Sen. Dana Dow, chair of the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, recently penned an OpEd that highlighted a disconnect between some elected officials and the realities facing Maine school children, school districts, communities and property taxpayers.
While Dow’s concern for the inequities between school districts is admirable, his “solutions” are not. “Under the current system,” Dow states, “teacher salaries are primarily paid for by local property taxes.” Yes. So are the majority of educational costs. Maine people tried to fix that in 2004, and again last November. Pushing for the state to meet its obligation to fund K-12 public education at 55 percent would offer noticeable relief to property taxpayers and immediate help for our schools.
Instead, Dow expresses support for LD 864, to require a statewide teacher contact. According to him, “If this bill were to become law,” the cost of teacher salaries “would be shifted to the state. But … local communities would still have the option of paying their teachers more than the state-negotiated rate.”
First, suggestions from legislators that we mandate the state pay for more of the costs of education are, at this point, laughable. Since Maine voters told the state to fund 55 percent, it has covered progressively less each year. In fact, the governor’s proposed budget only reaches 46.77 percent, representing a further abdication of responsibility and deeper cuts to schools, including the likely loss of teachers and other support staff. Despite this, Dow and his colleagues suggest adding another law requiring that the state funds more of education.
Second, the plan outlined by Dow will exacerbate the problem of the “haves versus the have-nots.” Let’s assume the state would negotiate a fair teacher contract, a dubious assumption at best, and that districts still could opt to pay teachers in excess of the state minimum. That is exactly what would happen, meaning the districts with less ability to offer additional teacher compensation would lose more teachers and more educational ground.
Inequities in school funding, including teacher salaries, do not originate with the existing education funding formula, which is very fair. But don’t take my word for it.
In 2012, the Legislature paid $450,000 to Lawrence O. Picus and Associates to determine the equity of Maine’s school funding model. (Dow and my legislators, Rep. Ken Fredette and Sen. Andre Cushing, were all members of the Legislature in 2012.) The Picus report states, “Maine has designed a school funding system that provides districts with an equitable distribution of resources.” The report goes on to say, “the system, as designed, met (or very nearly) met all of the strict benchmarks established” for “fiscal neutrality and equity.”
Picus found that the reason for inequities in education funding from one district to another is not the fault of the funding model, but “from wealth disparities across” school districts. In other words, exactly what Dow’s “solution” would intensify. Picus also found Maine was vastly underfunding and undervaluing education and recommended, unsurprisingly, more state funding. This, of course, was the goal last November when the majority of voters passed Question 2.
Several Legislators, including Dow, are attempting to overturn Question 2, claiming there is “ evidence” it is hurting our economy. The “evidence” is a projection from the executive branch that opposes Question 2 and for years ignored the voter imposed law to fund education at 55 percent. But a projection is not evidence of anything. If you don’t believe this, watch the weather.
The fact that policymakers didn’t like the findings of the independent, expensive Picus report does not negate them. The education funding formula is fair. What is unfair, is that policymakers repeatedly ignore the will of Mainers, push education costs onto local property taxpayers, and force cuts that harm our children and communities.
RSU 19, for instance, lost more than $1.8 million in state funding from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2018. This year, the governor proposes cutting another $715,000, which will harm our children and increase our property taxes. At 55 percent, our district would not only recover that $715,000, but another $815,000 that could be used to broaden educational experiences, update obsolete technology, maintain infrastructure, and yes, pay teachers, all while reducing property taxes.
Instead, policymakers delay, argue and propose new laws without meeting existing obligations.
Ryan Parker is member of the RSU 19 School Board. He also is a former staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He writes, lives and farms with his family in Newport. His opinions are his own.