Rep. Kathy Lohmer Sent Stillwater Schools Scrambling
As Minnesota schools break for the summer, they leave facing a bleak reality: another year with fewer teachers, overcrowded classrooms and fewer resources — a direct result of the misplaced priorities and wrong decisions made by Representative Kathy Lohmer and the Republican-controlled legislature.
"Thanks to Rep. Lohmer and her Republican colleagues, Stillwater schools now have larger class sizes and fewer teachers," Carrie Lucking, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota said. "Rather than force Stillwater schools to make drastic cuts to our children's education, the legislature’s priority should be making sure our schools are fully funded and our children have the resources needed to learn."
Instead of producing a balanced budget to close the state’s long-term deficit, Rep. Lohmer and legislative Republicans chose a short-term fix and borrowed $700 million from our schools and children, leaving them with a $2 billion IOU and no plan to pay it back. As a result, the state owes the Stillwater Area School District $22.2 million just from last year’s school shift. [Minnesota Department of Education]
“Rep. Lohmer had an opportunity to pay back Stillwater schools the full $22 million they’re owed, but chose instead to protect big corporations and their tax loopholes,” Lucking said.
These are just some of the ways Rep. Lohmer’s misplaced priorities have sent Stillwater schools scrambling:
>> The Stillwater Area School District increased class sizes in grades 4 to 6 as a result of teacher reductions. [Stillwater Patch, 3/10/12]
>> The Stillwater Area School District cut 20 staff positions, including an elementary assistant principal, custodians, teachers and support staff. The schools also had to shorten their school day and year in order to save money, meaning kids get less time learning. [Stillwater Patch, 3/10/12]
>> The Stillwater Area School District had to borrow $8.2 million. [AMSD, 9/11]
>> The Stillwater Area School District had to cut $6.3 million from its 2012-13 school year budget. The district is projecting an $8.5 million deficit for the 2013-14 school year. [Stillwater Gazette, 3/9/12]
>> The Stillwater Area School District had to increase fees for student activities, sports and parking permits. [Stillwater Patch, 3/10/12]
Pete
8:19 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
Lohmers vote was the right thing. Cutting 20 positions in the district-out of how many employees. And to have janitors cut simply shows the power of the union. Time for a reality check-John and Sally Lunchbucket are struggling, working 40 plus hours a week, no pension, limited healthcare and no job security. They are the people paying the bills.
Suck it up and stop being such a union parrot big baby.
Jill
9:16 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
I don't see legislators working 40 hours a week for no pension and limited health care. John and Sally Lunchbucket deserve the same benefits their legislators get. Cutting school funding doesn't get them that, it only hurts children and ensures a new generation of children who will have to go into debt to get the skills they couldn't get through public education.
Bob Goodman
11:47 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
Don't see that Kathy voted to cut anything at Stillwater schools; or voted to cut anything in state government. The vote was to renege on a committment to the state schools, so that someone else - the school boards - would have to fire people or raise taxes. The lege dodged that bullet last session, by their usual method - avoiding all responsibility.
bobby the hat
Markus
5:15 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Once again Ryan Furlong insists on not telling the whole story. Lohmer and the Republicans presented the Governor with a budget that required no accounting shifts and he vetoed it. What the Republicans should be chided for is not having the fortitude to wait out the shut down until Governor Dayton capitulated. He happily signed the bill that included the accounting shifts because it increased spending. (Although not nearly as much as he or the Democrats wanted). As we see year after year increasing spending is the only way to appease a Democrat.
The failed recall attempt of our neighbor to the east by the unions and big spenders should send a message to government employee union members. The gig is up.
D. Knutson
3:56 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
Just another attack on Conservative Women by the liberal media.
Think I'm wrong? Matt Dean is our rep, he's Republican, probably voted the same way, I don't know that to a fact, but I'm hoping he did.
All I can say is there is no accident that Ryan & Carrie took a shot a Kathy and gave Matt Dean a pass.
In the past 20 years the size of the staff in 834 grew at a greater percentage than the enrollment, but the student teacher ratio increased. I'm wondering where all the non classroom employees are sucking up a district paycheck? Obviously it's not teachers.
Randy Marsh
5:55 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
I'm more concerned about conservative media consumers who can't seem to comprehend even the most basic facts, Mr. Knutson. Do you think a reason folks aren't ripping Matt Dean might have something to do with the fact that he did not author the piece that people are responding to? You're smarter than that, at least I thought you were.
I think this latest round of budget cuts has been much needed and overdue in this school district and clearly they have kicked some dead weight to the curb, but swine like Kathy Lohmer continue to support polices that do not serve the taxpayers or students like vouchers and the proliferation of unnecessary charter schools, etc. This is not a gender issue, it's a stupidity issue.
Tricia Kalinoff
8:23 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
If the budget doesn't get in line with expenditures, NO ONE is going to be on fiscally sound ground. Schools are not all that the state spends money on. There are choices to be made. And sometimes that includes a cut in one's favorite area of service and, sadly, that must include schools.