Our View: Even schools must cope with cutbacks

Local school districts have been largely protected from the economic woes of the past two years. While the state had to slash its budget by hundreds of millions of dollars and leave 1,000 jobs unfilled, schools received a 2 percent increase in their basic state funding as required by law. While Maricopa County, Mesa, Phoenix and other municipalities have reduced programs and laid off employees, many school districts have provided their teachers with small pay raises and covered most or all of the higher costs of health insurance premiums.

That's not to say we believe public schools are swimming in excess tax dollars. We know that past state payments often have not kept pace with inflation. Scottsdale and Mesa are among the districts struggling with a sudden and unexpected drop in student enrollment, which means less cash from the state to operate their schools.

But we cannot ignore the financial pain confronting homeowners, large and small businesses and other taxpayers. Collapsing home values, sky-high prices for gasoline and food and rising unemployment all are squeezing Arizonans from every walk of life. Any relief from paying a little bit more can only ease the burdens of a financial meltdown that has gripped the country.

This is why we are opposing most funding measures from East Valley school districts on Nov. 4 general election ballots. Our opposition includes the various maintenance and operations budget overrides that allow school districts to spend 10 percent above state-imposed limits.

Despite our libertarian viewpoint, we frequently have endorsed such measures in the past. We recognize that most parents send their students to a district school, even with the growing popularity of private and charter alternatives. Quality education is the basic building block of an informed democracy and a vibrant capitalist economy, and as such deserves stable, long-term financial support.

But if our national leaders are to be believed, the United States faces an economic crisis unmatched since the Great Depression. Everyone needs to re-examine their funding priorities and to prepare to do more with less. Public schools simply can't be exempted.

Budget cuts of up to 10 percent, phased in over three years, would mean some difficult choices. Will music and art and sports programs survive? Will class sizes have to grow? What teacher salary benefits might have to go?

However, difficult choices wouldn't mean the end of quality education. The Apache Junction Unified School District knows this. That's why the district's governing board has accepted, at least for now, the decision of voters last November to not renew its budget override. Apache Junction went through the first wave of budget cuts and still has a school system that its students are proud to attend.

If voters in other school districts want to keep supporting local education with higher property taxes, we will applaud their courage. But if voters decide on Nov. 4 that they just can't afford such sacrifices right now, we know school districts will survive and, with the right leadership, can continue to succeed.