Once again we are being asked to approve a property tax increase in order to sustain ISD 166 for the near future. This is a repeat of the situation that occurred in 2010. Einstein observed that insanity was doing the same thing twice and expecting different results.
Passage of the current proposal again will be a stopgap measure. Student enrollment has been declining for over a decade, and now stands at 65 percent of what it was in the 2000-2001 school year. There is nothing on the horizon that will change its trajectory.
In spite of that, the school district’s 10-year facility plan envisions a $2,000,000 renovation of the cafeteria and common area, a $2,000,000 renovation of the football field, and a $3,500,000 remodel of the science room.
In addition, the district intends to pursue “increasing early childhood and preschool programming and more.”
In a few more years, we will be asked, once again, to bail out the school system. At the rate things are going, soon we will be taxed an infinite amount of money to educate no one.
It is time for the district to grasp reality, and do something besides depending on continued taxpayer stupidity to maintain the status quo. We are told 70 percent of existing school expenditures are attributable to personnel costs.
Maybe it’s time to take advantage of the pending departure of the superintendent and principal to make the necessary staffing changes to effect cost reduction. Maybe we need to get rid of the restaurant and rely on parents to feed their kids. Maybe we could struggle along with a more modest science room remodel. Maybe we should leave early childhood education where it belongs: with the parents.
And maybe, just maybe, we can suffer through maintaining the football field in its current condition.
Based on the September 12 article Superintendent Beth Schwarz to leave ISD 166 at end of the year, it is clear that if the levy increase passes nothing will change. We’ll go through this same song and dance again. And again….
Nevin D. Holmberg
Hovland
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