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November 21, 2009

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St. Joseph Schools Archive Saturday November 21, 2009

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Ziesel gets one more honor
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Matt Ziesel received a standing ovation Monday night and he didn’t even have to score a touchdown this time. Alonzo Weston

MAP test among country’s hardest
Monday, November 9, 2009
St. Joseph School District officials have long said that Missouri may have one of the toughest state student assessment tests in the nation — the Missouri Assessment Program. Now there’s ... Alonzo Weston

A resounding yes on school levy
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
For the St. Joseph School District, the second time is the charm. The school district’s 63-cent operating levy with a five-year sunset clause passed with 56 percent voter approval Tuesday, ... St. Joseph News-Press

Campaign groups make final push for school levy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The wish list shrank in seven months. In April, voters were asked to continue a 63-cent operating levy without a sunset clause and pass a bond to build two new ... Alonzo Weston

School district may review past cuts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The St. Joseph School District made a few cuts after the 63-cent levy tax failed last April. One question on some voters minds is what cuts would be restored if ... Alonzo Weston

Reeder still listed with group
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday came and Kenneth Reeder is still listed as treasurer of Citizens Against Forever Tax on the Missouri Ethics Commission Web site. This comes after Mr. Reeder said last week ... Alonzo Weston

What if the school district was a household?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Every household works to balance its budget. The St. Joseph School District is no different. Having more money coming in than going out, plus something in the bank are the ... Alonzo Weston

Opposition group sending anti-levy mailers to residents
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Some St. Joseph residents have received mailers opposing the 63-cent school levy, according to officials of the pro-levy group “Our Children. Our Future. Our Decision.” The mailers are marked “Paid ... Alonzo Weston

Group attempts to assuage senior citizens’ concerns
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The citizen’s group “Our Children. Our Future. Our Decision” said Tuesday that senior citizens and disabled residents who support renewing the St. Joseph School District operating levy will not see ... St. Joseph News-Press

School levy group hits the pavement
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Supporters of the 63-cent school levy for the St. Joseph School District took their cause to the streets Saturday. More than 600 volunteers for “Our Children. Our Future. Our Decision,” ... Andrew Gaug

Levy group reports campaign finances
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The committee campaigning for an increase in the St. Joseph School District tax levy has raised about $50,000, a spokesman for the group said Friday. More than 120 individuals, businesses ... Ken Newton

Tax support plummets for St. Joseph district
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The St. Joseph School District saw its level of tax support drop to the lower-third of all Missouri public schools this year. Statewide, the St. Joseph district’s tax rate of ... St. Joseph News-Press

District taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
There’s no promise of new schools or a threat of job cuts dangling before voters like it was in April. This time around, the campaign to restore 63 cents to ... Alonzo Weston

Independent auditor: School district's reserves an asset
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Having more than $30 million in reserves was the elephant in the room when the St. Joseph School District tried to get an operating levy passed last April. But an ... Alonzo Weston

School group looks to encourage discussion
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Communication. That’s what the Maryville R-II School District found it took, after seven attempts, to pass a school bond issue to build a new middle school. It also took perseverance, ...

So much more than hopscotch and kickball
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Kids still play. Schools still have recess and physical education classes. But in this age of structured lifestyles, an obesity epidemic and Nintendo Wiis, playtime and gym class have evolved ...

Lindbergh care team works to help families, children
Monday, September 21, 2009
Julie Gaddie knows a school isn’t always just a place to teach and learn. More often than not, it’s also a beacon of hope and care for the basic needs ... Alonzo Weston

Community hears from school consultant
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The community got an introduction to the group that will possibly help the St. Joseph School District form a long-range plan Monday evening. Representatives of Unicom.Arc, a St. Louis-based consulting ... Alonzo Weston

Levy group seeking outside help
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The community group that’s trying to get the school levy passed in November is negotiating a contract with a St. Louis consulting firm to help develop a long-range plan for ... Alonzo Weston

