State aid to public schools has fallen more than $200 million since the 2008-09 school year, according to a report prepared by the top financial officers of three area districts.
That's simultaneously stunning and not surprising.
We all know that the state has cut its support of public schools more so on a percentage basis than any other state since 2008, according to another study.
At the same time, polls of state voters consistently show that their top priority is education so it is amazing that the state budget doesn't match that goal.
The latest figures are interesting because they put the state in line with the most geographically comparable peer group, and we don't come out well. There are many ways that the state could turn more money to public schools.
The state could stop approved personal income tax cuts and direct more money to education.
People are also reading…
The state could end or reduce oil field tax breaks and direct that revenue to schools.
The state could investigate claims that changes in health-care policy could result in more revenue and lower expenses and direct those savings to education.
The state could reprioritize current spending, deciding that money being spent on other things just isn't as important as schools.
And there are other options.
What is required for any of those options to be implemented is the political will to make it happen.
The onus here is on the supporters of education. If they want more money for schools, they must convince lawmakers that voters not only say they want more support for public schools, but will vote that way and that education reform without adequate education funding only exacerbates the problem.
Until education supporters can convince lawmakers that the majority will vote for candidates who support more school funding (and against those who don't), there won't be any more funding for schools we'll get the results we're getting.