St. Paul teachers will push to get a property tax increase on next year’s ballot to make up for what they say is insufficient pre-K-12 funding from the state.
As the union opened contract negotiations Thursday with St. Paul Public Schools, teachers said the district needs more revenue to produce “racially equitable schools.”
They’re asking the district for help getting money out of private colleges, which don’t pay property taxes, and from corporations that have benefited from government incentives and tax cuts.
And they want voters to authorize another tax levy, two years before the expiration of the one approved by referendum in 2012. That levy now accounts for about 8 percent of the district’s $522 million general fund budget.
“We keep getting told that there is not enough money for our public schools, but the reality is our wealthy corporate neighbors in our city and our state have done very well,” said Nick Faber, president of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. “We believe that tax avoidance by the wealthiest Minnesotans is depriving our public schools of tens of millions of dollars.”
The union says that since 2003, inflation-adjusted per-student funding has dropped by over $1,000. The Minnesota Department of Education, using the consumer price index, puts that figure at $595 per pupil.
Superintendent Joe Gothard hasn’t taken a position on a tax increase but generally agrees with the union that school funding from the state has fallen short of what’s needed.
In his last job, as superintendent of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district, Gothard paired a new strategic plan with a tax referendum. Gothard plans to deliver a strategic plan for St. Paul about this time next year.
“Whenever we decide to seek a referendum, we need to be able to make a strong case that we’re spending money effectively and efficiently, that we’re taking advantage of any currently existing revenue sources, and that we have a unified strategy for success,” school board chairman Jon Schumacher said Friday.
The union said it presented 10 proposals Thursday for its next two-year contract. They include continued funding for small class sizes, teacher home visits and restorative practices; plus more nonteaching staff, such as school psychologists, nurses, social workers and counselors.
Board members have said publicly that the district cannot afford its current class size limits or significant salary increases for teachers.
St. Paul district teachers last year were paid $76,682 on average. That’s more than any other district in the state and 29 percent higher than the statewide average salary of $59,365.
The union and district figure to butt heads on Q Comp, the state’s alternative compensation program, which is built around performance pay for educators. It could generate $9 million a year from the state and local property owners, but the union has been unwilling to consider it.
Still, the union said its first negotiating session with the district was more amicable than in past years. In early 2016, they threatened to strike over school safety, and school board members joined negotiations to help reach a deal.
The contract talks are open to the public and continue Oct. 12. Board members are not actively participating at this point, Schumacher said.
School district officials declined to comment Friday but said they’ll discuss their negotiating strategy with reporters on Tuesday.