Chafee’s Budget: A Win for Education
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
The state would fully fund the second year of the education funding formula and award $11 million in additional dollars to underfunded communities under the Governor's budget proposal.
In total, that would mean $39 million in new funding for elementary and secondary education, including full funding for categorical programs such special education, career and technical education, the early childhood fund and transportation. The state would also spend millions to ensure every classroom in the state has wireless internet.
Education Commissioner Deborah Gist said she is "incredibly pleased" with the proposal.
"All across the country states are struggling financially and sometimes unfortunately that means that they look to education and Rhode Island is quite the opposite and that is really, really important," Gist said. "I think the Governor understands the relationship between education and the economy."
Funding for higher education would remain at the same level as last year, but the Governor has proposed a $20 million scholarship fund for qualifying students.
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Comments:
Chris MacWilliams
8:22am on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Commissioner Deborah Gist,
As long as you continue to condone the on going practice of "social promotions" squeezing the taxpayers for more $$$$ will not produce better educated students.
David Beagle
9:50am on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Will the money be dedicated to certain things or will it just get squandered on contractually handcuffing step increases and higher health care costs? You know, the things that most tax payer money is REALLY used for.
Russ Hryzan
2:54pm on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
I would think that from a more logical perspective, consolidating the nearly 40 school districts and administrations down to around 5, and eliminating 35 redundant sets of unnecessary school upper management and service management groups (payroll/finance/curriculum/pupil services/transportation/facilities management/food services/personnel/HR) would actually be a long-term solution that would also eliminate any need for raising taxes at the state level and would also lift so much of a burden at the local level that property taxes would actually be able to go down while still allowing for funding to be restored to things in schools that would otherwise get cut (or remain cut). That would also be a long-term solution, and not a short-sighted band-aid like Governor Gump has proposed.
john paycheck
4:44pm on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
thankfully, the sales tax increase will never pass and thus there will be no addtional money for schools. schools dont need more money, they need to reprioritize how they spend what they have.
Mike Govern
4:59pm on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Amen, John Paycheck.
Joseph Fazio
9:59pm on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
It's time to rid ourselves of the redundancy of the State Department of Education. This agency only serves up new ways to deplete the state coffers of money to ridiculous programs and policies. Why do we need a state agency to tell local districts what they can and can't do? Isn't it in the best interest of the people, at the local level, to develop and implement programs for the good of the children in the district. Why are we paying millions to support the salaries of bureaucrats whose sole purpose is to keep perpetuating their jobs? We pay superintendents assistant superintendents, principals and assistant principals hundreds of thousands of dollars to make decisions, why then do we need a commissioner? Let's take Gist's salary and benefit package and rotated around the state to each district to support the education of our children.
Wuggly Ump
10:37am on Thursday, February 02, 2012
@ David no matter what business you go into manpower will be your biggest expense. Wealth is created by labor, there is no other way. So please stop blaming workers.
@Russ and Joseph you guys hit the nail on the head. Redundancies in our small state are out on control. The problem I see is getting these little Napoleons to give up their little kingdoms.