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February 22, 2009

Schools facing turbulent times

DUNCAN — Rock a bye baby in the treetop, when the wind blows the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks…

The Oklahoma legislature held PK-12 education to a stand-still budget for this fiscal year. And as I’ve stated before, the world didn’t stand still to coincide with a stand-still budget. School districts across Oklahoma have had to absorb increased fuel costs, textbook acquisitions, a higher minimum wage, and on and on. The outlook for next year appears to be worse. The new revenue estimate certified by the state Equalization Board on Tuesday shows the budget hole is deeper than was previously expected. Because one-time monies were used to shore up fiscal year ’09, the state faces a whopping shortfall of more than $900 million for fiscal year ’10. Visualize common education as the baby in that cradle and you’ll understand why PK-12 education is worried about the “bough breaking.”

The first threatening “wind” comes as Senate Joint Resolution 5 which proposes a constitutional amendment limiting the increase on the fair cash value of real property to the lesser of 2.5% or the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. This measure would greatly impact funding to schools. Property taxes are the primary local funding source for Oklahoma schools. While lowering property taxes sounds good, in this economic climate, I must ask the question… “What funding source do you have to shore the gap for public education when this one is greatly diminished?”

There is another wind storm on the horizon… Senate Bill 882 establishes the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act, which creates an income tax credit for taxpayers who make a contribution to an eligible scholarship granting organization (private school). This is a voucher bill designed to move public funds to private schools through an income tax credit.

The third breeze blowing comes as a deregulation bill…Senate Bill 834. While I would be the first to concede that rules and regulations can be confining; I would also offer that those rules and regulations were written and passed into law for very good reasons; many to safe guard students and staff. Perhaps there needs to be a review of all the regulations that guide schools to weed out those that seem punitive or limiting rather than removing 40% of the compliance items that have been developed over the years. This seems like an extreme change without a lot of review or consideration.

In summary, when the state is already facing a $900,000,000 shortfall in certified funding, it just doesn’t seem wise to pass measures that would further limit revenue for essential services like public schools. I would encourage you to be informed and hope that you would give me a call for clarification or to offer your view on any of the issues that I’ve raised. We have to protect the baby (public schools) in that cradle from the wind.



— Sherry Labyer is the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. She can be reached at 580-255-0686, Ext. 104, or via e-mail sherry.labyer@duncanpublicschools.org.

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