[Temple Owl]

We need a law that would allow residents of school districts to vote on referendums which call for tax boosts.
Also having school choice and vouchers to provide competition to the public schools would reduce costs. We would not be paying for Taj Mahals, olympic-sized swimming pools and a lot of buses.

[lightman]

The fact that there are 15 school districts, therefore 15 Superintendents (all drawing no less than a six figure salary) within one County) is a major part of the problem. Folks with longer memories than mine tell me of when there was just ONE "County Superintendent".

Folks say they want "local control" when they oppose consolidation; but the tax increases show that this vaunted local control is just an illusion. Most school boards just rubber stamp whatever the Superintendent and his/her staff want because to do otherwise would indicate no confidence in the person they hired, and they do not want the constituents to think that they had made a poor selection.

My experience in Pennsylvania local government is that the board and councils elected for "local control" are afraid to do anything without the advise and consent of their solicitors and engineers. Pennsylvania local government has become unemployment insurance for the legal eagles and civil engineers.