Mixed results so far for LD 1
Bar Harbor Times, January 30, 2007
(excerpt) The vast majority of schools, meanwhile, missed the goals of LD 1, which uses the Essential Programs and Services model of school funding to set targets for the amount of property taxes raised for local education; even though school funding from the state increased by $78 million last year, 81 percent of schools exceeded their EPS limit, by an average of 7.5 percent; locally, that excess was much higher, with MDI schools going over the EPS by anywhere from 35 to 74 percent. But, as Union 98 Superintendent of Schools Rob Liebow notes, that additional spending was, like the Bar Harbor town budget, approved by voters.
“It’s a democratic prerogative of the people,” Mr. Liebow says. “If they want kids to meet Learning Results requirements, for them to have extensive extracurricular programs, smaller classes, salaries that will keep teachers, good upkeep of the schools, then they are going to go over on spending. But voters do have the right to choose; raising additional money is not being shoved down their throats.” Mr. Liebow adds that the number of mills for education — the dollars per thousand dollars of a property’s valuation that go to taxes — is below the state average here; local schools all rank in the bottom 15 to 20 percent for mills going to education.
(excerpt) The vast majority of schools, meanwhile, missed the goals of LD 1, which uses the Essential Programs and Services model of school funding to set targets for the amount of property taxes raised for local education; even though school funding from the state increased by $78 million last year, 81 percent of schools exceeded their EPS limit, by an average of 7.5 percent; locally, that excess was much higher, with MDI schools going over the EPS by anywhere from 35 to 74 percent. But, as Union 98 Superintendent of Schools Rob Liebow notes, that additional spending was, like the Bar Harbor town budget, approved by voters.
“It’s a democratic prerogative of the people,” Mr. Liebow says. “If they want kids to meet Learning Results requirements, for them to have extensive extracurricular programs, smaller classes, salaries that will keep teachers, good upkeep of the schools, then they are going to go over on spending. But voters do have the right to choose; raising additional money is not being shoved down their throats.” Mr. Liebow adds that the number of mills for education — the dollars per thousand dollars of a property’s valuation that go to taxes — is below the state average here; local schools all rank in the bottom 15 to 20 percent for mills going to education.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home