Letters to the editor

Tough decisions await education funding

Funding our educational system is a routine that all of us have become accustomed to as part of life. We don't necessarily agree with a tax levy every year but we do understand the need. The problem is that our real property taxes continue to escalate. Many of us begin to wonder how much more we can absorb in taxes before we throw in the towel.

I believe that we must address this issue with determination and willingness to make the necessary decisions to improve control over funding and spending.

We might start with the Legislature impacting on the Land Board to review the revenue-producing policies of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to assure optimal results and reviewing our educational infrastructure and administration costs. In addition, we might encourage the consolidation of districts to save central administration costs. This could be done without closing any schools while saving money on central administration functions such as payroll, bidding, purchasing, contracts, transportation, food service, salary negotiations, building maintenance, bond levies and many more possibilities. Linking these functions would free up money to address disparate salary schedules and health insurance benefits as well as classroom need. The Legislature needs to reconfigure the basic funding philosophy regarding large vs. small school enrollments. Let's apportion the dollars where they are needed most.

We have a school system that is second to none in the state. However, we must always strive for excellence in providing the best curriculum possible for our students; sometimes stressing the 3R's even more emphatically. I have worked with the Whitefish school system in judging and testing capacity and I have nothing but high marks overall for the students and faculty. They deserve support from the entire community. I am for promoting local control and oppose unfunded mandates.

Bill Beck, Whitefish

Candidate for House District 4