More cuts to education
Governor Mark Parkinson yesterday announced budget cuts of $36 million to K-12 education, according to a story in today’s Salina Journal.
A little research on the Kansas Department of Education web site showed a what the cuts would mean for local school districts when comparing the original base state aid per pupil of $4,218 to the new $4,012 BSAPP.
USD 108 Washington County – $144,859
USD 223 Barnes Hanover Linn – $124,094
USD 224 Clifton-Clyde – $107,656
How do you make up for cuts like that? I don’t know, but I plan on talking to the superintendents on Monday for a story for next week.
I don’t know if these means cuts in staff, cuts of programs, or what, but it is absolutely serious now.
I had no problem with some of the initial belt tightening measures. I think any government entity can benefit from some lean times to make them more efficient. But this is ridiculous. Go ahead and kick me out of the Republican Party, but I think the legislature needs to consider a short term tax to address some of this deficit. I’ve heard consideration of a statewide sales tax. I don’t know, but whatever it is, some help is needed. I realize raising taxes during down economic times could be like shooting yourself in the foot, but something has to be done. I’d also suggest that any tax increase needs to have a sunset built in so that it is gone when the economy recovers.
What do you all think?
I don’t know what the answer is but I can’t believe it’s to cut back on one of the most important things there is: Education. Are there government jobs that can be consolidated or phased out? Is there spending being done in another area that could be tightened? I agree that raising the taxes on everyone seems pretty brutal right now. Lowering education and upping taxes seem to be a “hurt everyone” scenario, where as cutting costs in other areas would affect less people.
Dawn
We need to consolidate.
I’m not sure if I’m looking at the whole picture correctly or not so if someone can answer this question it would help. If schools were to consolidate how would that help? If they are cutting back X amount of dollars per student then wouldn’t the amount being cut back be the same? I realize there would be less expenses due to less staff, utilities, etc. but would that actually make that much of a difference?
Dawn
average superintendent salary in Ks : 98,113
principal 80,608
teacher 51,087
I remember covering a presentation by G. Kent Stewart, a K-State consultant on school finance, or something like that, when he was talking to the Clifton-Clyde district about the possibility of closing the Clyde Grade School. He said the only way for schools to really save money is to close buildings, because this allows them to consolidate classes and shrink the staff. Wages and salary are one of the biggest expenses for school (if not the biggest?) so when you cut staff, you save big money.
On the flip side, when you cut staff, your student to teacher ratio goes up, you lose the unique abilities each teacher brings to the table, you lose opportunities for contact time that could help students achieve… lots of bad comes from cutting teachers.
But anyway, that is where the consolidation would save money – on decreasing staff size.
I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with consolidation – I’ve been on both sides of that issue over the years. I’m just explaining where consolidation saves money.
Dang. I need to go get my education degree so I can get a pay raise!!
Anyway, I bet the Washington County averages are all much lower than those state averages. I know our superintendents and principals make significantly less than that anyway.
As a recently retired teacher, I can tell you that the number quoted for a teacher’s salary was not even on the salary schedule.
Agreed, Dawn. Why cut back on education when everybody knows there is fraud, waste and abuse in all government that could be corrected and tons of money would be saved. I think it is spineless of any government, elected official to cut education. I also agree with Dan on a short term tax to help….but short term would turn into permanent. I hate paying taxes like everybody else, and when our elected officials have spent like drunken sailors over the past few years, it is hard to stomache such a thing. I say they stop giving our income tax to the federal reserve and start using it for what it intended for….government spending.
Chiming in late on this…..The funding of public education and other pubic services (police, fire, etc.) may not be what the tax is but who’s being taxed. Consider Warren Buffett: His tax rate is quoted as being less than 18% while his office employees pay nearly 33%. A statistic even he has riled against.
Could be a tax increase is needed but……for those not paying a fair share. It would seem Dan could remain a Republican and just advocate equality in the tax code.
Check out http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer
Wow Zanado,
I had no idea it was that unbalanced. That’s crappy.
Dawn
Education spending is by far the largest spending category that the state has. Anyone who has ever even seriously thought about formulating a budget knows that you must address spending in this area if you will be able to get close to balancing a budget as far out of balance as our state’s budget is now. Some of us believe we spend more than actually necessary anyway, but playing around in the edges in this situation will never work. Unfortunately, education cuts will be quite painful, but necessary. Zanado, as far as fairness of taxation goes, do you know that about 45% of Americans pay zero in federal income tax? Frankly it really irritates me when these people rail about taxes when they don’t pay ANY. Why is it the duty of those of us who do pay taxes to drag their sorry butts through life? I have enough to deal with in my own life. I think it is time for some of these people to be responsible for their own lives and leave the rest of us alone. I am all for helping those who can’t help themselves, but the people who could but refuse to help themselves get no sympathy from me.
Archie,
How are 45% of people not paying Federal Income Tax? Is it because they are low income, or don’t work, or what?
Dawn
Zanado, I am wondering what your definition of ‘fair share’ is?
The top 5% of wage earners pay right at 60% of all income taxes.
We have a progressive tax system, that is, the more you make, the more they take. Except for those that know their way around it.
If you are advocating the fair tax, I am all for that. The current tax code is a joke. Multi-billion dollar corporations getting tax break after break because the tax code is insanely complex. The general public is punished for working hard and being successful.
The fair tax will never pass though. Anyone remember when a time that the government gave back a power that they had taken?
Dustin
Dawn, you answered your own question. We are incrementally changing our society from one where self sufficiency was highly valued, to one where taking everything you can from someone else (including the government) is considered the smartest way to go about things. The politicians have been pitting those with less against those who have succeeded, and eventually they are going to kill the golden goose. At what point do those who succeed at life decide it isn’t worth the effort anymore because all the government does for them is punish them for their hard work? Seems we are racing to that point with some of the current administration’s income redistributionist policies.