Urban schools lose out on aid
A revised funding formula for 2012-13 will shift money to rural districts, with Portland taking the biggest hit of all.
By Tom Bell tbell@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer
MaineToday Media State House Writer
and Leslie Bridgers lbridgers@pressherald.com
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
The school funding bill that Gov. Paul LePage signed into law this week will deliver more state money to many of Maine's rural school districts, at the expense of urban and suburban districts in southern and midcoast Maine.
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General purpose aid for local schoolsIn total, $6.3 million in state funds will be shifted. Although much of the shift will benefit districts in northern and eastern Maine, one of the biggest winners is in Cumberland County, as is one of the biggest losers.
Maine's largest school district, Portland, will lose out on the most aid under the funding changes, while School Administrative District 61 -- Casco, Sebago, Bridgton and Naples -- will gain the most.
Supporters of the changes say they are a small step toward restoring fairness to a funding model that benefited larger districts. The model, called Essential Programs and Services, uses complex calculations to allocate state aid on "rational" benchmarks rather than simply giving districts money based on how much they spent the previous year. The model was instituted in 2004.
Under the new law, the formula for allocating state education money is changed by:
• Removing a provision that subjects state reimbursement for school personnel benefits to the labor market index.
• Adding a provision allowing a 10 percent increase in the staffing ratio for school districts with fewer than 1,200 students.
• Giving more money to districts that have many students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches yet have high property values.
SAD 61, whose rural towns have extensive lakefront property, is an example of a district that will benefit from the changes.
read the complete story @ http://www.pressherald.com/news/urban-schools-lose-out-on-aid_2011-07-08.html
I believe Arundel is one of those towns also that will benefit.
ReplyDeleteRSU 21, not Arundel only. Remember, Arundel is part of RSU 21. There was a spreadsheet that was part of the article on PPH; RSU 21 is listed as a recipient. (2)
ReplyDeleteYup, you are right, but, if Arundel decides to withdraw, it would directly go to Arundel.
ReplyDeleteAll of this is ridiculously silly. You people keep on fighting about everything and everything about schools. The voters spoke, and it is what it is. Stop the divide in the town, and end it now. It really isn't a matter of which school is better, some are satisfied at TAMS, and others like MSK. There are many things for everyone to pick on each of them about, and it is all petty. Lets move on!
ReplyDeleteAll of this is ridiculously silly. You people keep on fighting about everything and everything about schools. The voters spoke, and it is what it is. Stop the divide in the town, and end it now. It really isn't a matter of which school is better, some are satisfied at TAMS, and others like MSK. There are many things for everyone to pick on each of them about, and it is all petty. Lets move on!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, it absolutely is a matter of which school is better. For those of you dumping your money into a school at which you have no say in how it's spent, would you hand over 7,400 to a stranger and trust that they're going to invest it wisely?
ReplyDeleteIf so, you can get out your checkbooks and write a few out to this Anonymous poster.
MLD's scores are *better* than TAMS. That means your children are *not* progressing. You might be okay with that, but I wouldn't be, *especially* in light of the fact that my tax money goes to them, and I have no representation there, or any input as to what that money is spent on there. (2)
Point is the voters spoke, and nobody is letting it go. Move on.
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely do, you could attend any of the meetings, and any requests by parents that have been made the school follows through with them.
ReplyDeleteHere is RSU 21's "real" district report card.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/reportcard/1011nrc/3167/DisNCLB3167.pdf
Please visit the website, to get the real data, as on the education news page someone posted some incorrect information about MSK.
I check out that website provided about the "real MSK" report card and it's the same exemplary scores as reported by the MEA scores. The majority of the students are at a level 4 or 3. The same can not be said at TAMS. Maybe this is why they are not recorded on this reportcard site or the AYP . That needs to change. Another anonymous writer said all requests brought to TAMS are honored, well I'm going test thR by requesting delft are scores and AYP scores. I'll let you know how that goes!
ReplyDeleteActually, myself as well as a few other people I know have requested more rigorous math program and have been denied or put off. One person was actually told that they have to teach to the lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteTAMS does some great things, yes, no doubt about it, I won't say it doesn't but I think that to think that Arundel has any say is inaccurate at best. My experience was that if you weren't one of the chosen ones, or a big donor you didn't get listened to at all. Money talks there. Its not that it is all bad, but I think that in all honesty that isn't an Arundel school, and it doesn't act like it is no matter how much we want to believe that it does.
