Last year, the New Hampshire government promised its cities and towns that if they passed all-day Kindergarten, it would help cover a larger portion of the per-pupil costs. I was pretty leery of this plan, since most government subsidies (gimmes) eventually fade away, leaving the subsidizee holding the bag (think Federal Special Education grants).
The kicker is that the State banked on the newly-passed Keno gaming program to fund their contribution. And the success of Keno hinges upon two things: 1) Towns approving it to be played in their community and 2) People actually playing it.
Well, Keno isn’t shaping up to be what the government hoped and promised. I’m shocked, I tell you! (was I the only one who saw this risk coming at us like a freight train?)
According to NHPR, “In August (2018), Keno sales hit $11.7 million. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre says that after overhead and prize costs, 17 to 18 cents of every keno dollar ends up going to school districts. That leaves about $2 million so far this fiscal year for kindergarten programs, far below the $12 million in Keno revenue anticipated by the state.”
And the figures being reported today aren’t much better.
This means that instead of receiving a possible maximum $1,800 of additional State Aid per full-time Kindergarten student, towns will likely receive only the minimum $1,100 subsidy. Budget accordingly.
So, was your town duped into this “Keno-Garten schema? If it was, your taxes may be going up soon. If it wasn’t, you might want to starting fighting it.
Government always works off these supposed good intentions, which are usually based on shaky, emotional foundations. Would you be on board if they decided to use Horse Racing as the means? Probably not. But for some reason, plenty of people felt that Keno was a responsible and reliable source of revenue, despite the many variables built into the equation.
Maybe when the economy crashes, more people will play Keno and this revenue will go up. But then again, if the economy crashes, all-day Kindergarten will be the last thing you’ll want to pay extra for.
When will we ever learn?
Photo credit: Paige Sutherland/NHPR