The Spokesman’s editorial concerning more bureaucracy in schools (May 17) hit a major problem with the high cost of public education and then glossed over it. The problem? Excessive number of administrators.

As a retired teacher and former school administrator, I assure your readers our school districts are burdened with the number and staggering cost of added and needless administrators.

Where the state funds and deems adequate 25 administrators, Spokane schools have 50, at an added cost exceeding $3 million a year. This represents 30 percent of their shortfall.

And how do they fund this excess? From the levy.

Remember all the political signs: “For The Children”? The signs should read, “For The Administrators.” Those of us in the greater Spokane area need to demand that our schools follow the example of the Washington, D.C., schools and cut the number of administrators by 50 percent. If will not solve all the problems, but it will be a beginning.

Patrick McDonald

Spokane Valley