Editor’s note: This is the second of a multi-part series on the impact of your vote for School Board Candidates, an OAA Voter Education Project

A national phenomenon hasn’t missed Oregon. Education is more expensive for fewer students. Throwing huge amounts of money at the public school system hasn't improved test scores or any measure of school quality, but it has corresponded with a stampede of kids out of the school system.

The 2022 year was a building year, but despite “free” federal money that was not part of the yearly school budget, Oregon lost 30,000 students. Education is changing and parents are abandoning progressive, union controlled monolithic public-school systems in favor of schooling where they have a choice, a voice and control over their children’s education. The poorest families—mostly minorities—who can’t afford private alternatives are the victims of a failing public system.

Congress passed three COVID relief bills worth $5.3 trillion earmarked broadly for concerns to improve safety and security, upgrade HVAC systems and equipment, and make site improvements. Oregon school districts alone received $1.65 billion from the American Rescue Plan and 3 allotments from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. Allotments from 3 Governors Emergency Education Relief funds brought in another $60 million. There was $30 million for distance learning, $28 million for charter and private schools, $27 million for migrant students and $7 million for teaching English. There is more to be allocated through 2025. Taxpayers should be asking, “Where is all that money going?”

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) 2023-25 Agency Request Budget states the Student Success Act has increased Oregon’s investment in K-12 education to a level close to what is called for in the Quality Education Model. Might that be due to the loss of 30,000 that no longer have a share in public school funds? The budget also increases system oversight and district support, increasing the potential to increase student success and close longstanding equity gaps.

ODE’s 2023-25 budget total funding request is $17.7 billion, which is nearly $1 billion more than current service levels, compared to the co-chairs requested increase of $1.2 billion over available revenue. That's an increase of more than $2,000 per student. Budgeted for local school districts and education service districts is $9.3 billion from the State School Fund, of which about 61 percent, $7.9 billion, comes from the General Fund.

It seems like the corporate kicker and the Corporate Access Tax funds haven't benefited taxpayers nor school funding. However, local school boards can take advantage of various enhanced funds including about nine percent of all General Fund resources supporting multiple state grant and investment programs. Investment programs include educator effectiveness efforts, CTE/STEM, Chronic Absenteeism, the High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Act of 2016, and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, Electronic grants, as well as Youth Development Division grant programs. In addition, General Fund supports grants-in-aid funding for K-12 programs totaling $554.9 million.

School boards are also dealing with reversals and defunding that have impacted K-12 education programs over the years. The 2013 establishment of the Oregon Education Investment Board led to a suite of strategic programs, including programs in early reading and connecting to work. But by 2017, most of those strategic investments were repealed. ODE also experienced limits in oversight of state standards. The systemic lack of governance and funding instability contributed to the abandonment of the state’s prior major K-12 improvement efforts leaving school boards to pick up the pieces.

ODE’s budget request states, “Oregon does not have a detailed road map of programs to improve K-12 education, which could help foster a longer-term focus on improving programs and managing investments already in place.” Out of all the legislative educational bills this session, not one will audit or help improve the efficiencies of school funding.

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ODE is also requesting an increase in per-student funding for the Regional Inclusive Services Program in the 2023-25 biennium for students experiencing disabilities. Based on a model that assumes increased funding per student, the budget applies a 3.02% growth to restore the program to the level of funding per student in the 2009-11 biennium, the funding required for the 2023-25 year is $87,317,035. Funding for disabled student has dropped continuously for 10 years as student count increased. The 2021-23 budget starts a trend upward back to the 2017-19 level of $2,866 per student. The increase only pays for caseload increases and standard inflation. If SB 575 passes, permitting every disabled student a full day of classroom teaching by qualified teachers, the school board will be faced with a shortage of funds, extra teaching staff, and classrooms.

A one-time $500,000 General Fund appropriation was approved last session for a study of the impact of State School Fund spending, and to determine if this spending pattern results in disparities between students who are black, indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) and those who are not BIPOC students. However, the Statewide Report Card 2021-22 does not support special treatment or spending for any race or ethnic group over another. Most all the groups’ achievement rates were affected equally by the pandemic, and only the economically disadvantaged showed an increase displaying their resilience. When only one group (Asians) perform above 50 percent, it is clear education is in a broad statewide crisis and separating funding for specific groups makes it more difficult for school board to dispense education equally.

Unions also impact the school budget mandating salary levels, and by supporting legislation that mandates infrastructure improvements, such as earthquake proof buildings, water purification, air quality systems, and smaller class sizes requiring more classrooms. These expenses along with building maintenance may come partially from grant money that comes from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program (OSCIM). This money for districts actually increases each year if not used. It is dangled like bait to incentivize local school districts to raise taxes on property owners. Voters should also be wary of being on the hook for 20-30 years for upkeep and maintenance of abandoned, empty school buildings. Progressive school administrators continually suggest such taxes are an “investment” in the communities. Informed citizens know investments return money to investors, and it is something school boards must be savvy about.

If parents succeed in passing school choice, money will follow students not government facilities. Budgets may have further limitations on school districts that will affect the success of all students. Every time the state mandates expensive and time-consuming tasks on schools that are already trying to function with limited resources, it affects the success of all students. School boards play a vital role in managing obligations for success of the school district.

Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project lists the candidates and those responding to the survey on their website.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-04-21 15:09:29

Last Update: 2023-04-28 15:48:15