Cathy Toth lays it on the line in a letter to the editor in the Oak Ridger today: City Council caused schools’ funding shortage.

Key highlights of Cathy’s letter include:

Here’s how it works: The superintendent’s office works up a budget, based on what they need to run the schools for the next year, and presents it to the School Board. The School Board goes through that budget line by line. Time-consuming and difficult, they do this publicly. Anyone can attend the meetings, watch them on Channel 15, or read the detailed minutes. The School Board looks at the revenue from the federal, state, and county sources and asks City Council to cover the rest. On May 22, City Council said “No.”

Let’s talk priorities. That’s what a budget is — a statement of what a community values enough to pay for. For many years, Oak Ridge placed education near the top of the list. In 1987, city leaders spent 46.6 percent of the city budget on the school system. Last year they spent less than 30 percent.

…

However you slice the data, the priority given the schools has seriously declined in the last 20 years.

The May 22 vote left the schools about $500,000 short, and something had to be cut. The School Board protected programs (e.g., 4th grade strings, driver’s education, freshman football, class sizes), but transportation took a hit. So did teacher raises, building maintenance, and basic supplies. Add to the problem the rising costs of energy, insurance, and the state retirement program. Add again programs, such as No Child Left Behind, which the federal government mandates but does not fund. Oak Ridge Schools does not control any of these costs.

With rising costs and a policy to maintain a flat tax rate, this problem will only get worse.

Despite all efforts to accurately communicate the shortfall leading to reduced bus service this year, misinformation still abounds. On the Oak Ridger’s Forum, “Mom Goose” continues to carry on about purchasing buses with air conditioning for the football team, while “Atomic Citizen” incorrectly claims:

“More than two dozen new administrators and teachers will enter Oak Ridge schools this year”. Not to mention all current administrators and teachers were given raises. That is where the school board decided to spend their money, not on transportation.

Neither Mom Goose nor Atomic Citizen have listened or tried to get the facts, apparently. No new administrators were hired, except to fill vacancies. The only new administrative position proposed was that of Athletic Director, which was the very first thing cut, long before the Board approved a budget request to send to City Council. Buses are replaced according to State requirement — every ten years, I think. And yes, the preschool just got new buses to accomodate a different State requirement for 5-point harnesses last year.

I welcome any thoughtful discussion on how we might better manage the budget for the school system, for the City, or both, but when people just make things up and then try to base their arguments upon it, well, it denigrates the whole process.

Today’s post was supposed to be “Frivolous Friday.” but that will have to wait.