"Of course I care about the budget vote... I've got kids in this school!"
It's time to vote on the school budget, and that means people have not only the privilege to do so, but the duty to do so. Out of roughly 400 families with students currently attending KPS last year, somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 people voted. 30. Out of 400. That's just plain awful. Elementary school families have the most to gain or lose in this process, because what happens in all of the schools either matters now or will matter as their children grow.
Falling home values and rising taxes in a school district that has a very limited commercial tax base means that homeowners shoulder the burden. Every time the school district puts forth a budget, taxes go up. Some say it's time for that to stop. True enough, but let's be sure to look at this realistically.
The current budget calls for plenty of painful cuts in staffing. The Board of Education has put forth what they see as a fiscally responsible budget. We asked them to do this for us when we elected them, and they have done their best. If that budget fails at the polls, it could be trimmed a bit more, (meaning more cuts to staff and services), and it goes before the voters again. If it fails a second time, we are mandated by New York State to operate under a contingency budget of 0.3% at last estimate.
If our school district is forced to operate under a contingency budget, does that mean our taxes won't go up? Nope. Does it mean the things the district spends our money on will stay at their current prices? Not a chance. Does a "no" vote mean teachers' salaries get cut? Not even a little bit. Then, what does it mean?
It means:
No Arts in Education funding
No field trips
No extra-curricular activities
No clubs or sports, (except Varsity)
no trips to music, art or science competitions
no drama or musical performances
Even less teachers, social workers, TAs, monitors, guidance counselors
A vote of "no" on the school budget ONLY HURTS OUR KIDS.
If you think there are too many kids hanging out now with nothing to do, just wait until all of those clubs, sports and activities are shut down, never to be funded again.
Many people will look at the budget and pick out the big ticket items, like union member salaries and say, "that's the problem... cut that". Other school districts in our area are in the same financial situations, and have done so. Or the unions have come forth and agreed to help in a big, news-worthy way. But, wait a minute. Many of those districts had contracts that were up for renegotiation this year, so, while the effort is laudable, they were already at the table. CCSD teachers have a contract that was signed in good faith, and they are entitled to what they agreed to until their contract comes due... in 2012. There's always room to move, on both sides, but it is what it is. Many folks in the private sector have given up raises for a few years now, so it seems only fair for others to do so. But, ask yourself, if you had the choice... would you give up a raise? Some wouldn't hesitate if it meant saving someone else's job. Others, not so much.
So, while we wrestle with that dilemma, the feeling that it's time to scream, "Enough!" bubbles forth, and some people feel that this, the only budget we actually get to vote on, is the right place to make a statement of protest. They couldn't be more wrong. That justifiable anger and frustration should be pointed at our lawmakers, not at our kids.This budget is about what our kids deserve from their school system, and what we, as parents, are willing to sacrifice to get it for them. The difference between the proposed budget and the contingency budget is about $12 per month on average. Is having a well-rounded education worth giving up that low fat mocha latte a few times a month? Are our kids worth it? Is preparing them for life in a world so vastly different from the one we inherited worth it? Is the chance that our kids will have the best teachers we can get for them worth it? I think it is, and I hope you do too. But, either way...
Make sure to make time on May 18, and vote. Don't let others make this decision for you. It's too important.
Jeff Davis is a parent of two children in the CCSD, and the outgoing President of the KPSPTO
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