The message coming from Paul Coble, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, is that the school board can expect to get the same amount again but don't ask for more.
As noted in today's article by Jay Price, Coble said Monday that it's likely the school board will still get the $313.5 million it has gotten from the county for the past two years. He said talk at last week's retreat of trimming the allocation was just part of the kind of free-wheeling discussion and brainstorming that goes on at such events.
Coble said he had heard talk that the school board might ask for a larger allocation, even it that meant raising the county tax rate. That's an idea that's gotten more traction from the Democrats on the school board.
“The county is committed to not raising taxes on its citizens in the middle of the worst recession we’ve had in a very long time,” Coble said. “We’re probably not going to be sympathetic to a school board that comes to us and asks us to raise taxes in very difficult times.”
With Wake projected to grow by 4,000 more students this fall, no increase in county funding means the per-pupil student expenditure will continue to drop.
Comments
More bias, Mr. Hui
Wed, 02/09/2011 - 03:17 — integrityplease"That's an idea that's gotten more traction from the Democrats on the school board."
Hmm..
Wed, 02/09/2011 - 11:40 — Bob_SconceYou incorrectly assume that Keung's observations stem only from somebody else's article in today's paper. Yet, as he points out below, he's drawing from his much larger understanding of the board.
Have some integrity, please, and admit that you made a bad assumption and jumped to conclusions.
You're claiming bias because
Wed, 02/09/2011 - 10:40 — KeungHui (author)You're claiming bias because because you disagree with something that's written. You're acting just like the people who support the school board majority who think I'm biased because they don't like something that's in a story.
So does this mean I'm simultaneously biased against the Republican school board members, the Democratic school board members, the diversity policy and people who support neighborhood schools?
On your specific point, you're the one making selective omissions here. Have you sat in on nearly every school board meeting and talked to and listened to the board members? All the board members agree that they'd like to get more funding from the county. but the one's who have been more outspoken about asking for more money based on what's needed have been Kevin Hill, Anne McLaurin, Carolyn Morrison and Keith Sutton.
avoid bias
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 00:37 — SatchHHSo why not just say that "All the board members agree that they'd like to get more funding from the county"...and add the rest if you like? It seems unneeded to bring up the Democrat/Republican divide yet again. Mr. Hui, I understand that you need to stir up emotions in your blog to keep people interested, but you absolutely do not walk in the middle in your reporting on your blogs.
What you're calling bias is
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 11:26 — KeungHui (author)What you're calling bias is simply stating a fact. At the various discussions on the school budget, it's been the Democratic school board members who've been vocal about how not pushing for additional funding from the county would create problems. Kevin Hill has used the term "academic genocide." It's the Republican school board members who are talking about the downsides of asking for more money now.
I Don't Think...
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 08:36 — chaboard...that ""All the board members agree that they'd like to get more funding from the county" is true in any meaningful sense. Tedesco, for one, has stated publicly that he does not think the Board should ask for more money and could not support even asking for more.
way to save?
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 12:03 — AngelaWFrom The Salt Lake Tribune: Six elementary schools in the Salt Lake City School District are doing away with their year-round calendars. Bennion, Franklin, Meadowlark, Parkview, Rose Park and Whittier will switch to a traditional school year. The change means all elementary and secondary schools will have a common calendar, sharing start and end dates and breaks. As a result, the district estimates it will save $128,000 a year in busing costs, consolidated teacher training and other expenses.
SLCS district's "year-round"
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 16:08 — Tony_LucasSLCS district's "year-round" schools are not comparable to WCPSS year-round schools. Their schools are more like a modified calendar school here with extended breaks at the end of the quarters. The year runs from Aug 4-June 8 and appears to be one track, while their traditional schools go from Aug 25-June 8.
I do believe that WCPSS needs a facilities utilization audit, if one hasn't been done already, to determine potential cost savings whether it be converting to or from year-round or other school types.
school board
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 11:41 — turnerk1It is the school board's job to ask for what they need to educate our children. Those on the board who have worried about raising taxes and thus don't want to ask for more, should remember that they are not in charge of how to get the money they need. They should ask for an amount that does not cut per student funding any more. Let the county commissioners justify their funding priorities and decisions to the voters. I'm interested in seeing school board members fighting for their primary responsibility.
Yup...
Wed, 02/09/2011 - 00:33 — Bob_SconceThe commissioners should be the ones to feel the heat on this. They have the taxing authority. If they're not going to properly fund the schools, it should be because they *decide* education's not worth it, not because the school district didn't ask for what it needed.
I agree with you. The
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 12:06 — jenmanI agree with you. The BOE's responsibility is to ask for the funds they need and they should ask for at least what is needed to maintain the same spending per student.
Same here. We should be
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 12:57 — CaryCurmudgeonSame here. We should be asking for at least the same per-pupil funding, anything less is just giving the commissioners political cover.
I don't think your team
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 20:16 — user12345I don't think your team understands that getting the same amount with more kids is a take away.
more money is needed
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 00:44 — SatchHHActually, keeping the per-pupil expenditures the same is a losing proposition because Wake has been squeezed for years. Also, recent decisions to create more high poverty schools through student assignments will mean more money should be spent to keep student achievement up, teachers in the classrooms, admin staff in place, etc. For years Charlotte has been spending tons more money to try to help their high poverty schools - where is this increased budget line in the WCPSS budget? To make the student assignment changes the Board made last week without significant increases in funding to the affected schools (increased poverty) is hugely irresponsible. Suppose this is yet another example of their Fire, Aim, Shoot (let's kill the public schools) strategy.
I think Republicans strategy
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 13:53 — user12345I think Republicans strategy has been to keep the total budget low / flat while the county grew which puts more stress on the system. By concentrating the public on the total budget and not the cost per student, they have been able to drive WCPSS to one of the lowest cost per student funding in the state and nation.
Coble gets it half right. It
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 07:56 — woodstockCoble gets it half right. It is indeed NOT a time to raise taxes (at the rate we now pay I am not sure if there will ever be another right time), but is way past time to demonstrate education is a top priority in terms of the proportion of tax dollars spent.
Education is an investment in the future of individuals as well as the quality-of-life and well-being of the county. An educated populace benefits all. It help lower crime, increases employment-- and therefore tax revenues -- and reduces the need for social services and welfare which save additional dollars. Now is the time for our County Commissioners to step up and prove that education is indeed a top priority.