By Carol C. Brown
6/3/03 -- It seems every day brings more bad news about the budget crises affecting public education. State budget deficits continue to climb, and many states are now taking the ax to K-12 programs. States still must close a $21.5 billion gap by the end of the fiscal year.
As a result, school districts across the nation are trimming their budgets to the bare bones.
Many are cutting back on extracurricular activities or charging fees for participants, shortening the school year, delaying school building projects -- almost anything to avoid having to cut the instructional staff, although some districts are contemplating that drastic step as well.
Just as the economic recession is putting the crunch on school district budgets, districts are facing the prospect of new, costly mandates imposed by the federal government.
As Congress debates appropriations for Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, NSBA will be on Capitol Hill to represent the interests of local school boards. We will be fighting to urge Congress to support local governance of public education and the need to provide the resources school districts need to support the laudable goals of IDEA and the No Child Left Behind Act.
In these critical times, your support and your participation in NSBA's National Affiliate program as part of the unified voice standing behind NSBA's advocacy team is more important than ever before.
In addition to appropriations, many other issues are on the congressional agenda.
The most important one is the reauthorization of IDEA. I am pleased to report that the bill approved by the House contains many of NSBA's recommendations -- thanks to the extensive input and participation from local school board members, members of the Council of School Attorneys, and our partners in the NSBA Federation.
Our NSBA advocacy staff will be working on many other bills over the coming months, including the reauthorization of the child nutrition and higher education programs. And we'll continue to fight efforts to create a voucher program for the District of Columbia -- or anywhere else.
Your participation in the National Affiliate program helps ensure that the needs and concerns of school districts nationwide are heard through our unified voice whenever NSBA speaks with members of Congress, at the White House, at the federal agencies, and before the courts.
As your NSBA president, one of my personal goals is to ensure that we as local school board members work within our own communities to build a common understanding of public education's goals and challenges. Together, through a common vision, we can fix what needs to be fixed, we can accomplish these goals, and we can celebrate as our communities' vision for public education becomes reality.
As a National Affiliate partner, you are part of a national network of 20,000 local school leaders -- speaking out loud and clear for public education and local school governance.
Through the unlimited access to NSBA's informational resources available to National Affiliates, school board leaders are better informed about emerging national issues, new mandates, innovative ideas, and new opportunities for engaging your community.
And as we confront the need to do more with fewer resources, we all need to be better informed so we will make the right decisions.
NSBA values your partnership as we work together to ensure that we reach our common goal -- improved student achievement through school board leadership.