Posted on 05/01/2002 2:33:52 AM PDT by WaterDragon
In the 2001-03 state budget debate, a reduction from a planned $5.2 billion to $5.1 billion for K-12 is being called a cut even though this is an increase over 1999-2001 spending of $4.6 billion. -- MATT EVANS, Executive director, Oregon Tax Research.
Did you understand that? The actual 1999-2001 school budget was $4.6 billion. The proposed Republican 2001-2003 budget is a record $5.1 billion. Unless you attended a modern public school, you can probably tell which number -- 5.1 or 4.6 -- is greater.
The Oregon Left (mainstream media reporters and editors, liberal Democrat and Rockefeller Republican politicians, publc service unions and teachers organizations, lots of lawyers, almost all college students and every minority in sight with the possible exception of Asians) are calling a $700 million increase a cut.
They're calling it a cut because it's less than they wanted, not less than the previous budget.
Is it any wonder that your kids can't answer simple math questions?
This time Tillamook schools get milked. (Tillamook is the dairy center of the state) by David Sarasohn
Randy Schild has a very specific view of Oregon's school funding crisis.
"We read about Portland, and their problems, and how they have to close a couple of schools," says the first-year superintendent of Tillamook public schools.
"Percentagewise, what we face is truly monumental."
What Tillamook faces for next year is a funding cut of almost 10 percent, a cut of about 40 positions out of 300, a rise in 4th, 5th and 6th grade class sizes from 22 to 29, and closing one of its four elementary schools. The district is closing Wilson School, not because it's the oldest, but because the classrooms, built in 1929, can't possibly hold the number of kids in classes today. -- from an April 07, 2002 column in the Oregonian.
Some people say Tillamook will be recieving more money from the state, not less. For the purposes of this essay, however, we'll use the numbers Schild sent. ($14,400,000 in the previous budget. $14,200,000 in the next.) The district, we know, has a declining enrollment. That would be the reason for a reduction in funds from the state if there is one. (An unnaturally logical thing for a government agency to do.)
Why, then, are the Wilson school classrooms too small? Usually, "decline" means fewer, but perhaps this is a New English to go with the New Math. Our guess is that psychology is haunting all this. The Wilson school, built early in the last century, looks like a school. It has the appearance of a place where children once learned how to read, write and do their ciphers. Here, you can feel the ghosts of the ancient educators who taught politically incorrect history -- that is to say, what actually happened. Places like that give some modern teachers the willies.
Some districts, such as Portland and many rural schools, are in trouble -- in part -- because they are losing enrollment. State allocations to schools are based largely on enrollment, and declining enrollment means less money from Salem. -- Stephen Carter, The Oregonian
The Wilson school is being closed because the classrooms are too small. Tillamooik's remaining classrooms will have too many kids even though there are fewer kids attending Tillamook schools.
What a world.
More from Stephen Carter of The Oregonian
Although the property tax revolt kicked off in 1990 by Measure 5 has slowed the growth in school spending, Oregon remains above the national average in the money it spends to educate each child, according to federal figues. It remains well above Washington and California.
In 1990, Oregon spent $5,195 a year per student, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, $293 above the national average. Ten years later Oregon spent $7,357 per student, according to the center's estimate, still $278 above the national average.
Those figures include money from state, local and federal sources. Spending not included in this figure is money spent on construction, equipment and interest on debt.
(OMED: construction has traditionally been funded via local property taxes.)
A record high Republican school budget. More dollars for education than ever before in state history. Because enrollment advances or declines, funds to districts go up or down. That's a system based on a ratio. Schools that get a hundred bucks for ten students are receiving the same treatment as those which get fifty bucks for five. Again from Mr. Carter's pen:
House Majority Leader Karen Minnis, R-Gresham, is frustrated that the money the Legislature provides schools -- up nearly 20 percent since 1997 -- isn't enough. She wonders where it's going.
"It's very hard to examine from Salem how each school board allocates its money," she said. "We are going to take a long-term look at the issue. Why is it when we give generous increases each session, it never seems to meet the perceived need?"....(snip) [click on Oregon Magazine above for the rest of the article]
REFUSAL TO INCREASE TO THEIR LEVEL = CUT.
Freaking retarded.
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