And herein lies a main problem with schools: few people get the funding
mechanisms. Few people understand that the school boards of independent
districts possess the power to levy property taxes without direct voter
approval up to a certain percentage of property values. Excess levies come
by way of school board referenda presented to voters when the districts feel
they need or want more than the regular levy plus the state's aid fail to
meet those needs or wants.
This is a nation and school funding system that links its education of
children to the fluctuating values of its residential and commercial
properties instead of on a more equitable and reasonable tax structure -
like the income tax, paid only to the state at this time.
Aside from the fact that the entire idea of independent school districts was
a disaster to begin with - we should never have divided our education system
from all the other aspects of human existence in the policy arena - the
funding of schools has too often boiled down to the distorted view that
education is controlled by a union people despise instead of adequately and
fairly paying teachers to prepare our children to assume the leadership of
tomorrow, to become productive and knowledgeable citizens of their community
and of the world.
The debate, then, is misplaced. It should be over one thing: how do we
provide the finest education system that realizes the next generation's
survival and ability to thrive in an increasing complex and self-centered
culture depends solely on our willingness to supply the human and financial
resources to prepare the children for it.
We should be ashamed for using our disdain for such things as unions and
science to prevent our kids from getting their due in school. They go
through but once. This is not something we can remedy later. Once through
our children either have it or they don't. And we will pay dearly later for
creating that which we deny today: Poor, uneducated and desperate chunks of
our community preying on their fellow humans and costing billions in
well-being and money to either care for them or incarcerate them.
Let us this holiday season and the (real) entry to the millennium
re-dedicate ourselves to the so necessary sense of community the rejoin
education with the rest of our human institutions. Focus on the children -
not with lavish consumerism, but with a set of community values they can
carry to their children and generations after.
Happiest of holidays to all
Andy Driscoll
--
"Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
Albert Camus
The Driscoll Group/Communications
Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development
835 Linwood Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
651-293-9039
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> From: "Carol Becker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 07:03:17 -0600
> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Mill City - School Funding
>
> The main source of funding traditionally for schools has been the property
> tax, as that is the main source of funding for most local governments.
> There has been a shift, however, for the state to take over more and more of
> the funding of K-12 education. (Ventura has a proposal to increase this for
> the 2001 legislative session). For the 1999-2000 school year:
>
> Per Pupil Spending $9,692
> State per pupil $6,695
>
> Even with this infusion of state funds, the School Board levies the largest
> property tax in the City. Percentage of property taxes paid to each levying
> jurisdiction in the City are approximately:
>
> 28% Hennepin County
> 7% Park Board
> 3% Library Board
> 25% City of Minneapolis
> 30% School Board
> 7% Other
>
> There are seven members of the School Board in Minneapolis. They are all
> elected.
>
> Carol Becker
> Longfellow
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Duke Powell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 1:29 AM
> Subject: Re: Mill City
>
>
>> Broadly speaking, schools are funded from 3 sources.
>>
>> 1. The state - Through your property taxes; by far the biggest chunk.
>> Somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-70%.
>> 2. Feds - Urban schools get significantly more federal money in large
>> part due to larger numbers of children at risk.
>> 3. Excess levy referendum - This is money that the Districts levy over
>> and above what they get from the feds and the state. Capped by law and
>> subject to voter approval. Comes from property taxes. In Burnsville our
>> levy limit is about $1000 per child.
>>
>> Now, the above sources provide monies for operating expenses. Bricks and
>> mortar and other capital projects are funded in a different way. But to
>> answer your question, city or county governments do not have anything to
>> do with funding or overseeing the schools.
>>
>> Duke Powell
>>
>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>>>
>>> I guess I'm lost. If the city does not fund schools, according to Ms.
>>> Collier, who does? I seriously want to know how it breaks down. Does
> the
>>> state or county fund public schools? If so, than why aren't urban
> schools as
>>> lavish as the suburban schools.
>>>
>>> Oh, and by the way, there is absolutely nothing admirable about a
> corporation
>>> that can't draw it's employees by offering a decent living wage, or that
> uses
>>> public tax dollars to increase it's profit margin. Especially when that
> same
>>> corporation pays its CEO an annual salary of tens of millions of
> dollars. A
>>> company that knows it has a city's leaders in its pocket to cover
> building
>>> expenses so it can use the saved dollars for publicity and tax write
> offs is
>>> anything but admirable. In fact, such a company is despicable.
>>>
>>> wade russell
>>> longfellow
>>
>
>
