Property Taxes and School Funding Loss (Portland, Augusta: sales, how much, elementary school)

[maine4.us]

I have a question, being new to Maine property taxes. How much do you guys think they will go up due to the loss of state funding. I see that Lubec, and Eastport are in dire straits. I read where the Lubec people could get an eye opening tax bill. How do Maine schools make up state funding loss of 30-50%?

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by maine4.us

I have a question, being new to Maine property taxes. How much do you guys think they will go up due to the loss of state funding. I see that Lubec, and Eastport are in dire straits. I read where the Lubec people could get an eye opening tax bill. How do Maine schools make up state funding loss of 30-50%?

They steal it from the towns with more money!

[forest beekeeper]

If the state cuts it's level of support; then the schools 'steal' the money from the towns?

[dmyankee]

They rob the property owners. If the Towns were responsible for 100% of their funding, the citizens will wake up quickly and reorganize the school budgets.

Cut the fat out of administration, offer pay for play for extra curricular activities, everyone walks from a mile out, no more stopping at every dooryard.

I can come up with more!

[forest beekeeper]

Or simply go back to what we had from 1776 until 1935

[Mainer61]

I'm not really sure, but I think in Pembroke, 70% of our property tax bill is due to the schools. They need to get rid of administrators....assistant superintendents, asst. principals, etc. Also, the adminstrative raises should be eliminated. It's disgusting. One district in the midcoast just gave 6%-7% raises to administrators. If those people worked in business, they would be lucky to get 2%

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The solution is to throw the bums out in November. The legislature just passed another broad based tax increase. They can't help it. They are Democrats. Just across the Maple Curtain there is a state with no income tax, no sales tax and lower property taxes on similar valued properties. You would think Augusta would send a delegation over there to find out how they do it.

Meanwhile, some larger cities in Maine are getting fat increases in their state school subsidies.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Mainer61

I'm not really sure, but I think in Pembroke, 70% of our property tax bill is due to the schools. They need to get rid of administrators....assistant superintendents, asst. principals, etc.

We're working on it. If you'd like to do something you should come to the RSU meeting Thursday, May 1, Charlotte Elementary School, 6:30 pm.

Also, the adminstrative raises should be eliminated. It's disgusting. One district in the midcoast just gave 6%-7% raises to administrators. If those people worked in business, they would be lucky to get 2%

My lunch break isn't long enough to get into this part of the conversation.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

You get a lunch break?

[shadowfax1997]

Originally Posted by maine4.us

I have a question, being new to Maine property taxes. How much do you guys think they will go up due to the loss of state funding. I see that Lubec, and Eastport are in dire straits. I read where the Lubec people could get an eye opening tax bill. How do Maine schools make up state funding loss of 30-50%?

This is such a tough issue with so many nuances. My thoughts...

School budgets are primarily staff salaries. CUtting staff is the only way to really cut into a budget. Sports, programs, administrators - they are a small part of the overall budget. As a teacher of electives in a high school, it makes me shudder to think they may eliminate my program/offerings. Priotities need to be made and the tough decisions made.

Staff pay is an issue. Portland has a new teacher contract and MANY teachers took advantage and will see raises of several thousand dollars each. The school board didn't think through the proposed teacher contract very well. Deciding what to pay teachers is another whole discussion. What is a teacher worth? How much should someone with 20 years experience get? $15 per hour? I wouldn't be teaching at that pay rate. I doubt most of my fellow staff would either. I know I could make more money if I had gone a different route - my brother makes into 6 figures running a trash to energy plant, with the same degree I would have earned if not for teaching.

I like the idea of merit pay, but how does one design and implement that? By student grades - too easily inflated. By standardized tests - then the teachers who have the lower level students don't see high test scores. If the teacher pay isn't reasonable, then many people would not pursue the profession.

School expenses such as oil and electricity have gone up just like everyone elses. Technology is expensive, but valuable. What better way to learn about climate change than to have a class talk to scientists live in the arctic? Todays technology allows this to happen.

Do we go back to education similar to the 1930's? Bad idea. To compete in a global marketplace we need to be educating kids for the 21st century. This means knowing how to research and find answers, using technology, problem solving and adapting. Machine shops still use man controlled mills and lathes, but many parts are manufactured by cnc - the computer controlling the machine. Factories are more high-tech than ever. A 1930's education won't prepare them for the workforce very well. Although, I would prefer to see more emphasis placed on writing and math skills - these skills have become diminished with the use of technology.

Ultimately, either the people pay more for education or education gets cut back. My town I live in has a proposed 14% increase in school budget. I will vote no on the budget. My expenses have increased, but I haven't seen pay increases at more than inflation rate for years. I do not want to see such a large increase.