Cook County Schools is asking for voter approval of an operating levy and a facilities bond in Tuesday’s election. It has been argued by others in these pages that the school district is irresponsible in requesting an increase in funding. In fact, the district is trying to maintain academic and athletic programming and to restore funding in the face of what has been over two decades of real, measurable decline in per-pupil state funding.
According to a new paper by Jeff van Wychen of the North Star Policy Institute, “State Aid Trends for School Districts with 2016 Operating Referendum,” (northstarpolicy.org/ state-aid-trends-school-districts- 2016-operating-referendum), for Cook County Schools, the magnitude of that decline is clear: we now receive $383 less, per pupil, than we did in 2003, in real, inflation-adjusted dollars. In that same time period, we have been asked to add services in the area of all-day kindergarten and special education.
The district is saddled with a financial double-whammy. We have seen dramatic actual dollar decline in state funding as a result of our having fewer pupils, while many costs do not decline in parallel to enrollment decline. Compounding that is the inflation-adjusted loss of $383 per pupil outlined by Wychen.
The district has asked voters to take on a local solution to this decline in real dollar adjusted funding. I urge you to read Wychen’s paper for yourself. Your school board is making a reasonable and responsible request.
Terry Collins
Grand Marais
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