According to USA Today, February 26, 2018, the cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 is $233,610. You can see the breakdown in the header image for this article.
What does that have to do with the Great Falls School District’s operational levy that will be decided next week? Well, it means that when you take money from families raising children, they have less to spend on the costs of raising their children. Seventeen years equals 204 months, which equates to $1,145 per month to raise a child. Every dollar counts.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON FAMILIES?
If you combine the increase in property tax resulting from the 2016 $98M school bond levy and the currently proposed $1.348M school operational levy for each $300K property, residential or commercial, in the Great Falls School District, it results in an annual increase of approximately $235.62, or about $20 per month. $20 per month invested monthly at about 3.5% would yield close to $4,000 over 17 years, or enough to pay tuition for one semester at Montana State University in Bozeman.
Combined with all the previous levy taxes that go on forever, it could mean that parents may not be able to send a child to summer camp, music camp, history field trips, and enjoy other educational opportunities with their children.
Every year, almost without exception, the Great Falls Public School District comes up short to the tune of about $1.5, give or take.
WHY?
Well, this year it’s for a shortfall in the operating budget, thus it’s an Operational Levy. This levy is needed to pay for increased health insurance premiums, and raises for District employees, and is not directly “for the kids”.
It is worth noting that besides 807 teachers, the District employs 50 administrators. Of that number of administrators, 1 earns more than $150,000, 10 earn more than $100,000, and 20 earn more than $90,000.
“It is worth noting that besides 807 teachers, the District employs 50 administrators. Of that number of administrators, 1 earns more than $150,000, 10 earn more than $100,000, and 20 earn more than $90,000.”
Do we really need that number of administrators and do they need to be paid those salaries?
According to CNSNews.com – “The ranks of non-teachers – such as administrators, counselors, teacher aides and cafeteria workers – has swelled 130 percent since 1970 and they now make up 50 percent of all public school employees according to a new study, The Hidden Half: School Employees Who Don’t Teach.”
Looking at data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that the growth of non-teaching staff has greatly outpaced student growth over the past four decades.
From 1970 to 2010, the number of students grew by 8.6 percent, while the number of non-teaching personnel increased by 130 percent. Non-teachers now consume over a quarter of all education expenditures, the study found.
In addition, America now spends a greater percentage of its education funding on non-teachers than any other country in the world besides Denmark. A previous study from the Friedman Foundation, The School Staffing Surge, found that “states could have saved more than $24 billion annually if they had increased/decreased the employment of administrators and other non-teaching staff at the same rate as students between 1992 and 2009.”
Finally, it is very important to exercise your right to vote on May 8th, as it is in all elections!
Editor’s note: This is another in our series of profiles for local legislative candidates. Each state House and Senate candidate in the Great Falls area was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position. You can see the full list of local candidates here.
Democrat Keaton Sunchild is the other candidate in House District 20 and did not respond to our request for a profile.
I am running for re-election as the Representative for House District #20 because I believe I have the desired experience, insight and leadership to represent the constituents of House District #20 as well as the people of Montana very effectively.
I was raised on the family ranch in Central Montana where I developed a very strong work ethic and the value of integrity. I earned a Bachelor’s degree from MSU Northern (then Northern Montana College) and my Master’s and PhD degrees at Colorado State University. Throughout the years, I have owned a small business, worked construction and operated heavy equipment, as well as having served as a public school teacher and administrator for 45 years. During my lifetime, I have been privileged to serve in in many leadership positions at the local, state and national levels. I feel that this is a good opportunity to give back to my community and the State that I love.
I am running for office as a Republican because I believe in a set of principles that transcend specific policy issues. These principles derive directly from the wisdom of America’s Founders, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. These principles have been a corner stone in the development of my values as a business owner, public servant and as a family man.
