Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has an article that does a pretty good job explaining some of the challenges ahead for school funding this year. The short version is that resources are scarce. There is a good chance that funding will be flat which is effectively a cut since, among other things, there are more students to be educated every year. In addition, the elimination of property taxes as a source of revenue for operating costs will limit options. Sales taxes, which were increased last session, are less dependable and more sensitive to market conditions.
Abdul says
Doug,
I guess consolidation isn’t looking so bad anymore.
Abdul
Lori says
There may be some savings in consolidation for very small schools/districts but not enough to solve this problem. And just wait until we really start hearing state revenue results on the sales tax in this recession or downturn or whatever the heck the economists are calling it this week.
My greatest concern when the legislature moved school funding from local property taxes was that the state did not have enough of a rainy day reserve to keep schools open if there was a serious economic downtown turn. Sen. Lubbers, Mitch Daniels and others assured those of us who asked that the reserve was sufficient. I guess we’ll get to see.