Making the hard choices – Opinion

The Fremont County School Board has had a lot to deal with of late and none of it pleasant.

They were informed by the State several months ago, that the current financial crisis was going to impact the school district’s budget with a loss of about 1.4 million dollars per year.  So they, the school board, held public meetings and asked for community input.  Many people say the school board didn’t really listen to them or their ideas.

The school board then decided to close Lincoln Elementary School and merge the students into Central Elementary School and made some other minor cuts from various programs in a first attempt to save money.  They’ve also decided to ask the teachers to take a pay cut in their negotiations for the next school year contract (a sacrifice which the teachers shouldn’t have to make.)  These cuts and proposed salary decreases will not be enough to offset the budget loss.

So the school board has decided to go back to the citizens and ask them for an $800,000. operational levy, so that they can continue the status quo – with the approved cuts and proposed teacher salary cuts.   Some people say it’s akin to getting welfare because the school board doesn’t want to make the REALLY difficult choices – they just want to ask for more money because it’s easier.

So let’s look at the FACTS:

FACT: There isn’t enough money to run the school system.
FACT: Nobody wants to make cuts in our children’s education.
FACT: Nobody wants to see school staff fired or quit because of loss of income.
FACT: Cuts will have to made.

So where should the cuts be made?  That’s the bone of contention. Some people support the School Board’s cuts and decision to ask the taxpayers for more money (i.e. The Operational Levy), some people want some or all non-educational items cut from the budget (i.e. Sports, Music, etc…) and some want no cuts, no matter what (e.g. the delusional people who think that money grows on trees.)

If the community passes the bond, then taxes will be raised enough to pay for things as they are now, proposed cuts standing.  People will go on with their lives until the next crisis hits and more money is again required to fix a budgetary problem.  Then tempers will flare, statements will be made that hurt feelings and friendships will be strained – just like it is now!

But what if the community doesn’t pass the bond, which is highly likely in this time of economic crisis? Then tempers will flare, statements will be made that hurt feelings and friendships will be strained – just like it is now!  Then the school board will have to make cuts – and they will be hard choices, which will make the school board even more unpopular.  There will be no choice because State Law requires a balanced budget – which is a good thing.

Why cut non-educational items?

Many people will say that we must cut some or all of these elective items like sports, music, yearbook and others because we can’t afford them at present, and by getting rid of some or all of them, we’ll balance the budget and not need an operational levy.  They will also say that the purpose of school is to teach the basics.  The three R’s, Reading, (w)Rriting and (a)Rithmetic.   Some people in this group say that we can always add these items back in, when times are good.  But that isn’t necessarily true, because the teachers who teach those subjects will no longer be here.  Some say we should never bring those subjects back as they are not the reason for a free and public education as outlined in the Idaho State Constitution.

Why not just pass the operation levy and move on?

Many people – especially those who work in the School District – whose livelihood depends on the levy being passed, as well as some well-meaning parents, who don’t want to see cuts of programs that their children are enrolled in, are in favor of the levy.  As is the School Board, because it’s the easy way out – for now!   They will say that it’s only going to amount to a few more dollars per household or property.  This is true, but it’s always “only a few more dollars” every time a levy of any kind is proposed.  There are many people who can’t afford “a few more dollars” such as farmers, the elderly and those on a fixed income, and many more who tired of always being asked to pay “a few more dollars.”

Why should we have to pass a levy and pay more?

There are also many people in the area who are very critical of the School Board for making what they deem to be very bad decisions.  Here are some of the things I’ve heard:

• The District should have one high school for all of Fremont County, in a central location.
• The decision to merge two elementary schools and close another is a way to get around the voters of Fremont County by taking advantage of a financial crisis.
• The District encouraged overspending and that caused the problem.
• Some few people claim the District Administration and School Board are corrupt.
• District employees fear reprisal for speaking out.

These and many other assertions are  reasons that they are angry and say that we shouldn’t have a levy at all!  Whether or not these reasons are valid, they are still strongly held by many people in our area.

So what’s to be done?

Whether the levy passes or not, tempers will flare, statements will be made that hurt feelings and friendships will be strained – just like it is now!❑