Tuesday, January 30, 2007
from the Kennebec Journal
HOSPITAL'S COPAY WAIVER ENDS
Beverage tax foes raise $2M
'First dude' Todd Palin set for Palmyra visit today
Local schools holding court
Maine set to make bond sales direct to investors
Schools wise to energy savings
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Jones helps Cony to tie
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF: Rams, Eagles in hunt
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
MAN CHARGED IN CRASH
PALMYRA Todd Palin to visit today
State cuts MaineGeneral's ranking
HARTLAND FIRING SPURS DEMONSTRATION
Soda companies pour cash into repeal effort
'We are in a difficult moment in our history'
'Dogs D stops Eagles
Messalonskee looking for team golf championship today
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
In this formula there is not enough money to continue sports programs at their current level, nor enough to pay for all the programs that were implemented because of No Child Left Behind and Maine Learning Results. Approximately 80 percent of communities want to continue these programs at local expense. The communities make the final decision, not administrators.
It has been a huge learning curve for school boards and administration to understand the intricacies of the funding formula enough to cut taxes at the local level without compromising school programs and education. We have begun this process, and have already seen cost-saving changes. We have another two years before we reach maximum reimbursement from the state, and haven't seen all the cost savings yet. The governor hasn't given school units a chance to fully implement the present funding formula before embarking on another "solution" to reducing taxes.
I'm afraid if we accept his new proposal of reducing administrative units from 152 to 26 that education in the state of Maine will suffer irreparable damage and no amount of money will salvage what we lose.
Diane Brandt
China School Committee
Reader comments
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After reading this letter and the focusing on the paragraph above, how can I, a citizen of genuine interest and average intelligence possibly make an intelligent decision about Governor Baldacci's education proposal? The fact is, I can't. I find it sad that over time our government and our State Representatives/Senators have created budgets, appropriations, taxes and other fiscal matters into something so complex that I cannot possibly understand. Something is terribly wrong when those in the field of education can't even agree on what is appropriate for education. Being a fan of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid), I'm frustrated by these government fiscal complexities. And they seem to get worse every year. Why does that have to be that way?
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