Pardon me while I write about a local issue…
The Great Falls (Montana) community spoke yesterday about providing more money to educate their children. They said NO by a 54 to 46 percent vote. I was surprised by the vote – even in this economy as I think that having outstanding schools and supporting the children should be the cornerstone of every community.
I guess too many people have been drinking the tea…and believed the propaganda or the conspiracy.
If passed, the levy would have only cost the homeowner (of a $100,000 house) about $15.71 per year. In this day and age, $15.71 per year is a very good investment.
Providing a strong education system for our children helps provide for a better economy – and our children are better able to compete in the world. Businesses looking for places to relocate will now see that Great Falls does not support their children – and although the citizens may not see immediate results from not having this funding, some classes may be larger, some classes may not be offered, and some extracurricular activities might be cut. Some jobs in the community may be lost, too, but it’s not your job, so who cares, right?
Previously I wrote about my support for the levy HERE.
From what I have read this morning, some of the larger cities in Montana (Bozeman, Helena, and Missoula, and Butte) did approve their levies for their schools. Great Falls was one of the AA schools that was already spending less per pupil than most of other AA schools (Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, and Butte).
This was a “mail ballot election” and there were 27,500 ballots sent to voters. Only about 17,500 folks voted. About 9,500 of them said NO to the children. About 10,000 folks did not return their ballots. That’s a pretty sad showing.
The sun did come up today…and it probably will tomorrow. The teachers, administrators, and the children showed up for school. For the first time in a long time they showed up without support from their community
The Western Word 
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I’m sorry you’re so disappointed, but I’m far from dazzled by the education offered in these schools. Accountability for funding and curriculum is sorely needed before taxpayers pony up more funds. Forget the hypothetical businesses–why should citizens keep investing in a failing system?
I’m not impressed when our child reports her science class will be watching ‘Avatar’ for a week in order to ‘see how other cultures deal with environmental issues’, or “the Simpsons’ are featured in English class (BTW, a student who objected to a lesbian kiss in the episode was sent to wait in the hall).
Our son was hounded by bullies in his high school and, at our expense, had to finish school online.
No one has yet answered why local private schools can offer a college-bound curriculum for 3-4 grand per head, but GFPS will flounder if forced to budget less than 6500 per student.
OMG! Bigger classes! Cuts in extra-curriculars! How can our kids compete! 😀
Sorry to be snotty, but these arguments are lame when the district has plenty of options for reducing costs in admin and teaching staffs, as well as a $20M extra emergency fund.
Do you suppose that maybe that last detail swayed taxpayers most?
SallyT:
I’m over it now, but thanks for caring and dropping by!
There sure a lot of “wild” stories floating around – IF my children came home and said they were watching “Avatar” or “The Simpsons” for a whole week, I’d discuss it with the teacher. If it was true, I’d discuss it with the principal and up the chain of command to until I got an answer.
“No one has yet answered why local private schools can offer a college-bound curriculum for 3-4 grand per head, but GFPS will flounder if forced to budget less than 6500 per student.” Maybe because they pay their teachers/principal almost nothing and many of the private teachers are not certified? I did have children attending both private and public for a while and it’s a choice everyone has if they want to pay for private school.
Every organization has great employees and not so great employees. Schools are no different.
It’s too bad our Federal Government could not have some extra money in a emergency fund and handle taxpayer money like the school district… instead of being in deep debt.
We may never agree on this, but I do appreciate your comments. Thanks!
-Jack
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