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Thursday, November 20, 2008

A Fight for School Funding

By Andrea Schoellkopf
Journal Staff Writer
       SANTA FE — The state faces a $500 million budget shortfall and the national economy is in crisis, but that didn't stop hundreds of public school supporters from packing the Roundhouse on Wednesday in search of new money for education.
    They suggest tacking on a 1 percent gross receipts tax to current taxes.
    "We can't let that (the shortfall) be the excuse why it doesn't happen," said Tom Sullivan, head of the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators. He said 21 districts receive emergency state money yearly because of "chronic underfunding."
    Angela Gonzales-Carver, president of the New Mexico PTA, said during the rally that local PTAs are paying for art, music and PE teachers at some schools. Parents also are supplying soap, toilet paper and reams of paper to help stock schools.
    The issue before a legislative committee Wednesday was a proposed new funding formula for schools that calls for a $354 million increase.
    Supporters say the proposal would simplify funding and help growing districts, giving more money to areas with poor and at-risk students.
    But they say a new 1 percent state gross receipts tax is necessary to support it. The tax would raise at least $470 million, which would cover funding formula costs as well as any cuts in existing state funding.
    "The 1 percent sales tax wouldn't be as painful as a property tax," Santa Rosa Superintendent Dan Flores told the Legislative Education Study Committee, when asked how his community would react.
    State Rep. Rick Miera, chairman of the committee, told hundreds of school officials Wednesday they had 60 days to drum up support.
    If "there's no funding, there's no formula," the Democrat from Albuquerque said.
    Earlier this week, public school and higher education officials were alerted to the possible $500 million shortfall, due to declining oil and gas revenues and a weakened economy.
    Supporters from more than 60 of the 89 districts packed into the LESC and Legislative Finance Committee meetings. They included representatives from teacher and employee unions, school board members, students and administrators and others, such as members of the Cuba Chamber of Commerce.
    "From Albuquerque to Wagon Mound, we're all in this thing together," Wagon Mound school board Chairman Don Schultz said.
    The LESC was hearing its last day of testimony from school superintendents on what they would do with their share of the proposed $354 million increase.
    The Albuquerque Public Schools' $57 million wish list includes 250 more teachers, five principals, 16 nurses, 20 librarians for elementaries, 90 more art and music teachers, 200 maintenance and operations employees and 19 technology coordinators. It seeks more professional development days and stipends for teachers willing to teach in high-poverty schools. A specific stipend amount would have to be negotiated with the unions.
    The Los Alamos district is in a different situation. It would see a $1.8 million revenue loss under the new formula, primarily due to its low poverty rate and changes in the way gifted students would be funded, interim Superintendent Mary McLeod said.
    Unless there is a "hold harmless" provision allowing districts to at least keep their current funding, the result will be larger classes, fewer electives, less art, music and PE and less teacher professional development, she said.
    "The gifted, these students also need special attention," McLeod said. "The proposed formula is weighted to fund students at risk."