By: goodday on 10/31/09
It is unfortunate the state does not fully fund education. It is left to the local community to help a school district. This isn't just a school district problem, but a community problem. Look around at neighboring towns who have lost their school, what do they look like?

For the future of the schools and the town, it is imparative a referendum is passed. This isn't just a NRHEG issue, or a Blooming Prairie issue, it is an issue with over 90% of the districts in the state. The average operating referendum in the state is $923, below what each of these districts is asking.

What do I get for my $6-9 a month? My children go to a school where they have small class sizes, can play sports or participate in co-curricular activities (plays, speech, FFA, etc.), they have a variety of electives, they can earn up to 34 college credits, they can attend all-day everyday kindergarten, and so much more. This is the kind of school I want my children to attend.

I am willing to support my local school district and community with a YES vote on Nov. 3!

By: homeontundra on 10/31/09
With constant property values, I'd need to increase take-home pay $11,000 for our employees to cover the NRHEG 10-year request. It would take some very painful cuts somewhere in our operation to come up with that kind of money. Has NRHEG done the same?

By: secretsquirrel on 10/31/09
Perhaps one of our state representatives could propose unallotting pay for all state level employees right on up to the governor. I mean, it's for the benefit of the people of Minnesota, right? Let's unallott Pawlenty's pay 27% until sometime next year and see how he manages that.
I would also like to see a comparison between the average Minnesotan's out-of-pocket health insurance costs/coverage to that of public employees. Let's also compare vacation accrual, retirement benefits, sick days and everything else and see exactly who is hurting the most here.
For every unallottment (again with that stupid/nonexistent term) or reduction (as opposed to denied requests for increases) in funding, localities should have the option of withholding an equal amount from taxes collected on behalf of the state in their districts.
Unfunded mandates and taxation without return are grossly unjust. If districts do not have their teacher's contracts in place on time they are fined $100,000. What fines does the state have to be concerned about if they do not fund school districts on time?
Why is it this way? Because we allowed it, because we elected people into office that pander to the largest and most influential lobby.
Unions: If you REALLY want to do some good, invest your time and money in candidates and laws that will work in the interests of EVERYONE, not just your own.
As for NRHEG homeontundra, I do not know if they have. I do know that BP staff/administration have shouldered some substantial costs and their request for a referendum is certainly just.

By: jimoconnor on 10/31/09
I think the state has proven not to be fiscally responsible. So have the schools. The time to make changes is now! If allowed to continue this will just keep getting pushed into the future thus hurting our kids future by incresing their debt load before they even start their careers. But does anyone really care is the question? Could sacrifices be made?

By: RealityCheck on 10/31/09
It goes back to a massive failure in leadership. We have a Governor who is content to take in our "out-state" sales taxes, our "out-state" income taxes, property taxes, business taxes, etc. and give less and less and less of it back to "out-state" counties, communities and schools each year. He was elected as someone who would reform education funding and his solution is to take our money and keep it for metro area and throw the costs back on the shoulders of everyone at the local level in rural Minnesota. Of course, with MN business taxes being at an all time low in decades...there is much much less money to work with too. Again, a failure of leadership.

By: BSBuster on 10/31/09
I was wondering? When they say they took a two year pay freeze in BP, they mean one school year, which would be one year, with a payraise right before they took a freeze. I looked on the MNMSBA website under management services and then you punch greenlists and you can see that they have a one year freeze and next year a raise. I wish this was publicated in local newspapers so everybody could have the facts. I think your disrict has a big problem with dishonesty, maybe being honest with the voters would get you further in the long run, Then nobody can get disgruntled and come back and use your dishonesty against you.

By: Whereiscommonsense on 11/1/09
...And the citizens of the respective towns look to the towns to provide decent paying jobs with job security so these taxpayers can begin to afford assisting city and local taxation efforts!!
Governor Pawlenty must have ice cold blood running through his veins with all his unallotments causing severe hardships upon already budget stressed towns...tough times call for tough actions however, you can't cut from basic human services, police, fire and education and then have the audacity to still expect quality results...we need to unallot Pawlenty from being Governor and I'm certain that will happen in his upcoming election "if" he even bothers to run again for state office or is he still too busy chasing national political aspirations and not doing his current job??

By: RealityCheck on 11/1/09
Don't worry BSBuster. There are disgruntled people upset with their school even in the best of times. Some people are just never happy. As to the confusion on the reporting, it depends on which article you read and you get different information in them. Much of this is likely a reporter issue, rather than a school issue. It most often IS a reporting issue, which makes school officials reluctant to talk to newspapers. In defense of newspaper reporters, they don't get paid squat, so what is their motivation to go deeply into the details like that? AND since they don't get paid squat, what kind of writing and reporting quality are you getting in the first place? Its always the schools fault though, right? : )

By: sully on 11/3/09
I wish schools wouldn't say they took a pay freeze when they are still moving through on their steps and ladders. A 1 or 2 percent or more increase is not a pay freeze to me.

RC - I can't believe you call the Gov. actions a lack of leadership when he is one of the few people who stands up and doesn't spend the money we don't have.

Also I don't think we want to push the rural vs metro issue too hard since I think the rural areas still get a larger percentage than they pay in.