The state budget and public education
February 23rd, 2010 by marietta nelsonWarning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/psblogs/public_html/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
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Today was the day we’ve all been anticipating – the release of the Senate and House budget proposals. The Senate’s proposal offers up much tougher cuts in K-12 public education.
Below is a sampling of reactions from various education stakeholders.
This statement is from Superintendent for Public Instruction Randy Dorn:
Today, the leadership in the state House of Representatives and Senate released their supplemental fiscal year 2010 budgets. In 1994, the state’s per pupil spending was $3,707, adjusted for inflation. The state Senate’s proposed budget for 2010 is $3,815 per student, just $108 per student more than 16 years ago and down $311 from 2007.
While both budgets decrease K-12 public education funding, the Senate’s version would cut approximately $650 million for the 2010-11 school year. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the impact of the budgets:
Both chambers of the Legislature today made an attempt to lessen the blow to education funding. The Senate budget, however, still makes cuts to education that will have real impacts on real students. As this legislative session moves into its final days, I will urge the Legislature to support the House’s funding levels for our schools.
The Senate budget significantly cuts funding for the K-4 staffing ratio enhancement, reduces the funding districts have to hire classified staff and cuts funding for Initiative 728. What would these cuts mean to our schools? The elimination of about 2,500 teachers and more than 300 bus drivers, secretaries and other classified staff; the increasing of class sizes in our kindergarten through fourth grade; and the loss to school districts of more than 450,000 hours districts will have facilities maintenance and cleaning.
If I ask myself if today’s students have the same quality of education as their counterparts of three years ago, I would definitely say no. We are moving backward with education funding and putting more of a burden on local school districts. That’s just not right.
The bottom line is, we are now more dependent than ever on local levies for funding public education and that creates an alarming equity issue.
Even raising revenue doesn’t get us back to our 2007 funding levels, and those are the figures a King County Superior Court judge recently ruled weren’t enough to amply fund basic education.
Our education system is much more complex than when we first enacted education reform in 1994, and that’s about where the Senate’s proposed funding puts us. We have nearly 10 percent more low-income students and double the number of English-language learners (with 202 languages spoken by K-12 students). We have got to get serious about this. We’re asking educators to do much more with not nearly enough.
Let’s be clear, neither of these budgets meets our constitutional requirement to amply fund basic education. When we don’t put education funding first, students suffer. As the state’s education leader, I will let both chambers know their budgets continue to underfund education and do not ensure all our students are provided a meaningful, equitable education.
This is the reaction from the Washington State School Directors
Association:
After several days of clear and sunny skies, the rain returned
Tuesday. Unfortunately, even though you could retreat indoors to
avoid the rain, the clouds and a feeling of doom and gloom hovered
within legislative buildings as both Senate and House
budget-writers released their 2010 Supplemental Operating Budget
proposals today. Links to each budget proposal, along with a
summary and the agency detail, are available from the Legislative
Evaluation & Accountability Program Committee, under 2010 Supplemental Budgets. Brief details of each
proposal follow below and we will provide more comprehensive
information of the two plans in the next issue of our Impact
newsletter.
The Senate plan solves the state’s $2.8 billion budget problem in four parts: budget reductions in all areas of state government total $838 million; $583 million in approved or “anticipated” federal relief (including $483 million in federal Medicaid payments); $498 million in various budget transfers; and $918 million in new revenue. The new revenue would come from an elimination of several tax loopholes or tax exemptions ($518 million); a one dollar per pack increase in the cigarette tax ($86 million); and a temporary 0.3 percent increase in the state sales tax ($313 million). The sales tax “surcharge” would be imposed from June 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013. The estimated $313 in additional 2009-11 revenue is intended to maintain funding for Local Effort Assistance, state-funded all-day kindergarten and state higher education need grants.
The Senate’s budget would reduce the K-12 education portion of the “maintenance level” budget by $214 million (maintenance level is the current budget, plus mandatory “maintenance” increases, such as increases in student enrollment and special education costs). By way of comparison, Gov. Gregoire’s Book I budget included a $406 million reduction to K-12, and her Book II budget called for $197 million in reductions. The major reductions include:
- The remaining $99 per student allocation to support purposes of Initiative 728 is eliminated, saving $79 million.
- Funding for the Class Size Enhancement in Grade 4 is eliminated (saving $37.2 million) and the K-3 Staff Ratio is reduced (saving $65.7 million). Currently, the law requires 49 certificated instructional staff (CIS) to 1,000 annual average FTE students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; the enacted budget provides enhancements over these levels to reduce class size, funding 53.17 CIS per 1,000 average annual FTE students in grades kindergarten through four. These enhancements are decreased from the current ratios of 53.17 staff per 1,000 student FTEs to 49.5 staff per 1,000 student FTEs in grades K-3.