Campaign group asks for PTA’s support
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The community team working to pass the St. Joseph School District levy in November held its first public campaign meeting Tuesday evening. Alonzo Weston

School board meets to discuss boundaries
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
St. Joseph school officials spent the majority of Monday night’s two-hour board of education meeting addressing public concerns over redistricting and classroom overcrowding. Alonzo Weston

Board meets to clear the air
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The St. Joseph Board of Education met Friday afternoon to talk numbers. Members of the joint personnel, finance, curriculum instructional assessment and policy committees discussed transfers, budgets and MAP test ... Alonzo Weston

School levy group shares funding plans
Friday, August 21, 2009
After months of discussion, the campaign to restore 63 cents to the St. Joseph School District operating levy officially kicked off Thursday. The committee formerly known as the Community Task ... Alonzo Weston

Light fades on school tax issue
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Fading light left a lavender sky a few days last month. A volcano in the Pacific Ocean gets credit for the hue. Ken Newton

Planning under way for levy vote
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Community Task Force met Wednesday morning in the Hausman Metal Works & Roofing offices to discuss plans for moving forward on passing the school levy in November. Alonzo Weston

Reeder vows not to oppose school levy
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Citizens Against Forever Tax won’t oppose the November school levy issue, its treasurer and spokesman says. But Ken Reeder is not entirely on board with the district’s campaign, either. That’s ... Alonzo Weston

School levy back on ballot
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Get ready to vote again in November. During a special meeting Monday evening, the St. Joseph Board of Education voted to put the 63-cent operating levy with a five-year sunset ... Alonzo Weston

Panel reports campaign violation
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Missouri Ethics Commission ruled Monday that a St. Joseph School District official was in violation of campaign laws regarding the April 7 school issues. The commission ordered that a ... Alonzo Weston

Group wants to eliminate levy’s sunset clause
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Yet another camp is going public to stimulate a different line of discussion on funding issues for the St. Joseph School District. The Alliance for Community Excellence, a small group ... Jimmy Myers

Woman disputes need to close schools
Monday, July 6, 2009
In the five stages of grief, Cathy McKinley might be stuck on the rung of acceptance. The St. Joseph woman doesn’t accept the facts the school district gave about having ... Alonzo Weston

School board mulls 2nd levy attempt
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The St. Joseph School District said it needs the operating levy restored. But when to put it back to a vote was the question that needed answering at Monday night’s ... Alonzo Weston

Levy may find its way back to ballot
Friday, June 19, 2009
St. Joseph voters may see a school district levy back on the ballot in November. On Thursday evening, the Community Task Force, a group of citizens, approved a recommendation to ... Alonzo Weston

Old schools see different fates
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Mary Margaret Hicks remembers when McKinley School closed. She and her husband, Moses, moved to their house on Missouri Avenue in 1965 because it wasn’t far from the school. The ... Alonzo Weston

Students, parents see new schools during open houses
Thursday, May 28, 2009
“This place looks like a lot like Webster” were the first words Madison Rockstead uttered after stepping into Edison Elementary School Wednesday afternoon. Madison is finishing up her last few ... Rob Schmidt

Tax deadline passes quietly
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Property taxes will decrease by about 10 percent this year for people living in the St. Joseph School District. Tuesday marked the deadline to place a school tax levy on ... Joe Blumberg

Stimulus funds soften school cuts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Federal stimulus money may save some of the 98 jobs lost by the St. Joseph School District after voters rejected a 63-cent school levy in April. The district will receive ... Ahmad Safi

District expects to limit transfers
Friday, May 15, 2009
With two schools closing and district lines redrawn, the St. Joseph School District will grant transfers to fewer students. More than 1,400 students, about 500 of which are current students ... Jimmy Myers

New boundaries to uproot 1,400 students
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The lines are drawn in ink now. The St. Joseph Board of Education on Monday evening unanimously approved a proposal to change school district boundaries. That means roughly 1,400 students ... Alonzo Weston

