Julia Gamble: HB 13 a burden for schools

Regarding the April 19 news article “Crowded classes, no art among options”: The mandate to reduce public school class sizes in grades K-3 wouldn’t be a problem if it came with funding or a realistic timeline.

Instead, as your reporting showed, it would cause a burden to each school district across our state. Specifically, schools would lose the ability to fund programs that aren’t funded in the state budget like PE, art and music. Our schools will scramble for space and teachers. Specials teachers will lose their jobs. All this starting in July or August of this year depending on the school calendar (year-round or traditional).

Our representatives in the house saw this and immediately passed House Bill 13. The Senate has been holding that bill hostage in committee. Why is the Senate playing a game of chicken with funding for our schools? Why haven’t we heard a clear answer from leadership on the Senate education committee?

Sen. Chad Barefoot, chair of the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee, is employed at a nearby college, and I’m sure he understands the importance to educational systems of having a clear funding stream. What does he have to say to parents in N.C. public schools?

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Julia Gamble: HB 13 a burden for schools."