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Retired Metamora Township High School Superintendent Ken Maurer said this morning as a vote on the debt ceiling was facing the U.S. Senate he was concerned about what implications lie ahead for school administrators.
“I’m not sure what they are going to be cutting. It could be education. I’m sure it will be eventually,” Maurer said.
Newly installed MTHS Principal Sean O’Laughlin said this morning he was taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“We’ve long ago adopted a pay-as-you-go approach in this district. We try to buy only what we can afford,” O’Laughlin said this morning.
For large issues, he said, like a building project the district would have to issue bonds. If interest rates go up because of a lowering of the nation’s credit rating it could cost the district more money to borrow. That, however, he said, is not on the immediate horizon.
However, last month MTHS Superintendent Randy Toepke, on his first full day as superintendent, said he has expansion of the high school on his mind.
“We’re looking at enrollment and that is impacting the building. We’re getting close to needing more classrooms We’re keeping an eye on that,” Toepke said in early July.
Germantown Hills and Metamora grade schools, he said, have expanded and the students they have will be coming to the high school. The high school, he said, is already feeling a space crunch.
“We’re utilizing all the space we have. That’s something we want to look into. It’s important we look at the numbers,” Toepke said. “They don’t indicate we need more room yet. But, we don’t want to wait until we are crunched. We’ve talked about it in the past. We have plans.”
O’Laughlin said it seems no one is sure yet just how the debt ceiling legislation will impact many sectors, including education.
O’Laughlin said the district is being as creative as possible in the usage of space to forestall any expansion for as long as possible.
“We could use more classroom space,” he said.
Maurer said everyone, including education administrators, need to be concerned about how this legislation will impact the economy.
“Metamora only gets about 2 percent of its funding directly from the federal government, 28 percent from the state and 70 percent locally,” Maurer said. “Who is really going to get hit is inner-city schools.”
Maurer said if the federal government cuts funding to education they should couple it with a corresponding cut in the unfunded rules and regulations they impose on educators.
“The feds give us 2 percent of our money and 70 percent of our rules and regulations,” Maurer said.
Retired Metamora Township High School Superintendent Ken Maurer said this morning as a vote on the debt ceiling was facing the U.S. Senate he was concerned about what implications lie ahead for school administrators.
“I’m not sure what they are going to be cutting. It could be education. I’m sure it will be eventually,” Maurer said.
Newly installed MTHS Principal Sean O’Laughlin said this morning he was taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“We’ve long ago adopted a pay-as-you-go approach in this district. We try to buy only what we can afford,” O’Laughlin said this morning.
For large issues, he said, like a building project the district would have to issue bonds. If interest rates go up because of a lowering of the nation’s credit rating it could cost the district more money to borrow. That, however, he said, is not on the immediate horizon.
However, last month MTHS Superintendent Randy Toepke, on his first full day as superintendent, said he has expansion of the high school on his mind.
“We’re looking at enrollment and that is impacting the building. We’re getting close to needing more classrooms We’re keeping an eye on that,” Toepke said in early July.
Germantown Hills and Metamora grade schools, he said, have expanded and the students they have will be coming to the high school. The high school, he said, is already feeling a space crunch.
“We’re utilizing all the space we have. That’s something we want to look into. It’s important we look at the numbers,” Toepke said. “They don’t indicate we need more room yet. But, we don’t want to wait until we are crunched. We’ve talked about it in the past. We have plans.”
O’Laughlin said it seems no one is sure yet just how the debt ceiling legislation will impact many sectors, including education.
O’Laughlin said the district is being as creative as possible in the usage of space to forestall any expansion for as long as possible.
“We could use more classroom space,” he said.
Maurer said everyone, including education administrators, need to be concerned about how this legislation will impact the economy.
“Metamora only gets about 2 percent of its funding directly from the federal government, 28 percent from the state and 70 percent locally,” Maurer said. “Who is really going to get hit is inner-city schools.”
Maurer said if the federal government cuts funding to education they should couple it with a corresponding cut in the unfunded rules and regulations they impose on educators.
“The feds give us 2 percent of our money and 70 percent of our rules and regulations,” Maurer said.
