The local school system makes it a point to keep everything as secretive as possible. It's important that the taxpayers are kept in the dark. Life is easier that way for the Pentagon. Even the simple stuff like how many kids are enrolled in Clayberry schools? Shhhhh
   Our School Board met in regular session Dec 16th at the Pentagon on Gump Street. All Boardsters were present. Only one sat in the peanut gallery.
  With the Christmas break fast approaching, the agenda was shorter than usual. The entire meeting lasted just 12 minutes. With Mary Ann Triplett retiring at the end of the year and this being the last 2019 meeting, we thought we see her there. Nope. Didn't happen.
  Without much discussion, revised Class Rank and Course Credit policies were voted into fact. Superintendent Joe Paxton played the changes as just ho hum stuff.
  From the peanut gallery came: How many kids are enrolled in the school system right now? Continuing his keep it quiet initiative, Paxton, I don't know.
  From the gallery, how many kids were enrolled this time last year. Amazingly, Paxton, I don't know.
  Joe Paxton is the responsible party for the $20+ million dollar budget and the guy in charge but he doesn't make public even the number of kids he's in charge of.
  When asked, do you think the right number for the decline in enrollment would be 60 kids, he said, well, 60 is about right.
  What Paxton could have said was, last year they had 1660 brats enrolled and this year that number is down to 1600 or less.
  When asked, does it work out to each student amounting to around $10,000 per year in "income", . Paxton, once again, that might be about right.
  Do you see where this is going readers? Paxton knows that 60 student figure... that amounts to a $600,000 loss of revenue during the next fiscal year. That's a bunch even for a $20m budget. That means change has to come.
  Joe Paxton has to make the budget work. He knows, tough decisions are on the horizon. Keeping that secret seems to be the mode of operation for the Head Honcho.
  About the only thing we could get out of the lad was, we've always been on a shoestring budget and we pride ourselves on not laying off workers. He added that retirements may help with the bottom line.
  Note: That $600,000 loss comes next year, during the next budget cycle.
  Note 2:  We had another Superintendent (Linky Poo) who uttered similar words, never laying off employees. Link had to eat those words when he became a County Commissioner just a few years back.
  Note 3: The quickest meeting we've ever sat thru was 8 minutes. This quickie was over in 12 minutes. Not a record but close.
AW