Should ALWAYS be fully-funded! Cutting it should ALWAYS be off the table.
But Governor Bredesen and Comm. Webb seem to think otherwise.
There are reasonable solutions out there. Combined reporting of franchise and excise taxes, for one. Collection of 100% of the Hall Tax to the state General Fund for two.
The BEP is the state's funding formula for schools. BEP 2.0 was passed in 2007 and was to add up to $500 billion a year in new money to schools, but that funding level was not met b/c of "budget constraints"
While that is certainly realistic, fully funding "normal growth" in the BEP MUST always happen. the implications for schools and school systems are simply unacceptable.
As Buzz Thomas said at today's TSBA meeting, "the public schools belong to ALL of us and we should ALL pay for them"
He's right. And the BEP helps ensure that the public schools are at least funded at a basic level. The state has NEVER failed in meeting the obligation of full funding of the BEP. Now is not the time to start.
2 comments:
I think you meant $500 million a year not $500 billion of additional funds.
ah, thank you, Jim. This is NOT the federal government!
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