So Where did the Security Funding for Schools Go?
By chrystalia
@chrystalia (1208)
Tucson, Arizona
December 15, 2012 11:27pm CST
www.washingtonguardian.com/washingtons-school-security-failure
It was cut from the federal Education budget in 2012, to save money--for the New Successful Safe and Healthy Students program,of course. Somehow, the administration and our congress overlooked the fact that this one government program that actually, sort of, worked--and was needed. The proposal, by the way, came from the administration, to Congress, and even though a lot of cuts were initiated because they became part of the Successful Safe and Healthy Students program, the security funding didn't get moved over, and the "cuts" were of course offset by an increase in expenses, elsewhere in the budget. 2 separate programs just kind of faded out in 2011 and 2012. It's not like these programs were expensive, by Washington D.C. standards--check out the actual list:
www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget12/justifications/g-sss.pdf
and don't forget to add the 3 zeroes to the end of the numbers. You might also notice, when you read the first list obligations by object classification, that the administrative overhead for these guys basically doubled in 2 years.... and when you read the summary of changes, take a look at where the money is going. Interesting stuff, these obscure, never reported on, pretty important budgets.
The money used to be used to install metal detectors, beef up school security, provide emergency training, pay for police at schools--quite a few things. On of the towns that got money in 2000 was Newtown Connecticut, through COPS in schools, an adjunct program.
I would think that part of "Successful Safe and Healthy" would be security in schools. Perhaps I am mistaken.
2 people like this
3 responses
@knoodleknight18 (917)
• United States
16 Dec 12
What was it people have been yelling about? Stop putting money into our failing education system...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
16 Dec 12
No, actually the conservative stance is stop paying incompetent teachers and fire them, pay based on merit and outcomes and hire less administrators.
You should read dragon's response, the Healthy Eating Program favored by our first lady was funded...in leiu of keeping the funding for security.
1 person likes this
@chrystalia (1208)
• Tucson, Arizona
16 Dec 12
Knoodleknight--we did put more money into education, in this case--it went to phys. ed. programs, healthy food programs, after school programs, counselors--but not security. Yes, the education system is failing--because our kids aren't LEARNING anything--more money goes to administration costs than goes to actual things that teach kids.
Speaking of healthy eating (did you know that ketchup is considered a vegetable--though it was invented as a nutritional supplement, by the way?) the FDA has decided to increase the calorie content in school lunches again--since the school lunch program has been wasting food and losing money since the healthy eating thing went into effect? After all, 690 calorie lunches just don't work for most kids, especially school athletes. It's kind of hard to concentrate on what little class instruction they get when their stomachs are growling, I would think. I'm all in favor of healthy food in school, but in decent portion sizes--and I'd rather have an obese kid getting a good education, then a healthy weight kid learning nothing--it's easier to shed fat than to gain knowledge.
@knoodleknight18 (917)
• United States
17 Dec 12
It's much like every thing else that goes on in schools these. Everyone in the country wants to put their 2 cents into what happens. And we should all know you can't please everyone. I've heard plenty of arguments that officers and metal detectors make school more like a prison. Some people want every classroom to be Sunday school. Kids aren't eating because schools often have thousands of kids. It takes a lot of time and an impressive kitchen to feed 1500+ people lunch. It takes much less impressive of a system to keep people who aren't students or teachers off of school grounds.
But in the sad end. It's nothing more than a reflection of our own society. High unemployment, college graduates can't get jobs, fewer and fewer benefits are offered to those who do work, and the average pay is failing horribly to keep up with inflation. We've become nothing more than a machine to move bigger and bigger numbers and any collateral damage is inconsequential to the bottom line. The bottom line for schools is graduating as many kids as fast as possible. We treat out education system like a 12 year assembly line. Unfortunately we see how many products are recalled from those, but since we can't recall people back to school, perhaps a little more care and hand crafting should go into teaching.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
17 Dec 12
Well..there is going to be some stink about it now. No one ever expects things to happen in the small towns or rural areas. All those things mentioned above should be taken very seriously. People aren't the same anymore and there has been very few changes in our educational/social structure to support that change.
@chrystalia (1208)
• Tucson, Arizona
17 Dec 12
Well, I have been watching for the stink--but so far there has been next to ZERO exposure. I only ran into it by accident, when I was digging around for something else, as a matter of fact. It kind of makes me wonder how many other things have quietly happened over the years that we don't know about? I'm not generally a paranoid person, but I do wonder, sometimes.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
19 Dec 12
I have been watching too but there seems to be not much of it. Oh..I know there are things that have been kept from the public. TV shows us what they want us to see and that is it. I am constantly irritated by the lack of information or the excess of a particular we have on all subjects and accounts.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
19 Dec 12
It is interesting that everything that was supposed to be agreed upon right before Obama took office, like 4 yrs. ago, is now expiring and no one wants to think of these as priorities? What is the Big thing. Do people really think that always cutting budgets for schooling, teachers, colleges, etc. is really going to help in the long run? Do they not take time to think of the quality of education with the students of today?
Personally I think there is more they should be doing on helping give children a chance to get a better education while keeping them protected so the children of today have a chance for a better tomorrow.
