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For Immediate Release -  May 23, 2003

Lipman, Vandeveer, Bachmann & LeClair vote to cut Area Schools;

Otto holds firm

(ST PAUL)  Stillwater Area Schools will lose $749,488 from their current level of funding in fiscal year ‘05, Mahtomedi Schools will lose an as yet undetermined amounts, and Forest Lake Area Schools will lose $894,304 under the K-12 Education Financing bill that passed the House and Senate last night and is expected to be signed by the Governor today. The bill passed by a very narrow margin of 68-61 in the house and 34-33 in the Senate, with several Republican house members voting against it. Rep Rebecca Otto (D - May Township) was alone among area legislators in voting against the bill while Reps Vandeveer and Lipman and Senators Bachmann and LeClair all voted for it.

“This is a bad bill that will hurt our local schools and drive up our property taxes,” said Otto outside the house floor, “which is why so many Republican legislators broke ranks to vote against it. The problem is our teacher health insurance rates are skyrocketing by 15%-20% per year, like everyone else’s. Special education, which is mandated by the federal government, is increasing by 6%-8% per year. And yet this bill not only fails to provide for this, it cuts area schools even further. These costs will continue to rise, as will energy costs, and so these cuts can’t help but affect the classroom. We can’t legislate away reality, as much as my fellow legislators would like to. ”

Otto said in a recent survey residents of her district listed K-12 education as the number one area to protect from any cuts. “This bill will undo much of the benefit the recent levies provided, in effect robbing cash from local property tax payers who thought their money would be going to meet the needs of local schools and instead using it to fill the state’s budget gap.” All of her fellow area legislators, she pointed out, “sat at forums last year and pledged their commitment to protecting area schools. Area residents should be asking some hard questions.”

Rep Alice Seagren, Bloomington, Republican chair of the House Education finance committee, lauded the bill because it provides many districts with the ability to levy to meet more of their financial obligations, but Otto disagreed that this is a good thing. “It is a terrible waste of community resources to have to raise tens of thousands of dollars from local businesses and individuals, and to marshal thousands of hours of volunteer time once every year or two, just to pass a levy to get basic funding for our kids’ education,” she said. “I know. I’ve done it. It’s bad for our schools and it’s bad for our communities. Part of fiscal responsibility is honoring your financial commitments,” she said. “Our families have to pay their bills. The state should have to honor its commitments too. There’s no excuse, there really isn’t. Education is the number one driver of our economy, and our kids deserve better.”