The head of the Florida Education Association (the Florida Teachers Union) is asking for a $3.5-billion "temporary" 3 year sales tax increase for School Districts. See the Orlando Sentinel blog posting at the link below.
Our thought is based upon what we have seen so far. The Schools should not get any more funds until they improve their fiscal management systems to the level used by businesses.
For example, we recently posted the big differences between the Florida outmoded line item budget format and that used by the City of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Then, we reported on a State Legislators groups saying that the line item budget only tells what is being spent, but provides no clear, businesslike analysis data on the effectiveness of programs. Thus, as we have seen, the Board is asked to approve a budget without any key performance indicators or value analysis showing whether the program had value and the outcomes of the programs were measurable and met expected standards.
School Boards need to start reducing excess spending like any business would. For instance, the Orange County School District reduced school bus subsidies to parents by revising bus schedules to be more efficient, saving millions. In contrast, another School District exceeds the State bus pickup requirements by picking up 3400 kids who live less than 2 miles from their school. State standards say only students living MORE than 2 miles from their school should be given bus rides. Or, the school district that allows community groups to use school rooms and facilities without collecting funds for related lighting and cleaning costs. Then there are the contracts that are let for consultants without any required, measurable "deliverables" from consultants.
This is clearly a union gimmick to increase wages at a time when thousands of people do not have jobs and the teachers should be glad to have a job.
vj
President of Florida's teachers union calls for short-term sales tax increase to avoid education "disaster"
Florida Education Association Andy Ford is calling on legislators to raise the state's sales tax by one penny for three years dedicated to schools to tide them over until the economic crisis passes.
According to Ford, this would raise $3.5 billion for the education system.
Florida School Boards Association chief Wayne Blanton floated the idea thing earlier this month in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times.
"We need to make this investment today so that when the economy improves and funding levels return to normal, we can be proud that we didn’t sacrifice our students on the altar of supposed fiscal responsibility,” he said in a statement.
In his statement, Ford also said that public education in Florida is severely underfinanced in comparison with other states, and that the past two budgets had made the situation far worse.
“Our elected leaders are going to have to understand that a top-tier public education system requires investment,” Ford added. “It requires a consistent, stable flow of revenue from the state treasury.”
Ford also said "that the key to coming up with that stable flow of revenue would be a serious, top-to-bottom look at the state’s tax system that would also seek to smooth out inequalities and make sure everyone paid their fair share."
His remarks come out of the union's annual Delegate Assembly in Tampa.
Will this idea fly? What do you think?
