OPINION
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Decreased poverty level estimates are a good thing rather than a cause for school budget concerns
The 12/18/19 issue of the
Hermiston Herald had an
article discussing our pov-
erty level estimates and
how it effected the Title
V Rural and Low Income
Schools grant for the
Hermiston School District.
For the 2019-2020 school
year the district became
ineligible for the grant,
which amounted to more
than $85,000.
The U.S. Department of
Education, using the most
current available data,
found that the District’s
eligibility poverty rate had
dropped below the 20%
threshold to less than 17%.
Last year the rate was
24.4%.
To me, this would be
something to celebrate.
I am not familiar with
the data collection tech-
niques used for these
determinations; however,
I am cautiously optimis-
tic this could be a trend
based on our improving
economy.
What concerned me
about the article, rather
than the diminishing rate
being a positive, it was
framed in how certain
school services were going
to have to be modifi ed and
money taken from the gen-
eral fund or other places in
order to maintain these ser-
vices at their current fund-
ing levels.
It strikes me that the
district sees this as a glass
half empty rather than half
full and they have bud-
gets they have to forecast,
but I would be much more
interested in learning what
is being done right to lift
our citizens out of poverty
and stretching district tax
dollars.
Which, in my estima-
tion, is always a good thing
for everyone.
Jim Sheffi eld
Hermiston
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