Lunch With The Optimist Club

Billy Smith and I appreciated the opportunity to talk with the Optimist Club today about Phase 2 of the Facilities Equalization Program.  Had some very good questions, good discussion, and great fellowship.  I deeply appreciate the many ways in which the Optimist Club serves young people in our community and the community as a whole.

School Board Legislative Positions

At its January 21 meeting, the School Board adopted the following legislative positions:

Funding for K-12 Education/Governor’s Education Proposals

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees strongly supports a complete overhaul of the funding structure for K-12 education in order to provide a predictable funding stream and equitable funding for the educational needs of all students, regardless of where they live.  The Board is appreciative of the Governor’s proposals to increase funding for education.  However, the Board believes that these proposals should be coordinated with other funding proposals that are under consideration to promote efficiency.

Rationale:  The current funding structure is a hodgepodge of exemptions, special legislation, local legislation, year-to-year provisos, and regional politics.  The proposed South Carolina Jobs, Education, and Tax Act (SC JET) provides a solid basis for reform.  This legislation would result in $600 million in tax relief for businesses.  Governor Haley’s proposals have merit, but should not be considered in isolation from other proposals. 

Base Student Cost

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees supports the restoration of Base Student Cost to the legally required level of $2,758 per student.

Rationale:  During the economic downturn, the General Assembly, by proviso, has reduced Base Student Cost to a current level of $2101, or about $657 below the level required by statute.  For Kershaw County, the lost funding amounts to approximately $5.7 million.  If the General Assembly met the legal requirement for Base Student Cost and this funding was restored, Kershaw County could restore class size, gifted programs, 4K programs, extracurricular programs, remedial programs, and many other areas to 2008 levels.

Funding for 4K Programs

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees supports state efforts to increase 4K programs.  However, if such programs are mandated and funded, funding needs to be based on actual costs, including for capital space requirements.  Further, if 4K programs are ultimately mandated and state budget cuts occur in the future, districts should not be forced to reduce other programs to continue mandated 4K programs.                                                                                                                                                                                               

Rationale:   The Kershaw County School District has absorbed budged cuts of over $30 million since 2008.  Staffing, programs, and services lost because of these cuts have not yet been fully restored.  Any mandated new programs must be fully funded so as not to drain resources from other critical needs. 

Public Subsidies for Private School Tuition (Vouchers/Tax Credits)

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees strongly opposes legislation that would directly or indirectly subsidize elementary or secondary private, religious, or home schools with public funds.

Rationale:  Proposed legislation in this area would drain $800 million more in funding from K-12 education over the next 13 years, beyond the immense cuts that have been absorbed since 2008.  Further, the proposed legislation lacks accountability for academic results at a level comparable to public schools and would allow non-public schools receiving the benefit of public funds to “pick and choose” its students.  Additionally, although the proponents of this legislation tout its benefits for economically disadvantaged students, the legislation contains no mechanism for tracking the degree to which these students are actually served and how they achieve academically in a way that can be accurately compared to public schools.  Further, little or no transparency would be required for private schools benefitting from public funds.

Repeal of Local Legislation – School Operating Millage

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees supports the repeal of local legislation requiring any increase in millage for school operations to be approved by Kershaw County Council.

Rationale:  Kershaw County Council has absolutely no constitutional or statutory authority for K-12 education.  Legal authority for K-12 education rests with the elected Board of School Trustees.  If citizens are ultimately displeased with tax rates for school operations or the way in which schools are operated, such displeasure can be expressed at the ballot box.  

Teacher Salary Scale

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees supports the restoration of a competitive statewide teacher salary scale and adequate funding to support its implementation.

Rationale:  Since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2008, the state teacher salary has significantly deteriorated because of salary freezes districts were permitted to implement because of significant state funding cuts.  It is estimated that the cost to restore the system is in the neighborhood of $1200 million.  Because of local spending caps in place because of Act 388 and in light of Kershaw County Council’s reticence to support any increase in local funding, any effort to restore the scale would need to be funded by the state.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Elimination of Minimum Staffing Standards

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees opposes the elimination of minimum staffing standards for class sizes, teacher workloads, librarians, principals, and guidance counselors.

Rationale:  Maximum class sizes of 35, having a full-time principal in schools above 250 students, maximum student loads of 240 students in PE and 150 students in other subjects, and having a full-time guidance counselor in schools of over 500 students are not particularly generous standards.  Elimination of minimum standards places fiscally dependent districts especially in the position of having their budgets reduced because there are no minimum standards.  If flexibility is the goal, it would be far preferable for there to be a reasonable waiver process that allows school districts to seek relief from standards for a bona fide educational reason or innovative program.      

Adult Education

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees believes that Adult Education should remain a part of local school districts and not be transferred to the technical colleges. 

Rationale:  Public school districts can provide more convenient access to GED and other adult programs than technical colleges are able to do.  Further, innovative partnerships involving adult education and high schools, such as the one that has been implemented in Kershaw County, are facilitated by having adult education provided within the public school district. 

Teacher and Administrator Evaluation

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees does not support teacher and administrator evaluation system that places the majority of weight on standardized test scores.

Rationale:  Standardized test scores by themselves are not an accurate measure of teacher and administrator quality or performance.  Teacher and administrator evaluation should be based on multiple criteria and be both valid and reliable if used for employment decisions.  The primary function of an evaluation structure should be improving professional performance and capacity. 

Restrictions on School District Calendars

Position:  The Kershaw County Board of School Trustees supports the end of state restrictions on when the school year can begin. 

Rationale:  The current state law that does not permit a school district to start school until the third Monday in August is at the very least counter-productive from an instructional standpoint because it does not allow for maximum instructional time before state testing.  It also prevents a district from finishing first semester by Christmas, which makes a great deal of sense instructionally. Local school districts should have the latitude to work with communities to develop school year calendars that meet the needs and preferences of a local community.

Teacher Forum Honors School Board

Thanks to Teacher Forum for recognizing our School Board members and their spouses in honor of “School Board Appreciation Month.”  Everyone enjoyed being able to have dinner before the regular Board meeting.  I’ve said this many times and in many settings, but I think it always bears repeating.  I sincerely believe that serving on a school board is the most challenging of all local public offices because this work impacts our most precious possession, our children.  Our community, our state, and our country are truly blessed to have people that are willing to take on this difficult role.