$25 Million Field House and That Pesky Panici Book: Patch Talk
This week on Patch Talk we take a closer look at the conflict between former Heights mayor Chuck Panici and author Michael Volpe. We also ask readers to answer a question about H-F High School's $25 Million addition.
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Photos of Chuck Panici courtesy ChuckPanici.com.
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Linda T
7:10 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
In response to your question on how $20 million should/could be better spent at HF high school: Something's very wrong when taxpayers have no voice in elective spending of that magnitude. That's far too much power for the board. In the current economic and political environment, and especially in this very hard-hit area, there is NO JUSTIFICATION for elective spending of this magnitude.
On my (Flossmoor) block alone, three vacant, foreclosed houses are on the market. Families in this area have been devastated by the depressed housing market. Flossmoor homes have lost about 50% of their value in the last two years. While other south/southwest suburban areas with similar housing stock and desirable school districts are recovering and showing increases in property values this year, the HF area continues to decline in property values on a devastating scale that is ruining families financially and destroying many residents' retirement plans. While there are other factors contributing to this, high property taxes are not only a major issue for current residents, they are also a huge factor in turning away potential home buyers.
If it were up to me the entire school board would be booted out and replaced with a board able to recognize the formidable economic challenges of our community and able to act in a far more reasonable, fiscally-responsible manner. Yep - I'm pissed.
Marc A. Wiley Sr.
9:46 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
linda, I did not read about the Field House, But where is the majority of the money coming from? Any Grants that you know of, or all taxpayer money.
Linda T
10:36 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
According to the Southtown: "The project, which is being funded with $10 million in bonds and $10 million that was saved for the project, will come at no additional cost to taxpayers, because the district has stayed within its debt-service limitations, Mansfield said.
The remaining $5 million could come from the district’s healthy reserve fund or an additional bond sale, Bryant said."
The district's 'healthy reserve fund,' along with the bonds, and the money that was 'saved for the project,' have all come at taxpayers' expense.
Juvenal
1:09 pm on Monday, October 29, 2012
I'm no expert but after some Googling I thought any bonds used by Illinois schools for new construction had to be approved through the referendum process. Are they mislabeling the purpose of the "other" $10 million in bonding or what????
Linda T
5:19 pm on Monday, October 29, 2012
I would have thought it would need taxpayer approval as well, Juvenal. I'm not sure what the deal is. Here's a link to the Southtown article that references the bonds: http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/neighborhoodstar/homewoodflossmoor/15657124-521/h-f-high-school-to-get-new-25m-fieldhouse.html It doesn't really go into detail on how this can fly.
MyFlossmoorHome
7:58 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
Ive lived in Flossmoor since 89... Graduated from HF... Just bought my 1st house in Flossmoor. Yes the market is depressed, but the one thing that has kept Flossmoor desirable has been its exclusivity. The high taxes and great (now good) school made it easy for you to believe your house was going to be your retirement nestegg. I believe the market will turn around... Of the 3 vacant houses on my street, all have been vacant for over 3 years, now all purchased and full. Please don't change what's made us great. Build that Field House, upgrade anything else we need to stay above par, those 6 and 700k houses will start selling again soon. Obama!
Richard Thomas
9:09 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
Those $400K+ Flossmoor houses that you speak of presently on the market have yearly property tax bills that are approaching the yearly mortgage payments; even the lower priced houses are proportionally affected. These higher priced homes tend to be on the market much longer, many of which in backlogged Flossmoor have surpassed 2 years. Who would logically move here when you can purchase a similar priced quality home partnered with lower property tax rates with equal, if not better, schools in one of our neighboring communities? The most important thing to understand is the greatest by far portioning of our property tax bill goes to Homewood-Flossmoor School District. This HFHS Fieldhouse project is the biggest boondoggle I have seen yet by our school board who have taken “exclusivity” to the next level, spending $25 million with no input from those of us who pay the taxes.
Sorry to say, neither of the presidential candidates is going to change these sad home grown facts,
Ernie Souchak
9:29 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
Romney!
alan sporn
8:54 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
from what was one of the top 25 high schools in the USA to a school that is not even ranked in the top 25 in Chicagoland..... what a farce.... encourage jocks but not smarts. and have 25 administrators collecting 6 figure incomes and screw those few teachers who are actually effective educators. Congrats, H-F for reach sub mediocrity. Get that new facility and hire 10 more administrators and screw the community
WA Mama
8:58 am on Monday, October 29, 2012
Alan, you put every concern of mine pretty succinctly. PSAE scores are down. Graduation rates are down. The federal gov't has HF listed as "This school did not meet federal education standards." HF LAGS BEHIND statewide scores in children who excel at reading, math and science. What would make HF great and desirable would be higher standards in education, not a shiny new field house. People don't sneak their children into the district so they can run around in the field house.
WA Mama
9:18 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
I love that Panici gave Volpe a ride to your interview - hilarious!
Juvenal
11:43 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
No one has explained why a 100,000 square foot fieldhouse should cost 4 or 5 times what a similarly sized Target store should cost. Is the track lined with granite? Maybe a slate roof and some copper gutters? Corinthian leather-covered bleachers? Bidets in the bathrooms?
Cheryl Sailor
3:24 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
As far back as the mid 1970's, HF scrimped on other departments to spend lavishly on sports. One would think that the sports market contained the most careers ever known to mankind from the over-emphasis on phys-ed.
My personal experience which does effect my view was in learning only to despise sports, and especially the unread, competitive Idiocracy mind set it lead to. My memories include obtuse and ignorant phys-ed, "teachers" who allowed teens to select team structures for daily games, leading to the poorer, less good looking to be left for last each and every school day. My memories include being slammed to the floor by male "teammates" so that they could get that all too important ball over the net which went unpunished, or rather rewarded, and of being yelled at drill Sergeant fashion, and include retarded children being singled out for teasing by male "coaches."
None of these experiences reduced stress or positively prepared me or my fellow students for future careers in any way. Perhaps the few favored jocks who had wealthy parental backers had positive experiences in bullying others gained a glow of superiority.
My basic point is that the over parroted statement that phys-ed prepares one to meet the adult world, is false. Why is this even considered a part of Education? A thorough knowledge of sports is completely unnecessary in adult life.
A general recess time would have much better served both students and the community at large.
Juvenal
3:29 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/2013CanGuide.pdf
Looks like anyone running locally in 2013 better get started soon!
Juvenal
3:34 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/elections/deo/Pages/electedofficiallist.aspx?qtype=2&hnum=2948&sname=sunset&zip=60422#High%20School%20District
Looks like 3 board seats are up in 2013....