Mass shootings

[BmorePat87]

(02-22-2018, 08:07 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Out of curiosity, where is your district wasting resources?  At least where you feel it could move to secure the schools .

We recently had a state audit because of our former Superintendent. She was giving building contracts to friends for more than what was originally proposed without taking other offers, not using transportation software to make efficient bus routes  (which meant she was giving more jobs to bus contractors than we should have), and promoted her staff to new executive positions to triple their pay.

We kicked her out and hired the former head of WV's schools (who used to be a part of our school system) as our interim super to fix her mess. With those areas addressed, I'd say our system is well managed in terms of finances. Being one of the top 5 wealthiest counties in the country, we tend to have it better than others. Despite that, we do currently have a budget shortfall. Our new county executive (who I am a big fan of, former GOP minority leader in the State Senate who lost his job for supporting gay marriage and trans protections) was a surprise winner in 2014 and made the last super spend money on teacher raises, so he has been working to ensure that our new schools are placed on sites that will be the most efficient cost wise. We're trying to deal with our finances before proposing any sort of tax increase to handle the shortage.

Over all, we have a good group of leaders and we could likely afford more security, but I worry about other counties.

Quote:The next step would have to be to get tough on mental health.   Start going after people who are sick and start questioning people who need a pharmacy to operate in their daily life .   We need to commit people who shouldn’t be on the street.   Also alternative schooling for the children who can’t get right because of their illness.   

I disagree with demonizing people who require medication. Every person is different and as Matt and I addressed in the suicide thread, medication is the best route for many. What needs to be addressed is expanding health coverage to ensure everyone has access to a therapist or medicine if they need it. The issue is people who do not get help.

We need more community based mental health facilities. Day hospitals and the such, not necessarily the old asylums. Like you're implying, lots of people on the streets who need help. They'll just start self medicating and fill up the prisons. I agree that we should be providing more options for alternative schooling for kids who cannot function in their home school, particularly for health issues. We have a solid program here, but other places don't.

Quote:We have a massive pharmaceutical problem in this country and it dovetails with this issue.

We do and it's complex. Over prescribing, misdiagnosing, under prescribing, treating addiction as a crime and not an illness, opioids, etc.