Nearly 70% of my local school budget is legacy costs. That is, pensions, disability and retirement benefits.
Factor in that tax revenues are down because our property values have sunk, and our district cannot float any more bonds with any measurable interest, the schools fall apart and spending on students is crushed.
Our state lottery money (25 years ago) was passed with the stipulation that the money went to the schools. Of course it does, but they just cut the same amount out of the school budgets.
Not that it matters, the schools here will go belly up, we cannot reduce our legacy liability, nor cut any of the unions (there are several) wages that rely on school funding. It’s in our state Constitution that those benefits cannot be cut for any reason, and as a matter of fact, must increase a certain percent (based on the union contract) each year.
For our state, the only recourse will be bankruptcy, and a judge changing our Constitution based on restructure.
We are not far from that point.
Wow, 70% legacy costs??? Just unbelievable.
And whenever I hear discussion of school funding, the liberals always say we aren’t spending enough, aren’t devoting enough “resources” to the schools.
I have a stupid question. How is it that schools in past generations produced literate graduates, with far less money spent per capita, adjusted for inflation? Is the issue really lack of money???
How is it that schools in past generations produced literate graduates, before the 1979 creation of the Department of Education? What essential tasks does that department perform, and why does it exist?