AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
A commission discussed managing potential budget cuts, with one member viewing holding steady at a negative $200 million as a success. Longer-term, increasing the state’s share of school costs to 60-75% was considered, but concerns arose about losing local control. Liz Standish argued that increased state funding could diminish local school boards’ ability to allocate resources strategically, impacting their independence. However, another commission member, Hughes, downplayed the significance of this concern.
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“If we can hold the line when looking at a negative $200 million – whatever we’re looking at – then I think that’s a win for us,” she said.
Longer term, commission members discussed further increasing the state share of school costs, with several mentioning goals of between 60% and 75%. But others warned of a possible loss of local control that could accompany increased state funding.
“A board of education right now has local ability to appropriate funds to meet strategic goals, to advance their school district. And if we diminish that local board’s authority to appropriate funds, because all of the appropriation comes through the state, that would be concerning,” said Liz Standish, a commission member and associate superintendent for business affairs for Lincoln Public Schools.
Hughes downplayed that concern.
