They are threatening to cut kindergarten in Harrisburg, PA,....but here's the part you don't know:

[woo me with science]

http://kdka.com/wireapnewsfnpa/Rendell.s.efforts.2.1900644.html


Pa.'S Public Schools Sitting On $2.75 Billion
JAN MURPHY, The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ―

"Gov. Ed Rendell has made increasing investments in public schools his top priority.

But much of that money has wound up in public schools' rainy day funds.

Since Rendell came to Harrisburg, public schools have amassed $2.75 billion in reserve accounts. That figure has climbed 83 percent from Rendell's 2003 inauguration to June 30, 2009, according to the most recent data available from the state Department of Education.

Public schools ought to be draining those accounts before passing property tax increases on to homeowners, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman, R-Centre County.

"Clearly during this time, you shouldn't be raising taxes and putting money in reserve," said Corman, whose district includes Perry County. "I think that would be wrong if school districts are doing that."

Rendell's spokesman, Gary Tuma, said much of the additional money for schools was targeted to instructional programs and led to the academic gains that students have shown in recent years.

"While fund balances might have grown somewhat, there has still undeniably been a substantial increase in the amount of money that has gone directly to bettering educational quality and classroom performance," he said.

Public school advocates defend the financial cushions that many districts and schools have built up.

....

But Camp Hill School Board member Peter Regan said he thinks districts forget whose money it is they are sitting on."

(more at link)


............................................

This is dirty politics, threatening to cut services most important to families in order to gain support for school levies.

You see the same thing in Los Angeles, where schools are threatening to cut bus service, despite having just opened the most lavish and expensive school in the country, costing nearly 600 million dollars.

If there is a problem with allocation of funds, then remedy that. Don't hold kindergarten for ransom from families who are having trouble putting food on the table, because you cannot manage your billions (and growing) in reserve.

[virgogal]

1. The school cost $600 million,not billion.

[woo me with science]

2. Thanks for catching that typo.

That would've been a helluva school.


Fund balances growing 83 percent is a little more than "somewhat." I wish our savings would grow 83 percent in this economy.

[virgogal]

3. I'm great at catching typos since I make so many myself. n/t

[woo me with science]

6. LOL

Thanks again.

[sharp_stick]

4. That's still a pile of money

but I'm trying to imagine a 600 billion dollar school. Private Seqway or streth limo transportation, Alienware computers for all. Thomas Keller's French Laundry inspired cafeteria. School plays assisted by Industrial Light and Magic...

;-)

[woo me with science]

5. Space elevator for actual science labs on Mars. nt

[virgogal]

7. And solid gold plumbing.of course.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. What are those funds designated for?

Until I know for sure that these funds may be used to fund kindergarten, I'm not assuming the money is there.

School financing is very complex and the regulations placed on pots of money are draconian. A balance in an account does not mean all programs can be funded.

[woo me with science]

9. They are RESERVE funds. They are "rainy day" funds

that are being hoarded and not used for anything. Read the article.

And they have increased 83 percent in less than a decade, despite the economy we are in. That is WELL OVER A BILLION DOLLARS in ADDITIONAL money socked away just over the past few years. That's a pretty damned impressive build in savings in a short time, given the economy we are in.

Note: BILLIONS. Not millions. BILLIONS.

And they claim they cannot fund one district's kindergarten program unless already struggling families cough up a few more dollars? I don't think so.

That makes absolutely no sense at all.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Reserve funds are not always available to be spent in any way a district chooses

It's also possible to have reserve funds in separate pots.

My district had to go to court and then to the state legislature to get permission to dip into its reserve account.

[woo me with science]

12. That is an unrealistic excuse.

They have added well over a BILLION dollars to the reserve fund over the past six years. There is no way that rising costs and budgeting for kindergarten should come as a surprise to them.

To shake down struggling households by threatening to cut BASIC programs that mean the most to them, when you are socking away over a billion dollars in five years, shows at worst a willingness to engage in lying and extortion about budgets' being cut to the bone, or at best long-term, inexcusably incompetent budgeting.

If I had posted this story with regard to a charter school franchise, you would be raising holy hell. Let's be honest here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I'm not raising hell because we don't have all the facts

You also appear to have a poor understanding of how schools are financed.

