Taxpayer Accountability

The taxpayers’ interests must be justly represented by the governing school board, whose job it is to balance fulfilling essential student needs and be held accountable with tax dollars. Every salary, book, light bulb, and floor tile is funded by the taxpayer. Even without a child in the education system, tax-paying businesses and constituents benefit from a quality school district when highly educated students enter the workforce and move into neighborhood homes. While students are the top priority, decisions made and actions taken in the name of students are inextricably tied to the taxpayers—to whom the district is beholden. Just as parents entrust a district with their children, so do taxpayers entrust the district with their dollars.

Innovation is a critical element in our rapidly growing world. Every student must have the instruction, support, and tools necessary to succeed after graduation. An effective school board must support stable funding so that obligations to staff and students can be effectively and consistently met, and embrace initiatives that allow per-pupil funding to benefit each student to the maximum extent. The school district must be held accountable and routinely evaluate performance and progress using comprehensive and objective measures to ensure tax funds are appropriately allocated and utilized and achieve an appropriate return on investment. 

Taxpayers are not a faucet of endless cash flow. The district must be able to account for its assets accurately, budget appropriately to maintain and develop its assets, and effectively communicate the need for and justify the expenditure of new assets to the community. The school board must represent both the taxpayer and the student when weighing policies and making financial decisions. Especially with the recent dramatic increase in the cost of living, the community takes their money seriously, and so should the school board.