Why are we funding the school board?

Subject: School Computers

To Mr. & Mrs. Cooper City Taxpayer,

At first glance most of us are favorably inclined to the concept of diverting $100k towards schools for computer. The needs having been described by the head school janitor as urgently needed. Upon further contemplation not as favorably disposed towards the idea for some reasons I will convey to you.

While the idea of better computers sounds good, the proposed gift ignores that school funding is strictly a state & county function, with additional federal funds thrown in.  You will soon receive a notice, the TRIM Notice, AKA, notice of proposed property taxes. Review it closely and you will see that the amount you will probably pay to the school board is greater than your city tax bill for two reasons. The millage is greater and the amount of exemption is less thus a larger bill in most cases for the average homeowner.

There is also the question of the funding of school activities by a municipal government. While it is true in some areas of the country there are municipalities that are responsible for funding of the school system. However, given the structure of the school system in Florida the school board is a county level function will state funding as well as federal funds to the state/local school board. It is noteworthy that the Broward School System is the 2^nd largest in the country. Given these facts I find no sound legal or logical basis for municipal funding a requirement or even necessity that city taxes need be appropriated to the public schools.

The growth of charter schools both private and public does give rise to the question of funding and this is particularly true in Pembroke Pines. And we have watched that over the years and I am not sure that we can look to that as answer to enhancing the public school system in a municipality. I would wonder what the reaction is to all of this for parents who fund our public schools but receive not consideration for sending their kids to the non-public funded education systems.

The public schools are funded through direct taxes paid by property owners to the Broward Schools System. It now appears as though the Cooper City Commission has inserted into the budget a gift, that’s right Bertha, a gift of $100,000 to fund obtaining computers. The exact reason is not being made very clear. Is it for additional computers for testing or for day to day usage or for other reasons?

Apparently this gift request was made by the principal of the high school on behalf of the five public schools in Cooper City. No mention of the charter or private schools was included. This is occurring in the same time frame as the efforts of the school board to ramp up support of the $800 million bond issue to be paid by the property owners of Broward. (Sources knowledgeable on this indicate that a substantial portion will be directed to payment of the previous indebtedness of the school board.)

Once again it appears that the city commission chooses to take the rise in total increase in the tax base (thanks to the Monterra development) and lavish it to another uncommon place. Is there something I missed or is this just an inherent flaw in the ideology of this commission that if there is additional monies coming in let’s find a place to spend it. Least we not forget the more cynical theory that three of the five commissioners earn their income from the public trough, Commissioner Curran being one who actually works at CCHS.

 As a side note this even lacks a modicum of accountability as there is no restrictions to ensure that the gift is spend as the city taxpayers are led to believe it will be.

There are already enough problems with accountability on the collection or spending of tax dollars and "fees" without adding more.

It is somewhat of a mystery of how and why a request made in May of this year, sent to directly to the city manager, Bruce Loucks, and never distributed to the city commission as a whole, placed as an item in the budget  until the unveiling of the city budget on or about July 1 and the public until July 10^th. Was there some nefarious reason to withhold it from the public? I find it somewhat devious that it was not presented as a request for funding and allowing the commission to discuss it beforehand. Rather it was placed in the budget with an implied “let’s see if you have the daring to suggest that it be removed”.

One overriding concern revolves around why the $100k is being spent for this purpose as opposed to others. We are spending about ¾ of a million on sports facilities and additionally $800k for the sports complex on Flamingo Rd but little on additional upgrades to parks throughout the city. Many residents are asking for a dog park and have been totally ignored. We increase the fees for the use of the recreational facilities, fees for usage of the gym equipment, not to mention additional fee for permits to upgrade the appearances of the individual properties.

Or even a small reduction in taxes, keeping mind that almost every homeowner has had their property increase and many are still struggling with stresses of the recession or recovery if that what this current economy really is.

I leave it to you to decide. Once you have made your decision let your city commissioners know how you feel. Now is the time for you to act. Don’t let this issue slide by as once the first bite is taken a desire to continue and even increase it will surely happen.