This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.
The video and audio podcasts above are 10 and 7 minnutes long respectively. Just click on the start button of either to view.
EASTER/ PASSOVER BREAK DID NOT HELP K-12 EDUCATION:
Here is what we are hearing from legislators who just returned to the Capitol after a week in their home districts:
What did legislators hear at home last week: Save our nursing homes and hospitals. Provide health care to children and needy adults. Support public safety and veterans. Keep tuition down. Don't raise taxes.
What didn't they hear: Save our schools!
ACTIVATE NOW OR PLAN TO LOSE BIG:
Educators and those who care about schools and the future of our children need to engage. It is MASA members who are the top leaders in K-12 education that need to organize and lead the charge. This effort has to come from the grassroots level.
I have sent every MASA member a letter that should arrive on Friday. It gives you several key 'talking points' and specifically lists your vulnerabilities. It asks you to forget about the small issues and concentrate on the big problem.... funding!
LIKELY TAX SCENARIO:
The legislature will pass a Tax Bill that will increase revenues in the range of $1.5B sometime in the next 2 weeks. It will be vetoed by the Governor. There are not enough votes to override the veto. The House is short 3 republicans to override plus several more democrats afraid to take an override vote.
This will result in the Bills of both the House and Senate being about $1.5B short of balancing budgets. The orders will go out from leadership to make additional cuts. K-12 will not only be cut more, we may take the brunt of the cuts as the other advocates have been strongly making their case at the capitol.
PROBABLE 'END GAME' WITHOUT YOUR INTERVENTION:
A major aid/ levy shift in the amount of about $2B. This will cost on average $30/pu each year for lost interest earnings. In addition this money will be eventually shifted back with the money coming from education funds.
A real cut in basic and catagorical aids. It could easily be in the 5% range over multiple years.
A mandatory reduction in fund balances. The way this would probably work, is that a District would be penalized with loss of state aids in the amount a fund balance is over some set amount as of June 30, 2009. For those of you trying to cushion staff cuts by drawing down your fund balances, you will get a double wammy.... your draw down your balances plus an additional loss of funds via less state aid.
Much of this can be prevented only if you get really, really engaged right now. Watch for the letter from MASA to active members that should receive on Friday.
WE CAN'T WIN AT THE CAPITOL WITHOUT GRASSROOTS SUPPORT:
Without an 'uprising', led by YOU, we are going to have a terrible solution for K-12 Education at the end of this session. Lobbyists can only do so much. We need calls and e-mails showing your (and others) outrage at what may well be happenning to us.
HOUSE BILL.... ONLY GOOD BY COMPARISON:
Wow.... only no increases for several years, a big aaid/tax shift and use of federal stimulus funds. This only looks good in comparison to the Governors proposal that addresses the short term and ignors the long term problem, and the Senate Bill which looks long term, but canibalizes K-12 funding in the short term.
At least this Bill contains the future roll-in of the New Minnesota Miracle funding changes effective 2014. We need these changes in the forecast for future years if we are ever to get substantial new funding. The Bill does roll back some mandates and adds only a few new ones.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE PENSION BILL:
The Pension Bill includes a re-stabilizaton of the TRA Pension fund and also a solution for those hired after 1989. Both cost money and would require higher employee and employer contributions beginning in 2 years. We are trying to find a way for Districts to have levy authority to meet their higher contribution requirement.
Without this solution, the TRA fund will be in real trouble with the potential for future limits on pensions and little hop of fixing the post 1989 problem.
Comments