Chris Chancellor’s article was interesting. We voters are happy to hear that South Kitsap School District received $4.3 million dollars from lawmakers. We voters are not happy to hear that SKSD is using half or more for teacher and administrator salary for a 1.9 percent alleged salary cut from lawmakers.
That is interesting because lawmakers did not cut any salary off of the state’s appropriated salary for any educators. Teachers and administrators never had the money from lawmakers, it was never appropriated and so teachers and administrators never lost a penny in salary. If there had been a salary cut it would not be retroactive.
For SKSD teachers and administrators to suffer a pay cut lawmakers would have cut 1.9 percent off of the state appropriated salary schedule ranging from $34,048 to $64,174 and that did not happen. SKSD is trying to get their employer, taxpayers of South Kitsap voting area, to believe they suffered. I hope that taxpayers can see what SKSD is doing. You cannot claim something as being lost that you never had. No money was deducted from the state salary schedule; no money was deducted from any teacher’s 180-day average salary of $81,000 — there was no loss.
That leaves this fact, if SKSD takes, according to Sandy Rotella, some unknown salary amount of money more than $2 million dollars they are in fact taking funds away from the students in the district. That means that LaRose’s “Whole Child” theory, SKSD’s theory “kids matter” and WEA’s theory of “it’s for the kids” is all smoke up any taxpayers blow hole.
SKSD’s exact plan is not for the kids financial education, it is to fund teacher luxury and benefits. This is fraudulent use of student funding for basic education as I see it. This district is already in the state’s eye for its shady financial habits so perhaps it is time for some criminal actions to happen?
Oh wait, they are above the law, protected by lawmakers, local law enforcement, etc., they can do what they want, isn’t that what “it’s for the kids” means?
Larry L. Mann | Port Orchard
