School board accountability

It appears the Spokesman-Review selectively holds public entities accountable. In August, the Spokane school board approved another unsustainable budget. They did so even after local levy increases from $36.6 million to $82.1 million annually and SPS receives $113 million in new federal stimulus money over the next four years. Even with this additional revenue, the board approved deficit spending each of the next four years. Crickets from the Spokesman.

I ask that your coverage of SPS over the next three years does not lament about “budget cuts” when SPS must curtail some of the nearly 400 new staff positions added this year. Positions they never planned on having enough money to sustain even with all the increased funding.

Likely the next levy campaign will disguise increased taxes by saying our levy “rate” is staying the same even though the actual dollars we pay go up due to huge increases in property values.

I hope voters assess the fiduciary competence of those running for school board — a board that spends over one half billion dollars a year on our kids.

Sorry if I sound frustrated, but there should at least be an educated community conversation about what is happening. Our newspaper could be that forum.

Steve Blaska

Spokane