It’s Time to Stop Playing Referendum Roulette
The latest round of referendum roulette is in the books with predictable results – students in
some school districts “won” while others “lost.” This should not be a surprise given the
polarized climate in which these school elections take place.
Over the years, school referendum elections have been transformed into highly charged political
battles hardly distinguishable from those that take place in gubernatorial and legislative
campaigns. To be successful, a school district has to have the benefit of a highly sophisticated
citizens committee that employs all of the tactics and strategies a successful political campaign
uses. The committee needs to raise significant resources so it can conduct polls, establish a
phone bank to identify “yes” voters and try to persuade undecided voters and conduct a
sophisticated get-out-the vote operation. This is above and beyond the usual activities such as
posting yard signs, dropping literature and knocking on doors. It seems the only thing missing is
James Carville and Mary Matalin!
In addition, school officials are required to divert their attention away from their core mission –
educating students – to conducting dozens and dozens of informational sessions to various
community groups and stakeholders. Countless hours and resources are required to prepare
detailed information about the referendum. Attorneys must be consulted to draft the ballot
language to ensure it complies with a wide array of state laws. At district expense, brochures
explaining the proposed referendum must be developed and mailed to each resident in the
district.
It is hard to imagine that we could design a less efficient system for funding our schools.
Imagine if all of the time and energy expended by parents, community volunteers and school
staff on the referendum election were instead focused on the core mission of our schools –
educating students.
As if these challenges aren’t enough, the referendum election takes place in an environment
where local property taxes have been increasing in recent years due to diminished state support
for education and other services. Voters have one, and only one, opportunity to directly vote on
their level of property taxes – school referendum elections.
It is clear that the time has come to reform the way we fund our schools. The current system
does not serve anyone well – not our parents, not our school staff, not the taxpayers, and most
importantly, not our students. Minnesotans need to rise up and demand that the governor and
legislators work together to fix our school funding system. More specifically, the governor and
legislature need to provide additional state funding during the 2008 session. The 1% increase in
the basic formula allowance they have thus far approved is woefully inadequate. Secondly, the
governor and legislature need to modernize the way we fund our schools. The time has come to
enact a new Minnesota miracle that will provide adequate, equitable and sustainable funding for
our schools. Our future depends on it.
John Malone is the chairperson of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts Board of
Directors and the Vice Chairperson of the Orono Board of Education.