Berwyn Schools

[berwyn senator]

Ok! raise our taxes! schools will do better! Is money really the answer?

[markberwyn]

Tell us more about the research you've done to come to this conclusion. What's the most insightful article you've read on the subject of school funding and performance?

[markberwyn]

Last year NPR put together an interesting three-part series on public-school funding that I would commend to anybody who has a serious, non-kneejerk interest in the issue:

https://www.npr.org/series/473636949/schoolmoney

[Ted]

Ok! raise our taxes! schools will do better! Is money really the answer?

If you are referring to D100 and the tax referendum, D100 was in dire straits.  School districts were not getting money from the state and D100 was above its borrowing limit.  The district was required to do a working cash bond (which I have said is sort of like a pay day loan) to just keep the district open.  Given what was going on in Springfield and given the increase in enrollments over the last 5 years and given the financial situation the district was in, it was better financially to have the tax increase rather than keep paying more and more interest on debt.

Would you rather have your taxes increase with the explicit approval of the voters or would you rather have your taxes increase with paying more interest on debt, which in the case of the working cash bond means less money for education?

  If you are referring to District 98, District 98 has no debt, has a balanced budget and has not increased its taxes above the cost of living for decades, despite also seeing increasing enrollments.

[berwyn senator]

Why is amazing is how does a district 100 get itself into this situation? When district 98 is doing fine? I would have to guess the tax payer has always bailed them out. I wonder why district 100 doesn't monitor district 98  to see what they are doing better! Could this be a situation of egos or political nonsense?

[markberwyn]

District 98 isn't "doing fine":

http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getReport.aspx?year=2017&code=060160980_e.pdf

[Ted]

Why is amazing is how does a district 100 get itself into this situation? When district 98 is doing fine? I would have to guess the tax payer has always bailed them out. I wonder why district 100 doesn't monitor district 98  to see what they are doing better! Could this be a situation of egos or political nonsense?

D98 was getting $1500 more per student from the state than D100.  That's a $4 million dollar difference.

  In addition, D98 had a tax rate that was 20% higher than D100 (before the referendum). That's another $2 million dollar difference.

  In short, D98 had more money per pupil than D100. If D100 had the same money from the state and the same tax rate, they would have had $6 million dollars more. On a budget of around $45 million, that is an increase of around 13%.

  The state has changed the funding formula and the tax rate has now increased to be above the D98 tax rate.

  D98 has had better test scores than D100 since the state changed the testing model.

[berwyn senator]

Maybe we need a Democrat for governor?

[markberwyn]

You claim a fine education, Senator---what's the best article or book you've read about politics and education policy?

[markberwyn]

Actually, I would be interested to hear about *any* book admired by Berwyn Senator, BTF's champion of the importance of reading.

[markberwyn]

Perhaps just the author and title of a book that Berwyn Senator has heard of and might wish to read someday?

[berwyn senator]

Only one left on BTF and we wonder why all have left.

[chandasz]

Folks have left because Facebook is an easier platform to use

[markberwyn]

I'd also credit the lack of substantive discussion about the issues raised. Ted and I have pointed to thoughtful and cogent analyses about the relevant issues on this thread, but all B.S. has offered is "lowuh muh taxes!" bluster. Which is why I have pressed him, as a man who claims a high-quality education and advanced degree, to step up his game and prove he's qualified to discuss the subjects he's complaining about.

[markberwyn]

To quote B.S., I hope all can understand why Trump won.

[berwyn senator]

"Go Trump"

[markberwyn]

"Go Trump"

Behold, BTF's fiercest scold about the value of education and importance of reading. What's your favorite book of political philosophy, senator? Did you read it before or after you earned your master's degree?

[berwyn senator]

Why are you so noisy?

[markberwyn]

"Noisy"? I'm just trying to understand where you get your wisdom from. It can't just be people you talk to, because as a well-educated man you understand that creates an echo-chamber problem. So what research do you do to come to your conclusions about school funding? Links would be helpful, as would the authors and titles of the books and articles you've read.

[markberwyn]

And that concludes another episode of "Berwyn Senator Has Ideas About Things." Tune in next time, when B.S. performs a little applied sociology based on something he saw the other day at "the store."