2015年经济类联考英语阅读练习及答案8

考研网

When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the
media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of
stingy (吝啬的) taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here
is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also
allowed Kalkaska's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the
Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur
passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's
share of school funding.
    It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after
residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued
that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools
open.
    But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open.
Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim
extracurricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller—perhaps
more acceptable—tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a
significant amount, including $ 600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and
staff and $ 250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised
teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed
early, a deal that will cost the district $ 275,000 more.
    Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a
political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association.
hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closings,
which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The
president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization,
flew from Washington, D. C, for the event. And the union tutored school
officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow
acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but
denies the moves were politically motivated.
    Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate
has already voted to put the system into receivership (破产管理) and reopen schools
immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week.