We have entered the second quarter of the school year. Fall sports are winding down, along with the fall play, and winter sports are getting started. I am excited to see our students continuing to excel in the classroom and in all their activities. The fall weather in our area has been amazing this year. We experienced a dry spell that never interrupted the harvest. Thankfully, we have recently started to get some much-needed precipitation, and most of it has not been in the form of snow.
During the past legislative session, several measures were passed that have impacted and will continue to impact our schools. The state government passes mandates that need to be implemented in our schools. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but when we are asked to implement these mandates without proper funding, they are referred to as unfunded mandates.
Unfunded mandates put a strain on our budget and create a situation where we need to cut other expenses to pay for them. There was significant media coverage about the record funding provided to schools in the past legislative session. However, much of that money does not cover the full cost of implementing the mandates.
It's like going to the grocery store and having someone give you five dollars, but then making you purchase $20 worth of extra groceries that you didn't plan on buying. Sure, you might like having those additional items, but if you had a choice, you would have likely spent your money on things that better serve your needs. This is why local control is so important - it allows us to choose how we use our resources.
School districts receive the majority of their funding from the state. The largest portion of this funding comes from the basic general education formula. The formula has not kept up with inflation, resulting in school districts receiving $1,356 or 18.6% less per student than we did 20 years ago.
Please reach out to me with any questions you may have regarding our school district. You can email me at schlich@triton.k12.mn.us or call me at 507-418-7530 to reach me at the district office. I would be happy to set up a time to meet with you or your organization. Communication is an important part of my job responsibility, and I welcome the opportunity to gain insight from your perspective.
Go Cobras!
#WeAreTriton
