Small, Rural Schools Hammered Again

   Memorial Day 2017 is on Monday, May 29 this year - and is a time to remember those that have given their lives in defense of freedom and our American way of life. Our American soldiers who died on the battlefield were truly committed, not just dedicated to America... for the difference between commitment to a cause and dedication is the difference between life and death. I'm sure that many Americans know friends, relatives, and ancestors, who "gave everything" in protection of our country - the greatest country the world has ever known, and so it is that we remember those who sacrificed life itself, not just on Monday, but every day of the year.
   Senate Bill 859, the motor vehicle revenue re-distribution bill, is just one more effort the corporatists at the capitol are making to eliminate our small (less than 500 students) rural public schools. SB 859 will move motor vehicle revenue from state-dedicated revenue apportioned to schools as a state aid chargeable to state-appropriated revenue... as part of the state aid funding formula. It will also redistribute $7 million of state funding from schools receiving none or very little state aid - to schools which already receive a large amount of state aid. Once again, the corporatist legislature is "robbing Peter to pay Paul". Under the bill, 53 small rural schools and 2 larger rural schools will lose student funding, while 472 larger urban and suburban schools will receive more student funding. All corporately managed charter and virtual charter schools will receive more state funding under SB 859.
   Many school financial experts believe there are four reasons the corporatist lawmakers are supporting this bill. First and foremost, the corporatists want to receive credit for increasing appropriations to schools. Currently, motor vehicle revenue is not allocated by the state legislature, so it gets no credit for providing motor vehicle revenue to schools. Corporatists desperately want credit. Secondly, corporate lawmakers want to provide more money (remember, it's what they do..) to corporately managed charter schools. Corporate charter schools have never received motor vehicle revenue. Thirdly, corporate lawmakers continue their quest to snuff out our small rural schools by taking their student funding - or "robbing Peter (small rural schools) to pay Paul (corporately managed charter schools). A fourth reason for SB 859 is to "divide and conquer" all public schools. The corporatists at the capitol believe if they can force public schools to turn on each other (many larger schools will see an increase in state funding), they will be much easier to destroy from within. Please pay attention to how each lawmaker votes on this bill, as it will help illuminate who the corporatists are at the capitol...