Although the Columbus Municipal School District stresses it has not finalized its budget request for the 2017 school year, it seems certain the district will be requesting a significant increase in funding.
That request, at least based on the latest numbers, means an additional $60 in taxes for every $100,000 in assessed property value for homeowners and an addition $100 in taxes for every $100,000 in assessed property for business owners.
That kind of request, Mayor Robert Smith insists, would precipitate a mass exodus of residents and businesses to the county where taxes are lower, and likely to be lower still in the coming years.
We have been an advocate for our public schools and have been pointed in our criticism of our legislature for its failure to provide the needed financial resources that ensure a quality education for our children.
Facing cuts of about $1 million in state and federal funds for the upcoming school year, we have no doubt the CMSD is feeling the financial strain.
Yet, just as citizens have an obligation to our schools, the schools have an obligation to the taxpayer as well.
In the classroom, the district has failed to meet that obligation — the district has been rated as under-performing for five consecutive years by the Mississippi Department of Education.
To date, taxpayers have seen no return on their financial investment in the district over the past five years in terms of academic performance. That makes a request for more taxpayer money a hard sell.
While the district’s greatest obligation is providing a quality education to our children, the district also has an obligation to wisely manage those taxpayer dollars.
Given the current state of Mississippi’s economy, which is staring down a budget deficit of $60 to $75 million as the fiscal year comes to a close at the end of the month, it is likely resources will continue to be tight.
Given that grim reality, it is incumbent on the district to show restraint and creativity when putting together its budget request. As it looks now, there will come a day when the district may find no choice but to request a significant increase in funding if the state continues to fail to meet its obligation to education.
We do not believe, however, that day has come.
The district has a reserve fund, which is not unlike a rainy-day fund. The state requires school districts to maintain reserve funds of at least 7.5 percent of its annual budget. In recent years, CMSD has held millions more than the required funds in reserve.
As of right now, the district is asking for an additional $1 million in funding. We believe there is a strong case to be made from taking that money from its reserves rather than passing that increase on to the taxpayer.
We also believe that the district should take another long, hard look at its budget to determine if there are ways to save money without compromising its educational mission.
In our homes, there is a rule of thumb that says if you haven’t worn an item of clothing in a year, you should probably don’t need it and should get rid of it.
That same principle may apply to district staffing. Are there positions that have remained unfilled for long periods of time? If so, it’s worth considering whether those positions should be eliminated.
The CMSD will hold a public hearing on its budget at 5 p.m. on June 30 at Brandon Central Services. We encourage residents to attend that meeting.
We hope by then the district will have done its due diligence and left no stone unturned in producing a budget that does not place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.
We are not convinced the district has met that obligation thus far.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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