Kindergarten is not a basic program. It isn't even required in many states. What are the PA laws regarding kindergarten? Maybe you should do a little research before freaking out.

[woo me with science]

14. People grow weary of being patted on the head

and told they just don't understand. Is this another instance in which I will be told I can't possibly contribute here, because I don't have a degree in pedagogy?

I'm sorry, but 2.5 billion dollars is more than enough "facts" to have an opinion on this.

You would never accept this excuse from private schools. You don't accept it from corporations. Do you have any idea how much 2.5 billion dollars is? Do you know how difficult it is to amass over a billion dollars in just five years, in this economy?

Public institutions must be responsible during recessions just like private ones. Everyone here is for full and generous funding of schools, but you have crossed a line when you are stuffing your pockets with billions during a recession and then extorting MORE money from families who cannot afford health insurance or food, by threatening to cut programs that should be a routine part of your budget.

It is wholly disingenuous to suggest that the community doesn't consider kindergarten (like buses in Los Angeles) to be a "basic" service. It may not be required, but you are most certainly aware that people put a very high value on it. If you weren't, you would not have posted your initial OP to get people all riled up and outraged about its being cut.

It is being held hostage now precisely because it is important to families - families who are struggling to put food on the table and have no idea that the schools have billions in reserve and have socked away OVER a billion dollars in just the past five years.

You know, it's important for representatives of public institutions to avoid arrogance and talk honestly to the people they serve. If there is an allocation problem, you fix that. You don't misrepresent the problem in order to bleed money from families who are already bleeding to death.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Again. All you have is what you THINK might be happening.

I tried to explain what I know first hand about school financing and you refuse to listen.

At least I tried. I'll go wash my hands now.

[Chemical Bill]

11. wow.

[woo me with science]

17. Wow indeed. nt

[HopeHoops]

15. There are two issues that aren't made clear here.

1) That money isn't for operational expenses. It is for emergency use and infrastructure improvement. Rendell has been good for the state, but he is not being honest by promoting the use of the reserve fund to fill in budget holes.

2) The state has no power to direct districts on how they allocate their funds. Only Mayor Thompson and the city council can direct the Harrisburg school district and even that is a difficult processes. For the most part, and on the vast majority of school matters, only the school board can make a decision like eliminating kindergarten. They've already eliminated a shitload of teaching positions, but I doubt they will get rid of kindergarten. Early education has repeatedly been shown to be the primary factor in success throughout primary and secondary grades. That means not only kindergarten, but Head Start as well.

[woo me with science]

16. No, they won't get rid of kindergarten.

It is a scare tactic, and that's what I object to.

The salient point for me is that the "emergency" fund has increased by over a billion dollars in just five years. Then you shake down families and tell them the budget is being cut to the bone.

That's just wrong.

[Luminous Animal]

18. Could you point out in the article where it states the amount in Harrisburg's reserve?

Because I can't find it. According to the article, some school districts have limited reserve funds. It seems that you are getting all lathered up over a rather low information report.

[woo me with science]

19. No, I am not getting "lathered up."

Can you explain to me why a state that has managed to build its reserve funds by well over a billion dollars within five years cannot manage to get enough money to a district to cover a kindergarten program?

And can you explain to me why the school, if it were honestly in this situation, would not scream loudly that the state is putting them in this position and demand accountability from THEM rather than misrepresenting the situation and extorting the families who are already struggling to support them?

I'm sorry, that argument does not wash.

[Luminous Animal]

20. The state isn't holding the money. Each district holds its own reserves the 2.5B...

figure comes from adding up each districts reserves.

Harrisburg's reserve is $2,761,202.00 ($328.68 for each of its 8401 students), a mere 2% of it's $137,000,000.00 education budget... not enough for a decent bond rating.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/09/school_district_reserve_funds.html

[woo me with science]

21. But you didn't answer my question.

Why on earth is the district in this position, when total reserves have increased by over a billion in less than six years, during a recession? That is almost a doubling of the RESERVE, and they are threatening to cut something that most people consider a basic service. You would not accept your own argument if you were talking about any other organization.

What was their reserve six years ago?

If it has nearly doubled, why is kindergarten being cut?

