Educators urge lawmakers, candidates to hike school funding

By GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer

            The Bozeman School Board sat down with nine local legislators and candidates Monday night to start talking about school funding issues that could again be a battleground in the 2009 Legislature.

Montana educators contend that state government still hasn’t done enough to meet its constitutional obligation to fund public schools. Bozeman School Board trustees stressed that funds are almost always tight and most years they have to make budget cuts.

Lawmakers stressed the realities of their political and financial limits.

            “For all but two years I’ve been on the board, we’ve cut the budget,” Trustee Carson Taylor told the group.

This year, another three teaching jobs had to be cut at Bozeman High School, on top of seven eliminated last year, Taylor said. That means 50 fewer classes are being offered, so students find it harder to get into the courses they want.

Trustee Bruce Grubbs said the Bozeman district has 1 million square feet of buildings to take care of, but it places a higher priority on educating students.

“All over the state, there are districts with facilities that are falling apart, Grubbs said. “Money doesn’t solve (all) problems, but you need money to solve problems.”

            “Keep in mind the constraints of the economy,” said Rep. Franke Wilmer, D-Bozeman, who served on the House Education Committee and is running for re-election.

            As a grandmother of a Bozeman school student, Wilmer said she’s aware of the school district’s inability to hire the math specialist teachers it wanted to help teachers and students with the new math curriculum.

            In the 2007 Legislature, Wilmer said, lawmakers tried to correct some aspects of education funding, but in many cases it had to use one-time only money.

There is a consensus among lawmakers that the complicated formula the state uses to funnel money to individual school districts needs to be less sensitive to declining enrollment, Wilmer said. That’s why the Legislature added money to the formula for “per educator” funding, she said.

It’s true the Legislature has added funding to the formula so that schools are hurt less when enrollment drops, but the additions only add up to about 5 percent of state funding, Assistant Superintendent Steve Johnson said later during discussion of next year’s budget.

Montana schools are about 30 percent short of what they need, Superintendent Kirk Miller said. The state should add about 3 or 4 percent above inflation each year until that level is reached, he said.

            About 38 percent of the state’s budget goes to public schools, Wilmer said during the talk with lawmakers and candidates.

            Ted Washburn, a Republican candidate for House District 69, said if he’s elected, he’d like to serve on the Education Committee, even though “I know it’s a suicidal mission.”

 U.S. schools don’t compare well with others in the world, Washburn said, because families have broken apart in the past 40 years and kids don’t value education.

            What Montana should do, Washburn said, is follow Wyoming’s example, and maximize tax revenue from development of coal, oil and gas.

Rep. Brady Wiseman, D-Bozeman, called school funding “the most complicated, confusing and politicized (issue) in state government.” He said he doesn’t understand the complex funding formula, but he’s willing to help Bozeman schools, “just tell me what you need.”

            Rep. Mike Philips, D-Bozeman, said school funding will depend a lot on what Gov. Brian Schweitzer proposes in his budget later this year. He recommended strongly that school advocates work with Wilmer and Sen. Bob Hawks, D-Bozeman, who serve on the education committees.

            Also attending the discussion were Republican candidates Nick Mahan, Gordon Vance and Mike More, and Democrats Robert Bastrup and Anne Millbrooke.

            “I think this is very helpful to get legislators together,” Washburn said after the meeting.

           Miller thanked the nine who attended, saying he had invited 25 lawmakers and candidates.

            Gail Schontzler is at gails@dailychronicle.com or 582-2633.

Reader Comments