·
Each
year there are more attempts to take away authority of local school boards and
those patrons who elect them. This bill would force schools to make decisions
that can already be made locally should they choose to do so. I am concerned
about this loss of local control. Schools that wish to expand their curriculum
via distance learning currently have that option available to them and many are
already doing so.
·
Schools
already often collaborate to generate the school calendar and course schedules
for the following year. This is a very time consuming process and would be
increasingly difficult for an “allied system” especially when there is no guarantee
for additional opportunities once the work is done.
·
Schools
build class schedules based on their students’ priorities. Being forced into a
common schedule with other schools could conceivably limit the number of desired
courses students could take.
·
This
is an unfunded mandate that in the
end will ensure added time and effort on the part of school districts, with no
guarantee for expanded course offerings or curriculum beyond what school
districts are already willing and able to share. There is no promise of
property tax reduction with the passage of this bill.
Based on the concerns above, I am in
opposition of this bill.
I oppose this bill while understanding that there is tremendous diversity among
our school districts in NE. The course offerings in our smaller schools might
not emulate those in larger districts across this state, yet smaller schools
experience benefits larger schools across the state may not realize in terms of
class size and relationships with students and their families. Beyond what is
already required in NDE rule and statute, I believe local schools need the
freedom to decide what their priorities are and which of those they are willing
and able to fund.
I
would encourage local patrons to contact our local Senator (Ken Schilz, [email protected]) with
their opinions in regard to this bill and the lack of need to impose additional
unnecessary mandates on school districts, with no guarantee of lowering taxes
or improving our district’s course offerings.
-Dr. Paula Sissel
[email protected]
Garden County Schools
Superintendent/Elementary
Principal