If it hasn't, what on earth is going on with budgeting in that district, or allocation by the state?

Again, I return to the point you don't seem to want to acknowledge. The total reserves have increased by more than a billion dollars in just six years, during a recession. If this district cannot fund KINDERGARTEN, there is something wrong with either budgeting or distribution from the state. Yes?

They will not cut kindergarten. They choose to threaten kindergarten, because it is important to families. Extortion is wrong, no matter who engages in it.

[Luminous Animal]

23. Districts started responsibly building up reserves in order to get favorable bond ratings.

Sufficient reserves result in lower interest rates and thus save districts money. Insufficient reserves (lower than 5%) is fiscally unsound.

Total reserves for the state reveal nothing about Harrisburg's ability to fund kindergarten and you've provided zero information proving that $2,761,202.00 is enough. Also, if they wipe out their entire reserves, they will have nothing for emergencies or for a favorable bond rating. A fiscally stupid move.

[woo me with science]

26. Why the sudden inability to fund kindergarten?

Where has the money gone? Building reserves should not come at the expense of basic services. Nearly doubling reserves within five years is hardly responsible if you are threatening basic services.

Something is still wrong with these numbers, and I think you would agree with me if this were not the education system we are talking about.

[Luminous Animal]

29. Again. You've provided no evidence that Harrisburg has doubled its reserves.

Zero. And yes, doubling reserves was the smart thing to do. When reserves were low, nonbinding guidelines were put in place to lower costs to the district for the long run. And while some district's reserves are excessive, the Harrisburg reserves are not.

[Luminous Animal]

25. You can't seem to understand that one district's reserves have nothing to do with

another district's reserves. The Harrisburg district can't rob the Central Dauphin district of any of its 12 million reserves. Similarly, my business cannot rob the reserves of my neighbor's business.

And again, total reserves may have doubled but this fact provides zero information about the growth (or depletion) of Harrisburg's reserves.

[woo me with science]

27. The money is allocated to the districts by the state, no?

Why have reserves doubled overall, and Harrisburg can't even provide kindergarten to its students? What is wrong in Harrisburg, when other districts are able to double their reserves? Is there a problem with how much Harrisburg receives?

[Luminous Animal]

30. No. Each district holds its own reserves.

Not all districts were able to double and some districts are in the negative. There are a few districts that hold 12-13 million in reserves but that tells us nothing in terms of percentage of operating budget.

[Hannah Bell]

33. no.

[woo me with science]

28. Also, just letting you know...

We have out of town company arriving in a few hours, so I probably will not be here to argue this further for a few days.

I do appreciate your cordial input, and I should have said that your comment about the bonds was a good one.

I still am convinced that the numbers don't add up.

I am arguing this topic not because I want to argue that schools are overfunded or any such nonsense. I am arguing it because I do not believe that *kindergarten* is actually threatened in this case. I believe that other things may be threatened, if the schools want to continue building reserves at the rates they are now. If kindergarten is truly on the chopping block, then IMO the schools should consider whether the RATE of increase in reserves they are trying to maintain is justified.

I dislike misrepresentation and bullying tactics, and I think this is what the school district is doing in this case. I think they would much further and generate more good will from families by being honest about what they are trying to do.

[Luminous Animal]

31. Have fun with your company! And thank you.

[HopeHoops]

22. Yet it is there for a reason. It doesn't arbitrarily increase and my district contributes as well.

It was never designed to be a supplement for operational budgets and it shouldn't be used for that. I'm all for a debate on reducing the yearly contribution as there appears to be a sufficient buffer at present, but that's not what Rendell is proposing. He's just wrong - plain and simple - wrong.

[woo me with science]

24. When billions are going into reserve over just a few years,

and you get to a point of cutting something as basic as kindergarten, there is a problem. Something is not adding up.

I don't actually believe that they can't pay for kindergarten. I think kindergarten was carefully chosen in order to force the public to support increased levies. I am actually in favor of more money to the schools, but I dislike bullying, and choosing kindergarten to threaten families strikes me as disingenuous.

[HopeHoops]

34. Oh yes, it is definitely a scare tactic.

Still, the fund itself isn't the problem, but I do think the rate at which it is fed should be cut. The current reserve is sufficient.