Can’t Adjust Without More Revenue?

To The Editor:

Let me start by stating that I am no longer a resident of the Washington School District.

On the front page of The Missourian last weekend, March 2-3, was an article indicating that the Washington School District stands to lose $93,000 due to the spending cuts known as “sequestration.”

Superintendent Dr. Lori VanLeer told the school board that the loss of nearly $93,000 would impact some special services, preschool, class size reduction staffing, and professional development for staff, among other programs. The superintendent also said that if those federal funds were lost the district would have to find another revenue stream for the affected programs.

Losing $93,000 would impact all of these programs and require another revenue stream? I think $93,000 is the wages and benefits the district would pay two employees. The district has 18 vacancies posted on the Washington School District’s website and you are telling the people of the district that you are functioning so efficiently that you cannot possibly do without two people.

This $93,000 is less than two-tenths of 1 percent (.2 percent) of the district’s 2012/2013 $49.3 million revenue budget or about 10 times less than the Jan. 1 tax increase the working parents of your students are currently facing.

Please don’t tell the people, that the Washington School District cannot adjust to this minor reduction without looking for other revenue streams or that it is not willing to do its part in helping reduce the national debt. The working people of Washington have already faced and accepted revenue losses 10 times greater than this potential loss to the district.

This sounds a little like another Washington, Washington, D.C. Another taxing entity saying, we cannot possibly cut our spending without the sky falling.

Please.

Harold Pohl

New Haven