As the conversation escalates regarding the economy, taxes and school funding, it will be easy to get overwhelmed with information. The information seems to be so different depending on who is talking; it’s hard to decide who’s telling the truth. Mark Twain once said, “Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.”
Some advice to consider when muddling through the statistics: First, decide what’s important and prioritize. Second, learn more about who’s behind the information you’re receiving. There are a number of groups in the state who appear to exist to protect the common taxpayer with deceiving names and twisted figures. What’s important to know about these groups, who claim to be un-biased, is that they are backed by some of the richest companies and people in the state. Finally, ask questions, go to meetings and presentations, dig deep into the information that’s shared then develop an educated opinion.
Whatever your beliefs, communicate those thoughts to your elected officials. Schools have a limited voice in the Capitol because they can’t afford fancy commercials, propaganda-ridden Web sites or high-paid lobbyists. Schools cannot contribute to the campaigns of politicians or purchase the services of political action groups. Our biggest influence has to come from our patrons, students, and those interested in salvaging our public schools, human services, and public safety.
Schools across the state are laying off employees, reducing the number of school days and taking pay cuts in an attempt to maintain what they’ve worked so hard to build. It’s hard for an educated person to believe that schools are making those decisions while wading through huge cash surpluses. A few years ago the state did infuse additional dollars into education but only because the Supreme Court made them listen to their own research on adequate funding. Another falsehood is that school funding has been increased drastically over the past 10 years. The numbers used to make this claim include federal funding for special education and the employee’s retirement funding, both of which have recently been funneled through local school budgets in an attempt to inflate budget amounts with dollars that schools have no ability to use in the classrooms.
Consolidation makes sense only if our expectations are to have cheap schools, but not necessarily successful. Schools aren’t businesses and shouldn’t be expected to follow the same mode of operation. Businesses goals are centered around profit while schools are driven by the success of our youth. Businesses are currently struggling and laying off employees because demand for their product or service has decreased. The demand on the product schools produce continues to increase. Efficiency is important but never at the expense of student growth. The cheapest way isn’t always what’s best for our students. Our state, compared to all others in the country, has always gotten more for its money. Historically there have only been a few states that have performed better than Kansas on the measures used to evaluate schools. However, our state spends dramatically less per student than those same states. The Kansas taxpayer, who typically ranks in the middle among other states, is getting their money’s worth.
Schools are the foundation for a better life and, as Kansans, we have always believed in a better life for our children and grandchildren. Public schools don’t want expectations reduced; they want to have the resources needed to meet them. They want what their communities and parents expect and what their state and federal government legally demand.
McPherson County —
