Today, April 12, 2017, marks the 4th state aid cut for our public schools since January. Our Oklahoma public school students and teachers have never, during the last 110 years, received a beating such as they are experiencing this year. The notice from the Oklahoma State Department of Education reads: Based on available funds, the State Aid formula payment for the month of April will be paid at the cumulative amount of 79% instead of the scheduled 81% of the current adjusted allocation... The cash flow shortage of $36.3 million for the April payment supersedes the $18.9 million for the March payment.
For Blanchard Public Schools, after receiving January cuts of $30,000, February - $57,000, March - $59,398, and now April - $114,229, we have accumulated a total of $260,627 in state aid cuts since January 1st, 2017. With two (May and June) state aid payments yet to be collected, at this rate of reductions, we stand to lose $489,085 by year's end. However, if the bleeding doesn't stop, and the cuts accelerate exponentially as they have over the previous months - we could lose almost $1 million by year's end. The State Legislature has not even drafted next year's school budget yet, but with an almost $1 billion budget hole to fill, it is very likely that our public schools will sustain more cuts.
As I reflect on our public school funding battles in Oklahoma over the past several years, whether they are over low teacher pay or low student funding, they remind me of a phrase attributed to the Oglala Lakota chief Low Dog in 1881 - This is a good day to die. To me, this means that "one should not live with any regrets, or tasks left undone". It means that we should continue to fight the good fight for appropriate public school funding, even though we may lose in the end. Many colleagues and I intend to do just that...
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