As in most districts, a large chunk of our winter and spring have been spent on budget discussions and dilemmas. While school financing is different in most states, I am sure the general theme runs true throughout the nation. To me, it isn't always about needing more funding. It is about equitable funding and the paradoxes posed by such a notion.
Our district has struggled and had to make very difficult decisions about our budget. We had to cut programs and teaching staff, double activities fees, and analyze dramatic shifts in our transportation. None of these have been popular options. In addition to the cuts, we aren't making some of the additions that are needed to help us become more competitive. We are one of less than 10% of school districts in Minnesota that doesn't receive any additional funds from our local taxpayers beyond what the State provides. We will be running an (as it is called in Minnesota) an operating levy again sometime this year and I am confident it will pass this time and provide us some relief.
Most school leaders have read Jonathan Kozol's classic book, Savage Inequalities, about the inequities in public education funding. He highlighted schools just miles apart that had very different climates and very different levels of funding on a per-student basis. While his examples were drastic in nature, many of our schools face this same issue. Equitable funding becomes a more critical issue in the age of NCLB, school report cards, and AYP lists splashed as headlines in major newspapers. Most schools feel the "pinch." However, when some schools decide to reduce their strings program or their fourth levels of their five foreign language options and others enlarge class size at the elementary level and wipe out entire elective programs, there is a serious inequity.
Why is a student in one city "worth more" than a student in another? I realize there are schools, especially urban settings, where spending more money has not equated to higher student achievement. However, some schools face challenges that are not equal to the challenges that others face. In my opinion, equity isn't about equal funding, it is about morally just funding. As one of my administrative colleagues says: "there is nothing more unequal than treating unequals equally."
On the flip side, I don't fault the good folks who vote to give the local school district additional dollars. Good for them! I believe we need to consider the needs of all, not just the fortunate students whose district residents decide to provide additional operating dollars.
Comments