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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2011)
local news schools continued from page 1 Obamas’ thanksgiving As many as 28 percent of Title I districts would be out of compliance with reformed comparability provisions — The benefit to low-spending Title I schools would be significant, as their expenditures would increase by 4 percent to 15 percent. And the low-spending schools Experts say closing the comparability loophole is within reach and would provide meaningful help to low-income schools. that would benefit have much higher pover- ty rates than other schools in their districts. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and Marian Robinson greet people as they fill care packages with food for Thanksgiving at the Capital Area Foodbank in Washington, D.C., Nov. 23. oFFicial White houSe photo bY pete Souza reformed comparability provisions. But compliance for those districts is not as cost- ly as some might think – fixing it would cost only 1 percent to 4 percent of their total school-level expenditures on average. Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights, said that this analysis shows that closing the comparability loophole is within reach and would provide meaningful help to low-income schools. “Transparency on resource allocation within school districts is critical to ensuring every child has access to the same educa- tional opportunities. These new data high- light that the Title I comparability provision is broken and has failed to provide access to equitable resources, and that it is possible to fix it.” Under President Obama’s Blueprint for Reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Title I comparability provision would be revised to ensure that state and local funding levels are distributed equitably between Title I and non-Title I schools. Language to reform Title I compa- rability is also included in the bill to reau- thorize ESEA that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed last month. of the chamber. Outside of the building, Albert Postema, of Snohomish, was wearing a rope noose tie to signify what he said was a ``collective farmer, said that he went to his first Occupy protest in New York in September. He said he considers himself a conservative but is concerned about ``economic and political taking the brunt,’’ he said. ``How do you make cuts when others have been so greedy?’’ Karen Washington, a Spokane home care worker, said she’s worried about how cuts could affect her clients’ ability to pay for medication, as well as their impact on her as a worker. Washington said that while the state needs to raise revenue, the sales tax increase proposed by the governor would hurt low-income workers like herself. Washington said she hopes lawmakers consider other taxes, including removing tax exemptions for some businesses. ``It’s not an either or situation,’’ she said. ``It’s not sales tax or cuts. It’s not education or health care. They have other options.’’ Budget continued from page 1 carrying signs reading ``Save our Services,’’ ``Protect Our People’’ and ``People of Washington are United.’’ A large banner read ``Tax the 1% not the 99%.’’ A number of groups also planned to hold a candlelight vigil at the Capitol Monday night. A small group of protesters in the House gallery unfurled a banner over the chamber and shouted for lawmakers to tax the rich and fund schools. They chanted that the plan to further cut education will hurt fami- lies, children and teachers. ``It is immoral. It is illegal,’’ they shouted. A few lawmakers watched the protesters while others ignored them. Troopers man- aged to quiet the crowd and escort them out ‘The poor and underprivileged have been taking the brunt. How do you make cuts when others have been so greedy?’ economic noose around us.’’ Postema, a produce and nursery stock corruption.’’ ``The poor and underprivileged have been Tribune reported. Because of that potential savings, the Legislature could borrow some of the money it needs to fill the budget gap, then pay back the debt using the future savings from leaving the island. that the money needed to replicate the cen- ter elsewhere. The Department of Social and Health Services says that kind of reno- vation might cost $48 million at Maple Lane, so the Legislature would have to skip some of those upgrades to achieve any sav- lock-up continued from page 1 A sexual psychopath unit operated for years at Western State. The Legislature repealed that program before creating new civil commitment powers in 1990, along with a secure, prison-like commitment cen- ter instead of a hospital setting. After a stint in Monroe, the center ended up at McNeil Island. The facility currently houses about 285 offenders, or those deemed so dangerous the courts have confined them even though their prison sentences are over. With the kind of austerity measures being contemplated to bridge a $1.4 billion budg- et shortfall, Hunter told the newspaper he’s beyond the point of making political calcu- lations about which cut will be popular. Every cut is hard now. The remote island location adds $6.6 mil- lion a year to the center’s costs, according to a consultant’s study released this month _ or nearly $23,000 per resident, the News The facility currently houses about 285 offenders, or those deemed so dangerous the courts have confined them even though their prison sentences are over Under one scenario, the financing scheme would allow lawmakers to capture $44 mil- lion in this budget period, according to leg- islative staff calculations. Lawmakers might have to subtract from ings. Security would have to be increased, Special Commitment Center CEO Kelly Cunningham said. Other costs would fall away. It’s expen- sive to run an island, with its ferries and tug boats, separate power and water systems, and 4,400 acres to be patrolled. Officials say they need 23 more workers next year _ mostly security officers to patrol the island and boat operators to bring people and equipment on and off. DSHS has been able to make some cuts. Ferries and barges run less frequently. The agency was awaiting this month’s report on what the center could do to hold down costs, but consultants saw little beyond what had already been done. They did suggest about $500,000 a year could be saved by contracting out more of the food service budget, which has nothing to do with the island location. The alternative to the new costs is finding a new site. DSHS officials say they would- n’t do it without collecting public input. november 30, 2011 The Seattle Skanner page 3
