Hundreds show up for T-bolt meeting

Hundreds of Thunderbolt Middle School parents turned out Thursday night for the second of nine school meetings to discuss the anticipated November override election.

During the presentation, Thunderbolt Principal Paul Olson said only three parents showed up for the last school override meeting held during the 2008-2009 school year.

Voters must decide on a school budget override, which is collected through a secondary property tax.

“I thought it was just a tremendous turnout,” Olson said of the standing room only for the hour-long presentation Thursday. “I was expecting a fair number, but I wasn’t thinking I was going to get this. It just says I have a lot of caring people and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Olson said he thinks parents recognize the “needs” of the schools more and “we certainly did a better job of advertising the presentation.”

Thunderbolt parents John and Meg Zdrojkowski said they didn’t vote in the November 2009 election, when the override failed at the polls.

But they said after hearing the presentation they were committed to voting if the measure makes it to the polls again this fall.

“I thought it was fabulous,” Meg Zdrojkowski said about the presentation.

“She explained it really easy, the money that we are losing,” John Zdrojkowski said.

Larry Quackenboss, who also attended the presentation, said he believes education is important, but at the end of the presentation he was still left with some unanswered questions.

“If we are talking about losing money and needing to cut back, why (do teachers need academic coaches)? Why does each school need a nurse, why can’t they have one nurse that travels? I’m not against education … I just think we are not educating them properly.”

“Yes for Lake Havasu Schools” political action committee passed out pledge cards and asked parents to fill in their name, e-mail address and mobile number to pledge that they will vote “yes” for the measure if an election is held. The contact information will then be used to remind parents to vote, a committee member said during the presentation.

Parents were also asked to submit at least four names of other community members who also pledge to vote “yes.” The information will be used to help gauge support.

The cards were paid for by the committee.

Lake Havasu Unified School District Superintendent Gail Malay talked about why quality schools are needed along with the district’s academic successes, how schools are funded, explained why there is a budget crisis, why the budget overrides are needed, what “may happen” if further funding is lost.

No parents asked questions during the meeting.

The LHUSD governing board has until June to decide if they want to place override questions on the November ballot.

Arizona state law allows school districts to ask voters for approval to exceed the main portion of its budget by up to 15 percent for seven years. The excess is then collected from additional, secondary property taxes. Voters approved the seven-year overrides in 2005, but voted down their renewal in November 2009.

LHUSD expects to lose $1.7 million in funding this fall due to the loss of the overrides and state funding attached to a declining student enrollment. The district is closing its other middle school, Daytona, to meet their dwindling budget.

The next meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 25 in the gymnasium at Nautilus Elementary School at 1425 Patrician Dr.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com