Tulsa students, parents and school officials were outraged Monday evening by late-breaking news of flat state funding for education.
At an evening school board meeting, student musicians had just expressed their disappointment over the possible cut of the band program at Webster High School when word of the state budget deal was received.
"Holding out a tin cup is not the way to fund schools," said Board Vice President Anna America. "Providing an appropriate, quality education system is a responsibility of the state. We've got to hold them responsible for that. If you cannot change your senator's mind or your representative's mind, you need to change your senator and change your representative."
A recent Tulsa World analysis of data from the Office of State Finance shows a staggering string of lower state aid allocations for public schools since revenue collections plummeted in 2009 - $300 million less in 2010, $295.7 million less in 2011 and $253.5 million less in 2012.
Tulsa Public Schools responded by slashing $22.1 million out of its budgets. But now that there is a reported $350 million in new revenue available, local parents have organized to help school leaders push for adding $50 million back into the school funding formula.
"This is appalling. When state revenues are up, why can't we put some back (into the education budget)?" Tulsa Superintendent Keith Ballard said Monday evening. "I didn't see any clamoring for a tax cut. I guess it makes good campaign flier material, but they passed over children who want to be in band. It's very disingenuous for the governor to say we will provide core services - this is not providing core services."
TPS is now in the process of cutting another 150 teaching positions for 2012-13, in part because federal stimulus funding to save teacher jobs is running out.
Ballard pledged to do everything he could to raise private funds since the Jenks school district announced last week that it had success in doing so to preserve some teacher jobs. Still, TPS officials say class sizes will be up across the district, with Memorial High School likely to have 38-40 students in each. Webster High School may lose its band along with the elimination of its band director's position.
"Band has really taught us a lot of respect and responsibility. If you were to take that away you would have a lot of angry kids," said Keiyana Cheatham, a member of Webster's band who will be a senior in the fall.
Darryl Bright, president of Citizens United for a Better Education System and a member of the McLain High School advisory council, said efforts to reform McLain and its feeder schools will surely suffer.
"Has the state offered the district any help in looking for alternative funding sources? Have they offered you any alternatives or offered you any help navigating the rocks in the stream? How mean-spirited. This is insanity. I can only surmise they don't care," Bright said.
Earlier in the day, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and the City Council held a news conference to announce they were joining in the fight for restored state funding to public schools.
Bartlett and City Council Chairman G.T. Bynum signed a resolution seeking more education funding from the state for the 2012-13 academic year. City Councilor Karen Gilbert left immediately for Oklahoma City to personally deliver the resolution to state legislators.
"We are so hoping our representatives down the turnpike will hear our concerns," she said.
The resolution was recently adopted by a unanimous vote of the City Council.
"They need to ask themselves, 'What are our core services?' I believe the answer is education - that is a core service of the state of Oklahoma," Bartlett said, referring to the governor and Legislature. "They have to set a priority where they put education at the top of their list."
Bynum said he received a "world-class education" at Tulsa's Eliot Elementary School and that he and his wife chose to raise their own children in Tulsa because they expected them to receive no less.
"We felt this was the best place in the whole world for our kids to grow up," Bynum said. "Any notion that my kids, as they get ready to go into elementary school wouldn't have the same opportunities, the same level of quality of education is totally unacceptable, so I'm just very proud of the city of Tulsa today for standing with our colleagues from area public schools to speak with one voice in support of quality public education for kids that live here in Tulsa."
Tulsa Metro Chamber officials also attended the press conference in support of the council resolution.
Tulsa Superintendent Ballard, as well as Kirby Lehman and Cathy Burden from the Jenks and Union school districts, were on hand to thank city leaders for their support.
"We are coming off a very frustrating year," Burden said, noting that Union Public Schools has lost more than $6.5 million in state funding since 2008. "To know our City Council, our mayor and that our chamber of commerce is all united to make education a true priority is very rewarding not only for us as educators here today, but the many teachers and many parents who know that education of the students in public schools in Oklahoma is the highest priority we can have for our future."
Jenks' Lehman said his district's philosophy has been to preserve quality programs, but that has required many sacrifices when it comes to staffing levels for classroom teachers.
"When you have diminished funding and you don't eliminate programs, you increase class sizes," he said. "It astounds me that any legislator could look at the potential of bringing new businesses into our state without examining funding for public education first. That is all we are seeking - fair and appropriate funding."
Andrea Eger 918-581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: School patrons decry state funds deal
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