I believe that I am the best candidate for the position of Representative for House District #20 because I listen to constituent’s concerns and attempt to provide common sense solutions to address their needs; while treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. My diverse experience base combined with a strong education foundation provide me the insight to quantify the challenges facing our State and develop fiscally sound solutions.
My performance during the last Legislative session earned me the “Champion for Business” award from the State Chamber of Commerce, the “Silver Windmill” award from the Montana Farm Bureau as well as commendations from the Montana Troopers and the Montana Medical Association. I am currently serving a Vice Chairman of the Interim Education Committee for the Montana State Legislature and feel that the knowledge and experience I gained, while serving during the past legislative session, can only be of benefit if re-elected to this position.
Editor’s note: This is another in our series of profiles for local legislative candidates. Each state House and Senate candidate in the Great Falls area was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position. You can see the full list of local candidates here.
Democrat Lynelle Melton and Republican Wendy McKamey are the other candidates in House District 19 and did not respond to our request for a profile.
I am running hopefully to right some of our state problems. For example law enforcement, private property rights, and state land access, for starters. I am running as a Republican because I believe it’s the only progressive choice we have.
With 35 years experience as a small business owner I have management skills, dealing with the public every day I have a fair idea what the majority wants to see in state government and I am always willing to listen and work with that.
Did you know that if you own property in Great Falls but live outside the city limits you can still vote either for or against the new consolidated Park District 1 tax increase?
I didn’t know that very significant piece of information and I’ve been a voter here for decades. Someone asked me about it on Monday so I called Cascade County Clerk & Recorder Rina Moore and she confirmed to me that, yes indeed, it is a fact.
“If you are a property owner within the City of Great Falls you are entitled to vote in the current election for the City of Great Falls Park District #1. You must go to the elections office with a copy of your property taxes in order to receive a ballot. We are located at 325 2nd Ave N, Monday-Friday 7am-5pm and on election day Tuesday May 8th, we will be located at the Exhibition Hall 400 3rd St NW from 7am-8pm.”
Moore also told me that the elections office posted the information in the Great Falls Tribune three times. Did anyone see it? Usually those “public notices” are buried somewhere deep in the paper and you have to have a microscope to read them. So it doesn’t surprise me that some folks were totally unaware of this option.
“I think our public officials need to do a better job with press releases, social media and more timely notices on their websites to make the public aware of this kind of important voter information.”
I think our public officials need to do a better job with press releases, social media and more timely notices on their websites to make the public aware of this kind of important voter information. In the absence of a more robust attempt to “get the word out”, some people could come to the conclusion that there are those who prefer the public to remain in the dark on issues like this.
Anyway, I encourage everyone to spread the word about this little-known option for Great Falls property owners who live outside the city limits.
Do you think the Great Falls Public Schools District is bloated? Do you think there are too many highly paid administrators? If you answered yes to these two questions you are probably asking why, how did we get there, and why are they always crying that they need more money?
“Since World War II, inflation adjusted spending per student in American public schools has increased by 663 percent. Where did all of that money go? One place it went was to hire more personnel. During that time, public schools increased their staff by 386 percent-four times the increase in students. ‘The numbers of administrators and other staff increased by over seven times the increase in students.’
“This staffing surge still exists today. From 1992 to 2014…..American public schools saw a 19 percent increase in their student population and a staffing increase of 36 percent.”
It seems that GFPS is keeping up with the National trend.
Things to know before you vote on the GFPS levy:
>>>GF High and CMR High have 4 associate principals each, all making close to $90,000, in addition to two principals making $113,000 and $105,000?
>>>Superintendent Tammy Lacey’s salary is $150K before benefits, which is more than the Governor of Montana, about $35K per year more.
>>>11 administrators have salaries in excess of $100K before benefits.
>>>Without a vote by the taxpayers, the school district recently added $649,441 to our taxes.
>>>The GFPS school district currently is reportedly sitting on $15.4M in reserve funds.
>>>We are already paying for the school district’s $98M bond levy we approved just 7 months ago, 1/3 of which hasn’t shown up on your tax bill yet.
