Geri Jensen’s recent letter to the editor suggested our taxes be increased to help schools educate all students. She emphasized the values of educating the students who do not choose college, but do the very necessary building, repairing and up-keep of our ever more technological society.
I agree with the importance of “all” training, but I disagree with a part of her solution; that of raising all of society’s taxes.
Raising taxes is always a very time consuming process, not to mention challenging in the current economic situation. The following paragraph speaks to the need for school funding and is taken from MN Association of
School Business Officials, Position Paper, Balancing the
State’s Budget, 2009-2011.
The percentage of the State’s budget spent for K-12
Education, while significant, has decreased in recent years.
Only a few years ago, K-12 Education represented 45% of
the State budget. For the current biennium it is 40% of the
budget, and is forecast to shrink to 38% of the budget in
the next biennium, even though enrollment is projected to
increase. At the same time, there are other areas of the state
budget growing at a faster rate than K-12.
Ms. Jensen’s idea that retired residents might have the “extra” money, and the willingness to use it now
for the dollar-stressed school, might work.
As one of those, “I Got O Plenty,” retirees, I am personally having my Visa account send $100/month, for the next one to three years, to the Cook County School District. The money will be shared, according to enrollment, by I.S.D. 166 and charter schools, Birch Grove, Oshki Ogimaag, and Great Expectations.
This short-termed (1-3 years) tax-deductible action
is needed now.
We can’t wait! The current political system is forcing good schools to cut valuable and highly respected teachers, paraprofessionals, and who knows what else.
Donations from those who have, to those who need, in no way lessens the necessity for an operating referendum that is necessary in order to secure what we already have in Cook County Schools.
If education is really important to our children, our society and our future, we who have, must now give that little extra that could make a big difference.
Lyle D. Gerard
Lutsen
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