Crucial Functions

Gene Perry, a policy analyst with the Oklahoma Policy Institute, has an insightful post on the organization’s blog that breakdowns education funding here and compares it to surrounding states and the nation.

What Perry finds is that Oklahoma spends slightly less on instruction costs (56.24 percent) of its overall education budget than surrounding states (58.87 percent) and the nation (60.35 percent).

Perry notes that two bills have been introduced in the legislature this year that would raise the percentage of education funding going to instructional costs—to 65 or 70 percent—but that cutting administrative and other school costs to make up for such a dramatic increase in instruction is not necessarily a panacea or even possible.

Perry writes:

While education is complex, the expenses of running a school district are fairly straightforward. We will always need to pay a certain amount for buildings, maintenance, utilities, janitors, bus drivers, nurses, and cafeteria workers. Putting a greater percentage of school funding into instruction can’t be done simply by slashing those areas needed to provide a safe, comfortable environment in which children can learn.

The point, Perry goes on to argue, is “in a state like Oklahoma, where schools already operate on relatively lean budgets, it’s unlikely that funds can be shuffled around without harming crucial functions.” (Be sure to read Perry’s entire post.)

Meanwhile, Gov. Mary Fallin has announced she will present a budget for next fiscal that asks a 3 percent cut in education funding. This comes after a similar cut this year and will almost certainly mean more teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.

Fallin is also asking for a 3 percent cut in public safety and health and human services. Other state agencies, according to Fallin, would face a 5 percent cut. The state faces a $600 million budget shortfall for next fiscal year.

Tax increases are out of the question in Oklahoma’s Republican-dominated legislature and the ongoing economic recovery will probably be too slow to help the situation. Also, a small income tax cut, one that primarily benefits wealthy taxpayers, is scheduled to go into effect next year.

Although it’s difficult to quantify, Oklahoma will pay a price down the road in social costs for these continuing cuts in education. How will this affect the high school dropout rate? How will this affect the state’s anemic college graduation rate? These cuts have a real impact on the quality of education in our state’s schools and send the wrong message to our students.