Brad Landis, the President of the Palmerton Area teachers union, explained the district’s financial situation to the members of the Palmerton Area Democratic Club tonight. Landis noted that the district is facing a $1.2 million shortfall in a $26 million annual budget.
The teachers have offered a pay freeze for the next school year, which would save the district $300,000, or one-fourth the amount in question, but so far the school board has not taken them up on that offer. The board went through the budget line-by-line in a five hour meeting, and after that effort came up with a puny $50,000 in cuts.
Most of what the district spends is mandated by the state. For example, while the average student costs the district between $6000 and $7000 a year, special ed students cost up to $22,000 a year. That is a cost that must be paid by state law.
Landis listed some programs that are not mandated and could be cut. Bus rides for students could be cut. The district could keep one school nurse for all the schools in the district. Art and music could end. Kindergarten could be axed. Sports could be eliminated. Dual enrollment, whereby high school students can earn up to a semester’s worth of college credits, could be stopped. While such cuts are possible, all of those expenses seem reasonable and even necessary.
The problem, of course, goes back to the budget proposed by Governor Corbett. In a speech yesterday he blamed the teachers’ unions for causing the problem. His answer is to dump money into vouchers and starve the public school sector. He won’t hear of a severance tax on natural gas extraction. He is making the problems of local school districts far worse, and he actually seems proud of it. This is what passes for leadership in Pennsylvania.
Incidentally, Corbett is proposing increases in prison spending. Given the cuts in education, I’m sure that increase will be necessary.
Note: The Palmerton Area school board is meeting on Thursday, May 12, at 6 p.m. at the High School auditorium for further discussions on the budget.
I strongly oppose the voucher proposal. This will only make the local school tax situation worse.
ReplyDeleteThe private schools cost a lot more than the possible $8,000 a year. My sister sends her Granddaughter to a private school and it costs quite a lot more. How in the world will poorer families be able to afford a voucher system.
Seems as if Corbet is only looking out for the rich and not the poorer people.