I-1351 calling for smaller class size was largely backed by the teachers union. With their large campaign war chest they managed to entice voters into barely passing this unfunded mandate. When it was placed on the ballot there was no explanation as to how it would be funded. Educating our children is an important issue but shouldn’t voters know how much it will cost and how it will be funded before voting? We now know that it is estimated to cost $2 billion annually and is unbudgeted. It will create 25,000 new school jobs, including 7,500 teachers and 17,500 support staff.
In addition to this, the state Supreme Court ruled that the state was not adequately funding K-12 education. The end result of this ruling is the state will have to pick up a larger share of what local school districts currently pay. This is also unbudgeted and is estimated to exceed $1 billion annually. Oh, by the way, these cost estimates do not include the money that will be needed for new schools or transportation. You might ask “where will this $3 billion-plus come from”? You guessed it, the taxpayers. All of this is taking place while the governor’s No. 1 concern is global warming. Go figure.
Don Williamson
Arlington
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