Sally Ehrhardt, No. 2 pencil

The recent legislative session was generous in some areas but a real let down in others, probably to many groups, but surely to public schools.

We had such high hopes when we sent our legislators off to the capital last fall. I know they worked hard and I know they did the best they could, but the amount assigned to fund public schools is too little to change the budget problems our district faces.

What most districts in the state are dealing with is declining enrollment. When you have fewer students each year, you get less money, even with an increase.

Though the district is receiving an increase in the basic funding formula, only 2 percent in &8217;07-&8217;08 and a dismal 1 percent in &8217;08-&8217;09, this amount does not keep pace with inflation.

Let&8217;s start with all-day kindergarten. It has been a success.

The achievement gap, which means what level students are reading and doing math at, is narrower and students are getting much further along in their curriculum. But it has a price tag, the cost to our district last year was approximately $350,000.

We were hoping that, since we were one of the districts in the state with all-day kindergarten already in place, the state would treat each student as a full time student and pay accordingly.

Instead the legislature increased the current half-day funding by less than 10 percent. Our district would like to continue to offer full-day K, but most of the cost will have to continue to come out of our shrinking general fund.

Special education saw a substantial increase of about $780,000 for Albert Lea Area Schools. While that is a great deal of money, our district will still need to take over a million dollars out of the general fund to cover the remaining costs. Unfortunately, special education costs continue to rise substantially each year.

I know, when the referendum failed last year, most voters believed the state would step up to the plate. Without getting too political, this didn&8217;t happen.

I know our legislatures worked hard for us. But things didn&8217;t come out the way we hoped.

In case some of you believe that Albert Lea Area Schools is the only district suffering, we are not.

Here are some examples, taken from a web site called PS Minnesota, of what other districts are currently having to sacrifice to make ends meet. Brainerd has cut $5.5 million and 42 full time teachers, the Upsala school district is in Statutory Operating Debt (deficit fund balance) because they can&8217;t pass a referendum. In some districts they are cutting music, art and language classes. One parent wrote, that her district had to shorten its school day and now her son had to pay for his language class that he needs for college. Many districts are increasing class size and cutting teachers.

The constant budget cutting is frustrating to staff who are trying to do the best they can, with less and less. Some teachers are leaving and going to districts that are financially better off than ours.

Their hard work doesn&8217;t seem appreciated (even though it is) when their position is being cut or reduced.

Rather than fight about taxes, can&8217;t we agree on the programs and services every student should have at every level of learning in each district in the state of Minnesota. And then assure that the necessary funds will be there.

Education in Minnesota is on a track to fail, because we taxpayers are not living up to our obligation to the students.

Sally Ehrhardt is a member of the Albert Lea school board.