TABOR and COMMON EDUCATION
The so-called “Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights” (TABOR) would restrict government spending by limiting the annual increase in government revenue to the growth in the rate of inflation and population. Colorado, which has lived with TABOR since 1992, offers harsh lessons on the inevitable effects of limiting spending in this way. Indeed, in 2000 Coloradans rebelled against TABOR by passing Amendment 23, a Constitutional amendment that relaxes TABOR’S grip on common education by requiring funding rise by one percent more than inflation every year. This “fix” has helped common education, but at the expense of deeper cuts to higher education, health care, and other key services.
OKLAHOMA currently faces critical gaps in common education.
- The average public school teacher salary is $34,993, well below the national average of $46,826
- OK ranks 49th out of all 50 states
- Per pupil spending in public elementary and secondary schools is $7,011, or 86% of the national average of $8,156
- OK’s rank is 37th out of all 50 states
COLORADO has seen common education outcomes worsen since TABOR’s passage:
- The estimated public high school graduation rate fell from 74.9% in 1994 to 71.5% in 2003
- Common education spending (as a percentage of personal income) fell from 35th to 49th
- In 1992, average per-pupil funding was $379 below the national average. By 2001, funding had fallen to $809 below the national average.
TABOR would hamstring Oklahoma’s ability to provide quality education for our children:
- Bringing teachers’ salaries up to the regional average would be almost impossible
- Spending limits could threaten Oklahoma programs such as pre-kindergarten programs for four-year olds and quality child care for all children under age 12
- OK ranks 49th out of all 50 states
- Spending limits will likely conflict with the State Department of Education’s mandate to implement rigorous student testing under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation
Under TABOR, Oklahoma would lack the resources to ensure every child received a high quality education to prepare them for college and a good job.