I believe the Burlington Area School District staff to be dedicated and hardworking people. Every job is important to our mutual goal of a 12th-grader ready and equipped for the world.
All staff contribute – from a clean building to good meals; from extra tutoring to a cheerful voice on the phone; from lesson plans to crossing guards.
Taxpayers contribute with state aid and property taxes. I do not believe anyone enters his or her chosen profession because of free fringe benefits.
Decreases can be made in the BASD budget without sacrificing our future generation’s public education. Reductions can be implemented to stop the yearly, upward, compound taxation of the property tax levy. Looking to fringe benefits will not affect class size or the quality of classroom performance.
Employees contributing to premiums will help to balance the financial burdens between taxpayers and staff. Sick days are for being sick, not financial gain.
Merry Christmas to the BASD staff from the BASD taxpayers. We hope you enjoy your:
• Over $7 million of untaxed, free benefits.
• Free medical insurance – cost the taxpayers $5.3 million.
• Free dental insurance – cost the taxpayers $446,605.
• Free life insurance – cost the taxpayers $24,499.
• Free long-term disability cost the taxpayers $103,085.
Taxpayers give you yearly cash for sick days over 110; in 2011 only, we paid $20,170.
Banked sick days over 110, were 216.25 days at a current value of $24,998.
Taxpayers pay you a cash annuity when you do not take free medical insurance. We paid you $371,996.
According to BASD figures, taxpayers give you over $7 million of untaxed, free benefits.
Bonnie Ketterhagen
Burlington
-
-
-
-
-
Dear Bonnie,
I appreciate that in your beginning statement you state that staff at BASD are hardworking and dedicated. I believe that too! I am one of those staff members.
I want to let you know that I am rarely sick and even come to work sick unless it puts my students at risk. I do this because I want to maintain consistency in my classroom and to model for students how importance attendance is. I do have sick days “banked”, and would only use them if it were really needed. I can give you a VERY long list of others who could say the same.
I teach because it is my dream to touch the lives of my students, not only academically, but also personally. I want to be a person they know they can ALWAYS come to. I pay for many things out of my own pocket to enhance their learning or even to provide them with school supplies and clothing.
I know times are hard and we are easy targets. We are paid by taxpayers, but we are taxpayers too. I am VERY grateful for my benefits. I am not oblivious to the economic struggle; I too have been effected. I can tell you that the teachers in Burlington understand that we are in tough times. We understand that things could change in the coming years. I will continue to be grateful for the things I have now. I am proud that I can go to work each day with a group of dedicated and hard working people that help mold the future!
Bonnie, I hope you enjoy the things you are fortunate to have. Have a wonderful holiday!
Sincerely,
A BASD teacher
Dear Bonnie:
Your BASD staff care very much for their students and work very hard.
I find you comments about all the “freebie” the staff get very remarkable considering you are a retired teacher who knows how many, many, many year the staff received very little or no cash raises, instead choosing to keep benefits. These benefits were our salary.
My question to you is this — if you are going to strip a BASD teacher of all of their benefits that you are now enjoying, are you going to give yours back to save even more money for the tax payers.
Enjoy everything you taking away from others — and turning people against the fine teachers of this district.
A concerned member of this district.