>>>The school district currently owns residential rental property.
>>>The school district has awarded multi-million dollar construction contracts without competitive bidding.
>>>The school district’s $1.348M operational levy is exclusively for contractual obligations, district employee healthcare insurance premium increases and employee raises.
Tax on top of tax? We haven’t been hit with the full intensity of the property taxes incurred with the nearly $100,000.000 school bond passed in 2016 (that’s dollars in millions). Has anything been said as to how many extra millions more in interest we have to pay on that tenth of billion dollar bond?
And GFPS wants us to absorb yet another tax on the $1.3 million levy, and levies never end, plus another interest rate along with it?
Interest rates fluctuate- the stronger the economy- the higher the interest rate.
“Great Falls Public School bemoans lack of funds, yet I find it astonishing there are 31 positions in their district that make over $90,000 yearly; 11 of those earn over $100,000 and Superintendent Lacey earning $150,000.”
Our school teachers need help from time to time to compensate them for the hard work they bring to the table. But I think that their highly paid administrative staff can and should find another way to help compensate the very backbone of their school district.
We have another 20 years of unforeseen events that could increase our taxes again, again and again.
Many Great Falls property owners received their ballots today for the upcoming City Park District and the Great Falls Public School District levies. Following right behind Federal Tax Day and a little more than a month away from Montana Property Tax Day, it seems like every level of government wants more of our money.
Sometimes we get to vote, and sometimes we don’t. You might ask, how does that work? In the case of the school district, the Board of Trustees without a vote of the taxpayers has already decided to levy an additional $649,441 (bet you didn’t know that), and wants another $1,348,000 to pay for operational cost increases. That means we’re all paying for increases in health insurance premiums for district employees including administrators and negotiated raises. But, of course the narrative from the school district is always the same, “it’s for the kids”.
“In the case of the school district, the Board of Trustees without a vote of the taxpayers has already decided to levy an additional $649,441 (bet you didn’t know that), and wants another $1,348,000 to pay for operational cost increases.”
The City wants $12,600,000 for the creation of a citywide Park District to cover deferred maintenance costs of park properties and additional personnel. Keep in mind that a lot of the property owners whose property lies within the existing boulevard district already are assessed added taxes, so they get a double whammy. That should make you feel special. To make the increase in taxes more palatable, the City promises not to levy more than $1.5M per year for the next three years. After that it would only take an affirmative vote by the city commission to increase the annual amount until the whole $12.6 is on the tax rolls.
In addition to the two levy requests, two seats are open on the GFPS Board of Trustees.
As Editor of E-City Beat, I have decided to endorse Barbara Going and Judy Tankinkfor the school board and here’s why:
“As Editor of E-City Beat, I have decided to endorse Barbara Going and Judy Tankink for the school board and here’s why:”
Both Barbara and Judy believe in Term limits for school board trustees. Some existing trustees have served well over 10 years and it’s time for a change. Barbara and Judy are not afraid to speak up and defend traditional values.
I believe both Barbara and Judy are in favor of common sense over Common Core. I also believe that Barbara and Judy are fiscal conservatives and will be good stewards of taxpayer money. Barbara and Judy have an inclusive mindset and will allow varying opinions about the operation of the school district to be heard.
In a phone conversation I had with Brian Patrick, director of financial operations for Great Falls Public Schools, on Wednesday, April 18, he confirmed that we have not yet seen the full impact to our taxes from the 100-million-dollar bond that was recently passed.
“…we have not yet seen the full impact to our taxes from the 100-million-dollar bond that was recently passed.”
Since only two-thirds of the bonds had been sold by the time tax statements went out, we were only assessed that percentage of taxes. We still have another 33% (of the total bond) increase coming on this November’s tax bill as the remainder of the bonds were recently sold.
Thousands of individual homeowners and business people alike were stunned at the level of increase to their property taxes when bills arrived last November.
