From today's issue of the Paynesville Press

This is insanity at its "best".

At Paynesville schools, they are considering making around $240,000 in budget cuts due to budget problems the school is experiencing. That's never fun, for any school, at any time.

Meanwhile, their school just ratified a new contract with its 79 licensed teachers (with a total payroll of $5.5 million) that gives a 2.35 percent raise in 2011-12 and a 1.91 percent raise in 2012-13.

HUH?

To add insult to injury, their school will ask property taxpayers in their district to raise the local tax levy this fall...because the school needs the money.

Hopefully voters there are smarter than the school thinks they are, and they'll realize they really can't be in that bad of financial shape if they're giving out a 2+ percent raise on top of the regular steps and lanes that teachers earn year to year.

Fact: at B-B-E and Sauk Centre, teachers are enduring a "hard freeze" to their salaries in 2011-12.