Here in NH, the "divisive concept" of forbidding teaching of CRT has been passed in the Republican majority legislature, as was the use of school vouchers and a 24 week abortion outright BAN have also passed. (and the public reaction to those bills and a 24 week abortion BAN was so strong that none of those bills could pass as stand alone bills.) Therefore, that same Republican majority decided to IGNORE the will of the voters and decided to HIDE all three bills in the NH State Budget and the Republican governor gladly signed the Budget. Here in NH, much of public school funding is through property taxes, despite the fact that 18 years ago, the NH Supreme Court declared it an unacceptable means of funding because of it's inequality. Poor towns pay more in property taxes so the diversion of public school funds to RELIGIOUS and private schools, and home schoolers will result in higher property taxes for poor towns but NOT for rich towns. BTB, those diverted funds were NOT restored to public education. https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-School-funding-and-the-NH-Supreme-Court-39778293
One commentтАж you say тАЬdiversion of public school finds to religious and private schools and home schoolers will result in higher property taxesтАжтАЭ. I donтАЩt understand? DoesnтАЩt a reduction in the number of students in a public school proportionally reduce the cost of that school? It should. Net/net.
No, because costs are not perfectly proportional to numbers of students. For example, if a school building is designed to accommodate 500 students, the cost of maintaining it is the same even if there are only 350 students.
Joan, not necessarily. Costs can be very proportional to number of students. First, the operating costs of the buildings is normally less than 5% of the cost per student. I am an owner of commercial real estate and there is nothing better than the pandemic as an example of being able to adapt to changes. I was able to reduce costs (except for property tax) to balance my new income (50% of previous) with my costs. It can be done, and school buildings usually don't pay property tax. As for debt, schools usually get very good interest rates. Further, the building is an asset which appreciates.
If the reduction in students is permanent, then it becomes easier to accommodate.
The problem is usually the number of upper management with high salaries and consultants who are not reduced. We have a situation in our town where a private school was built to teach middle school children. We do not have a middle school in our town, so we needed to tuition these students to another town's public middle school. The cost was more than $20,000 per student. The private school cost to the town is less than $16,000, yet there is no reduction in the quality of education. (there is plenty of evidence for this, which is a topic for another time). It is a clear example of the inefficiencies of the public school system and the unwillingness to operate as a business must.
But it isn't just private schools that parents can choose for their children. These students may go to any school, public or private. Many choose to go to public schools that are closer to where they live or provide specific services these children cannot get in their own district school (public school closure and consolidation have been rampant, with no evidence of better education or cost savings, and cause students to spend a huge amount of time on school busses!)
The answers are not simple. Each district has a specific situation and problems. There are many solutions and they do work.
Tony, you make a good argument. The key question might be, what are guidelines that citizens and school boards can use, to determine whether or not a given proposal is truly in the best interests of the children. There has been so much open racism and corruption in the pushes to charter schools, that I distrust the whole idea, which of itself does not prove that the next attempt is without merit.
Joan - It may surprise you to hear that I am not a fan of Charter Schools! It is an aberration to the concept (school) that we have here, which is an independent school. I am in Vermont and Vermont does not have a "Charter" school system. However, my daughter is a Dean of Student Engagement at a Charter School in Colorado, so I am learning how it goes. So far so good. I believe parents are responsible for choosing where their children go to school and seeing it with their own eyes, not the school board, who have their hands full running their own district! Parent involvement in the children's education makes it work. Yes, there are issues there and that is when the schools must get involved.
As for racism and corruption, it abounds but not so much here in Vermont (tho it does exist) We have a local organization called the Humanity Group which monitors such issues. We are the lucky ones. The taxpayer needs to watch for corruption too and it is not just centered in charter schools. It does exist in public schools. In this regard, careful monitoring by the school boards is paramount. Again in a small state like Vermont, it is a "bit" easier to see and track. We are lucky to have excellent schools all around.
Time to make it akin to Italy where the Government can pass all sorts of laws but few actually get to hit the streets.....with due deference for those living in the Italy that I love.
Wow. Texas has gone from the wild wild lawless west to an authoritarian state?
