Metro area school budget cuts. (Denver, Aurora: flat fee, health insurance, credit)

[outside1]

With all of the recent news of Ritter's cuts to education state wide despite Amendment 23.

Adams 12 5 star - Possible 188 positions to be cut with a shortfall of 24 million.

Douglas County - 37 million in cuts over the next two years. Increased class sizes, reduced bus routes, reduction in the number of credits required for graduation and considering a 4 day school week. A failed bond issue to increase funding to boot. LA Unified anyone? A bit of irony when you consider where seemingly most of the people in that district moved from.

Jefferson County - School closings 12-25 million dollar budget shortfall.

Cherry Creek - Now estimated to be 17 million in the red, up from 13 earlier. No budget decisions until May.

Aurora Public Schools - Considering a 4 day week. Unknown dollar amount of cuts required.

Denver Public Schools - Down around 20 million in expected funding. No decisions laid out yet.

[Moonwalkr]

Colorado already is one of the lowest per-pupil education spending states. People complain about the mill levys but property tax here is so low compared to some places I know out east and northeast. I also think we as parents should have to pay extra to use the public school system. Our tax dollars just aren't going as far, so at the very least, have a flat fee per child in school will help alleviate this crunch. I don't want people who decide not to have kids to have to be forced to pay for the public school system the same as people with 5 kids.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Moonwalkr

Colorado already is one of the lowest per-pupil education spending states. People complain about the mill levys but property tax here is so low compared to some places I know out east and northeast. I also think we as parents should have to pay extra to use the public school system. Our tax dollars just aren't going as far, so at the very least, have a flat fee per child in school will help alleviate this crunch. I don't want people who decide not to have kids to have to be forced to pay for the public school system the same as people with 5 kids.

An educated population is the backbone of a democracy. Personal choices are personal choices. I am paying taxes for a lot of things I'll never use, either.

[mczabe]

The Douglas County bond came up for a vote right after the financial/banking crisis of Fall 2008. The timing couldn't have been worse. I don't *think* the DC residents will let this happen again, but it's going to hurt for now!

[HighlandsGal]

My high school in DPS had to let go of 12 full-time people in just our school alone.

My Sister-in-law is a school social worker in Douglas County. They are letting go of a ton of specialists, probationary teachers, and are in a pay freeze for the next two years.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by Katiana

An educated population is the backbone of a democracy. Personal choices are personal choices. I am paying taxes for a lot of things I'll never use, either.

Exactly...I don't drive on every road either....Besides that....who are you kidding that you'll "never use" this...when we're all older, who do you think our doctors are going to be, who will be running the country? Those people (who are kids now) will be making decisions that will affect our lives. I personally prefer they be educated.

[Moonwalkr]

Originally Posted by Katiana

An educated population is the backbone of a democracy. Personal choices are personal choices. I am paying taxes for a lot of things I'll never use, either.

Very nice to take things out of context, I hope an educated population does more than focus on one or two sentences and draws an entire conclusion out of it. Never once did I say eliminate taxes for people without kids; as I said, everyone is already paying these taxes, which are essential. However, personal responsibility involves paying use-tax as well, like toll roads. If you have children in the public school system, I think you should pay an additional fee to help offset costs in school. I'm all for this additional payment, and yes, I have kids in the public school system.

[mczabe]

I suppose the dilemma with a use-tax connected with public schooling is what to do if someone cannot afford to pay the tax. For toll roads, there are alternate routes. With public education, the alternatives are trickier to provide.

That being said, we have every expectation of paying at least our child's portion of the budget shortfall for the coming school year. But I get quite squirmy at the idea of such a payment being mandated.

[Moonwalkr]

Originally Posted by mczabe

I suppose the dilemma with a use-tax connected with public schooling is what to do if someone cannot afford to pay the tax. For toll roads, there are alternate routes. With public education, the alternatives are trickier to provide.

That being said, we have every expectation of paying at least our child's portion of the budget shortfall for the coming school year. But I get quite squirmy at the idea of such a payment being mandated.

Yes it's a dilemma. This also relates to the very current example of health care. Do we mandate that everyone pay a fee? If not, will only the well-off end up having health insurance as slowly the middle class squirm at the soaring premiums?

Same thing with schools. If a wealthier district or school agrees to collect an 'instructional fee', will this mean poorer schools/districts end up lagging behind because they can't collect this fee to purchase supplies or hire an additional teacher to alleviate class sizes?

As I mentioned in my first post, CO spends very little per pupil compared to other states. My kids spend and will spend a good deal of their life in school, I don't mind forgoing a dinner or two out per semester to help the school running at its best.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by mczabe

I suppose the dilemma with a use-tax connected with public schooling is what to do if someone cannot afford to pay the tax. For toll roads, there are alternate routes. With public education, the alternatives are trickier to provide.

That being said, we have every expectation of paying at least our child's portion of the budget shortfall for the coming school year. But I get quite squirmy at the idea of such a payment being mandated.

Not to mention, if schools continually make up for budget shortfalls by requiring families with school aged kids to make up the difference, how long before people without school aged kids (or kids at all) figure they have no need to support the mill levies as they come up....they will vote them down just figuring it's the parent's responsibility to cover the shortfall. That's a slippery slope to be starting down.