Opposition reports $63K campaign debt
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Citizens Against Forever Tax, the campaign formed to defeat two local school issues, has a campaign debt of more than $63,000, according to a financial disclosure report filed Thursday with ... Alonzo Weston

Boundaries redrawn
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Johnny might have to make some new friends next school year. A plan for the redistricting of school boundaries was unveiled during a joint board policy and curriculum, instruction and ... Alonzo Weston

Where is everybody?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The turnout for the Coalition for Progress town hall meetings Tuesday evening was pretty much like the voter turnout for the April 7 school bond/levy election: Hardly anyone showed up. ... Alonzo Weston

Coalition: It's too soon for levy issue's return
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
At least one thing was certain as the grass-roots Coalition for Progress group met for the third time Monday evening. The school levy issue is not going back on the ... Alonzo Weston

School issues see grass-roots effort
Saturday, April 18, 2009
It’s back to the drawing board for the St. Joseph School District after the levy and bond issue votes failed. But it’s a grass-roots group of concerned citizens that’s holding ... Alonzo Weston

School cuts not as severe as some had thought
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
St. Joseph Board of Education and school district officials met Tuesday evening to discuss further and fine-tune cuts and reductions as a result of last week’s levy and bond defeat. ... Alonzo Weston

Parents decry loss of schools
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Jaki Dilley bounced around from school to school as a child. She wanted more stability for her children. “I always wanted my kids to go from kindergarten all the way ... Alonzo Weston

'No' and 'no'
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Troester Media Center teemed with nervous excitement as St. Joseph School District staff and officials sat glued to the huge screen showing election results Tuesday night. At 8:16 p.m., ... Alonzo Weston

Voter turnout projected at 30 percent
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Opposition argues that the permanent school tax levy on today’s ballot would “give up the right” to vote on it ever again. Argument aside, however, most people will likely forgo ... Joe Blumberg

Students rally for district's plan
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The East Hills Shopping Center both looked and sounded like a high school gymnasium Monday evening. The Lafayette High School band played. Students from three city high school carried sign ... Alonzo Weston

Ball is in voters’ court
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The fate of the St. Joseph School District will be decided in less than 72 hours. In fewer than three days, residents will decide if they want to build two ... Alonzo Weston

Business leaders rally for issues
Friday, April 3, 2009
A global economy demands new schools, business leaders say. Susan Mires

Ethics allegations unconfirmed
Friday, April 3, 2009
Automated phone calls sponsored by Citizens Against Forever Tax claim the St. Joseph School District is under investigation by the Missouri Ethics Commission for campaign violations. The Missouri Ethics Commission ... Alonzo Weston

Raise Your Hand: Foundation can contribute
Thursday, April 2, 2009
I noticed that in the recent campaign finance reports, one of the contributors to the Citizens for Children committee is “St. Joseph School District Foundation.” Where does the Foundation get ...

District, opponents disclose finances
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The primary contributor to the Citizens Against Forever Tax has ties to the organization that helped defeat the Buchanan County senior tax last year. The opposition group to the school ...

District addresses spending concerns
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Yes, some members of the St. Joseph School district did fly in a jet to a San Diego conference. And yes, they did stay at the Lodge of Four Seasons ... Alonzo Weston

Hall, Neely wrap up tours ahead of school vote
Monday, March 30, 2009
St. Joseph School District officials are satisfied. They explained important issues to voters through public tours of two of the district’s aging schools. Ray Scherer

Bond issue could boost construction industry
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The St. Joseph School District has said repeatedly that if its bond issue is passed, it will create many jobs in St. Joseph. How many varies between 150 to more ... Alonzo Weston

Businesses see long-term benefit in school issues
Sunday, March 29, 2009
As far as business leaders see it, the road to the future leads through St. Joseph’s elementary schools. The business community has come out strongly in favor of the school ... Susan Mires

School vote to break up status quo
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Let me dispense with any expectation of mystery in the words to follow. This piece aims to explain why I support the two St. Joseph School District issues on the ... Ken Newton

Raise Your Hand: A lesson in the calculus of ‘right-sizing’
Thursday, March 26, 2009
St. Joseph School District officials will answer questions on the proposed bond and levy tax issues every Thursday in the News-Press. If you’d like to ask a question, leave it ...

