The Strib devoted much of their Sunday Opinion page to school referenda and funding topics. While I'm guessing that anyone who reads this blog also reads our local papers, I thought I'd link to the columns just in case. They are interesting and provide additional context to an election year when about 1/3 of Minnesota districts are asking their residents for money.
The editorial was thought provoking for me. While I stand by my belief that funding at a local level is generally more efficient and accountable than pooling state or federal monies together and redistributing from afar, the Strib made a good point that funding by referendum is not very predictable or stable for the districts.
http://www.startribune.com/editorials/story/1510997.html
http://www.startribune.com/editorials/story/1510996.html
Star Trib Comments on School Funding
Refreshed District 276 School Board Candidate Websites
In the spirit of having all websites in one place, here is the latest on the candidate websites, in no particular order:
Paul Luehr: www.paulhuehr.org
Cal Litsey: www.calvinlitsey.com
Bill Wenmark: www.billwenmark.com
Karen Walcowski www.karen4tonka.com
Doug Anderson www.electdouganderson.com
Lisa Wagner www.electlisawagner.com
Alice Everett none found
Renee Schubbe not actively campaigning
Additional information on the candidates can be found at:
Candidate Forums (highly recommended) http://www.starrinkmedia.com/district276/
Lakeshore Weekly news: http://www.weeklynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=3867
Tonka Focus candidate Q&A: http://www.tonkafocus.org/
Flaws in School Funding: A by-product of referendum research
Like most residents in School District 276, I've received much literature about the upcoming education referenda. I've read the literature, researched the SD 276 website, and listened to the board candidates answer the referenda-related questions at the candidate forums. I've come to this conclusion: It is very hard to make an argument for a "no" vote.
From a school funding standpoint, there is no doubt that the caliber of SD 276's education would suffer without sustained funding. These referenda don't create a cash infusion to the district -- they simply make the district whole after having state funding reduced to a trickle. While I appreciate the tax neutrality of the deal, I could live without that aspect. All debts must be repaid sooner or later, and I hope we aren't simply deferring more debt to later payment dates (something I have had a hard time finding succinct info on). If I need to pay more local taxes today to offset the state shortfall, I will.
In researching the referenda, I've learned something that I'm embarrased to say I didn't know before: The state has a cap on how much the district can levy, and we are at that cap (assuming all of the referenda pass). To me, this is the real issue rearing its ugly head in this funding equation. As someone who believes in local control of tax dollars, I am bothered that a centralized state government has set a limit on how much a locality can tax its people for a local service, especially when it would be decided by referendum.
I generally have a high degree of confidence that there is transparency and accountability tied to my local tax dollars: Police, schools, city government, etc. I have slightly less, but still considerable, comfort when it comes to county taxes. I'm really mixed on state taxes -- I see state taxes going to good causes and I like that they benefit those in my broad community, but don't always feel like they are used effectively. When it comes to federal taxes, all bets are off. Federal income taxes are the largest single expense that my family has, and I honestly can't tell you what it is being spent on or if it is being spent wisely. My whole point is that I would much rather pay local taxes than state, and state taxes than federal.
I was disappointed when I learned that not only does the state redistribute the educational tax dollar in a way that underfunds the western suburbs (as Rep. John Berns astutely pointed out in an Oct. 3 Commentary to the Star Tribune), and not only has the state been not keeping up with inflation in its recent funding of education in districts, but they completely tie our hands by limiting how much we can pay locally for the school systems we desire for our children.
In learning this, I feel like our founding fathers' vision of federalism has even failed on the most local level. I'm all for helping some of the poorer districts in the state provide their kids a better education with my tax dollar -- every child deserves a good education regardless of which neighborhood they happen to reside in. But if we as a district (and that really is who a school district is -- not the Superintendent, not the Board, but the community who funds it) want to provide our kids with educational opportunities that are above and beyond, and are fully willing to pay for it ourselves, why can't we?
Minnetonka school district not alone in asking for money
According to an MPR report this week, 1/3 of all Minnesota school districts are asking for money via referendum, with 60% of them request the renewal of an existing levy. The article can be found here:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/16/schoolmoney/
More to come with my thoughts on the topic of so many districts going to the public for more money, but for now I wanted to post the link.
