Bob Geary is bashing the Wake County school board majority for not asking for more money to avoid the layoffs that are being made because of the budget crisis.
In an online column Wednesday, Geary of the liberal Independent weekly calls the school board's budget "very inadequate." The board voted to ask county commissioners for $313.5 million, the same amount as last year.
"The Republican Five — the members in the 5-4 board majority — are 'starving the beast' with a budget which, on the surface, seems reasonable given parlous times, but which is in fact far short of what's needed to keep a good system going," Geary writes.
Geary writes that "something will have to give" because the school board didn't ask for more money from commissioners at a time when state funding is being cut and growth is still taking place.
Geary warns that class sizes will get bigger in Wake.
Geary then takes the board majority to task for laying off Project Enlightenment's parent counseling session and 40 school media specialists.
"But in a high-poverty school of the sort the Republican Five seem determined to create, extra professional hands will be required to have any chance of avoiding the sorry consequences many of us — I — otherwise anticipate," Geary writes. "That's why I think the cuts the Five have made are so telling. They say they care about the kids who aren't making it. But talk is cheap — and so is their budget."
UPDATE
Jim Horn of the School Matters blog has linked to Geary's column. In a blog post Thursday, Horn called the new school board majority "19th Century pols in a 21st Century community."
"Not only have these teabaggers on the school board destroyed the most successful school integration program in the nation, but now they are going after the books," Horn writes. "All the books."
Comments
I don't remember the
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 14:09 — jenmanI don't remember the minority 4 pushing to save Project Enlightenment from any cuts. Did they push to have the BOE ask the Commissioners for more money? If not, then Geary should hold them responsible as well.
he kind of did hold them all responsible
Fri, 06/11/2010 - 22:14 — snordoneBut sadly he did not give John credit for being the only one to vote against approving the budget because of the project enlightenment cuts. I love the way the minority professes to care about all children, then pulls the rug out from under ED kids at all times. Had they voted with John to recommend revision of the budget to save that critical program I would have had more respect for their position.
As I recall, Keith Sutton
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 14:45 — CaryCurmudgeonAs I recall, Keith Sutton (Finance Committee Chairman) did ask the commisioners for more money when he presented them the budget. I believe he was acting on behalf of the whole board when he did so.
Taxpayer Money
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 11:07 — HereWeGoThey have important stuff to spend our money on like a useless Farr report and an expensive superintendent search firm.
The first school board meeting in December when Deborah Goldman stated that she wanted to get as much money to the classroom as possible I believed her but since she is willing to throw away an extra $65,000 + on an superintendent search I no longer believe her.
What could a school do with an extra $65,000 ?-You should ask your schools principal what they would do with an extra $65,000. I bet it would be something that would improve education for your child or help close the achievement gap.
superintendent search
Fri, 06/11/2010 - 22:28 — snordoneIf you had talked with any of the pro-policy 6200 people before the election you would have heard ALL of them say that our greatest problem was lack of leadership. The nonsense about supporting Del after the fact was all for political show. They clearly know that we need a dynamic new leader, they just don't like that they can't be involved in who is ultimately chosen. I agree that 65K is a lot of money, but so was the $215,000 that we spent on the curriculum management audit in 2007. That document clearly laid out what we needed to do, but sadly we have not addressed any of the main concerns - equity in resources, equity in access to rigorous courses, performing a cost-to-benefit analysis so that we can use our money wisely. It clearly said that "at the current rate of progress we will never close the academic achievement gap. "
Hopefully we will choose our new leader well, and we can get back on a path to fixing this system in reality. We need an educator who has proven success with closing the achievement gap, who understands how to use data, and who understands the importance of having an effective teacher in front of every classroom. That is worth 65K in my opinion.
When they eliminated staff
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 13:04 — doctorjWhen they eliminated staff positions, and cut project Enlightenment while agreeing to spend $750,000 to avoid tier 3 schools from getting out 15 minutes later, that pretty much told you where their priorities lay. I prefer the earlier release, but good lord that's 3/4 of a million dollars that could have been used on much more important things.
$750,000 for 15 minutes?
Tue, 06/22/2010 - 09:50 — refusingtobeunkindSorry, I'm not familiar with this. It may have been reported somewhere on this blog, but could you tell me a little more about this? (What is a tier 3 school?) Thank you!
Tier 3
Tue, 06/22/2010 - 20:01 — JSBinNC...refers to the start time of the LATEST bell schools in Wake County - they are the 9:15 - 3:45 schools (next school year). The proposal to save 750K included pushing the start and end times on these schools to accommodate the bus routes needed for the new schools opening this summer. (Actually there were two options - to start the Tier 1 schools 10 minutes sooner meaning some high schools would have started at 7:05 I believe - which was equally problematic and troublesome to having the later schools start even later than they already do.) Search Keung's posts back in say March and you'll see all the discussion I think.
In the end - the board just voted to spend the 750K on new busses and not make the tough choice on school start or end times.
In my own personal dream world - we would achieve a two tier, rather than three tier - start and end time with less busses so that all kids have a decent start and end time.
I will be dead and buried before that happens though, I am pretty sure. LOL!
Maybe they could run an ad
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 12:43 — starsonoursMaybe they could run an ad on craigslist instead of hiring a professional firm to help find the right person.
Funny you should say that....
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 12:48 — Bob_SconceI understand that their last superintendant was found by a "Take One" sign on some corkboard at NC State.
I can believe that.
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 13:08 — starsonoursI can believe that.
Ironic that in the same week
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 11:07 — CaryCurmudgeonIronic that in the same week WEP comes out with a piece saying the board needs to live with today's financial realities, then Geary comes out with one that ignores those realities.
Why not ask for what you
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 11:18 — danofncWhy not ask for what you need to be effective, and put the onus on the Commissioners?
If Project Enlightenment is important, then ask for money to fund it fully.
The schools should ask for what they need, and see if the WC Commissioners can find it for them.
They could ask for more
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 10:58 — starsonoursThey could ask for more money, but I doubt they would get it. I don't think Mr. Geary is aware of the current budget crisis at the State and County level.
current budget crisis
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 11:09 — HereWeGoThe way the new school board is spending money that does not imporve education I don't think they understand the current budget crisis eather.
You left out "in my Opinion"
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 12:42 — starsonoursYou left out "in my Opinion"