Carlos-Luis Brown | Oppose SB101

Without proper safeguards for school budgets and a commitment from the state to fund the needs of all students in each school, this bill is set to harm more than help schools. The state should be working with schools to ensure EVERY school is fiscally supported and providing a core, well-rounded education for all students. My concern is rooted in a fundamental mismatch between the mechanics of this bill and the reality of school operations. SB 101 attempts to apply a market-based supply and demand model to a system that is not designed to function like a business. In a private market, a business can adjust its scale or its product to meet demand. A public school cannot. Our schools have fixed costs that do not disappear when a handful of students leave. If five students from different grade levels utilize Open Enrollment to leave a district, that school still has to heat the same building, run the same bus routes, and pay the same teacher salaries. However, under SB 101, they lose the critical funding attached to those students. This creates a fiscal spiral where the students who remain often those without the transportation or means to leave suffer from diminished resources. Education is a public good, not a consumer commodity. There is no "market adjustment" for student growth or special education needs. Instead of creating a system of "winners and losers" among our districts, the State’s priority should be ensuring that every school is fiscally supported to provide a core, well-rounded education for every student, regardless of their zip code. I urge the committee to vote 'Inexpedient to Legislate' on SB 101. Thank you.