Read more about the story behind this resolution here.

DRAFT

(by Dan Chriestenson, GBSD Board of Directors)

WHEREAS, Oregon’s budget for the 2009-2011 biennium represents a 9.4% increase over the previous biennium, and 

WHEREAS, the Oregon Constitution requires the State Legislature to provide adequate and equitable funding for the State’s public schools, and

WHEREAS, in spite of a clear constitutional requirement to adequately fund public education, the Legislature significantly cut funding to the Gresham Barlow School District in the 2009-2011 biennium while increasing the budgets of other Government services not required by the Oregon Constitution, some by as much as 29%, and

WHEREAS, Oregon’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, and

WHEREAS, Oregon relies primarily on revenue from taxes on personal income to fund constitutionally required Government programs, including public education, and

WHEREAS, the stability of this source of revenue relies on individual citizens having employment with healthy, growing and profitable corporations and small businesses, and

WHEREAS, the 2009 Legislature enacted significant increases to the corporate minimum tax, the corporate income tax and income taxes on so-called high income households, many of which are small businesses employing many Oregonians, thereby eroding the foundation upon which stable funding for public education depends, and

WHEREAS, concerned citizens successfully petitioned to refer the enacted tax increase measures to a January 26, 2010 statewide election in an effort to protect the jobs of Oregonians, gathering nearly double the amount of signatures required to qualify the measures for the ballot, and

WHEREAS, a NO vote will mean overturning the enacted tax increases, saving the jobs of tens of thousands of Oregonians while requiring that the Legislature re-prioritize spending objectives

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Gresham Barlow School District Board of Directors fully supports efforts to overturn House Bills 2649 and 3405, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Gresham Barlow School District Board of Directors calls upon the Oregon State Legislative Assembly to fulfill its Constitutional requirement to restore full funding to Oregon’s system of public education and urges parents and community members to vote NO on measures 66 and 67 and to actively support efforts to restore full, adequate and sustainable funding to the Gresham Barlow School District.

Adopted this ______ day of __________, 2009.

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Chair, Gresham-Barlow School District Board of Directors

Attest:

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Superintendent/Clerk