Posted 6:27 PM by Susan Darst Williams

OPS Spending Tops a Half-Billion Dollars

The Omaha Public Schools has posted its 2002-03 budget on its website, http://www.ops.org

It's a 179-page book, but you can scroll around within it and get a better idea of where the money goes.

This budget year, OPS topped the half-billion dollar mark for the first time. The $582.9 million in total spending includes a 6.73 percent increase in the general fund to $311 million, plus $233.1 million in spending on construction. Those projects are associated with the $254 million bond issue that voters gave OPS in 1999 and other building and capital spending.

Total OPS spending now comes to more than $13,500 per pupil with the construction spending added in.

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It's almost incredible, but OPS is coming to voters Nov. 5 asking for MORE money. They are seeking voter approval of an override of the Legislature's spending lid on property taxes. To help fight this tax increase, send a confidential donation of any size to:

Susan Williams
P.O. Box 995
Elkhorn, NE 68022

Email me at swilliams1@cox.net with any questions or ideas.

Progress reports will be posted on Go Big Ed every few days. Please help: the "yes" team has a paid fund-raiser and reportedly has a $30,000 war chest. We have volunteers (how about you?) and a fund-raising goal of $4,999.99 so that we don't have to mess with any paperwork.

Won't you give $25 or $100 to help make a half-billion dollar school district hold the line on spending?

Thanks!