SD 276 Candidate Forums
Three candidate forums for the SD 276 School Board election have already been held, and the final one will be at 11:30am on Tuesday, October 23, at Excelsior Elementary School.
To see a rebroadcast of the forum held on 10/3, go to this link: http://www.starrinkmedia.com/district276/
The webpage includes a very useful menu bar on the left which allows the user to select topics of particular interest rather than listening to the entire forum. Of course, listening to the entire forum is encouraged as well!
Minnetonka Tree Ordinance
An article in the Star Tribune outlined Minnetonka's efforts to bolster their tree ordinance. The article can be found here: http://www.startribune.com/west/story/1481970.html
A review of local tree preservation ordinances concludes that most South Lake communities have not prioritized tree preservation highly. If adopted, Minnetonka's would be the most tree-friendly / developer-strict code in the area.
Shorewood has an ordinance that recognizes the need to preserve "significant trees or stands of trees" but offers little in the way of enforeceable specifics. It is more of a position statement.
Excelsior mentions in an ordinance that subdivisions must comply with the management of significant trees in the city, but offers no details and definately nothing enforceable.
Deephaven spells out that trees on public right-of-way are to be maintained by the city, but does nothing to protect specimen trees outside of right-of-ways.
All three cities' ordinances speak to the control of disease among trees. After all, an important first step to tree preservation is preventing the outbreak of tree diseases. Still, Minnetonka's ordinance, particularly the point of having to replace removed trees with the same amount of new wood (a 20-inch diameter tree cannot be replaced by a new 2-inch tree, but must be replaced with 20 combined inches of new tree diameter) takes tree preservation futher than any other area towns that I can find.
Tree preservation ordinances are a classic case of balancing of landowners' rights with public interest. To paraphrase Aldo Leopold, "you can own the land but you can't own the landscape". A specimen Sugar Maple or Red Oak no doubt plays a critical role in a neighborhood, and it would be a shame to negatively alter an entire neighborhood because of a rash decision by one individual. It will be interesting to see how Minnetonka's ordinance is received.
Website for Bill Wenmark, SD 276 Incumbent
The website for Bill Wenmark is now up-and-running at www.billwenmark.com
By our research, that leaves Alice Everett as the only candidate without an active website, although she has been involved in all forums and is actively campaigning.
If anyone knows of a website for Everett that is eluding us, please let us know.
SD 276 Referendum Information
If you live in the Minnetonka school district, you are likely aware that residents will be voting on an education referendum in the November 6 election. I won't attempt to explain the nuts and bolt of the referendum, as other sites can do it more effectively. Both of these sites (one being SD 276's) are very much advocating a "Yes" vote to the referendum. I've tried to also find information from the "No" side in the spirit of balancing things out, but have not had any success.
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/referendum/QA.htm
http://www.yesforexcellence.com/
Refreshed School Board Candidate Websites
I thought I'd refresh the website info for the SD 276 Board candidates. My sources are Google and tips from readers. If I'm missing a website for either Wenmark or Everett, please let me know -- I don't intend to omit anyone.
Karen Walcowski: www.karen4tonka.com
Lisa Wagner: www.electlisawagner.com
Cal Litsey: www.calvinlitsey.com
Paul Luehr: www.paulluehr.org
Bill Wenmark: no website found
Alice Everett: no website found
Doug Anderson: www.electdouganderson.com
Also, the folks over at www.tonkafocus.org did a candidate Q&A, where all active candidates but one answered some questions of interest. Go to the website and click on "Candidate Q&A" on the left side.
Papa Murphy's Opens In Area
We now have our own Papa Murphy's location at the corner of Hwys 7 and 41. While this blogger is still partial to Joey Nova's, adding a take-n-bake option to the immediate area is a welcome addition.
Papa Murphys: 474-0558
So Long, Mr. Jimmy
One of the true characters of the South Lake Minnetonka area, Jimmy Hutmacher, passed away yesterday.
http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2007/10/09/local_news_update/fw08hutmaker.txt