EDITORIAL: A challenge then; a challenge now

Consider the following phrases from a news story on a school budget: “unforeseen financial problems”, “necessitate additional revenue”, “added two mills to the borough school tax”, “raising the rate to a new high”, “increase in the mill rate”, “increase in cost of textbooks and supplies”, “restoration of the 10 percent cut in teachers salaries” and “unexpected repairs and replacements”.

Sounds like it could be issues coming up right now in 2012, but it’s not. Those statements instead came out of a 1937 Echo Pilot concerning a problem budget time for the Greencastle School Board. Back then the school board raised the real estate mill rate by two to 13 mills on a budget of $40,280. Today’s budget is considerably more, but isn’t it interesting that relatively the operation of a public school system is a challenge no matter what.

How will we meet that challenge in 2012? The Greencastle-Antrim School Board has adopted a $33 million budget that will need balanced with a tax increase or cuts before its final consideration on June 7. Be sure to let school board members know what you would like to see happen before then.