Here in NH, the "divisive concept" of forbidding teaching of CRT has been passed in the Republican majority legislature, as was the use of school vouchers and a 24 week abortion outright BAN have also passed. (and the public reaction to those bills and a 24 week abortion BAN was so strong that none of those bills could pass as stand alone bills.) Therefore, that same Republican majority decided to IGNORE the will of the voters and decided to HIDE all three bills in the NH State Budget and the Republican governor gladly signed the Budget. Here in NH, much of public school funding is through property taxes, despite the fact that 18 years ago, the NH Supreme Court declared it an unacceptable means of funding because of it's inequality. Poor towns pay more in property taxes so the diversion of public school funds to RELIGIOUS and private schools, and home schoolers will result in higher property taxes for poor towns but NOT for rich towns. BTB, those diverted funds were NOT restored to public education. https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-School-funding-and-the-NH-Supreme-Court-39778293
And hiding bills in budgets should be against the law!! Especially when there was an outcry against them.
One commentтАж you say тАЬdiversion of public school finds to religious and private schools and home schoolers will result in higher property taxesтАжтАЭ. I donтАЩt understand? DoesnтАЩt a reduction in the number of students in a public school proportionally reduce the cost of that school? It should. Net/net.
No, because costs are not perfectly proportional to numbers of students. For example, if a school building is designed to accommodate 500 students, the cost of maintaining it is the same even if there are only 350 students.
Joan, not necessarily. Costs can be very proportional to number of students. First, the operating costs of the buildings is normally less than 5% of the cost per student. I am an owner of commercial real estate and there is nothing better than the pandemic as an example of being able to adapt to changes. I was able to reduce costs (except for property tax) to balance my new income (50% of previous) with my costs. It can be done, and school buildings usually don't pay property tax. As for debt, schools usually get very good interest rates. Further, the building is an asset which appreciates.
If the reduction in students is permanent, then it becomes easier to accommodate.
The problem is usually the number of upper management with high salaries and consultants who are not reduced. We have a situation in our town where a private school was built to teach middle school children. We do not have a middle school in our town, so we needed to tuition these students to another town's public middle school. The cost was more than $20,000 per student. The private school cost to the town is less than $16,000, yet there is no reduction in the quality of education. (there is plenty of evidence for this, which is a topic for another time). It is a clear example of the inefficiencies of the public school system and the unwillingness to operate as a business must.
But it isn't just private schools that parents can choose for their children. These students may go to any school, public or private. Many choose to go to public schools that are closer to where they live or provide specific services these children cannot get in their own district school (public school closure and consolidation have been rampant, with no evidence of better education or cost savings, and cause students to spend a huge amount of time on school busses!)
The answers are not simple. Each district has a specific situation and problems. There are many solutions and they do work.
Tony, you make a good argument. The key question might be, what are guidelines that citizens and school boards can use, to determine whether or not a given proposal is truly in the best interests of the children. There has been so much open racism and corruption in the pushes to charter schools, that I distrust the whole idea, which of itself does not prove that the next attempt is without merit.
Joan - It may surprise you to hear that I am not a fan of Charter Schools! It is an aberration to the concept (school) that we have here, which is an independent school. I am in Vermont and Vermont does not have a "Charter" school system. However, my daughter is a Dean of Student Engagement at a Charter School in Colorado, so I am learning how it goes. So far so good. I believe parents are responsible for choosing where their children go to school and seeing it with their own eyes, not the school board, who have their hands full running their own district! Parent involvement in the children's education makes it work. Yes, there are issues there and that is when the schools must get involved.
As for racism and corruption, it abounds but not so much here in Vermont (tho it does exist) We have a local organization called the Humanity Group which monitors such issues. We are the lucky ones. The taxpayer needs to watch for corruption too and it is not just centered in charter schools. It does exist in public schools. In this regard, careful monitoring by the school boards is paramount. Again in a small state like Vermont, it is a "bit" easier to see and track. We are lucky to have excellent schools all around.
Right. These freedom loving patriots don't like government controlling their lives ...?
Irony, irony, irony.
Time to make it akin to Italy where the Government can pass all sorts of laws but few actually get to hit the streets.....with due deference for those living in the Italy that I love.