The School Budget Vote

It is precisely because of a rudimentary understanding of spreadsheets and finance that I accepted the PTA’s First Vice-president for (School) Budget board position. While I well understood the instructional and curricular aspects of education, I wanted to learn how dollars and cents factored into its realization. I also believed that my desire to overcome my deficit in budgetary knowledge combined with my writing skills would inspire me to present information to the public that was simplistic and user friendly. And because the job was so tedious and time intensive---one studies the school budget line by line-I immersed myself.

Next Tuesday--May 15-- is the school budget vote. I am not casting my ballot this year. It has nothing to do with apathy. While I no longer have children in the schools I still believe in every child’s right to the best educational practices. And my beliefs are not confined by a budgetary cap--in fact I would be willing to spend more tax dollars if it included (first and foremost) trimming the excessive administrative personnel, adding more teaching staff, restoring lost programs, and beefing up existing ones.

I am not voting because I have surrendered---neither a “yes” or “no” vote validates my educational stance. A “yes” vote affirms that this budget offers the best educational opportunity for students---I do not believe this is so. Neither will I vote “yes” because the school district is hanging a contingency budget over my head—like an albatross--a perennial bullying tactic. In fact I believe that under a different (i.e. educationally conscious) administration a contingency budget would be a strategic way for the district to reinvent itself and come out the other side leaner and more focused—but based on precedence this will not happen. And so voting “no” will send no message to the BOE about my discontent either.

My vote is best left at home.

And despite the unheralded intensive work involved in dissecting the school budget line by line, my dividend exceeded expectation. I learned a great deal. I spun my fear into challenge and challenge into success. And in particular, my copious notes and detailed review was noticed by someone who now sits on the BOE who took the PTA budget position after I---a person I regard as having extreme integrity---a person with whom I happy to agree to disagree with as we do not necessarily see eye to eye. And she called me and said you know, you did a really good job as vice president---your notes have made my work easier---and I was wondering may I reuse your words? And I said yes. And I felt good.

Sometimes one tiny accolade can make all your efforts completely worthwhile—especially when it comes from someone who does not necessarily share your agenda. And sometimes abstaining makes your vote more vocal-- even more so than if you had pulled the lever---and especially when you write a blog.