Convince Me Why The Schools Need More Money - And Response

  • Sunday, May 17, 2015

Today, Roy Exum pleads a case of financial woes for Hamilton County Schools. He may be very well correct in that the schools need additional funding. And I would be willing to stop fighting against a raise in property taxes to help, if someone can explain to me how the state funds Hamilton County public schools with more money per capita than many private, parochial and Montessori schools require for tuition. 

I am not-at-all convinced that the state’s funding isn’t already enough and the manner in which it is spent isn’t grievously misdirected. Salaries of administration personnel barely falls short of the additional funds requested. How many schools are under-utilized and need consolidation? 

There’s hardly a day goes by when I don’t see countless school buses in front of cinema complexes for the purpose of a “movie field trip.” Does Hamilton County schools fund these trips. Do parents dole out movie entry fees? What about those students whose parents cannot or will not pay for these excesses? Is this one of the reasons my property taxes may go up?  Am I being asked to fund theatrical extravaganzas so teachers don’t have to teach half a day? I see school buses in front of Rock City, Ruby Falls, etc. Did I use the word “excesses?” 

No, my willingness to additionally fund the school system will require significant convincing. Come on Roy, Mr. Smith, county commissioners…convince me. 

David Fihn 

* * *  

David: I often agree with your posts. You asked many questions, I'll try to answer a few. 

I worked for the public schools here for 30 years and a private school for 10 additional years. As a student, I attended a private elementary school and public junior and senior high schools graduating from one of the top high schools in the nation at the time-Chattanooga High. 

I know something about school funding and spending. And I agree school systems don't always spend money on things in which everyone agrees. 

Addressing field trips, I can't speak to every film, but valid research indicates getting students out of buildings to the zoo, museums, riverboats, military parks, events at the arena, Memorial Auditorium and the Tivoli, such as concerts and ballets all enrich students knowledge more than a lecture or computer program. And students pay for field trips or raise money to pay for them. 

Some children will not only never go to those places, they may never leave their neighborhood until they leave school. 

As for the old argument that public schools spend more money per student than private schools, public schools spend a tremendous amount of their budget on textbooks as well as special education and special needs. Some of this is federal and state money but it appears as a total expenditure per pupil. 

When you compare public school expenditures against private school tuition you are comparing oranges and watermelons. 

Private schools have permanent endowments, annual giving, corporate giving and even one time gifts from generous benefactors that public schools don't always receive. This would mean more money is spent per pupil than public schools spend, in many cases. 

And private schools charge for additional services that everyone doesn't pay in base tuition. In the past students purchased their own textbooks. With iPads and notebooks that's probably changing. 

Now let me ask you three questions: 

1. Do you pay the same for food, medical care, transportation, insurance and housing than you did 10 years ago? 

2. Should teachers and administrators go for years without cost of living increases because tax payers pay their salary? 

3. Do you think school boards in Tennessee should not only be accountable for school spending but have the taxing authority? 

If the school board was independent as are the Kentucky school boards, then the accountability would be directly on them and not the county commissioners who run on platforms of no tax increases. 

And with one tax increase in the last 10 years, it becomes very hard to keep up with the many rising costs schools face that don't require commissioners' approval. Costs go up anyway. 

Ralph Miller

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