The Superintendent of the Bismarck-Henning School District is warning schools may have to close later this year unless legislators and the Governor resolve school funding differences. Superintendent Scott Watson sent a letter to parents and guardians saying to this date, there are no dollars flowing to public schools. He noted Bismarck-Henning Schools received just under $2.8 million dollars in State funding last year, but that was $190-thousand dollars below what it should have received.
‘’The top priority for our elected officials must be to enact a school funding budget that includes adequate funds for public schools for the upcoming school year,’’ wrote Superintendent Watson. ‘’This will ensure that schools across the state open on time and have adequate funding,’’ he added.
The letter notes the deadlock in the State right now is the funding bill that the House and Senate have both passed. Senate Bill 1 sends $500-million dollars to Chicago right off the top before any monies are allocated to downstate districts. This means less money downstate, so Governor Bruce Rauner says he will veto the bill.
‘’The toxic climate at the Capital often leads one to avoid getting involved,’’ says Superintendent Watson. ‘’Yet, as taxpayers and as citizens who are concerned about the health and future of the state, now is the time to be engaged.’’ He urged citizens to contact their elected officials…Senator Jason Barickman at Jason@jasonbarickman.org, and Representative Tom Bennett at Bennett@ilhousegop.emailnb.com to let them know about their feelings about the current ‘state of our state’. And Watson says he and the Bismarck-Henning School Board will continue to monitor the situation closely.
