A local New Hampshire Public School system has a problem—they all have issues—but this one is $800,000 over budget. The not-so-superintendent, William Rearick, says revenue projections were inaccurate, and now the School Board is drafting a list of things the district will have to do without.
It sounds exactly like how Democrats run state government: They overestimate revenues on purpose, spend them, and then cry about the need to ensure “essential services” (new government growth) as an excuse to raise taxes to cover any deficit. At the state level, the number is more likely to be in the millions or hundreds of millions.
The Auburn school district blew its budget by $800,000, and while I’m not familiar with how woke this district is, it should begin cuts with SAU and school admin overhead. The Board, however, is telling taxpayers something else.
Money for field trips, school bus transportation, classroom supplies and spring sports are on hold.
“Coach stipends, field upkeep, any additional equipment, refs, all those expenses, just to run the spring sports program, those will not be able to be funded,” said school board member Janice Baker.
Except for classroom supplies, little of this has anything to do with a school’s core purpose—those things we are meant to cherish. Kids who can’t read to grade level—whatever that means these days—should be the priority. Given how poorly most schools do, anything, sports, music, and whatever else should be on the cutting block until kids can read to grade level as required by law.
Recently, I was having a conversation in which I had occasion to bring up RSA 193-H:2, which says:
Schools shall ensure that all pupils are performing at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment as established in RSA 193-C.
Note that it says shall ensure, not shall try, or shall hope.
Note that it says all pupils, not just some of them — the ones who don’t have special needs or suffer from test anxiety.
There is no need to look, peeps; Auburn is violating that law and is $800,000.00 over budget. Taxpayers might want to have a word about more than just cuts to things like stipends, field upkeep, and refs.
Have a word with the union and staff about compensation. Until all the kids can read and do math to grade level, no one gets better pay or benefits. Staff cuts seem like a good idea. Figure out what’s holding you back and fix it. If you don’t like that, take your ed degree or Masters someplace else (it’s not like it helped kids learn to read).
Auburn can probably find some stay-at-home moms and dads who will do better for a fraction of the cost.
Or, perhaps Auburn needs to outsource the business of teaching kids. The Board could solve the $800,000.00 shortfall by replacing the entire SAU with a private Education vendor. With all the money saved, you can start a local sports program that not-so-superintendents and school boards can’t cut when they get the revenue projections wrong.
You’ll get kids who can not only read but teach themselves and who want to learn.
You might also have enough money left in the pockets of “the community” to start private CRT, SEL, BLM, or Grooming clubs outside the schools (seriously, try to start one). No kids will attend, which tells taxpayers something about why schools can’t teach kids to read and what needs to change: the school board, administration, and curriculum. Maybe a handful of teachers, but most will embrace the focus on academics.
None of those things can or will happen unless taxpayers make it so. You will have to wade through the gauntlet of the education Industrial Complex and its intolerable zombie warriors, but you have this on your side. No matter what they throw at you, kids can’t read. How are they supposed to enjoy the grooming lit in the library if they can’t read?
