Getting the facts straight about school funding cuts

On Sunday, March 14th, the Sun Journal printed a poorly researched and misleading editorial blasting the Maine Education Association (MEA) for a legislative reception I attended. The editorial (“It’s not anti-education to be budget-conscious”) was full of inaccuracies, some of which I dispel below.

After reading the editorial I was left with one central question: Did the Sun Journal reporter attend the same event I attended? One got the impression that the MEA hauled in legislators and handcuffed us to the tables until we agreed to raise taxes. That was certainly not the case.

Instead, I was invited by my constituents to discuss first-hand how the proposed cuts to education are affecting the schools in my district. These teachers have taught my children. They have volunteered in the community. They are educating the adults of the future. And above all, they are my friends.

By the way, this is no different than the press associations or the League of Conservation Voters getting together to discuss their agendas and pending legislation with legislators. I attended the event because I was asked to do so by teachers who live in my district, not because an MEA staffer browbeat me to be there.

The editorial’s author used words such as “pressure.” The only pressure I felt was to find solutions to help our students and teachers reach their maximum potential. Hearing directly from them gave me great insight into how Augusta’s actions directly impact the schools. I appreciated the MEA reception because it gave me more time to listen to them and understand that cutting the state’s commitment to public education will affect the education of our children. Part of the program was to suggest that the Legislature consider raising revenues. But to claim that this was a focus of the night is a misrepresentation of the evening.

Many communities deeply value their public schools; and when parents and property owners learn of the cuts coming their way because of the Legislature’s failure to fund public education, they will have to make some very difficult decisions about property tax increases. Around the state, districts are contemplating cuts to music programs, athletic programs, art programs, foreign language instruction, programs for the gifted and talented, and many more. The failure to fund public education appropriately leaves the local school districts with two unappealing choices: They can raise property taxes to maintain programs and jobs or hold property taxes steady and cut programs for students.

The impact of shifting the burden from the state to local taxpayers is compounded because the Legislature never fully implemented the will of the voters. In 2004, Mainers approved a ballot measure requiring the Legislature to fund public education’s Essential Programs and Services at 55 percent. Despite increasing funding by hundreds of millions of dollars, the Legislature never fully met this obligation, although it did reach 53 percent before dropping back

The MEA suggested we consider raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol or consider a temporary one-cent increase in the sales tax, in order to restore education funding and alleviate the need to further burden property owners.

The teachers at my table offered other ideas. For example, what educational mandates have been suggested to be eliminated by the Department of Education (DOE)? (None of any substance.) Has the DOE suggested any ways to streamline itself? (Not to this date.) Has the department suggested any moves to reorganize how the students from the unorganized territories are handled? (Not yet.)

The MEA is a large organization representing nearly 25,000 teachers in the state. It provides a central, organized program to protect one of our state’s most valuable resources – the education of our children. If the MEA wasn’t organizing teachers, parents, community leaders and others and helping them develop a concerted plan to protect school funding, an important voice would be lost.

Individual schools would be left to their own devices; and parents would be left screaming at their local school boards, who have limited ability to augment public education funding beyond raising local property taxes. I for one am glad we have the MEA bringing together teachers, parents and community leaders to protect every penny dedicated to public schools.

In recent months I have found myself agreeing with many of your editorials. I am afraid this one is off the mark. Some of your readers may not fully understand the implications of cutting funding to our public schools. After meeting with constituents, my understanding has been reinforced.

State Rep. Tom Saviello (R-Wilton) serves on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee

###