BCT Editorial – 9/2/07

This page was last updated on September 4, 2007.

Local control; Editorial; Beaver County Times; September 2, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The Pennsylvania tourism industry has been lobbying state government to approve legislation that would push back the start of public schools each year until after Labor Day.

“It would be more logical for school directors to handle this issue, but remember we’re talking about Harrisburg where logical thinking is often in short supply.

“The Associated Press reported last week that tourism industry officials have found a champion in state Rep. Robert Godshall, R-Montgomery, who has proposed legislation to address the issue, and support has been building among rank-and-file legislators.”

[RWC] I know nothing of Mr. Godshall’s record, so I could be jumping to a conclusion when I write the following. With the proposal attributed to Mr. Godshall, it appears he’s an example of a liberal Republican.

“Industry officials argue that the loss of teenage employees and potential visitors to the start of school each year is costing the state economy millions. A bipartisan legislative study released last year indicated that a delayed school start would generate $378 million annually.

“That kind of money is nothing to sneeze at, but opponents correctly note that it would cost local school districts another measure of control.

“‘I understand there’s a need for local control, but by the same token, sometimes we all have to deal with things for the good of the economy,’ said state Rep. Tom Tangretti, D-Westmoreland, who chairs the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee.

“Pennsylvania legislators have become adept at citing local control when they want to duck a controversial education issue. Now they’re willing to toss local control out the window for the sake of cheap labor.

“The problem with mandating a set start of school is that it would benefit only a small portion of the state where the largest amusement parks and attractions are located.

“In these areas, it makes sense for local districts to consider delaying school for the employment opportunities afforded to working-age students and tax revenue generated by such attractions.

“That can be accomplished by tourism officials making a case to those individual districts that a delayed start would be beneficial.

“This boils down to a question of who is more qualified to determine the start of a school year: Harrisburg lobbyists or local school directors?

“The mission of school districts is to provide quality education, and in doing that they must contend with snow days and teacher strikes while adhering to the state’s mandated 180-day school year. Starting school early permits them more flexibility in accomplishing their mission.

“If they can do that while accommodating the tourism industry, all well and good. But it should be their decision and theirs alone.”

[RWC] Out of laziness and to avoid repeating myself, here’s what I wrote in a comment on the Times website. “If you keep track of Times editorials, you know they routinely lobby for more state taxpayer funding of public schools vs. local taxpayer funding. At the same time, we read editorials like this one professing a desire for local control. These are mutually exclusive positions and they should be.

“An old saying goes something like, ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune.’ The way to local control is to reduce state taxpayer funding of local responsibilities, not to increase it.”