EDMOND — The economic news has not been good. The recovery from the great recession remains fragile and uncertain. Oklahoma has been hammered by lower-than-expected tax revenues. Unemployment stays a looming concern. Business growth will be sluggish at best until the recovery becomes more certain. Cities and towns have been subject to the same revenue shortfalls that plague state government.

The City of Oklahoma City is bracing for a $17 million deficit in collected taxes, or 12 percent of the projected fiscal budget. The City of Edmond is experiencing its own tax revenue deficits, causing more budget tightening. This could be the expected trend for at least another year. Amid this fiscal crisis Oklahoma and cities like Edmond should move forward and begin planning and implementing positive actions to spur future economic growth.

At the core of competing for and attracting new business is the critical need to focus on building and sustaining a premiere public education system. State budget cuts filtering to districts will cause harm and force districts to barely tread water, let alone improve educational infrastructure.

Education will suffer, meaning our children’s future will suffer from lost educational opportunity and quality. Deer Creek Public Schools and Edmond Public Schools are among the best, and give the community an advantage over other cities in quality of education. This is an advantage for job development.

Cuts have been significant and are cause for concern. State-mandated teacher pay increases equal to $3,000 annually have been put through funding formulas, resulting in hundreds of dollars lost for each teacher in the Edmond schools. Redistribution of funds hurts higher-funded districts like Edmond.

While Edmond schools grew by $3.8 million locally, the superintendent stated the amounts were charged dollar for dollar against state aid. This results in less money for Edmond to work with.

In reference to further cuts and allocation of funds is the alarming attitude expressed by some state lawmakers. Recently, state Rep. Ken Miller, chairman of the house budget committee, was quoted saying that, “Your own success is hurting you because doing such a great job will not gain any sympathy for the Edmond Public Schools at the Legislature.”

Unbelievable. Does this mean that mediocrity is to be rewarded? Edmond was ranked among the top 1,500 school districts nationally. By reducing funding, Edmond’s reputation as a high-quality system could be jeopardized because it is successful? This attitude, if it prevails, will result in irreversible damage to Oklahoma’s entire system.

Oklahoma public education does not need universal budget cuts, but courageous action to reform the system, insure higher-achieving districts are not penalized due to inequities in an archaic structure and consolidate smaller and under-performing districts through reforms which in the end will benefit all of Oklahoma’s children. The Legislature seems bent on a shortsighted, easy way out. Tackling the bigger, more challenging, systemic but potentially unpopular reforms is a must.

A strong public school system means a better educated workforce for future economic development. Building on school districts like Deer Creek and Edmond, the community can offer a focused approach to development of a human resource pipeline from common education to higher education. The foundation of both is in place, coupled with a strong career tech system. Edmond’s local funding successes should not count against it in state support.

Public education has been the benchmark of the success of this nation. Access to quality education must be preserved. More cuts will damage an already broken system and should be applied sparingly.

While stuck in the quicksand of a worsening budget crisis the governor and Legislature must work together for overhaul and reform that will take us into the next decade building a world-class educational system but not sacrificing successful districts in the process. There are no real options but to tackle the tougher questions of reform. With dismal rankings in teacher pay and per-pupil support, cuts alone are setting us further back.

Our future is in economic development: sustaining existing businesses and industries, and growing new ones. The best in education means a workforce attractive to all business, and growth and jobs when the economy turns. It will, and we need to be ready.

Reform of a broken statewide system, though difficult, means more dollars for teacher pay, technology, facilities and a brighter future for coming generations. Some administrative jobs may be lost through attrition, yet consolidation and change do not have to be immediate, but phased, while cuts mean unprecedented layoffs.

Imagine a system that can be overfunded, instead of underfunded and trying to meet everyone’s needs whether with merit or not. Draconian budget cuts alone are not the answer.

Support strong systems like Edmond’s and make them models for others. Education is the future. Seize the opportunity through bold reforms.



PHIL G. BUSEY SR., an Edmond resident, is chairman and CEO of The Busey Group of Companies.