You ain’t seen nothing yet. There is more pain coming. Another good reason to vote against the school levy on May 8.
Cyndi Baker
We are being asked to approve yet another school levy. I am a business owner. Anyone who knows what hurts businesses the most knows it is taxes. Anyone who owns a business knows this. A business can find investors when they can show there would be a return, making that investment a wise choice. When we are taxed, we are all forced to invest in whatever the requesting party asks, whether or not there is a return.
How can a levy that will pay for raises and health insurance be good for the kids? In business there is a saying called buyer beware. This applies in this case. Will the school pay for our health insurance when we can’t afford it because we were sweet talked into paying someone else’s? I don’t think so.
“Will the school pay for our health insurance when we can’t afford it because we were sweet talked into paying someone else’s? I don’t think so.”
Since this levy goes to property owners, renters beware. Do not think that just because you rent you are immune from this tax. Who do you pay rent to? The property owner, that’s who, so we are all affected. Teachers should be teachers, not tax collectors. Remember the spider and the fly story or the frog in lukewarm water? We are the fly and the frog.
Editor’s Note: As part of our 2018 Election Year coverage we are here presenting more in our candidate profiles series. So far four of the six candidates running for the Great Falls Public Schools Board of Trustees have responded to our request for profiles. They are, in alphabetical order, Barbara Going, Kim Skornogoski, Judy Tankink and Laura Wight. We will publish the other responses as they are submitted.
Barbara Going
Barbara Going
I am Barbara Going, a senior citizen, who desires to serve as a Trustee on the GFPS Board.
I am running for the school board at this time because I believe that it is important for people with traditional values to be willing to speak up, new thoughts and different voices.
Term limits for any decision making body of elected officers is important to help the community’s views be heard. Since there are no incumbents in this election new voices will be added to the board so this is an important election.
My experience includes a double major in Elementary Education and Speech Pathology having used both degrees in several states. For the past seven years I have volunteered to assist in the “reading intervention” class at East Middle School. I am qualified, have a analytical mind, am a good listener and am not afraid to speak.
My husband and I are retired small business owners. We raised four children who graduated from Great Falls High, grandparents of five. I have attended school board meetings, was selected for a citizens district budget committee, have attended community budget meetings and many community meetings on the past bond issues. My experience with groups has been at a national and state level with our business and the women’s group through our church. For the past seven years, I have served on our Neighborhood Council and as a Hospice volunteer.
Would I be the best candidate? I would try to represent the values of the middle class citizens in our city, the concerns of the students, teachers and parents. God asks for our availability, He provides the ability. I would appreciate your support. There will be new voices on the board. It may be the right time to be heard.
Kim Skornogoski
Kim Skornogoski
As the mom of a Sunnyside kindergartner, I am in our schools every day. As a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer, I mentor students in our schools every week. Through my daily job at United Way of Cascade County, I work with school employees to advance critical Graduation Matters goals that touch students at every age.
I’m a fifth-generation Montanan, who has lived in Great Falls for 20 years. My 14 years as a Great Falls Tribune reporter taught me to ask questions and to listen – two skills that have served me well in my initial months on the school board.
For example, when it was time to consider a school levy, I listened to concerns about school spending and asked questions. I reached out to the Office of Public Instruction’s data office to get per student spending numbers for every school in the state.
I learned that Great Falls not only spends less than all other AA schools, but we are in the bottom 10 percent of all schools when we look at our total budget compared to the number of students we serve. Great Falls spends about $2,000 less per student than the state average and as much as $4,130 less than other AA schools.
Yet our kids must compete against those other Montana students for jobs and scholarships. And I hear often from local business owners who are frustrated trying to find quality employees. The answer is to invest smartly in education. Our schools have terrific technical programs and allow students to graduate with specialized diplomas that reflect the skills and knowledge they developed in welding, construction and other trades.
