Take a close look at SJ9

In music, poetry, books and speeches we hear the phrase “Children are our future”, but a bill under consideration in the Wyoming State Legislature seems to imply otherwise.

SJ9 takes our children off the front burner, relegating them to discretionary spending -- discretionary under the purview of the state legislature.

Our state’s constitution placed educational spending as a priority to ensure every child in the State of Wyoming would receive an equitable education. If passed, SJ9 would remove educational spending as a priority and would allow the legislature to determine what enough spending is without defining “enough”.

We are facing a $350 - $400 million-dollar deficit in education spending over the next two years. In other words, we do not have enough money to educate our children. The legislature knew this was coming.

In fact, the legislature had a large hand in bringing us to this point.

In 2006, the legislature diverted $505 million from the School Foundation Account to create the Hathaway Scholarship.

Monies from the School Foundation Account have also been transferred into the Wyoming Retirement System.

The legislature, in 2009, moved all funds in excess of $100 million at the end of the fiscal year from the School Foundation Account to the School Capital Construction Account, an amount equaling $1.3 billion since it was enacted.

Now, even though we are facing what could be a crippling deficit for our children’s education, the legislature is considering even more Hathaway Scholarhips, this time for out of state students. That bill, HB191, is still active.

It would allow two Hathaway Scholarships per year for students in each of our surrounding states – Colorado, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Twenty scholarships created from our tax dollars for students who do not reside in Wyoming.

Today, if you have a problem with the education your child is receiving you have a number of options with which to make your complaint heard.

You may start with the teacher, the principal, the superintendent and then the school board. If you are still not satisfied, you are allowed to consult the courts for a ruling on those educational issues.

If SJ9 were to pass, your argument stops with the school board. You will not be able to advocate for your child’s education through the court system.

Who is a better advocate for our children – parents or the legislature?

These are your tax dollars being shifted around by your legislators to the detriment of every child’s right to an education.