[Vision2020] MSD Pay and Tenure--a reply

[Dale Courtney]

As always, Mike Curley can be counted on to intelligently defend MSD when no
one else will.

I'd *love* to see someone official (school board, district office, etc)
debate/overturn my figures. Fat chance.

> With regard to the most recent levy, with which I have a
> degree of familiarity, your statement is completely wrong.
> No one said anything about raising teacher salaries.

I wasn't trying to imply that the most recent levy was about pay raises for
teachers.

Some may remember that on this list about 9 months ago, I posted the
student-to-teacher ratio at MSD. When I brought up this fact, I was told
that the reason for not decreasing the number of teachers was to
"right-size" the MSD classrooms.

I further pointed out that:
1. MSD has the 2nd lowest student-to-teacher ratio in the state (next to
Blaine County)
2. MSD inflation-adjusted spending has grown at 3.7 times the rate of
enrollment growth (plus inflation).
3. Idaho's inflation-adjusted spending has grown at a rate of about 2 times
enrollment growth. That means that MSD's spending has grown at a rate of
nearly 2x that of the State's.
4. MSD is down 490 students in 10 years; a decrease of 21.3% Yet the MSD
inflation-adjusted spending is up 100% in that same timeframe.

There is no doubt in my mind that the liberals will attempt again to pass a
levy in town. Why? Because as the number of MSD students decreases, the
State and Federal funding to MSD decreases (duh!). However, MSD is unwilling
to decrease its budget to match the decreasing number of students.

I will continue to press this point until the liberals acknowledge what the
rest of us have known all along -- this isn't *really* about educating
children.

Best,
Dale Courtney
Moscow, Idaho