A renewed commitment to public education

By Staff
June 29, 2003
As we reported last week more than half of the Meridian Public School District's proposed $56.4 million budget for the next school year would fund classroom instruction, including teacher salaries. The proposed budget, which is $2.7 million more than $53.7 million the district spent this year, also would raise property taxes on homes and vehicles by 1.97 percent next year.
While tax increases are rarely without controversy, this proposed one should be viewed differently because of the major changes promised by members of the school board. The hiring of a new superintendent is only one of those changes.
This school board is on a visionary course that can positively change the state of local public education at a time when such positive changes are clearly needed.
The bad news in a public hearing on the board's proposed budget last week is that it was attended by only about 20 people including school board members and news reporters. The budget vote is Monday.
We again encourage interested residents of this community and that should include all of us to take a more active role in education matters. Parental and citizen involvement is crucial at this crucial time.