New School Tax, Same Old Song

With the coming of the new year comes another attempt by the Great Falls Public School District to raise your taxes. “What?”, you say, “We’ve just given them $98 million dollars and now they want more, $1.3 million more. For what?”

Well of course, the school district will tell you it’s for the kids, but is it really?

No, not exactly, it is totally for raises and health insurance increases for staff, and that includes the “six-figure” administrators.

It seems that the great negotiators at the district contractually promised raises and a chicken in every pot even though they didn’t have the money, or the pot. What the cluck, it’s for the kids, in a roundabout way, right?

Well, here’s the truth, $1 million for raises and $300K for health insurance premiums.

I know, you are saying they have more guts than a government mule. The truth is that they are a government mule and they are just as stubborn too.

With a declining population in Great Falls and with a declining student enrollment in the district, they refuse to change their operating model to adjust for reality.

While your latest property tax bill increase is still fresh in your mind, reflect on whether you can afford more taxes. If your answer is no then you know what you have to do come the first Tuesday in May when you receive your school district ballot.

Maybe take a clue from Shane Joyce’s “The Same Old Song”, “…they put taxes on everything…pretty soon they’ll tax you for living in your skin”.

• Category: GFPS