Monthly Archives: June 2017
Op-ed on rural schools
Appeared in Register Guard and in Fern Ridge Review
As school board members serving in rural communities across the state, we know that decades of disinvestment in education have hit rural schools hard. Declining timber revenues and property tax cuts have reduced local funding, on top of years of cuts to state funding that devastated rural schools even more. Many schools have closed or turned to just a four-day school week to save money. Many lack school nurses, counselors, and librarians that keep our kids safe and enrich their learning. Too many students in rural Oregon aren’t getting the quality education that kids in other states receive. Many schools experience ever larger classes and the need to cut days to make the budget work. To retain our hardworking staff, we have had to cut far too many of the electives that improve the quality of education.
Increases in revenues to the State School Fund, the main source for K-12 funding in Oregon, would mean more resources for rural schools. Money is allocated to districts based on how many students they have, but a number of factors raise the per-student amount received by rural districts.
One of the main ways the state directs additional funds to rural areas is by increasing funding to school districts where more kids live in poverty. Rural areas struggle with higher poverty rates and elevated unemployment, even while statewide unemployment is at historic lows. In a vicious cycle, high unemployment and poverty push families to move away to find work, ultimately reducing enrollment so schools get even fewer state education dollars.
If the legislature does the right thing and passes the Oregon Education Investment Initiative, the $1 billion in new revenue for schools would mean increases in funding available for rural schools, at a time when investments are sorely needed.
Additional funds allow us to hire more teachers, bring back art, music, and physical education, or restore school nurses, librarians, and counselors. This funding also will help us with many of the unfunded mandates that truly are great ideas but cost money to fulfill properly such as dyslexia screening, domestic violence awareness, and abuse prevention. More funds will allow us to help our students learn to use the technology of the 21st Century as well as the skills needed to become instrumental in our community, state and nation. More investment means more career and technical education, and more college prep, introducing our students to the opportunities they deserve.
Investment in K-12 schools means investment in all schools. We know that rural Oregon is preparing the workforce that will make our local businesses thrive and revitalize our communities throughout the state. All children, the future citizens of this country, deserve the very best 21st Century education we can give them.
Twinkle Morton, Fern Ridge School Board Chair – Veneta, OR
Carl West, Mapleton School Board Member – Mapleton, OR
Scott Mills, North Marion School Board Member – Aurora, OR
David Bolton, Fern Ridge School Board Member – Veneta, OR
Andrea Larson, Fern Ridge School Board Member – Veneta, OR
Our views are our own, and don’t represent the views of our school boards.