A case for Proportional Cuts

Friday, September 25, 2009

Did you see this item about the Reading School District?  This development helps make the case for my number one platform point—Proportional Cuts.

No one at the Cincinnati Board of Education wants to talk about my plan, but we all know—when faced with tough economic times—that the future of a school levy is uncertain.

Historically, when levies fail, districts punish kids by taking away services.  Just check out what’s happening in Reading:

The Reading School Board has approved $762,808 in cuts that will be made if the district’s 3-year, 5.71-mill emergency levy fails in November.

The district faces the loss of art, music and physical education at its elementary schools, which could mean a shortened school day for elementary students for the 2010-11 school year, Superintendent Scott Inskeep said.

Reading students would also see increased pay-to-play fees. Most activities would cost between $400-600 per activity to cover the cost of the supplemental positions. Cuts to the budget also include the elimination of all field trips and busing to all extra- and co-curricular activities.

If any district implemented my plan for Proportional Cuts, no high paid central office administrators could ever levy a cut against services for students without having that cut reflected proportionally in their own budgets. 

This is a simple solution that puts kids first!