Critics air out bond, levy concerns
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Some members of a group calling themselves, “Citizens Against Forever Tax” met with the News-Press editorial board Tuesday morning to air concerns about the St. Joseph School District’s upcoming bond/levy ... Alonzo Weston

School ballot issues call attention to salaries
Monday, March 23, 2009
St. Joseph School District teachers make less than the state average, while district administrators are doing better financially than their statewide colleagues. That’s according to information from the Missouri Department ... Alonzo Weston

Neely, Hall opened for public inspection
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Schools having trouble adjusting to the changing times can be seen as simply going through growing pains. Other schools, like Neely and Hall Elementary, appear more like a teenager entering ... Andrew Gaug

Raise Your Hand: School district defends its frugality
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Many businesses are doing more with less these days. Why shouldn’t it be the same for the school district? Why not wait on the bond issue until the economy improves?

History repeating itself?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Job cuts. Right-sizing. Redistricting. Cutting programs. It’s déjà vu all over again as the St. Joseph School District tries to pass both another levy and bond tax. On June 3, ... Alonzo Weston

Critics question district’s tactics
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The St. Joseph School District pushed back. That is the feeling of a couple of St. Joseph residents who claim the district’s levy/bond issue survey tactics are dubious. During last ... Alonzo Weston

District uploads campaign to Web
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Yard signs and phone calls are so 20th century. The St. Joseph School District has taken its operating levy/bond issue campaign to cyberspace. A few district administrators got together and ... Alonzo Weston

Raise Your Hand: Crunching the numbers on bond, levy questions
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Raise Your Hand: Crunching the numbers on bond, levy questions

‘Buildings don’t make academics’
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Denise Campbell, principal at St. Francis Xavier School, said many Catholic schools do well with old buildings. It’s done through continued upkeep, the help of volunteer parents and cost-saving measures, ... Alonzo Weston

District halts transfers due to overcrowding at Coleman
Monday, March 2, 2009
For years, the St. Joseph School District has allowed transfers to schools outside a patron’s district as a luxury. Now, with overcrowding issues at one of its schools, it’s a ... Alonzo Weston

Opposition forms against school issue
Friday, February 27, 2009
Kenny Reeder said he isn’t against the school levy or the bond issue. He’d just like a little accountability from the school district. “It’s all about accountability,” Mr. Reeder said. ... Alonzo Weston

Raise Your Hand: The houses and kids are there; will a school follow?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
St. Joseph School District officials will answer questions on the proposed bond and levy tax issues every Thursday in the News-Press. If you’d like to ask a question, leave it ...

Growing pains hit Coleman
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Shelbert the box turtle, in Glenda Haley’s Coleman Elementary School fifth-grade classroom, has a 10-gallon tank all to himself. That’s a luxury in a school where officials say space is ... Alonzo Weston

District ponders election scenarios
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The St. Joseph School District stands at the middle of a four-way intersection of decision. An April 7 vote on both a school tax levy and bond issue decides the ... Alonzo Weston

What are the possible outcomes of the District bond/levy issue
Sunday, February 15, 2009
On April 7, St. Joseph School District voters will be asked to vote on two issues: One is to make permanent the temporary 63-cent operating levy that was approved in ...

Our opinion: Let’s hear the case for schools
Friday, February 13, 2009
In just shy of eight weeks, voters will decide two ballot issues important to the future of the St. Joseph School District. They need to have all the relevant facts.

Test scores don’t measure worth
Thursday, February 12, 2009
St. Joseph School District officials will answer questions on the proposed bond and levy tax issues every Thursday in the News-Press. If you’d like to ask a question, leave it ...