If it were Arundels school then they would certainly allow students to move to MSK.
ReplyDeleteThe opportunity to allow students to attend MSK was dealt with via vote, it was turned down by vote. MOVE ON!
ReplyDeleteI've got to say, I'm pretty tired of hearing 'move on'. Arundel residents are angry with the Board over the consolidation process. Arundel residents feel that they're not being listened to. Arundel residents have isolated themselves, and created a great rift in our community because of their anger. And you want those parents who'd like choice for their children to 'move on'?!
ReplyDeleteHow about bringing yourself to the table when it comes to community and district matters? The voting numbers CLEARLY show that Arundel isn't interested in its own town business, let alone the district. Yet, those parents whose children are forced to attend a sub-par school are being told 'move on'.
Those parents were INVOLVED in the process. They asked people to compare information, they got people to vote. Yes. The contract was voted down. But the point is, they did their duties as residents of the town and district.
Did you? If not you, *who* did? Because less than 30% of all voting residents showed up at either of the last two major school district votes. And far less than that were present for the town budget vote.
The crux of the matter with regard to the TAMS contract is that it is not a legal contract. It directly conflicts with Maine statute, something that our Commissioner of Education wrote a six page report on prior to his appointment, and prior to the school consolidation.
This is not about being angry about the voters having spoken. There is a fundamental issue at hand, and it needs to be addressed by the town of Arundel, the school district, and TAMS.
Paying tuition to attend an in-district school doesn't happen anywhere else. How would you feel if, after consolidation, all Arundel children were educated in the Kennebunk schools, but if you wanted them to attend MLD because it was convenient/closer/you liked that school better, you were told you could pay $8200/year?
Further, how would you feel if you researched Maine statute and found that there was no legal or legitimate reason for your child to be unable to attend MLD, OR to pay tuition, given it's a public school in-district?
Would that make any sense to you? Likely not.
I'm afraid you're going to continue to hear about the TAMS contract until the issue is resolved. Both TAMS and the School Board should be aware of it, as well. There is a legal basis for continuing to pursue it, and no matter how much you feel that everyone should have to follow along because of a monopolistic, exclusionary contract, it just isn't so.
So, I will counter your 'move on' with 'why don't you do the same, and try doing it without pulling out of the RSU?' (2)
If the residents felt strong enough about voting for the buy-out they would have done so, just as much as those who didn't want it bought out would have. Democracy was working, and has worked, and the majority of Arundel has spoke. The contract is legal, and is binding, and it is that point a small few refuse to listen to and want to adhere to. RSU 21 has been less than nice to Arundel, and some see it as withdrawing is the answer. I'd like to wait and see what the financial numbers are before doing so. Lessons have been learned with consolidation, and some that should have been learned a long time ago. It would be irresponsible of the Town of Arundel to not look into other options, especially where voting results, and surveys tell otherwise.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you put a nice spin on all the drama that is going on in this town. The contract is a contract, the voters spoke, and it is final, whether or not I like it or not. RSU 21 doesn't stop children from Arundel attending Consolidated School, Sea Road, ML Day, KHS, or KES, and is only held to the legal and binding contract with TAMS. SPIN, SPIN, SPIN. Additionally, the State of Maine would not have mandated "Middle School Choice", if it were not for that contract. Prior to consolidation, you had to send students to TAMS anyway, and nobody complained until recently. So really, this is all silly spin.
Maybe you all should be asking why RSU 21 will not allow some students from MSK to attend TAMS? Where is the fareness in all of this?
Those who don't want to hear options, see numbers, projections etc., will walk through this with closed eyes.
So I will counter your "why don't you do the same", with the "willingness and the ability to learn, and to make an informed educated decision."
RSU21 is not looking to send kids out of district becasue it does not make finiancial sense. School choice costs more $$ than being in district. The results of the numbers crunching make that very clear. In fact, that is why the district could take in students at MSK and still afford to pay tuition to TA until this contract runs it course.
ReplyDeleteSpin Spin Spin... If you percieved something to be better than what you have now, and there was a reasonable, legal soloution to obtain it, would you say forget it, becasue others locked you into something you percieved as being less?