Despite Model Budget Management, District 196 Forced to Borrow Money

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Up to this point, District 196 has been able to avoid dipping into credit, but after nearly a decade of gimmicks and IOUs from the state, the district has been forced to join other school districts trying to plug shortfalls in funding with borrowed money.

Since 2002, the education system has been plagued with state legislative funding games on education, all under the guise of an austerity program that says we have to "live within our means."

Except education isn't going to stand still if it is to strive for excellence. Populations shift, technologies need to be upgraded, and new standards must be met. Funding has to increase to meet new challenges -- yet our state legislature continues to look backward. Expecting our districts to move forward on budgets of the past.

District 196 has been a model  for getting the most from what they receive. They have achieved extraordinary results from the budgetary balance sheets they have  been offered. But at some point, they have to get more help from state government. The citizens of Minnesota, and their duly elected representatives, need to give education the priority it deserves. After all, this is one of our Constitutional mandates.

Having to borrow money to meet the budgetary needs of our schools is counterproductive for budget austerity. Borrowing money on state IOUs or future funding costs money in interest charges and costs for applications. It forces more choices or delays in programs that can improve student curriculum.

If District 196 is forced into this situation with their model budget management, then we know that districts across the state are dealing with even more borrowing issues. I hope that our legislature is taking note of the costly results of pushing state budget woes onto the backs of school districts and city management throughout the state.

We have to do better.

-Dave Mindeman