Trustees delay dues decision

By NANCY KIMBALL

The Daily Inter Lake

Torn between a desire to see a state school-funding solution through to its conclusion and the need to tighten belts after this spring's high-school tax levy failure, Kalispell school trustees Tuesday night delayed a decision on paying dues to the education group suing the state over inadequate funding.

"We want to be part of the process … we want to be a forerunner," Superintendent Darlene Schottle said. "But we have to be careful because our own community did not pass the high-school levy this year."

Schottle recommended paying $8,000 for the district's 2005-06 dues to the Montana Quality Education Coalition, but holding off on $12,000 in dues for 2006-07 until the school board can decide what budget cuts to make as it transitions to a second high school.

"I'm really struggling with this one," the superintendent said.

Many costs involved with Glacier High School - planning curriculum, ordering equipment, putting staff in place - cannot be taken from the construction bonds used to build the school, but are non-negotiable if the high school is to open in fall 2007.

To cover the shortfall, Schottle has offered a list of possible funding cuts or freezes in curriculum, teaching, travel, school resource officer, building reserve, textbooks, block-grant distribution to schools, pay-to-play, class sizes and administration. MQEC dues could be one of those cuts.

Ultimately, trustees agreed to devote their July 25 work session to the topic, with a vote possible Aug. 8.

Trustee Tony Dawson supported Schottle's compromise, which he said gives the board time to make a decision and work out the funding.

"If we had proper funding from the state in the first place, we would not have this problem," Dawson said.

Calling Schottle's proposal "very prudent," trustee Don Murray argued for remaining a part of MQEC.

"We're one of the healthiest districts in the state regarding funding" and therefore should stay in the coalition to help all involved, Murray said.

He said trustees need to have a long vision for public education and, though many find it distasteful for one tax-supported entity to sue another, it may be the answer.

"Really, it's a beautiful thing," he said later, pointing out that government is being played out as it was designed. "This is the executive branch in dispute with the legislative branch, turning to the judicial branch for resolution."

Trustees Mary Ruby and Keith Regier disagreed with delaying the dues decision, though for nearly opposite reasons.

Regier questioned from where the money would come, even in the relatively financially solvent Kalispell districts.

"I'm also bothered that Mr. Nicosia never directly answered my questions" on per-student spending inequities between small and large districts, Regier said. Mike Nicosia, superintendent at Columbia Falls, the lawsuit's lead plaintiff, explained the MQEC's mission to Kalispell trustees last month.

"I'm really disappointed that MQEC's action is not based on both adequacy and equity," Regier said.

Ruby, on the other hand, scolded the board for delaying payment so long.

"We should not join only if they come up with what we like," Ruby said. "We should stay as a leader in this. We need to pay that $8,000 … We've taken advantage of that lawsuit. Then we can take another 30 days, if we need it, to decide on the $12,000 even though it's already late."

Saying that the Montana Constitution requires adequate, but not equitable, school funding, Trustee Ivan Lorentzen made the case to stay in MQEC.

"If we think school funding has been solved by the Legislature, then we pull out of this," Lorentzen said. "But we are in the eighth inning and we need to stick with it … There are ways to do this without hurting education."

It's been a hard sell to the general public, Trustee Colleen Unterreiner said, because "this has not been a populist movement. It's been [driven by] educators, so it's hard for people to get excited about it."

When Schottle's recommendation was put to a vote, eight of the board members supported it, while Ruby and Regier voted against the decision.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com