School Budget Cuts

["John Danahy" <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>]

     The discussion swirling around the cuts to the school district budget
have taken the traditional path.  We are exposed to various opinions
supporting one program at the expense of other programs, and are seeing the
numerous special interest groups vying to protect their individualized
vested domains.  There must be a better way.
     Do not cut the current budget.  Instead, publicly rebuild the school
district budget from the ground up.  Start with the students, and build the
budget around the district's primary mission, to educate the community's
children.  This process would be longer and more tedious than the current
process of cutting the budget, but would help restore the faith of the
community in the board, administration, and MEA.
     If the district enrollment had grown even one percent over the last
several years instead of declining, there would be five hundred more
students in the district than are there today.  These potential students
represent a significant increase in state funding and are still in our
community.  Perhaps the energies of those who want to increase funding for
the district should be directed at increasing the number of students in the
district, rather than increasing the taxes.


John Danahy
2341 Henry CT.
Moscow, Idaho  83843
208-883-0926
jdanahy@turbonet.com