School Board should pick another fight

Bozeman Daily Chronicle - March 18, 2008
OUR OPINION

Understand this: The ongoing dispute between local school officials and Gov. Brian Schweitzer over the adequacy of state funding for education is important - vitally important, because the welfare of our children is at stake.

But, that said, it can also be said - and with just as much certainty - that the vast majority of voting taxpayers, the people benefiting from and footing the bill for public education, has stopped listening.

Somewhere in the midst of "average number belonging," "fiscal year" and the blizzard of numbers swirling around that kind of bureaucratese, most citizens' eyes glazed over while their attitude shifted from mild apathy to mild cynicism, with questions like "Why can't anybody speak plain English?" forming on their lips.

And that's very important for local school officials to realize.

Bozeman school administrators and trustees say they are facing a $750,000-plus budget shortfall and may have to lay off teachers and cut out cherished programs if the governor doesn't call a special session of the Legislature to come up with more money for schools.

And they're right.

Schweitzer responds with charts and graphs that show education funding has increased dramatically since he took office three years ago and adds that, as long as one chamber of the Legislature - the House - is controlled by Republicans, he could call upon lawmakers to meet until their blue in the face and they still won't deliver any more money for schools.

And, you know what? He's even more right. After all, the chairman of the House Education Committee is a member of the Constitution Party and, by definition, doesn't even believe in public education.

Our local school officials - elected and hired - are powerful advocates for education, and they genuinely believe the state is remiss in its duty to deliver adequate funding. But they must keep those sentiments in context.

Schweitzer took office and the Democrats recovered some clout in the Legislature following 10 years - five legislative sessions - of parsimonious Republican control that produced steep declines in inflation-adjusted spending for schools.

The two Legislatures during Schweitzer's administration have turned that around. Is it fixed? No. But there are times when it's appropriate to count your blessings, show some patience and acknowledge political realities that prevent further action.

Efforts at winning favor - and more money - from Helena, would be far better spent planning for the 2009 Legislature than continuing to push for a special session sometime this year.

Continuing this tiff with Schweitzer is just beating up on the most powerful advocate Montana schools have had in a couple of decades. And that's plain English.