Letter to the editor: Local school coffers stood to lose under Rep. Kieffer

Clearly one of the top issues for Woodbury parents is their children's education. That is why it is so dismaying that our current legislator, Andrea Kieffer, voted to cut thousands of dollars from students living in the community she represents.

On May 17, 2011 Kieffer voted "yes" on HF 934, the conference committee report on the omnibus education bill that slashed funding to the South Washington County School District by a whopping $684,936 (minus $40 per pupil) for FY 2013, and $8,231 for FY 2012. The same bill also cut Stillwater area student funding (District 834) by $42,955 (minus $5 per student) and $96,319 (minus $11 per student) for FY 2013. Fortunately, more reasoned heads than Kieffer's prevailed when Gov. Dayton promptly vetoed HF 934. Despite the governor's veto, the fact remains that Kieffer put her stamp of approval on school budget cuts in her very own district that totaled a staggering $832,441 - almost a million dollars. Almost incredibly, these votes came from the same legislator who wrote in a Jan. 21, 2011, news column, "By addressing the challenges that our schools are facing we can provide our children with every opportunity for success."

In what universe does slashing almost a million dollars from students help "address the challenges" facing our schools? After her puzzling and disappointing vote against students, I think that the main challenge facing Kieffer now is hanging on to her job this November.

Yvonne Lindsay - Woodbury

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion, updates