Funding our schools--changing the game

[Grendel]

I just got back from a community meeting at the Chouteau High School regarding the impending budget shortfall.

Like most other communities in the state, ours will be short a significant amount of money for the next 2-3 years and is faced the task of cutting staff, operations, and program budgets. Chouteau itself is projected to be at least $450,000 short for the 16-17 school year which may force them to close the Mazie campus, shorten the week to 4-day weeks, and layoff teachers (which could push class sizes close to 30 students), and cutting extracurricular programs like ag, band and music, field trips and athletics.

As explained at the meeting we had tonight, the major sources of funding for public schools in this state are: Federal, State, County, and Local governments. Grants and corporate sponsorships make up a small percentage of the overall budgets, and most of the money comes from property taxes at the local level and corporate and energy taxes which are distributed by the State. In Chouteau, the State of Oklahoma provides about 63% of the overall budget. With plummeting oil and gas revenues, their ~$7.6 million budget will be almost a half million short for next year, and more for the year after.

Every school district in the state is experiencing the same budget shortfall and having the same discussions (except apparently Pryor, since they don't get ANY money from the state, since the local property taxes fund everything because of the Google data center at the Mid America park). The exact numbers and percentages vary a bit from district to district, but I'm sure that every other school in the state looks pretty similar on their budget spreadsheet.

My question is this:

What can we do to change the funding game? To make our local public schools less reliant on State and Federal funding? And make sure that we at the local level can ensure that we are able to fund our schools and the programs that we want at the level that we want them?

How do we change the rules of the game, or better yet, change the game completely?

 

[rawhide]

Good question. At the state level some significant changes need to made.

Oklahoma has decades of earmark legislation that has taken much control of the money out of the hands of the legislature. For example, not all fuel usage taxes go to roads and bridges but are earmarked for something unrelated to the purpose of the tax. Last year the legislature could only appropriate or control about 45% of record revenues and no control of fees collected by state agencies, even when those fees well exceed operating expenses. Also, our rainy day fund is capped, if IRC, at $350 million. It should be significantly higher so more money in good times can be set aside for times like these. Evaluating the effectiveness of tax credits for businesses should also be looked at closely and adjusted accordingly. Overhauling much of our century old progressive constitution needs to be a priority but there are lots of hands in the cookie jar that have an interest in keeping business as usual.

As to lessening state and federal funding I don't have a good answer but it would appear that increased local taxes or better yet revenues, such as your example in Pryor, is the answer.

 

[Grendel]

As to lessening state and federal funding I don't have a good answer but it would appear that increased local taxes or better yet revenues, such as your example in Pryor, is the answer.

I've been meditating on this very thought for the evening.

Couple things:

1) Our elected leaders and their appointed cronies are totally and completely impotent and incompetent when it comes to solving these issues.

2) not every district can have a high tech data center like Google or large industrial park that carries the tax burden for funding the schools in it's district.

But, if we truly believe in the effectiveness and potency of the capitalist economic system, then private business and entrepreneurship IS answer to the local funding issues. This solution will effectively marginalize the State when it comes to funding our schools, and leave them standing on the sidelines arguing over trivial and frivolous issues, while the rest of us get on with the business of being adults and parents.

 

[tRidiot]

My solution has been to provide for my child's education myself. I realize not everyone can do this, but the Federal and State levels have proven for decades that their control of the educational system had led to sub-par results at best...

 

[tntrex]

450,000 shortfall for choteau? Geez i wonder what the superintendent alone makes? Id bet choteau has more than one even. Maybe 25% or more of that shortfall right there. Trim the fat. Start at the ugly part of education which is on the top of the hog. But it wont happen. Oink oink
Or
any sport that is net loss gets the ax unless parents /community step up making private donation to operate it.

 

[DanB]

My wife is in her 12th year of teaching. This is the 3rd year for working in Yukon Public Schools. We have considered going home schooling. We still believe that the Yukon Schools are still providing a good learning environment for our boys. I want to give some credit to the Administration for her district. So far there isn't a need to consider laying off any teachers. However, there will not be any filling of teaching positions that are vacated at the end of this year. My wife has already been told to expect 30 students or more in her classroom. Since she is there for the kids. She will deal with the cards she gets dealt.

I don't see a magic bullet to resolve the funding issue. I see the state legislature spending money similar to most Americans when they receive their tax refund. "What cool new stuff can we buy now?" Instead of, "Lets look big picture and make sure we aren't short changing ourselves here or there."

