Too Much Information

Page 62 of the instruction manual for the video camera told me to “initialize the video card.” Sure glad it was a borrowed camera. I needed one of two things to help me get started.
An adult who had read, understood, worked with and knew about such things. Or a teen-ager who was born knowing how to run these machines and could teach me.
Last week seemed my week for Too Much Information (TMI) on virtually every front. It was board week. Lots of information had come with the agenda including the monthly list of “CHECKS OVER $1,000 FOR THE MONTH OF…….” in this case, October.
I’m always surprised by the dollars we must spend on services that did not exist during my school days. Occupational therapy is present every month. This month the charges totaled $7,155. Add to that Physical therapy at $3,185. To yet other vendors were charges for occupational, physical and aqua therapy for $7,385.72 and speech and physical therapy at $1,338.70. It adds up quickly.
Yes, various board members at various times have questioned the charges and determined that not only are they valid, but quite good prices have been negotiated and the services are mandated at various levels. And yes, some of it gets reimbursed from other sources, but it really is just your taxpayer money funneled through from another direction.
We had to pump out the oil pit at the bus garage to the tune of $1,912.50 and pay for garbage pick up in the amount of $3,043. And we bought diesel fuel totaling $27,525.16.
Probably some inquiring board member asked for this list to be generated many years ago and the tradition continues. I find it is of value in understanding where YOUR money goes.
We touched on the subject of special education and its costs many months ago after former President Bill Clinton mentioned it was time the federal government began to pay its fair share of the cost. It’s past time, but still not happening.
That comment rang in my ears as we passed a resolution to pay up to $22,729. to the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability for a special needs student who needs services beyond our local capability. Another mandate. Insufficient reimbursement.
I would have taken all of this in stride having seen much of it before and asked questions and gotten answers that basically tell me the expenses are legitimate, necessary and in most cases, mandated. But then I got some more information.
Seems your governor is on his way to Philadelphia to speak with our next President. He has a wish list in hand and is seeking money to help the State of Ohio with its financial needs. Getting in line with other Governors looking for the same thing.
What caught my eye about the material that gave me this information was reference to the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) money. It sounds as though that fund may come in to play in finding ways to keep the ship of state afloat.
You may ask, what is this OSFC thing? And rightly so. It is made up mostly of tobacco money and is the source of the state share of funding we seek to tap to build new schools for our students.
I’m holding my breath as this thing plays out and hoping we will not lose our place in line.
Back to the camera and the experts, I found both. But it was the teen who had me up and running without the book in one hand and the camera in the other. TMI.