District names campaign co-chairs
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Optimism permeated the room as the St. Joseph School District named the campaign co-chairs to kick off its Citizens for Children campaign on Wednesday. The four campaign chairpersons for the ... Alonzo Weston

District optimistic $50K goal is in reach
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The St. Joseph School District already has a good start on its “Citizens for Children” tax-levy/bond issue campaign. So far the district has recorded $22,050 with the Missouri Ethics Commission, ... Alonzo Weston

A tale of two schools
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Neely and Hall Elementary schools were built in 1908, the same year the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series. Cubs fans can tell you how long that’s been. St. ... Alonzo Weston

Making a distinction between wants and needs
Monday, January 26, 2009
Everybody has both wants and needs. Often, there’s a huge difference between the two. For example, I want a brand new 2009 Nissan Titan pickup with the extended cab, four-wheel ... Steve Booher

Levy, bond issue on ballot
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The St. Joseph Board of Education decided to leave it up to voters to determine the fate of school district ballot issues in the April 7 election. The board voted ... Alonzo Weston

School district proposes new 'vision'
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A major catch-word for 2008 was “change,” but for the St. Joseph Public School District, it was “need.” That word will likely remain the same for school officials through April ... Jimmy Myers

St. Joseph School Board approves land for new schools
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The St. Joseph School Board approved a 15 acre tract of land on St. Joseph's Northeast side to build a new school. Much of that plan depends on a successful ... Alonzo Weston

St. Joseph School District moves to acquire new property
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The St. Joseph School District moved one step closer in its mission to build two new schools, Monday evening. The St. Joseph Board of Education voted unanimously to give the ... Alonzo Weston

Ballot issues driven by need
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The stock market goes up and down more than a roller coaster. Foreclosures paint a checkerboard of homeownership on the American landscape. Banks need bailouts and people need jobs. Even ... Alonzo Weston

School tax — A lot can change in 5 years
Monday, September 1, 2008
Former St. Joseph School District Superintendent Dan Colgan is a glass-half-full type of guy. No doubt about it. “I’m an optimist,” Dr. Colgan said. Perhaps he was a bit too ... Nancy Hull

St. Joseph School District increases its tax rate
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
St. Joseph School District taxpayers will see a slight increase between their 2007 and 2008 property tax bills. Nancy Hull

Priority goes to schools
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Superintendent Melody Smith is right to make clear, nearly eight months before the April election, what she sees as the No. 1 priority for patrons of the St. Joseph School ...

District ready for new year
Saturday, August 23, 2008
St. Joseph School District Superintendent Melody Smith emphasized the importance of two upcoming ballot proposals during Friday morning’s annual convocation that welcomes back district staff. Nancy Hull

School district plans $1.6M in building improvements
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
New windows, doors, roofs, asphalt and more will greet students when school begins in August. Nancy Hull

New school site to boost project cost
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The property switch for the proposed northeast St. Joseph elementary school could up the $43 million school district construction project by about $3 million. St. Joseph School District Chief Operating ... Nancy Hull

School board rewards top official
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The St. Joseph Board of Education gave Superintendent Melody Smith a good review, extended her contract and upped her salary Monday. Following its monthly meeting, board members met in executive ... Nancy Hull

School district OKs budget, looks ahead to tax renewal
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The St. Joseph Board of Education approved its annual budget without incident Monday evening. Next June could be much different. What voters decide in April 2009 will greatly influence the ... Nancy Hull

District nixes site in favor of another
Friday, June 6, 2008
The St. Joseph School District dropped its proposal to build a new elementary school on a controversial site. Instead, district officials are pursuing a site they think better meets Planning ... Nancy Hull

School district chooses new site
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The St. Joseph School District decided to abandon its proposal for a new elementary school near Karnes and Woodbine roads. Nancy Hull

District considers alternate school site
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The St. Joseph School District is evaluating an alternative site for a new northeast elementary school after being contacted by a prospective seller late this week. “It’s probably too premature ... Joe Blumberg

