School Taxes and “Gaming” the System
Sarasota schools are once again asking for you to give them tens of millions of your dollars. Of course advocates will use the tired old emotional plea of being “for the children,” or the even more disingenuous cry that “programs and teachers will have to be cut” if the referendum is not re-authorized. And heaven forbid you question the need for additional dollars for the schools and open yourself up to attack as being “selfish” and “greedy.” Before you decide you’re too busy to vote March 16th, it might be prudent to understand the big picture behind the referendum, decide enough is enough, and vote “NO.”
A majority of American union members now work for the government with the largest single block found among public school teachers. Union membership rates have fallen in the private sector relative to nonunion competitors. Government employees, however, face no competition as the government never goes out of business. As a result, representing government employees has changed union priorities and shifted the labor movement's focus from redistributing business profits to getting more from taxpayers. Public-sector unions have become a potent lobbying force, campaigning for higher taxes across America to fund more government spending so the government can hire more unionized workers and pay higher wages.
For example, 54% of Oregonians recently approved some $700 million in tax hikes on business and wealthy residents. Why did the new tax pass? Local public employee unions bankrolled the "yes" campaign with far more cash than their opponents, offering a clever yet misleading message of emotional pleas and class warfare tactics. The Oregon vote demonstrated that Public employee unions have a lucrative racket: They essentially leverage the tax dollars they receive in dues from the salaries and benefits of their members to lobby for more tax dollars to secure even higher pay and benefits.
In Sarasota, the school monopoly is also aware of how to game the voters with the tyranny of the majority. Sarasota Herald Tribune editor Tom Tyron agrees stating: “Since the special tax was approved . . . the school district and the teachers union have built an impressive political coalition.” The schools and teachers union understand they will benefit financially by uncharacteristically sticking together and voting in mass numbers during low turn-out special elections set up for their benefit.
The proof of collusion is obvious. Citizens for Better Schools have reported raising $491,266 since 2001. In the last quarter of 2009, the committee raised nearly $30,400. The bulk of that money came from $28,500 in two contributions from the Sarasota Classified Teachers Association. This funded The Nolan Group, an advertising agency involved in election campaigns.
To further ensure compliance among the voting block of district employees, teacher salaries are tied to the referendum with a provision in the union contract that automatically mandates a cut in all district salaries by 6.6% if the referendum is not re-authorized. It is easy to see how all 5,224 school board employees, their families and friends will vote if self interest is a part of human nature. Even Superintendent, Dr. Lori White said this is a "signal to all its employees there will be a mandated pay cut should the referendum fail.” In this case “signal” means vote “yes” or else.
The referendum passed in 2006 by only 13,241 votes. The School Board is the largest employer in the county with over 5,000 employees; and if we add in the spouses, friends and others who would benefit from the tax, it is easy to almost guarantee 10,000 “yes” votes. Add low voter turnout by the general public and it’s easy to swing an election.
Over the last 8 years the district has spent upwards of $640 million above and beyond the Pre-referendum budget of 2001-2002. They have implemented a slew of programs “for the children” to keep the taxpayers dazzled. These include: “Gary Norris’ Next Generation Learning, Active Boards, Block Scheduling, Small Leaning Communities, Career Technical Education, Professional Learning Communities, Collaborative Planning, extended school day, the 7 period day, The Education Channel, Response to Intervention, FAIR testing, Document cameras, and redundant computer upgrades including Trakker, Smart Web, Share Point and Cross Pointe.
The results of this spending spree in raising student achievement are dismal. According to the Department of Education, student achievement, measured by the Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), has essentially remained flat from 2001 to 2009. In 2001, 63% of Sarasota County 10th graders were below proficient in reading. Fast forward to 2009, after the hundreds of millions of referendum dollars, and we still find 63% of 10th graders below proficient in reading. That’s right, zero achievement gains from those students who had spent the most time in the school system since the referendum was initially passed. In 10th grade writing there was a 2% decline in the number of 10th grade students who were proficient over the same period.
In the pre-referendum school year, the school district received $324 million dollars. At the time, the district praised itself for its record of student achievement and excellence. Of course, the district told the public the sky was falling and they needed to pass a referendum to add additional dollars to the already large budget. Last year the school district spent over $400 million to educate fewer students because of declining enrollment. Once again, in a pattern that has become all too familiar, the district played “Chicken Little” with your wallet. Yet, even with all the doom and gloom rhetoric, teachers did not lose their jobs, programs and services were not substantively cut and business as usual is taking place.
When the board projects a need of $450 million and “settles” for only $400 million, it is easy to frighten parents with mythical “drastic cuts.” In reality, the whining is a ruse used to hide a 25% increase in revenue. Since the referendum, the last 4 general budgets have been: 06-07 ($401m), 07-08 ($419m), 08-09 ($403m), 09-10($404m).This does not include millions in capital (construction) outlays. Even factoring in for flat or recessionary inflation rates, the budget has consistently grown year after year contrary to what you have been led to believe.
To add even more hubris, the school system neglects to tell you it is receiving its fair share of: the $4 billion increase in Title I funding, $1.5 billion for the federal Race to the Top school reform effort, and $23 billion teacher subsidy package. In addition, the school board will receive a total of $43.7 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as “the stimulus package.”
Like an addict, the School Board and teachers union are drunk on excessive spending and taxation, are unable to show the productivity they proclaim, and have learned to game the system. It is time taxpayers just say “NO!”
Dean Kalahar, M.Ed.
Sources:
fcat.fldoe.org; oppaga.state.fl.us; sarasota.k12.fl.us; inflationdata.com; online.wsj.com; sarasotacountyschools.net; redcounty.com; spectator.org