There are way to many hands in the cookie jars. To many social handouts without validating the true need. To many pet projects that a campaign donor wanted. If the growth of the state and federal governments would be required to have a tax increase of the same percentage. I'm sure American's would have said enough already. However, we throw out the benefits while keeping the drawbacks hidden. Then several years down the road, BAM. Its not a penalty its a TAX.

If school districts are having to sit down and make decisions about terminating programs or employees. The state should also sit down and terminate some excess programs and employees as well. Not just handing out a blanket budget cut to all agencies.

 

[Okie4570]

My solution has been to provide for my child's education myself. I realize not everyone can do this, but the Federal and State levels have proven for decades that their control of the educational system had led to sub-par results at best...

Same here, money well spent.

 

[Grendel]

My solution has been to provide for my child's education myself. I realize not everyone can do this, but the Federal and State levels have proven for decades that their control of the educational system had led to sub-par results at best...

So for those of us who are not neck-sweater wearing, country club members and can't afford to send our kids to white flight private schools, and who are already paying for our children's education through property and energy taxes; what can we, the unwashed and dirty commoners do to change the budgeting formula for our schools?

 

[crrcboatz]

I just got back from a community meeting at the Chouteau High School regarding the impending budget shortfall.

Like most other communities in the state, ours will be short a significant amount of money for the next 2-3 years and is faced the task of cutting staff, operations, and program budgets. Chouteau itself is projected to be at least $450,000 short for the 16-17 school year which may force them to close the Mazie campus, shorten the week to 4-day weeks, and layoff teachers (which could push class sizes close to 30 students), and cutting extracurricular programs like ag, band and music, field trips and athletics.

As explained at the meeting we had tonight, the major sources of funding for public schools in this state are: Federal, State, County, and Local governments. Grants and corporate sponsorships make up a small percentage of the overall budgets, and most of the money comes from property taxes at the local level and corporate and energy taxes which are distributed by the State. In Chouteau, the State of Oklahoma provides about 63% of the overall budget. With plummeting oil and gas revenues, their ~$7.6 million budget will be almost a half million short for next year, and more for the year after.

Every school district in the state is experiencing the same budget shortfall and having the same discussions (except apparently Pryor, since they don't get ANY money from the state, since the local property taxes fund everything because of the Google data center at the Mid America park). The exact numbers and percentages vary a bit from district to district, but I'm sure that every other school in the state looks pretty similar on their budget spreadsheet.

My question is this:

What can we do to change the funding game? To make our local public schools less reliant on State and Federal funding? And make sure that we at the local level can ensure that we are able to fund our schools and the programs that we want at the level that we want them?

How do we change the rules of the game, or better yet, change the game completely?

Great subject and very timely. That said the assumption that Pryor is gushing with cash because of Google is probably not the the case. I can assure you there are a butt load of school districts that have a far higher net assessed evaluation than Pryor. I worked at Union in Tulsa as an administrator for 8 of my 9 yrs there and will tell you it is one of the top 5-10 richest districts in the state. That net assessed evaluation is only good for bond indebtedness, in other words, the ability for the local district to borrow money for specific things through a bond issue approved by the voters that is the primary advantage of that value. Every district in the state receives and in fact depends on funds from the state. I assure you Pryor has its financial challenges just like everyone else. Here is why:

Things bond issue money can be spent on:

1. Primarily and foremost building facilities, buildings, improvements to facilities, transportation in the form of buses, NOT DRIVERS, technology, instructional technology, etc. These funds cannot be spent on personnel other than in limited cases custodians salaries only, to provide the upkeep of those facilities as they are built and afterward.
2. None of these funds can be mixed with or substitute for General Fund expenses or expenditures. The interest off the bond funds that accumulates during a bond project until its completion must be used under the rules of the building fund.


As I understand it from other administrators the industrial park that Google is being built in exempts any and all industry that locates there from ANY property taxes for the first 10yrs of moving there. Some rumors have been circulating that Google has asked to be exempt from that benefit and to begin paying taxes immediately upon completion of their facility but that is strictly rumor.

There is not a school in this state that is not in great financial pain because of budget cuts. I will bet my life on that. Building buildings and financing the general fund for operations is 2 very different things.

36 yrs in education and 27 of those in administration.

 

[Gabriel42]

So for those of us who are unwilling or incapable of making the sacrifices necessary to ensure our children are educated in a system that values them and instead rely on the state do to change the budgeting formula for our schools?

Lol, FIFW. Your version was a bit pompous as f*uck at worst and presumptuous at best.