School district makes its pitch
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The St. Joseph School District heard and addressed some of the questions, but it feels one of the questions, the most expensive question, is not its responsibility to solve. The ... Joe Blumberg

Skaith eyes overcrowding
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A proposed 400-unit apartment complex could mean one or many of the following for Skaith Elementary School: trailers, bigger class sizes, revoked student transfers, new school boundaries and at least ... Nancy Hull

Roads issue heats up at school board meeting
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The community needs to find a way to fix bad roads so that the northeast part of town can get a new elementary school, some of the community’s most influential ... Nancy Hull

Unanimous vote stings school plan
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The St. Joseph School District’s plan for opening and closing schools has hit an unexpected roadblock. St. Joseph’s Planning Commission threw up the block with a unanimous vote against the ... Nancy Hull

School site requires plan for traffic
Sunday, April 27, 2008
St. Joseph School District officials either need a better plan for roads to service a new northeast elementary school or stronger community support for the plan they already have.

School plan curbed 8-0
Friday, April 25, 2008
Strike one. The city of St. Joseph’s Planning Commission voted 8-0 against the St. Joseph School District’s conditional use permit for an elementary school near Karnes and Woodbine roads. The ... Joe Blumberg

Some residents criticize proposed school site
Monday, April 21, 2008
At least a few northeast St. Joseph residents are fighting against the elementary school proposed for their neighborhood. They say the St. Joseph School District’s plan for an elementary school ... Nancy Hull

Voters elect Siemens, Wagner to St. Joseph Board of Education
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
St. Joseph School District voters elected a certified public accountant and a former district gifted teacher to the Board of Education. Of the seven candidates, Sarah Siemens, a CPA and ... Nancy Hull

Voters choose two new school board members
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A combination of dreary weather and the fact that only two school board members needed voters approval kept numbers low at Buchanan County polls Tuesday. Bob Heater

School board candidates push for change
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
School safety and communication between the school district and the public. Nancy Hull

District has 'pretty good deal' on property
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The proposed new school site in northeast St. Joseph is close to ideal in terms of location and size. Yet the road conditions near it are less than ideal. Overall, ... Nancy Hull

District will wait to address 'aging' high school facilities
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Sam Barber asked the question Tuesday. Nancy Hull

Open forum
Friday, March 7, 2008
For the most part, St. Joseph Board of Education candidates support the school district’s plan for opening and closing buildings. None of the seven board candidates are opposed to the ... Nancy Hull

Plan raises facility fairness issue
Saturday, February 23, 2008
You could say Webster, Noyes and all St. Joseph School District elementaries not scheduled for a new building are taking one for the team. Nancy Hull

This time for Neely, many see an ending as a new beginning
Friday, February 22, 2008
The word “closure” was a dark word in the Neely Elementary School community six years ago. Nancy Hull

Responding to change
Sunday, February 17, 2008
St. Joseph Board of Education President Diane Watson remembers a time in the mid-1980s when people were hesitant to go see a nationally known singer at Our Lady of Guadalupe ... Nancy Hull

Greystone plan moves forward
Thursday, February 14, 2008
TIF Commissioners expressed no doubts about using future property tax revenue — mostly from schools — to invest in streets and sewers for future homes in northeast St. Joseph. Joe Blumberg

Difficult decisions
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Voters can say “no” to school taxes all they want, but no matter what, the St. Joseph Board of Education plans to close at least three school buildings. Nancy Hull

4 schools on chopping block
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
St. Joseph School District superintendent Dr. Melody Smith unveiled a massive school construction and consolidation proposal Monday. Nancy Hull

Audacity kicks off this vision
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The saying goes people should never be frightened by new ideas. They should only be frightened by the old ones. Ken Newton

Greystone would trade tax money for roads, sewers
Friday, January 11, 2008
Schools and libraries would inherit new residents but give up new taxes under the Greystone housing development. The question for the community is whether population growth and quality roads and ... Joe Blumberg