I wasn't willing to let chaos happen in the schools. This was the only way to stop the bleeding. One Amherst school official was relieved that something was finally done. If a funding bill had not passed, Skoglund said the district would have been unable to fund summer special education programs. This would have left it open to potential lawsuits for failing to comply with federal laws mandating special education instruction.
Legislators acknowledge that the school funding issue is far from resolved.
Squires and Rowe said they both expected the Legislature to alter the bill in the future. Some, like Fernald, Melcher and Squires, believe an income tax is the best way to fund education because it is more equitable and grows as the economy grows. The most prominent income tax plan, the Hager-Below bill, would have enacted an income tax, with heavy deductions, plus a tax on second homes. Although it passed narrowly in the House, it died in the Senate. But for now, the chances of an income tax are slim, Fernald said.