Siuslaw News article Posted: Tuesday, Aug 28th, 2007
Schools receive boost from Textbook Fund
BY: Denise Ruttan
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The role of technology
In a world of changing technology and the evolving needs of employers, Winterscheid said, other elements can supplement education that should be taken into account.
As special programs director last year, Winterscheid played a major role getting the school district a technology grant that supplied new computers and instructional technology for teachers and students in the district.
"Is it critical that every student have a textbook or that every student can access online classroom resources for projects? There are amazing instructional resources online. What role does the textbook play in that kind of world?" said Winterscheid.
Textbooks and taxes
But textbooks are still key to maintaining funding levels on a local basis, said Winterscheid, at a time when funding sources such as levies have proven unpopular.
"Textbooks are a concrete idea. You can wrap your thoughts and mind around the idea of textbooks," said Winterscheid.
The school district's local option levy bid last year failed by a narrow margin. Statewide tax measures in the past, such as Measure 5 and Measure 50, passed but limited local school funding options by capping tax amounts. According to the Oregon Quality Education Model, the state now provides about 70 percent of funding to most state school districts since Measures 5, 47 and 50 were passed.
Community support
Textbooks are something the community has supported in high numbers.
According to Caroline Estill, a local parent and volunteer who founded the Florence Bridge Volunteers organization, which works in cooperation with the Western Lane Community Foundation to coordinate the Textbook Fund, the community raised $45,000 this year for textbooks.
"Oregon school districts may have very tight budgets for years to come. It is important to remember that each dollar given to the Textbook Fund allows the Siuslaw School District to fund other critical educational needs," said Estill.
Winterscheid said the Textbook Fund played a huge role in fully funding the language arts adoption.
"Thanks to their efforts and support, they were able to help us to fully fund textbooks this year," said Winterscheid.
Western Lane Community Foundation administers and monitors all Textbook Fund donations, said Winterscheid.
"Money donated to the Textbook Fund through Florence Bridge can only be spent on textbooks for state-approved curriculums," said Winterscheid.
But since textbook adoptions are required by the state every year, textbook adoptions are a fixed amount in the budget. The money the school district would have spent on textbooks can go instead toward supplies, or filling out classroom sets from past adoptions, or to supplement the School Resource Officer. These would be approved by the school district's board of directors.
Essentially, the Textbook Fund provides a source of local stability on a year-to-year basis in a school funding game that's largely based on estimation, said Winterscheid.
Future hopeful but uncertain
Winterscheid said the district has mostly funded next year's health and physical education adoption. But he expressed some concern about future mathematics and science adoptions.
"School funding is a big estimation game. This year we're going to be okay. We're just thankful there weren't more cuts," said Winterscheid.
As early as 2001 the state's Quality Education Model was concerned about appropriate school funding levels.
"School people recognize and are prepared to shift funding from the old system program to the new system program. That is part of real reform," stated key recommendations from the report that year. "At the same time, when resources are not adequate, the state must step up and make new resources available. The reforms constitute a wholesale change in the way schools operate."
"The basic message is that schools in the state of Oregon are underfunded," said Winterscheid.
But the bottom line is even more basic than that, he said.
"We want to teach kids and we will teach them whatever the funding level. We can't opt out of the business. They come every year."
Florence Bridge Volunteers and the Textbook Fund are online at their website: http://www.FlorenceBridge.com. To view the state's Quality Education Model online, go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/default.aspx