BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAY MARCH 16, 2026) — With THE PLANET‘s brackets filled and not a drop of bubble spilled on our voodoo volume of Bracketology, we can bring you the Reader’s Digest version of the recent budget talks conducted by the conspirators in the Bitchfield Sochol Department.

The district, losing population due to school choice, will again see additional funding in FY27. Of course, they way they run things around here, supt. Latifah Phillips declared the raise to be “a net loss for us, because it will not cover our projected increases.” More is less.

And there you have it, so succinct that it would fit in Chip and Dale’s nutshell. Apparently, it hasn’t occurred to the superintendent, the sochol committee, or anyone else in the department that the increase would indeed be just that if only administrators and politicians would do one of two things: (1) level fund from FY26 or (2) cut costs. THE PLANET chooses (2). It works every time.

For expert advice on how to trim costs and maintain (even boost) quality, Phillips and the SC should consult Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. Under the tax-happy actions of the mayor and council, the Ks have become experts in s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the dollar. In fact, their bucks look as though they’ve had their shoulders pulled out of their sockets on the rack, they’re so elongated. They’ve trimmed the food bill, eschewed moviegoing, reduced mileage, kept the thermostat 5 degrees lower, gone without Rx medicines, drop vacation, and cut the frills. They don’t have the luxury of the city (raise taxes) or the schools (constantly ask for more $ and getting it despite the continued drop in performance). If the PSD toiled in the Dreaded Private Sector, they’d be out of business with a performance like that.

———- ooo ———-

The other issue with the money is how the department spends it.

School Supt. Latipha Phillips

Phillips said something mysterious. She said that in the FY27 spending plan, the department will switch from a “staffing-based” spending plan to one that’s “student-based.”

What that means in practical terms remains a cipher. Buyer beware, though, especially after the super said the spending would bring “equity” and give most of the money to “high-need populations such as English language learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students.” Translation: The better and best students will be ignored at worst and slowed to the pace of the slow learners at best.

THE PLANET argues against such a plan. We recommend the opposite: Reward success, not failure. Nurture those with ability and the capacity and will to learn.

For the “dreaded others,” select the best from that lot, raise standards, and get them to perform. For the academic dregs … yeah, finally, Truth — Public schools simply aren’t equipped to do the job that not being done socially or culturally. Reviving “flunking out” must make a comeback. Sadly.

It’s over, to be honest.

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“You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough” — William Blake.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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