This article was published a few years back; but hits the nail right on the head in regards to the problems we all face today. We all agree that the education of all of New Hampshire's children is paramount to their future and to the future of New Hampshire; however the system is broken and has been for some time.
An enormous transfer of wealth has taken place in New Hampshire over the past 5 years, coming from the pockets of home owners into the coffers of the Education Establishment.
Five years ago the New Hampshire Education Monopoly spent in total $1.3 billion. In the year ending June 2003 they spent over $2.0 billion, an increase of 43% in 5 years. During the same time enrollment has gone up 5%.
An enormous transfer of wealth has taken place in New Hampshire over the past 5 years, coming from the pockets of home owners into the coffers of the Education Establishment.
Five years ago the New Hampshire Education Monopoly spent in total $1.3 billion. In the year ending June 2003 they spent over $2.0 billion, an increase of 43% in 5 years. During the same time enrollment has gone up 5%.
Well enrollments have decreased significantly, wanna bet what they spend now?
This increase of public school spending comes largely from those who pay local real estate taxes. This unprecedented transfer of wealth has impoverished our senior citizens and has drained the earnings of all working families who are homeowners. If this spending spiral continues at the same rate for the next five years a large majority of New Hampshire citizens are going to have great difficulty paying their real estate taxes. We do have a school funding problem but that problem is dwarfed by the spending problem of our government schools.
It is the relentless spending increases that have created the funding problem.
This increase of public school spending comes largely from those who pay local real estate taxes. This unprecedented transfer of wealth has impoverished our senior citizens and has drained the earnings of all working families who are homeowners. If this spending spiral continues at the same rate for the next five years a large majority of New Hampshire citizens are going to have great difficulty paying their real estate taxes. We do have a school funding problem but that problem is dwarfed by the spending problem of our government schools.
It is the relentless spending increases that have created the funding problem.
Winchester's School Budget has increased from just over 9 million to a proposed 11.8 million in just 3 years !
What we have is a serious management problem and unless the management problem is addressed the funding problem will never go away. Could it be that some school superintendents are unqualified to run a multimillion dollar organization? In what other organization would the board of directors not dismiss the manager who runs up his cost of product as rapidly as many of our school superintendents have run up their spending per pupil over the past five years.
And now comes Superintendent Kenneth R. Dassau who has threatened the Budget Committee with a lawsuit if they don't bow to his demands ( we have a copy of the letter he wrote to Brian Moser, Chairman of the board.
When one asks how is it that the non public schools can do a better job for less than half the price? We get whining and excuses rather than solutions. The excuses won’t halt the rise in my real estate taxes. One would almost have to conclude that a clever superintendent has purposely cried wolf, or “we have a funding problem”, in order to divert the attention of his local school board and taxpayers from his management weaknesses and spending extravagances. Even if the exaggerated spending of our government schools had produced good academic results people could not afford the continued drain on their on their savings and earnings from ever higher real estate taxes.
As the season of town meetings and warrant articles approach, homeowners feeling the heavy burden of their real estate taxes must stand up and tell their school superintendents that unless this spending spiral is halted they will be replaced.
by State Representative David Scott of Durham; published March 14th, 2004
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Why don't we just tuition grade 6-12 and all sped students to Keene and save ourselves millions ?
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6 comments:
The Budget Committee needs to stand tall for all of us and reign in this unfathomable spending before we all lose our homes or sanity trying to come up with these huge increases every year.
Unfortunately if you look at what is increasing in the school budget is Special Education costs which we have to pay because of the federal law. Maybe the feds need to start paying what they said they would...I applaude Ken Dassau for sending them our unfunded amount in the form of a bill from last year..not like we will ever see it.
The regluar non special education students will once again loose out when we have to cut art, music, pe and all the other things that would enhance their education.
The state has defined an adequate education now where is the funding to pay for all of these programs??? Unfortunately it seems to be our pocketbooks.
After reading the article in the sentinel last night I say to the Budget Committee call Mr. Dassau on his bluff. We can have a perfectly good school program with an 8M dollar budget. Where does it say in a state statue that each sped student needs a para? Why is our para sped budget over $500,000 and our sped teacher budget $330,000? If you are going to work in this system you need to do your job. You people are getting raises while the rest of us struggle to pay your salaries. I say cut the super's pay and the teacher dollar amount and let the cast of characters determine where the funds are spent. RIF looks like a happening thing here in this district just like the others in the state. Perhaps you all need to think of others instead of your selfish selves.
Yes, sped has risen but so haven't the costs for added personnel and salaries and other line items that could have waited or costs reduced; but that hasn't happened. The overspending last year and the request for additional funds this year are not cost effective. It puts an unattainable burden on all of us so they, the school top heavy administration can have its cake and eat it to at our expense. Our kids are no better off and are still very far behind. We are not getting our money's worth and this Dassau, in my eyes, is a grandstander attempting to take the heat off of himself and his staff. How do you not know that when the coffers are bare and you keep doling it out that you are not overspending? His statements to the Budget Committee that he was unaware makes me ask the question, is he really that incompetent or is he just lying to cover his arse and pass the buck onto some other poor slob? In either case is this the right guy for the job? I think not. Spending money you don't have is criminal, it's called malfeasance and lying about it doesn't show this man can be trusted with doing what's right for our children and gives the impression he's just here to line his pockets.
Maybe we can cut all administration cost and salaries? cut everything that is not actually teaching the students. seems like we have a lot of exutive salaries and overhead yet these people dont step foot in the classroom and help out kids. A principle, teachers and maybe a few aids are all we need to run a school I would think. Maybe with this thinking we could cut millions from the budget without affecting our kids. And keep sending those bills to the feds for the No kid left behind deal and start adding interest.
With the economy in the cellar, and it may get worse, Its estimated that it will take at least 10 years to bonce back, the school board and the SAU are talking business as usual. There is not a household or a business that cant change and save money.By refusing to change the way they run there business[ we will close the school ], they are dooming the low and fixed income taxpayers, and they don't seem to care. I ask the budget committee to call there bluff, they have had it to good for to long.
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