vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

1.19.2009

Letter coming to school boards

Later this week, school boards across Vermont will get a letter from Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville asking them to keep their 2009-10 budgets to the same per-pupil spending amount as this year's budgets.

If you need more time to do that, the letter will say, then delay your school vote.

Sound drastic? Well, these are drastic times, the governor argues. The state budget is going through drastic cuts because there is a lot less money coming in to state coffers, and so school budgets have to live under the same conditions, he says.

Will school boards take the request and do as the governor asks? Or resent the intrusion?

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 12:15 PM |

Comments:

They will whine and fight to the last taxpayers' dollar for their usual increases. They are not a whole lot better than the the union bosses at the NEA.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:33 PM, January 19, 2009

The governor has no authority to dictate local decisions.

If you want to level fund your school budget, show up for Town Meeting and vote.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:34 PM, January 19, 2009

The biggest whiner around here is you, Bubba.

You can't stop bitching about how awful Vermont is and how awful the people who live here are.

Whine, whine, whine. That's all we hear from you.

You have not posted a single positive thing about Vermont on this blog.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:35 PM, January 19, 2009

Unfortunately, and frankly, shockingly, Gov Douglas' attack on and mandate for local school districts shows his and his administration team's total lack of understanding of how the school funding law works.

And this is ironic since Act 68 is the brainchild of both Gov Douglas (R)and Speaker Walt Freed (R) and his GOP House majority in 2003.

By the way, the Governor's proposal if enacted would actually increase property taxes - plain and simple.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:42 PM, January 19, 2009

Some people think the education budget is a "sacred cow" and exempt from any and all monetary constraints. They use the excuses that "the kids will be penalized" or "the teachers need a livable wage".
So Bubba, they are after you because how dare you question the education budget!!
If you dare question them you are anti-education! I know several teachers AND school board members who are GOP's so JW you can stick your comments!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:35 PM, January 19, 2009

The gnashing of teeth will begin soon. In fact, it's already started.

Whatever a local school board decides, the state's contribution should not increase above last year on a per pupil basis. The Legislature has that authority. If they don't exercise it in these difficult times, they will have earned once again their spendthrift reputation.

I think they will realize they must stop the education spending spree.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:41 PM, January 19, 2009

I guess the liberal goal is to spend $15,000 per pupil like the Washington D.C. school system. Sure shoots holes in their theory that more and more money = better education.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:48 PM, January 19, 2009

Don't like your school budget?

Then don't vote for it.

People have the power now. Jim Douglas does not trust them. He wants to decide for himself.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:08 PM, January 19, 2009

If teachers would take a 5% pay cut like all other state employees should it would be a good place to start. If you argue that teachers aren't state employees then let's get the state out of their retirement system and let the school districts contribute instead.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:16 PM, January 19, 2009

There have been times the teachers in California took pay cuts and them got them back when times are better. School spending has to be cut to match the situation.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:28 PM, January 19, 2009

Tell it to your school board. They are the ones that negotiate teacher's salaries.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:58 PM, January 19, 2009

Act60/68 work all too well. The run up in property values contributed to a large pot of money and when it is designated for a particular item it WILL get spent. Simple as that. There simply is no mandate to tell schools what to spend. Wishful thinking and designed to balance other priorities with ed funds. Ain't gonna happen.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:00 PM, January 19, 2009

Both the Free Press and the Argus wrote editorials saying Douglas needs to pull his head out of his you know what and get off this train. For the Free Press to say something against their chosen one should be enough evidence for any Vermonter, but probably not.

More proof that Douglas lives in a bunker and only comes out to cut ribbons and speechify. And accept loads of corporate kickbacks while he plays and they pay.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:29 PM, January 19, 2009

"Bubbakis, like most gops, you're not just anti-education, you're pro-ignorance.
Take it where the climate suits your sheet."

Shut the hell up you a-hole.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:21 PM, January 19, 2009

I thought it very interesting that the Free Press and Times Argus Editorials essentially condemned Douglas for this attempt to push his will.

This clearly shows Douglas' lack of vision and leadership.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:46 AM, January 20, 2009

Lunderville knows how to write?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:54 AM, January 20, 2009

Douglas has shown a "lack of vision and leadership" because some left-wing editorial writers with axes to grind say so? How many votes did they get in the gubernatorial race?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:23 AM, January 20, 2009

The GOP loves to tout the BFP editorial page when it endorses Jim Douglas.

The one time the BFP disagrees with Jimbo, the ultra right wackos call them "left-wing" editorial writers!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:48 AM, January 20, 2009

Douglas has proven by his lack of action that he lacks vision and leadership.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:48 AM, January 20, 2009

Douglas think you should not have control over your local budget.

He wants that power that now rests with the voters.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:49 AM, January 20, 2009

I use a Vermont fleet car, and I'm here to tell you that this fleet thing is full of waste. Someone needs to find out if it is saving any money. I dont see how it can.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:25 AM, January 20, 2009

"Douglas think you should not have control over your local budget."

Clearly we need to do a better job of teaching grammar, eh?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:07 AM, January 20, 2009

It's a typo. Can you deal with it? Or should we call 9-1-1??

I guess you'd rather talk about typos than the Governor's terrible policies.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:19 AM, January 20, 2009

Too bad the average worker can't get Town Meeting Day off with pay like the teachers. Might get different budget results without a teacher-and-family packed vote every year.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:05 PM, January 20, 2009

That is exactly right - so much for "local control"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:15 PM, January 20, 2009

I'm an average worker and I use a vacation day. It is a small sacrifice for democracy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:25 PM, January 20, 2009

"Douglas has proven by his lack of action that he lacks vision and leadership"

Maybe, but the legislature's silly hyperactivity for the last four years proves that action, by itself, does not equal vision or leadership, either.

Doing nonsense, for the sake of doing something, is not better than doing nothing.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:11 PM, January 20, 2009

Here, here!!!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:56 AM, January 22, 2009

That's "Hear, Hear" unless you're calling attention to yourself.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:58 AM, January 22, 2009

Hear, hear.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:10 AM, January 24, 2009

Hear, hear.