School Funding

The Montana Constitution, Article X, requires that we provide "a basic system of free quality public elementary and secondary schools." Yesterday, the Tribune offered an editorial touting the many achievements of our school system.

I wonder, then, why the Tribune editorial staff constantly harps on us about spending more money on education when it sounds to me like we're already doing pretty damn well. I've said before that not one dollar should be spent on education unless spending it is calculated to improve the education of the students. The schools don't exist for other reasons.

Does anyone remember the economic concepts of marginal cost and marginal utility? At some point, the additional cost of getting that little bit more quality exceeds the value, or utility, of that little bit more. In other words, would any voter suggest that it makes sense to spend an additional 1 trillion dollars on the Great Falls Public Schools in order to raise our average SAT scores by 1 point? I doubt it.

My point here is not whether the schools are or are not well-funded. My point is to call attention to the Tribune's inconsistent positions on this issue. First, we need to spend more money on the schools because they are in such dire straits. Second, our schools are far and above the best in the country.

Which is it? These are real dollars here, and the owners of those dollars deserve to know.