Anaconda teachers rally for school funding

By Vera Haffey of The Montana Standard - 11/11/2005

ANACONDA — School funding needs to come in line with education costs, according to Anaconda High School teachers who recently hosted an education rally aimed at spurring a special legislative session to address the issue.

Teachers Angela McLean and Debbie Basaiga say the recent closure of Anaconda’s Dwyer Intermediate elementary school shows how the lack of funds can hurt and divide a small commu-nity. The pair held the rally in conjunction with the Anaconda Teachers’ Union to heighten awareness about what they see as a critical lack of school funding.

Jack Copps, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, says the state’s existing school funding formula is overly sensitive to declining enrollments, fails to provide inflation-based increases and doesn’t take into account the fixed costs of running schools.

The coalition proposes a new formula that would give districts a per-student grant based on three-year-average enrollment figures; a “qualified educator” block grant that would allow $4,000 for each certified teacher to address fixed classroom costs; a block grant for every 400 students enrolled in a district; and built-in inflation adjustments.

The proposal also provides additional funding for special needs students.

At the rally, Copps gave an overview of the economics of Montana, where he says school children are denied their constitutional right to a quality education. Here, 20,000 children have no health insurance; 46 percent of young children are considered low income; one in eight children are hungry; one in five drop out of school; and one in 10 can’t play sports because the family has no health insurance coverage, according to Copps.

Montana also leads the nation in households with breadwinners holding three or more jobs to make ends meet, Copps said.

“We are not doing a very good job taking care of our young, hard working families,” Copps added, noting that the average worker is a 26-year-old female. “There are kids who come to school sick, there are kids who go home to an empty home. Guess where those kids come from?

“To top it all off, we have an education system that is unconstitutional. Do we have a crisis?” he added.

Eric Feaver, president of MEA-MFT, criticized past legislative sessions that ignored education and focused on tax cuts, “and I think, failed its constitutional obligation to adequately fund a basic system of free, quality education in Montana schools,” he said.

The trend that began in 1993 with a $50 million cut to education has continued through recent years, he added. Last year’s legislative session, which increased school funding, did better than their predecessors, Feaver said. “But it didn’t do well enough. It is now time to protect the children of this state; it is now time to protect the education of Montana.” Feaver, who invited citizens to pick up their telephones and call the governor’s office in Helena, provided this number: 444-3111.

“It will cost you maybe 35 cents,” he said. “You simply say, governor, it’s time to have a special session.” McLean hopes citizens concerned about education will pick up the phone and make the call.

“I think everyone who cares about quality public schools and the children they serve need to contact their legislators and even the governor and tell them that they are aware of the school funding crisis,” McLean said. “They also need to let their lawmakers know they will hold them accountable if action isn’t taken and as a result school districts across the state lose curriculum, extra curricular activities and teachers due to their inaction.” Copps says that it’s time to increase funding so schools can perform at the levels required by law.

“The schools are accountable, but legislature is not,” he said. “It’s time for the state to come forward and take action and call a special session for funding schools.”