Strolling about the Brookings Summer Arts Festival this weekend, I met a friend who works in the Brookings School District. She reminded me that she and her fellow teachers' jobs are safe thanks to an anonymous private donation that filled the school's budget shortfall this school year. The donor set the condition, says my friend, that no teaching jobs and no student programs be cut in the FY2012 budget; therefore, says my teacher friend, cuts are coming mainly from administration.
Let me be clear, as I was in March when this donation was announced: one-time money leaves the school district on uncertain footing, but it's better than nothing. I am very glad this donor took on the responsibility that the South Dakota Legislature would not. I'm sure that if I could sit down and have a conversation with this donor, we'd find we agree wholeheartedly on the importance of free and universal public education.
We might also agree that having to resort to private donations like this represents a failure of democracy. Consider the undemocratic thing that has happened: one citizen with a lot of money has imposed his or her budget priorities on a cash-strapped public school district.
Granted, I like those budget priorities. But this is a question of democracy, not personal policy preferences. Any number of citizens could have told the board, "Set budget priority A, B, or C." One citizen stepped forward and said, "Set budget priority C, and I'll give you a bunch of money." Presto! the board passes budget priority C. Regardless of what C is, that process should make small-d democrats uneasy.
Granted, the democratically elected Brookings School Board didn't have to accept that private donation and its conditions. But that's asking a lot of local officials who face the prospect of denying their kids opportunities due to shortsighted stinginess in Pierre.
So what happens when I get rich (oh yeah, don't forget to hit the Madville Times Tip Jar!) and start making big donations to the Madison Central School District? Will the public find the conditions I attach to my money acceptable? (Believe me, there will be conditions.) Will the Madison school board have the political will to reject my conditions and my money in the permanent new norm of Daugaard austerity?
I am pleased (as should be the Brookings School District) that the Brookings plutocracy rules so benevolently. And I by no means wish to deter said plutocracy from bestowing further benevolence in the future. (Plutocrats, if you have any questions, just call! We can talk this over!)
However, for the sake of democracy, I wish we could rely on our Legislature to place the same value on our schools, our teachers, and our students.
I saw yankton is having a bake sale to restore funding cuts to middle school sports program. No one is lining up to fund latest off speech teachers.
Next we will being having our kids selling raffle tickets and candy bars to fund education.
At least the donor did not allow them to spend it as they seen fit or they may have put it on sports programs or " a new gym"
The legislature doesn't provide the money for schools. The legislature has no money of its own. The legislature can appropriate taxpayer’s money for schools.
The legislature can take money from another program (such as road repair, elderly care, prison) or trust funds or reserve funds or take the money from the taxpayers in the form of new taxes. Which do you recommend we do?
When times are tough Al we are all forced to dig into our reserves (savings, 401k, bonds, etc). I believe the state should do the same. I think our entire prison system can be revised (look at our incarceration rates and costs versus North Dakota) I believe that it was doubly insulting for the Governor of our State to sign a budget that cut school funding and then say we could easily find the funds to keep Mt. Rushmore open should the Federal Govt shut down.
I think there were options that were not explored with true openness and willingness.
Shane
Sen. Novstrup, I recommend raising taxes. You held that option out as the remedy for districts that said they couldn't make it on the budget you doled out. You had a sales tax proposal that might have filled the gap and invested more money in education. Yet you chose budget cuts that cuase three times the job losses and hamstring our schools permanently.
How is the donor's conditions any different than what the feds do when they give money to the states?
He who has the gold makes the rules.
Michael, the difference is when the feds give money you get a chance to vote on a representative and two senators to vote on your behalf. You don't have the same rights with a private donor unless you are the private donor.
Voters in school districts across the state have proven they are willing to spend additional tax dollars to support children time after time for opt outs. K-12 Education is perceived as an important asset in most of our districts. That's why a dedicated half-cent sales tax for K-12 would likely pass, but the key is "dedicated" solely to K-12 learning. Even Charlie Johnson's BEEF gross income receipts tax plan could have traction as long as there is an equal reduction in other taxes such as property tax relief or grocery sales tax relief.
Al Novstrup is wrong when he says the legislature has no money. The State (authorized by our legislators) has socked away hundreds of millions of dollars in a variety of accounts for "rainy day" needs. They are hoarding our tax money and why we're not demanding that they either use a portion or return it to the taxpayers is beyond me. Legislatively, there should be a limit on reserves just like they constantly try to impose on school districts.
RGoeman, please read more slowly. I said, "The legislature has no money of its own." The money belongs to the taxpayers.
Which account do you suggest we raid?
Public School funding solution:
Since the amount of public school funding is claimed to be less than the cost, then send that funding with students who attend non-public schooling. Eventually the number of students in public schools will drop to a point where the public school budgets are balanced. That will occur because the costs will drop by more then the loss revenues, assuming the public schools are truly underfunded now.