Schools budget drops for the first time

BY BRIAN MURPHY

Idaho public education, which was spared a cut during the current fiscal year by the infusion of rainy day and federal economic-stimulus money, did not escape reductions for the budget year beginning July 1.

The total allocation is $48.7 million, 3.2 percent less than the public schools received last year. It is the first time since the state began keeping detailed records that the public schools will receive less money than they did the year before.

There were $68.1 million in budget reductions, but the state will fund $19.6 million in new growth.

However, public education - which constituted 48 percent of the general fund budget last year - will receive 53 percent of those funds this year, said Tom Luna, the state superintendent of public instruction.

"No one wants to reduce funding for education," Luna said. "I want to thank the Legislature for their efforts in spending the time and investigation necessary to turn over every rock and find every dollar that we could allocate to education."

Democratic lawmakers have said all session that the state could do more to hold public education harmless in these difficult economic times.

The state has roughly $400 million in rainy-day funds. In addition, Idaho will carry $80 million in federal stimulus money for use over the next two years.

Lawmakers could have done "much better. The Legislature left almost $400 million of the taxpayers' money sitting on the table," said Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise.

During this week's floor debate, Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly, D-Boise, said she was "very sad to be part of the first Legislature to cut funding for our public education system. We're doing something we've never done before. And we're leaving our children behind. Our kids deserve the best."

Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, pointed out that education took a smaller percentage cut than did most state agencies.

"Education got the best," he said. "We gave them the best. This is not being driven by the Legislature. This is being driven by the economy."

Luna, who earlier in the session was charged with outlining 10 "bad ideas" to reduce the education budget, said the cuts would not hurt student achievement.

"This is a difficult budget situation that we find ourselves in, but the Legislature has demonstrated their commitment to a quality education system," he said.

"I'm convinced with this budget we set that student achievement will continue to increase"

Among the cuts are:

Pay: $26.8 million in salary reductions. The state will allocate 2.63 percent less money for payroll costs for teachers and classified staff and 5 percent less for administrators. Districts can choose how to implement the reduction.

More pay: A $6.1 million savings from a freeze on the experience grid for teachers.

Maintenance: $20.8 million.

Textbooks: $7.3 million.

Classroom supplies: $780,000. Each teacher will receive $300 rather than $350 for classroom supplies.

The cuts include an elimination of the early retirement incentive for teachers ($2 million) and elimination of state reimbursement for field trips and bus driver training and a change in the formula for reimbursing high-density districts for busing ($4.2 million).

The last change could cost the Boise School District $1.4 million.

But the early retirement program could still be funded, as legislation is pending.

And House Bill 369 could reinstate the money for busing by cutting another $4.2 million out of textbooks.

Brian Murphy: 377-6444