I applied for an open seat on the school board, and I’m running to retain that seat because I want our community to be a better place. I want to see Great Falls grow and move forward. When we invest in education, we are building a better workforce, we are arming future business leaders with the skills they need to succeed.
Most importantly, my involvement for the last six years with the Graduation Matters initiative has given me the opportunity to listen to students who have barriers in their lives that are hard to imagine. I hope to advocate not just for my daughter but for every student.
Judy Tankink
Judy Tankink
I was born and raised in Great Falls and attended GFPS. In 2013, I retired from an engineering firm as a secretary. For approximately 17 years, I worked as a secretary for Great Falls Public Schools in several departments: Accounts Payable, Title 1 Reading Center, Mountain View Elementary, Data Processing, and Human Resources receiving numerous promotions and “Good Apple” awards during my tenure at GFPS. This background has enabled me to be aware of what we can do to continue to provide a great learning experience for our children while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.
GFPS needs diversity of thought. I bring a unique background and set of experiences which will result in a diversity of thought that GFPS School Board is currently lacking. As a fiscal conservative, I will work with the board to make the best decisions for our children and for the community. I will fulfill that responsibility with fidelity. A trustee’s greatest concern must be the educational welfare and safety of the students attending GFPS.
School Board Term Limits: I believe there should be term limits for school board members.
Live-Stream and Archive School Board Meetings: Not everyone can attend a school board meeting, but that doesn’t mean that that people aren’t interested or concerned about what’s going on at GFPS. It’s time that GFPS provided this opportunity for working parents and taxpayers.
School Bond/School Levy:The result is more taxes! Taxpayers approved almost $99 Million Bond in 2016. According to GFPS, “The increase in taxes for the entire $98,858,785 proposed bond levy on a $100,000 “market valued” home is estimated at approximately $68.74/year or $5.73/month for 20 years.”
The language on the ballot for the current levy request states, “Passage of this levy will increase your taxes on a home of $100,000 by approximately $13.28.” It’s important to remember that levies never expire. They will always be on your taxes.
I believe in Zero-based budgeting. Zero-base budgeting (ZBB) is a budgeting process that asks departments to build a budget from the ground up, starting from zero. It is a decision-making process based on imagining yourself back at the point before particular decisions were made, and free to make those decisions with the knowledge that you now have. School Board members are not elected to be rubber stampers for the administration!
Common Core Testing: The Common Core State Standards have led to an increased emphasis on standardized test performance while de-emphasizing good teaching. Parents should be notified that they have the right to opt their children out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) testing that reflects the Common Core standards. Furthermore, parents should not be bullied or demonized if they make that choice for their children.
Laura Wight
Laura Wight
Thank you to E-City Beat for your interest in and coverage of the School Board Trustee elections in Great Falls. I am running for School Board Trustee to have the opportunity to use my professional expertise and personal experience to represent the ‘public good’ and the multiple constituent groups in our community through service to public education. I do not approach the School Board Trustee candidacy with a set individual agenda.
I am the best candidate for the three-year seat for several reasons. I am a Montana native and lifetime public educator. I have taught for 17 years at the college level in various capacities. I currently work as the Director of Library Services at Great Falls College MSU and also teach the Introduction to Education course (preparing future teachers) as an adjunct faculty member. I am knowledgeable in Federal education policy, Montana state curriculum standards and local GFPS District policy. Throughout my career, I have nurtured a lifetime passion for public education. The purpose of public education is to provide universal access to free education. Public education should ‘level the playing field’ and guarantee equal opportunities for all children. It should prepare our future citizens academically for college or to enter the workforce. Through public education we are preparing children to be economically self-sufficient critical thinkers and to participate effectively as citizens in a democratic society.
I also feel I am the best candidate because I am a parent and community advocate. I am a product of public education and have four children in public elementary, middle and high schools in Great Falls. Over the years, I have gained a wealth of experience talking and collaborating with teachers, advocating for my children in the schools and working to bring awareness to the community on the benefits of public education. My husband and I are proud to call Great Falls home and are active advocates for the city on multiple fronts. I have also served as a parent officer on the Lincoln Elementary PTA for the last four years.
