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State Budget Problems Keep Squeezing Minn. Schools

August 6, 2011 10:38 AM
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EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — To see how the state’s financial problems have trickled down to local school districts, look no further than the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district in the Twin Cities suburbs.

Because the state helped balance its budget by temporarily holding back millions of dollars for schools, the district borrowed $15 million last year and plans to borrow even more this year.

Teachers report their class sizes are going up and they are paying more to outfit their classrooms. Even making copies and getting documents laminated has gotten more difficult.
For parents, fees for extracurricular activities are soaring. For middle school students there are fewer sports offered through the schools.

The leaders of extracurricular activities say booster clubs have become key to their groups’ survival, not just a provider of the occasional extra.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View Comments
  • Gimmie A Break

    Who cares, build that Vikings stadium!

    (dry humour)

  • jfscsd

    poor schools just can’t make do with what they have…
    tough.. think out of the box.. maybe just maybe it is a BLOATED system…!

    • Gloria

      Or maybe, just maybe, the public schools are responsible for educating kids who don’t speak English, kids who have learning disorders, kids who have physical handicaps and need special care, and the list goes on and on. It only became popular to bash public schools because teachers and other educational workers often/usually vote for Democrats. If they voted for Republicans, the schools would be praised and showered with money.

      • Tom

        @ Gloria

        You need to get your facts striaght the GOP has not been showering public schools with money. Dayotn gave the GOP what they wanted in delaying payments to schools so that they could use that money to fix the budget.

        • gloria

          Tom, I did not say the GOP has been showering public schools with money. I said IF educators voted for Republicans, THEN the public schools would be showered with money. Educators generally vote for Democrats. Therefore the Republicans hate public education. Republicans hate the teachers union, because members generally vote for Democrats.

          • Tom

            @ Gloria

            Yes the Republicans hate Public Edu and they really hype Private Edu. Their theory is the more money you spend on your childs edu by sending them to a private school the better they become which is not true at all. My mom and dad sent to me and brothers and sister to private school up until 8th grade and there was no difference between that and when we started going to public schools after 8th grade. The only good thing about that is that it saved our mom and dad alot of money. And these people also believe that if you throw all that money toward a private high school and college edu that their children will come out alot better than sending them to public high school or college which isn’t true at all either. Since the GOP / Tea Party hate public edu so much why don’t they just shut it down comletely.

    • recount2012

      let me guess; last time you were in a school, 10th grade?

      • Tom

        @ recount 2012

        Nope! Wrong! Catholic School grades 1 thru 8 then 9-12 public school.. But now a days do parents send their kids to private school to learn, but to control what they are taught and how they are taught!

  • Dave

    open your ears and eyes. AAA ratting since 1917 and now AA.

    • see what you read and listen to what you hear

      aa+ by S&P and aaa by Moodys

  • just an Average Joe

    It is the Trickle-Up Economics that is hurting the National Economy. The Local Government expects money from the County, the County expects money from the State, the State expects money from the Federal.

    A wise man once said ” The secret to financial success is to spend less than you make”. I live by that. Why can’t the government.

    • frozenrunner

      First off when the government “makes” too much money they give tax breaks to the wealthy (Bush tax cuts) thus decreasing revenue. When the Cravaaks and Bachmans of the world say cut, they don’t have the guts to say what. should be cut

  • Herb

    Once again the GOP view! This is a TAX problem in that the GOP wants to heap on the rest of society. Those who are benefiting the most should be helping the rest of society the most! With a tax rate that is linked to the needs of the country, not the greed of the taxpayer. That changed during the Reagan administration and the raiding of the national treasury by corporate America continues today, supported by laws that fly in the face of “government by the people, for the people” that our founding fathers fought so hard to achieve.

    • poor herb

      You sound a little bitter, Herb.

    • Kally

      and remember:
      “Form those according to their ability to provide to those according to their needs” … Karl Marx.

      • Tony G

        “It will be easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man get into the kingdom of heaven”. Jesus Christ

        • pay up Tony G

          You must be a rich guy Tony G. Hope you are paying your “fair share”

  • Will

    “For parents, fees for extracurricular activities are soaring. For middle school students there are fewer sports offered through the schools.

    “The leaders of extracurricular activities say booster clubs have become key to their groups’ survival, not just a provider of the occasional extra.”

    Sports should have a separate revenue stream apart from the academic resources. In reality the three “R’s” have become rootball, rasketball, and rolleyball. Wake up folks, the GOP has made ignorance work so ell for so long, why would they support educated voters.

  • Ali

    Why do we never talk about the inflation proof life time pensions these teachers (Public Government Union members) get that is really what will break the bank. Most big corporations do not have them as there is no way to stay in business and give these out (take IBM for example). Any way when the government policies cause inflation and wipe out the stock market and saving these Pensions are not affected as they are set up to be inflation proof. DO you get it yet. we in the private sector get or 401K wiped out and the real cause of the budget problems is not affected.

    • Glen

      DO you blame the politicians that approved the retirement plans? They have long moved on. You blame the teachers for taking less in wage, more in later benefit? The plans were set up with the prevailing plans at the time. You are probably too ignorant to know that the fund the teachers are paid from is half paid by the teachers, the other half contacted by the school boards. The obligation is done there. This information is not hard to find.
      You are probably too ignorant to know what the real cause of a problem is. Look at the state budget and follow the money, that would be if you can understand numbers. Your post would hint that all you can do is spit back out what someone has told you and not bother to find out if there is any truth to it

  • jordanj

    The schools should run on less. We are trying to educate everyone who comes into this Country. Adults are going to our high schools intermingling with our kids. No adults should be learning in our high schools. Buses run constantly busing from one district to another or we paid for taxi rides for them. Everyone should go to school in the District they live in. All notices and tests should be in English only. Saved a few bucks here.

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