schooldays

Our state education board recently recommended that a small school district be annexed into a neighboring one in order to prevent potential financial problems. This has happened before here, and happens all around the United States as financial problems continue to plague districts.

This leaves parents and communities frustrated, and with good reason. The more this happens, the more local control of  schools is lost, and the community feel goes with it. Unfortunately, it is probably difficult for states to justify additional expense of keeping small school districts open.

Which begs the question: are the districts getting their fair share of money? 

Property taxes are typically used to help fund education, but so is state money; based upon per pupil enrollment. In a district where I formally taught, this per-pupil money came in on the basis of one day of attendance which was supposed to represent the official count.

No one likes to see taxes raised, I certainly don’t. I also hate to see schools and districts made to close and/or consolidate. There aren’t easy solutions for these problems, but hopefully state boards and districts can work together to find creative solutions.

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