Lastly, I feel I am the best candidate because I believe the role of the local school board is to provide leadership in working with the community to craft a shared mission and vision for its schools that reflects the whole community. The school board has a responsibility to keep a finger on the pulse of education needs in the community as it evolves. This is done through consistent communication, active listening, participation in activities and events and maintaining a mutual respect with students, families, employees and all members of the community. Good public education is a collaborative between teachers, parents, administrators and taxpayers. GFPS District facilities, resources and employees are public assets and the Board must be a responsible steward of public resources. School Board members should be visible and involved in community events, attend school activities and functions and advocate for the public schools.
A School Board Trustee recently lowered the BOOM on a Great Falls citizen by using the “I” bomb to describe his associated intellectual level.
Laura Vukasin, can you tell us how you really feel about the taxpayers of our community?
“Laura Vukasin, can you tell us how you really feel about the taxpayers of our community?”
It all starts in a public forum comment section on E-City Beat discussing the upcoming School District Operational Levy, “Do School District Levies Ever Expire?”. A member of the public asks a simple question.
“Question to ask – why do all the buildings and grounds employee’s drive their district vehicle home at night. I followed one van that goes all the way to Stocket. Must be nice to have the tax payer pay for your fuel to drive back and forth. Check it out if you don’t believe me. I heard that it was because they needed them if there was and emergency in the district. Haven’t heard of a lot of painter or carpentry emergencies. Just ask why.”
“Thank you for bringing the concern indicated in the email below to my attention. The District’s response is in red:
Why do all the buildings and grounds employee’s drive their district vehicle home at night? All the Buildings and Grounds (B&G) employees don’t drive their vehicles home at night. The Painter, Electrician, Plumber and Carpenter Foremen do as well as the Supervisor and Assistant Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds. All other vehicles, including the technology vans, are left at the B&G Headquarters at Little Russell.
I heard that it was because they needed them if there was and emergency in the district. Haven’t heard of a lot of painter or carpentry emergencies. The Foremen are allowed to take their vehicles home because they are on call. Unfortunately, we have vandalism that occurs in our school district and most of it occurs at night or on weekends. This happens more frequently than one would think. When noticed by police, by the very early morning custodians, or on weekends when there are events, the foremen and supervisors are immediately called to the site. As to the “painter and carpentry emergencies,” questioned by Mr. Harling, they are the ones responsible for fixing broken glass (GFPS cuts and installs most of our own glass) and mitigating graffiti. Most recently, the Painter Foreman replaced a window that was broken at a basketball tournament on a weekend at GFHS and the next week sandblasted some obscene graffiti off of a wall at an elementary school before students arrived to see it. Plumbers and electricians are often called out as well to troubleshoot and repair boiler problems and water line breaks. Their vans have the necessary supplies and equipment for emergency repairs. The Supervisor and/or Assistant Supervisor accompany the on-call foremen so there is another pair of hands to do the work.
I followed one van that goes all the way to Stocket. One foreman does live in Stockett. The efficiency and efficacy of having this foreman immediately available with all of his supplies at any time, versus having him drive to his van at the Headquarters, far outweighs the price of gas to and from Stockett.“
Lacey’s response was passed on to other members of the District, including the School Board Trustees. When Trustee Vukasin received the information she evidently went ballistic, and wrote in an email:
“I am so thankful that those of us who work for/with the GFPS district have enough to do so that we don’t feel it necessary to follow a GFPS work vehicle home every night…..absolutely unbelievable the ignorance of some people….”
So, a taxpayer who is concerned about the District’s stewardship of our hard-earned dollars asks a logical question, and in return his question is labeled as one of ignorance by a sitting school board member? We believe she should be asked to resign immediately. What do you think?
