Local governments lack the funds to pay teachers' salaries. Where will they get the 40 billion zlotys?

• According to the calculations of all local government corporations, there is a shortage of over PLN 40 billion for financing education.
• Local government officials point out that the government promises teachers pay raises, but the money is not forthcoming and local governments cannot implement investments with their own funds.
• Either the government will change the law and allow local governments to borrow money for current needs, or it will increase the funds it provides us with from the state budget, said Adam Ciszkowski, mayor of Halinów.

On July 30, another meeting of the Joint Government and Local Government Commission was held. During the meeting, the parties were scheduled to discuss, among other things, education wages while also discussing the financial condition of local government units. This did not happen because the government removed the item from the agenda.

It's time for all of Poland to learn that local governments are ignored by more important institutions in the country.

– said Arkadiusz Chęciński, co-chair of the Joint Government and Local Government Commission and Mayor of Sosnowiec. He added that although the local government has been seeking dialogue for many months, the government is unwilling to discuss education finances with local government officials.

When the act on changing the method of financing local government units came into force, everyone was full of optimism, but - as Chęciński noted - local government officials are slowly coming to the conclusion that the government deceived them , because it promised to finance higher expenses, and in the end, these costs fall on local governments.

This, of course, refers to teacher pay raises. Grzegorz Kubalski from the Association of Polish Counties explained that under the old system, subsidies, especially for education, were calculated based on actual expenditures . Now, local governments must first cover their needs from their own revenues, and only then receive any compensation.

This type of system could only work if the spending needs we face due to government decisions were calculated honestly. Unfortunately, they are not. This is best seen in educational needs, which, in this year's reality, are lower by at least PLN 40 billion.

He pointed out. He also added that the lack of dialogue with the government only indicates that this problem will deepen in the coming year.

Last Friday (July 25), the Sejm adopted an amendment to the Teachers' Charter , which involves additional costs for local governments, and it also passed the Senate Education Committee without amendments.

The amendment includes, among other things, changes to the regulations on pre-retirement protection, retirement severance pay and jubilee awards, including the introduction of a jubilee award for 45 years of service (in the amount of 400% of remuneration) and an increase in the jubilee award for 40 years of service (from 250 to 300% of remuneration).

Following the announcement of these regulations, many teachers postponed their retirement, hoping for more favourable conditions.

Grzegorz Cichy, President of the Union of Polish Towns, cited the example of his municipality, Proszowice, where 31 teachers are eligible for new severance pay, and one of them will receive a 45-year service award. Consequently , the local government will have to allocate a whopping PLN 2,345,000 in next year's budget. PLN 1,103,000 of this will be the cost of additional benefits resulting from the amendment. In the Długosiodło municipality, the education deficit will reach PLN 7 million.

It is true that the Ministry of National Education has announced support in the amount of PLN 188 million , but this will not be enough, because - as he said - there will be many local governments in a situation like Proszowice.

According to calculations by all local government corporations, there is a shortage of over PLN 40 billion in education funding. This is a serious problem that requires an immediate response.

- noted Stanisław Jastrzębski from the Association of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland.

Local governments are still waiting for an official government announcement regarding the infusion, which would help them close their budgets. This amounts to PLN 14-17 billion.

To date, we have received no official information on this matter. Instead, we are only receiving unofficial signals that the financial situation of local governments is supposedly excellent, so they should not be allowed to speak or make decisions on this matter.

- Chęciński lamented.

Local government officials at all levels are saying clearly - we do not want to just take money from the government, we want to work together to develop statutory changes in education that would allow for rational management of funds , introduce innovations and treat the closure of schools as an absolute last resort.

Stanisław Jastrzębski, asked by Portal Samorządowy whether municipalities still have any tools to pressure the government, pointed out that local government officials do not want to reveal all their cards at once, but will look for solutions that will not harm them.

The mayor of Halinów and president of the Association of Polish Local Governments, Adam Ciszkowski, in an interview with Portal Samorządowy, emphasized that pay raises for teachers are very important because people who are responsible for the education of our children must earn well.

The government promises teachers pay raises but fails to provide the funds. As a result , local governments are forced to cover these costs from their own budgets , forgoing investments and limiting other activities. All of this is happening without consultation or verification of whether we even have the funds.

- he said.

When asked if local government officials would be forced to suspend teachers' salaries at some point, he denied this, adding, "We won't be taking to the streets just yet."

The question remains, then, how local governments will meet their obligations to teachers. Loans are out of the question, as they can only be taken out for investment purposes, not for current expenditures. Therefore, as Ciszkowski explained, there are two options: either the government changes the law and allows local governments to borrow money for current needs, or it increases the funds it allocates to local governments from the state budget.