Umatilla fifth-grader Alfonso Bernal and Bethel SD Superintendent Colt Gill joined dozens of other education advocates this week testifying before the Education Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means to ask the Legislature to significantly invest in schools through the 2015-17 State School Fund.
Bernal compared his school experience to that of his older sisters, and told legislators he needs “more help, more teachers and more activities” to achieve his dream of becoming an engineer. He said, “I only get one chance at my education, one chance to be a kid, one chance to be a student. This is my chance. I want to make this world a better place… Can you please help me become who I want to be tomorrow?”
“We need $7.5 billion just to maintain this broken system that we’re in right now, and we need to get to $7.875 billion to head down the path to reach average,” Gill told the committee. “We owe our kids more, and we owe the future of our state more.”
View testimony:
Testimony on the State School Fund will continue March 17.
Learn more about what proposed 2015-17 State School Fund levels will mean for Oregon students:
- Watch the March 12 OSBA Legislative Update Video
- View statewide and local school funding posters and share with your legislators
- Register for the March 16 OSBA Webinar: 2015 Legislative Session Update
Join efforts to fully fund schools by signing “The Promise of Oregon” petition. Contact Jim Green (jgreen@osba.org or 800-578-6722) for more information.
