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Tag: school board

Time for County-wide School Districts?

By Wendy Day, Section News
Posted on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 01:40:06 PM EST
Tags: school board, economy, union, mea (all tags)

(Promoted by Nick... very interesting discussion. Curious what everyone thinks.)

From For a Better Day

Most of you are local-government kind of people. You realize that the closer government is to us, the more say we can have in how it operates. That is why contemplating the question of county-wide school districts has been an interesting proposition.

After looking at our county and all the changes that are going on, it seems like the perfect time for Livingston to become the first county-wide district. While this goes against local government philosophy, we don't really have that much say in our districts anyway. Most of the curriculum is decided at the State level via the MEAP. The MEA, a state-wide union, strong arms districts into submission by electing school board members who will vote for their interests or by threatening action if the districts don't cooperate. With all the increased Federal and State involvement, there are laws that cover most everything else.

Yes, school boards are charged with passing the budget. However, the State determines how much money we get and the union determines how much we spend, given 88% of our budget is wrapped up in personnel. We get to decide what to cut. Yes, we are charged with making policy, but much of that is governed by law and the Department of Education. Some of it isn't but we are given "model" policies that we are (wink, wink) free to use if we want to.

So what are the advantages of having a county-wide school district?

Read on...

(19 comments, 469 words in story) Full Story