The fact that voters defeated a $3.6 million loan to Regional School Unit 19 on Nov. 6 should send a resounding message to the Newport-area school district: Fiscal irresponsibility will not be tolerated. The voters have spoken.
Because of mistakes in previous budgets, the district is short $3.6 million this year. Residents were asked to approve a loan to get through the school year. Dixmont, Etna, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth and St. Albans voted against the loan. Corinna approved it.
The superintendent has cut the 2012 budget in two increments: $830,000 before the emergency loan vote and $750,000 after it. The $1.6 million in cuts to education are a drastic and unprecedented emergency response toward solving the budget crisis in RSU 19.
I voted against the loan because I do not believe that spending more money on education will have a positive effect on test scores. It does not make sense to finance a long-term debt to further promote educational failure.
It is time for RSU 19 to examine the quality of information being taught and the resulting underperforming test scores at Nokomis Regional High School. It is not acceptable for Nokomis to be ranked one of the lowest-achieving schools in Maine.
Elimination of some extracurricular and co-curricular activities at the schools might create a greater focus on classroom subjects required of students on standardized achievement tests. Can public schools be realistically expected to provide for every possible want, service and notion beyond classroom learning?
Eliminating sports, cheerleading, music and activity busing is unfortunate for the students. However, the cuts do not touch the core academic curriculum. Nokomis activities are partly supported by sports boosters and music boosters organizations
It is unfair that students are impacted by financial problems caused by the administrators and school board. The lesson to students is the impossibility of living beyond the financial means of supporting an unsustainable lifestyle. Everyone does not get everything they want, every time, all the time. Teach the truth. Life is not fair.
In comparison, is it fair for the school department to invite a taxpayer to shoulder increasing property taxes consecutively for 10 years?
The helter-skelter approach to school finances took years to perfect. Who would have imagined a former school superintendent borrowing budgeted finances from a new fiscal year to pay expenses incurred during the previous fiscal year?
RSU 19 needs community involvement in the schools. I have attended school board meetings and witnessed board members being practically spoon-fed information by the superintendent. Following little, or no discussion, the board impassively and unanimously votes to support the superintendent.
As for community involvement, it is ridiculous for RSU 19 towns to go year after year looking for for someone to run for school board. Corinna, for example, had a school board opening at the March town meeting because no one was interested in running for election. The board of selectmen later appointed a school board member.
Where are the actively involved parents in RSU 19? It is now up to parents to demonstrate a sincere and profound public interest in the education of the children. Run for school board election. The school board must become active in its own right, rather than depending on the superintendent to make every single move.
We’ve seen how that works.
Everett E. Simpson, of Corinna, is a former member of the Corinna Planning Board and the Corinna Comprehensive Planning Committee.
Wow!! Couldn’t have said it any better myself.
Ditto – very well stated and on the mark.
Well said….
How is the Baldacci RSU’s treating you folks.
Finally! A real voice of reason! Here’s some striking data to go along with your point…
First, there’s a prevailing attitude that the voters in RSU 19 are being stingy and hurting the district’s children in order to save a $100 a year, per property taxpayer. And, that RSU 19 is vastly underfunded and one of lowest spending districts per pupil in the State. All of this is TOTALLY FALSE.
Have a look at this compare and contrast to another School District in Maine, a Public, Open Enrollment School district that is comparable in budget and number of students, but in no way, shape, or fashion comparable in results.
Falmouth FY 2011 Budget $24,605,875 Students: 2131
RSU 19 FY 2011 Budget $22,7xx,xxx Students: 2265
134 more students in RSU 19 and $1.9 million less in budget dollars, but that’s still over $10,000 per student and slightly above the State average. No idea where RSU 19 gets their $7600 per student figure they put in their Fiscal Crisis Handbook.
Falmouth: Ranked 3rd in the State on the whole and just out of the top 1/3rd of the Nation’s best 1,000 High Schools.
Falmouth ranked #2 out of 100 State wide for High school.
Nokomis ranked #93 out of 100 State wide for High School.
Sebasticook Valley Middle School: Ranked #95 out of 100.
Falmouth Middle School: Ranked #2 out of 100.
2012 # of Administrators RSU 19: 14
2012 # of Administrators Falmouth: 10
Sources: https://www.medms.maine.gov/medms_public/ReportPortal/Portal.aspx?CurrentLocation=
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/ME/districtrank.aspx
So, we’re to believe that RSU 19 requires 4 more Administrative positions for a mere 134 additional students? We’re to believe that the difference between the top of the heap and the bottom of the barrel is a mere $1.9 Million dollars?
Now, I understand that the children being raised in Falmouth have families with far greater resources than those in RSU 19. I get that. But, the budgets are the budgets and the results are the results.
So, property owners in RSU 19. Take heart knowing that you aren’t stingy and that it’s not your fault that this districts children are getting so little in the way of education for your money.
One last little thing I found very interesting in a document, buried in RSU 19’s website. A hand book for dealing with budget time…
MARKETING YOUR DISTRICT’S BUDGET
Be patient with your publics. Remember, while they may not fully understand a school district’s budget, they always understand an increase in their taxes.
The district’s marketing program should also focus on civic groups, community groups, the community “power brokers,” news media, taxpayers’ organizations, and school improvement councils.
AVOID THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL JARGON WHEN MAKING YOUR CASE.
Right, because we’re all a bunch of idiots.
Check out: http://www.maine.gov/education/data/ppcosts/index.html
That is their source.
And according to that, which I believe over your numbers seemingly pulled out of thin air, Falmouth’s cost per pupil is $10,206.26
Hardly an apples to apples comparison.
You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find budget data, especially for RSU 19, because none of it is posted on their pathetic website. I see, the per pupil cost excludes transportation costs, and debt services etc. I didn’t know that.
But, that still is 2010-11 so isn’t current. And I simply divided the budgets by students. Where, it certainly is apples to apples.
But, the guide says not to use educational or financial jargon when selling these budgets, so it’s no wonder there’s no transparency.
Did you know that RSU19 has 8 Principals for their 8 schools? Why? Get rid of half of them, their salaries and benefits. And you probably save over $400,000
It is unfair that students are impacted by financial problems caused by
the administrators and school board. The lesson to students is the
impossibility of living beyond the financial means of supporting an
unsustainable lifestyle. Everyone does not get everything they want,
every time, all the time. Teach the truth. Life is not fair. The facts many were never taught or have forgotten.
Comparing Newport to Falmouth? Wow! That’s rocket science. Talk about a false equivalence. You’d get an “F” on that paper. It’s apple and oranges. The median income for a family in Falmouth is $87,000. Even the retirees in Falmouth are wealthy. Compared to Newport’s median family income of $27,000. RSU 19 kids don’t have the same advantages that Falmouth kids have – college educated parents who support education and have high aspirations for their sons and daughters. These kids are our future – we should investing in them and their educations – and a well rounded program of academics, arts and athletics. But save the comparisons to wealthy communities that are already giving their kids every advantage. That’s ridiculous.
Not approving this loan was a huge mistake that will hopefully be corrected.
It is interesting to see that the term “investing” in education is code for handing public money to unions!
How clever!