Why We Need Online Checkbooks, Pt. II
For a group that likes to make a big stink about the disclosure of perfectly legal political contributions from private citizens, South Carolina educrats sure as hell don’t want to let you know what they’re doing with your tax dollars.
And why would they?
Our State Department of Education has received a billion dollars in new money over the last four years, only to remain dead last in the nation in graduation rate while falling further behind the rest of the nation in virtually every objective academic measurement.
But God forbid anybody try to find out what our local school districts are actually spending all that money – our money – on, because they’ll put up a brick wall faster than you can say “chronically underachieving.”
Here’s a perfect case study in the beligerence of bureaucracy …
Back on June 4 of this year, the S.C. Policy Council sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Beaufort County School District – home of the “Tooty Ta” dance – seeking to get a breakdown of specific non-classroom expenses from the last two-and-a-half years.
Aside from the fact this information should already be readily-available online, it’s information that these districts should at the very least have readily-available in a cost-efficient, electronic format.
In fact, we sent a much more expansive FOIA request (covering a much longer period of time) to the State Commission on Higher Education the other day – and we got everything we asked for on a handy CD within five business days.
Anyway, under South Carolina’s FOIA law, government entities are required to respond to these requests within two weeks, but Beaufort County initially ignored the Policy Council’s FOIA – saying they lost it – and didn’t end up sending a response for … wait for it … four-and-a-half months.
And what, pray tell, did these stonewalling educrats ask in exchange for access to this public information?
Well, when they finally got around to it, here was their official response:
In order to look for, compile and copy the large number of documents that will be encompassed by your information request, (we) estimate that it will require at least six months of staff time, and copying costs of 25 cents per page. The ultimate quantity (of pages) is unknown, but a beginning estimate is 10,800, for a minimum charge of $214,580. Thus, the District will need a deposit of $107,290 to begin compiling this information.
That’s right, people. $214,580 … with a $107,290 deposit.
And sadly, that’s not even a record.
Earlier this year, after refusing repeated FOIA requests from a local pro-business advocacy group, the S.C. Workers’ Compensation Commission demanded an even larger six-figure sum to provide public documents to the taxpayers.
Enough is enough, people.
This is our money. We pay these people’s salaries.
Our public schools expend all sorts of public resources attacking candidates for accepting private donations, yet when they’re asked to actually do their jobs and provide a record of what they spend our money on, they ask for a quarter of a million dollars … and then tell us it’ll take six months?
That’s insane.
All government agencies in South Carolina should be required to keep a database of their expenses – and then post those expenses on a centralized, easily-navigable online database, where any taxpayer sitting in his or her pajamas can access them from a laptop computer 24/7/365.
Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom has proposed such an online database – and even offered to create and maintain it – but RINO politicians in Columbia like State Sen. Larry Martin have blocked him at every turn.
Clearly, public schools want to keep wasting our money without any transparency, accountability … and in case you haven’t noticed … any results, either.
The only question is this – how much longer will we as taxpayers continue to tolerate it?
Comments
By lisa on October 28th, 2008 at 8:29 am
The feds are the same way. I sent an FOIA request last year, no response from the real agency.
By baker on October 28th, 2008 at 11:43 am
That school district’s response to the FOI request seems absurd to me. That one district shouldn’t represent all across the state, but I do think that school districts — some more than others — are too often resistent about public information.
Of course, I also think it’s absurd for the Policy Council (and others) to continue with this claim about “non-classroom” expenditures — that the majority of money doesn’t make it to the classroom — when they include librarians and guidance counselors and other essentials (all required by state or federal law…not just the SCDOE) in the category suggesting bureaucratic waste.
By Fashizzle on October 28th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Baker raises a good point. But the Policy Council’s call for posting expenditure data online would remove any one organization’s personal definition of waste and let each person decide for themselves. The fact that Beaufort wants to charge $200,000 to produce public documents just shows there is information in those records they would prefer stay secret. No matter your position on school choice, we can all agree that the district’s tactics here are clearly intended to avoid public disclosure. After all, the FOIA law clearly states districts can waive all charges if the request benefits the public interest.
By nope on October 28th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I certainly agree that the response was ludicrous. I’m not one who believes that districts waste massive amounts of money, but my experience is that they do too often forget who pays them. There is no place for arrogance in public service.