Comments about ‘School districts feeling pain of budget cuts’

At least the legislature has managed to save the rainy day fund on the backs of children, but they are young and can endure the burden because they don't know any better.

What do you expect from Utah? They have never given education the funding and respect it needs and deserves. I will say Gov. Huntsman was trying to improve education in the state, but the legislature seems anti-education and I think some of them are loving that schools and teachers are suffering now.

People, let's get a grip. Education isn't the only career choice who has been laying people off. Almost every business has been doing that for the past year. I hate to lose teachers and/or school days, but the reality is that the coffers are millions of dollars short. You can't pay what you don't have.

Exactly, Reality Check! Maybe better: Pay for what you have! As in the kids you have.

Too many people not paying for their children. We are already one of the highest taxed states in the nation, and yet education funding kinda blows chunks here.

go figure

I'm much more worried about the kids than myself. I might make less money, but they will get a lot less teacher! Only so much of me to go around. Guess I shouldn't have taken off all of that weight.

From a parent. You should end school on memorial day. After that it is a waste of time anyway. Memorial day to labor day should me summer vacation.

How many of you know what goes on the last 3 weeks of class? The kids turn their books in, play games and watch movies, hardy the quality education we all wanted for our children. I say end school then, because once the teachers have checked out, there's no reason to attend school.

How is it that those who benefit by the new Utah flat tax, mostly those in the upper tax brackets, are the only ones not asked to sacrifice?

We cut the school year before we take back this tax cut?

How about we keep the teachers and get rid of the administrative folks first, they are top heavy and top earners -- we need teachers we don't need so many school districts - typical get rid of the ones that count and keep the fluff

Keep people in ignorance then you have control - and people of Utah are worried about socialism, heck they are headed far beyond that if they keep voting as they do. Ignorance is great as then you are willing to believe those you think know better than you - scarey

What a joke - we don't want to shorten the school year - we need teacher days. Why then - does it seem - that every year the teachers get more and more days off? I will never understand why a job with so many perks and great pay - has so many whiners wanting more. Then they say that they do it for the kids. Sure. Other people are suffering but the teachers think they should be immune and on top of that - first chance - they will be demanding more - not for the kids - but - for their wants.

This article is misleading. The real education budget cuts was almost 17%. Much of that was one time funding that is renewed every year. The stimulus money will only backfill next year and the year after and then Utah is still stuck with a 17% cut after that. That means districts need to look at how to balance their budgets based on a 17% cut not a 3-5% cut. This also means that the cuts won't really be felt until the 2011-2012 school year. Just wait, education hasn't begun to see how damaging our legislature's actions are yet.

There is sooooo much fat in education. Notice no talk about cutting any of it. Get rid of bad teachers and lazy do nothing admin. Than's a 90% cut right there.

We can stop school at Memorial Day. That just means fewer breaks throughout the year. However, then you have parents pulling kids out of class for vacations. I'm sure that class time during their vacations was a waste of time too.

What do you mean more and more days off? Teachers work 188 days a year, 180 of those with students and the rest are training or professional development days. What perks and what do you mean great pay? Those 188 days are the only days teachers are paid for, the days they don't work, they don't get paid. Instead of bashing teachers on a message board, why don't you get the training and education needed to be one.

The administration ratio to classroom teacher needs to be cut in our school districts. Districts cutting the layer that does not teach are making wise decisions. Districts protecting their administrators and non-classroom staffs are going to be in trouble.

Teachers do make good money when you look at the big picture. I have my kids in a private school because I can afford it. I will say the voters sure blew it by voting down the voucher bill.

If we cut the last three weeks of school, as you suggest, when will we do our end-of-level testing? Also, I find it offensive that you suggest that all teachers spend the last few weeks just turning in their books, playing games, and watching videos. I make sure my students learn something EACH day of school, even the last. If I didn't, I'd lose my mind and feel like I was doing a disservice to my students. Every one of those weeks have stories and vocabulary and spelling, etc,... I each math lessons until the last day. I might watch a few videos, but they go with the core curriculum. You owe me an apology Mom of Students.

Education in this state gets almost 50% of the entire state budget. Lets put this in perspective. Almost half of the entire states expenses is education. How much more do you all want? The administrators in the districts need to be cut. I would consider strongly a 4 day school week. Parents need to stop treating school like day care. The union needs to be told to take a hit, a major one. The athletic budgets can be cut by getting rid of the 5A classification, stop inviting losing teams to the state tournaments, better regional alignments, and more intelligent scheduling. If we are going to fix the problems then there can not be any holy grails here. Teachers do not mind pitching in and taking a hit if the hit that they take is inclusive across the board.

Why is it just the teachers getting layed off? The whole system is too top heavy with administrators. If this was privately run a lot of the staff would be gone. You don't need the big staff with less teachers. Also, you could save probably three teachers by eliminating one staff position.