School Budget Cuts..help me out

[Lakenut]

Cut athletics and you cut a ton of kids reason to work hard in the classroom. I can't tell you how many kids I have taught/coached that graduated hs with a good education because they had to in order to play ball.

Districts do build nice athletic facilities on bonds....bonds that communities choose to support.

With all the doom and gloom with the entire state budget, I always wonder where all of our tax money goes. My property taxes have not gone down. I am spending more each year thus sales tax collections haven't gone down. Lots of folks I know say the same thing. So where does the money go?

 

[Lurker66]

I think schools are divided into districts. If you live in a particular district then your responsible for the cost of your school. Not enough money, too bad. Either raise taxes or accept you live in a crappy district.

If you district is so rural, you can't afford educating your communities kids, buy a bus an send your kids to the next school and accept that districts rules and taxes.

If ya don't have kids in school too bad....pay up or move to another community. Takes a village to raise and educate kids. Don't like it? Go find a like minded village.

 

[osumark]

Once the school goes out the town will follow.

 

[Lurker66]

Once the school goes out the town will follow.

Good, give the land back to the Indians and let them build another Casino.

 

[Parks 788]

Do some research and you will typically find that 75%-80%+ of a school districts budget is spent on administrative costs (salaries, benefits and retirement). No wonder schools have no money for educating our children. Additional taxes won't go to the children's needs, only to the salaries and benefits of the teachers and administrators.

 

[crrcboatz]

Do some research and you will typically find that 75%-80%+ of a school districts budget is spent on administrative costs (salaries, benefits and retirement). No wonder schools have no money for educating our children. Additional taxes won't go to the children's needs, only to the salaries and benefits of the teachers and administrators.

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75-80% is spent on personnel costs thats ALL personnel in a system. I administered school funds in central office for some time. You need to do some research your self. That figure includes, insurance benefits payed to all personnel, fica, retirement matching funds mandated, all salaries. etc.

 

[Old Fart]

but, lottery!

If I remember correctly and I may not, most of the lottery money ended up in higher ed not common ed.

 

[Cedar Creek]

Typically 80+ percent of a school districts funds are committed to salaries - the rest goes to transportation, maintenance, equipment, supplies, etc. That's why about the only way a school district can cut costs is to cut back on the number of employees.

Cedar Creek

 

[JacobDaddy]

According to the Chief Financial Officer of my district we are in the low 90's in our percentage that goes towards salaries.

 

[Glocktogo]

but, lottery!

I'll see your lottery and raise you H.B. 1017!

Sacred cow man.

Exactly!

In Kansas you actually pay a tuition, it's not a ton of money but it certainly helps if every family pays $100 per kid if you have multiples it's $85 etc etc. This also gives parents a reason to care about their kids education, if they're putting up money they have a vested interest in making sure they attend as well as succeed and pass their classes. If you have extra money in the coffers you can afford to pay your teachers better thereby creating a more competitive job market where you can get quality educators. Just my 2 cents but a free education is like free daycare to some people.

I like that idea! Some of these rugrat breeders have no other concern than to dump the kids off on someone else for the day. I'd even go so far as to suggest a reimbursement program based on grades. Bad grades, no reimbursement. After all, a good kid who learns is usually an asset to the community when they grow up.

I think schools are divided into districts. If you live in a particular district then your responsible for the cost of your school. Not enough money, too bad. Either raise taxes or accept you live in a crappy district.

If you district is so rural, you can't afford educating your communities kids, buy a bus an send your kids to the next school and accept that districts rules and taxes.

If ya don't have kids in school too bad....pay up or move to another community. Takes a village to raise and educate kids. Don't like it? Go find a like minded village.

Agreed. I don't have any kids, yet I don't mind paying reasonable school taxes because I benefit from the program. How? I live and work in a community that needs educated workers.

I'll use Allentown, PA as an example. I went there for a weeklong event and swore I'd never go back. It really wasn't as ugly as the Billy Joel song would have you believe. The problem? Really stupid people. I didn't go to a single place to eat where it diodn't take 2+ hours to have a meal. The wait staff screwed up everyone's orders and they couldn't split a bill if their lives depended on it. This was everything from an IHOP for breakfast to a really nice restaurant downtown. There were other issues besides restaurants. Most of us were infuriated by the time we left. We determined that the local education system must be so awful, they were incapable of producing competent workers.

So I really don't mind because the alternative is far worse. However, if you don't have more money to spend you'd better figure out how to make the money you have really work for you. Begging for more money that isn't there will simply create animosity and resentment. Whether you have kids or not, this really is a statewide issue that our communities need to figure out. No one wants to live in another Allentown.