I think the difference here in the amounts of projected shortfalls is that the district projected, based on the last several years, that the district would receive an additional amount of money, as it did last year; although this traditionally happens at the end of the session, so we sit on edge til it's all over and the dust settles. We have several sources that felt this would happen again this year. So the reality is a $30mill shortfall, we were actually planning based on that information, on a $15 mill shortfall. Meanwhile, we have to set our budget as per state law and that process is under way. So without sure numbers, we set out on unchartered courses for many schools who need to set their budgets so that the district can have their work complete by the time required by the state. As Mark Yudof is saying that the U hasn't fully recovered from the Arnne Carlson years of budget reductions, so too the school district, which has not, to my knowledge, ever been fully funded for special education, has not recovered either! Many folks feel the surplus is, in a large part, due to the underfunding of education under Arne Carlson's leadership. In this budget year 00-01, we are paying $27 mill in cross subsidy to cover spec. ed. costs. Underfunded mandates, which is what this is, is like saying to an employee, you have to show up to work 5 days, but we will only pay you for part of the time! Here in our district, like the private sector and the U of M, we need to pay our benefits. As everyone knows they are growing expodentially higher each year. Wish we were inmmune to all this but we are not! I am now upset that the Gov. is out on a tour to promote his budget and is talking up the XFL. Gads....isn't that trip paid by taxpayer's money, the Gov. expense account??? And the audience is students, what sort of message is he promoting? He's telling our young people to watch TV and join the armed forces to get an education. What is wrong with this picture? Excuse me for venting, but I am stunned by the budget news and the direction our Gov. is taking. We do face a 30 million shortfall and over the next biennium, it only gets worse if the budget is adopted as it stands. Fortunately, I do think that people all over are going to take at look at this and we are working on ways to mobilize people to get this message to the Gov., in this budget, the state renigs on it's constitutional requirement of public education and educational equity! I don't think legislators want that to happen either. Based on the short amount I heard of the higher ed finance comm. hearing in the House today, legislators are pretty concerned as well. Audrey Johnson, MPS BOE 10th Ward _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
