff and school partners.
In May, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan launched a national “Listening and Learning” tour to seek grassroots input from a broad group of stakeholders around federal education policy. The goal of the tour is to solicit feedback on the No Child Left Behind Act and the Obama Administration’s education agenda, including such issues as early-childhood education, higher standards, teacher quality and workforce development.
EVENT 1
WHO:
U.S. Department of Education General Counsel Charlie Rose
WHAT & WHEN:
October 14, 2009
1-3 p.m. PDT - School Tour and Listening and Learning meeting-OPEN PRESS
WHERE:
Aviation High School
615 S. 200th St.
Des Moines, WA
206-716-0006
EVENT 2
WHO:
U.S. Department of Education General Counsel Charlie Rose
WHAT & WHEN:
October 14, 2009
4-5 p.m. PDT Listening and Learning discussion with Renton High School Teachers-OPEN PRESS
5-6 p.m. Tour of Renton High School-OPEN PRESS
6-7 p.m. Listening and Learning discussion with Renton High School Parents-OPEN PRESS
WHERE:
Renton High School
400 S. 2nd St.
Renton, WA
425-204-3400
###
By Highlands Community Council
October 7, 2009
By Tim Pfarr
Newcastle News
Renton School District officials expect work on Hazen High School’s track and fields to be completed the week of Oct. 12.Through the project, the school’s upper natural-grass field is undergoing improvements; the cinder track surrounding the upper field is being replaced by a rubberized six-lane track; and the school’s lower natural-grass utility field is being replaced by synthetic turf.
The upper natural-grass field will feature irrigation improvements, two new shot put facilities, a new javelin runway, new discus cage, new pole vault runway, new triple jump runway and new jump pit.
Story continues at Newcastle News.
By Highlands Community Council
Our neighbors to the North in Newcastle do a great job of reporting local news and keeping people informed.
Incorporated and unicorporated Renton span multiple school districts. We do our best to help keep you informed of the candidates and the issues.
Here’s a great summary from the Newcastle News on candidates running for the Renton and Issaquah School Boards.
Candidates lined up to run for Issaquah, Renton school boards
October 7, 2009
By Chantelle Lusebrink
Local school board elections are heating up as the Nov. 3 election gets closer.
There are two races Newcastle residents will participate in this year, one for The Issaquah School District and another for the Renton School District.
Renton School Board District Director No. 5
Issaquah School Board District Director No. 2
- Wright Noel
- Marnie Maraldo
To view the candidate summaries read the entire story on the Newcastle News site.
