To the editor:

The issue of the USD 497 budget is coming back to the headlines. Teacher jobs, band and sports programs, and other expenses are headed for the chopping block.

We are told of possible cuts and how much each would save. We are told how terrible these cuts will be, how some young athletes will find that their sport is not as important as others, and of the sixth-grade musicians who will have to wait another year.

We also hear of lawsuits insisting that the Legislature is not providing adequate funding and of a judge who stands ready to order it to do so.

The Journal-World has not covered this issue in depth, and the school board itself publishes a budget that is vague and incomplete. One can go to the district service center, pay $10 and receive the inch-thick pile of paper that is the budget. Nowhere in this pile could I find a page that summarized district expenses or provided any type of an overview. The problem of incomplete budget reporting is the subject of a bill currently (I hope) being considered by the Legislature.

Without seeing the entire budget, how can we form meaningful opinions as to budget amounts and priorities? I will persist in believing that there are many administrative expenses that could be cut until I am shown otherwise. The school board should provide a clear and detailed budget. They should not need to be compelled by law to do so.

David Klamet,

Lawrence