- Classified staff ratio enhancements are eliminated, saving $15.3 million.
- The final state-funded Learning Improvement Day is eliminated, saving $15.3 million.
- Numerous smaller statewide programs and grants are reduced or eliminated, decreasing costs by $10.5 million.
The House plan solves the state’s $2.8 billion budget problem in four parts: budget reductions in all areas of state government total $653 million (including $45 million in reductions already adopted with the passage of HB 2921); $641 million in anticipated federal funding; $547 million in various budget transfers, including $311 from reserves (leaving $428 million in the state’s General Fund ending balance; and $857 million in new revenue. The new revenue would come from…an unknown source. House budget-writers intend on releasing their revenue plan tomorrow. Several plans are on the table, including the mix of “discretionary” use taxes from the governor, the Senate’s 0.3 percent sales tax increase, and several ideas already introduced in the House. Those House plans include a temporary one cent increase in the sales tax, an increase in the estate tax for “high wage” earners, and an elimination of tax loopholes or tax exemptions.
The House’s budget would reduce the K-12 education portion of the “maintenance level” budget by $112 million — while it also provides some important increased funding. $7.2 million is provided to increase the “per pupil inflator” from one percent to four percent. This increases Local Effort Assistance funds for school districts and will allow some districts to collect additional local funds previously approved by voters. Another $25.3 million is provided to increase Local Effort Assistance by two percent, as provided for in HB 2893.
The major K-12 reductions included in the House budget include:
- The remaining $99 per student allocation to support purposes of Initiative 728 is eliminated, saving $79 million.
- Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, alternative learning experience (ALE) programs such as online and digital learning delivered over the internet, parent partnership programs (primarily instructional programs taking place in the home, with district responsibility for overseeing instruction), and contract-based learning programs will no longer be available to students in grades K-6, saving $22.7 million.
- The final state-funded Learning Improvement Day is eliminated, saving $15.7 million.
- Funding for K-4 staffing levels is reduced, saving $11.1 million. The state allocation for teachers and other certificated instructional staff in grades K-4 is reduced to approximately 52.7 staff per 1,000 students, from the current allocation rate of 53.2 staff per 1,000 students.
- A number of reductions are made to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards bonus program, totaling approximately $5.7 million.
- Numerous smaller statewide programs and grants are reduced or eliminated, decreasing costs by $10.8 million.
- Funding for the Focused Assistance program is eliminated, saving $3 million.
- Funding for Navigation 101 implementation grants is discontinued beginning in FY 2011, saving $3.2 million.
- Funding for the Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) program is discontinued beginning FY 2011, saving $2.3 million.
- Funding for the Alternative Routes to Certification program is reduced by $2.1 million in FY 2011.
- Funding for middle school career and technical education is discontinued beginning in FY 2011, saving $1.8 million.
Both the Senate and House budgets were heard in their respective legislative committees this afternoon and evening. Both budget plans are expected to move fairly quickly; both are already scheduled to be moved out of their committees tomorrow. Whether both houses will adopt their own plan is to be determined. Normally, one house will pass their budget to the other house, where it will be amended and sent back to the first house, then behind-the-scenes negotiations on a final compromise budget will begin. Because both houses introduced their respective plans on the same day, it is unclear what process these budgets will follow. Of course, we will continue to keep you apprised.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
February 24th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Well, We knew it was going to be bad. This is worse. Tonight the District Finance Committee in Bremerton will be digesting this latest round of information and tomorrow I should have some numbers to post on what it will mean to our individual district.
It’s pretty clear that some sacred cows and what I call the “feather in the cap” programs and/or district administration personnel “resume builder experimental curriculums” are simply going to have to go. Way too much emphasis has been put on “branding” the district with specialty programs that benefit the very few in an attempt to draw larger attendance numbers. Somehow the idea of focusing on educating the vast majority with a “whole child” like approach in the best, streamlined way possible and letting that success stand for itself has totally escaped the district leadership as a marketing tool or attendance drawing mechanism. To many in the leadership positions, a few awards for a couple of isolated “gimmicks” somehow translate into proving overall district success. The numbers don’t lie though and the attendance draw from these programs went away after the first couple of years. The overall mentality of “let’s start and fund a program this year that we HOPE there will be funding for in the near future for it to continue” will be stopped now because it is now very clear there is no additional funding in the near future to be had.
Unfortunately some really great in school staff and programs are going to be cut as well and that is going to hurt everyone. Unions are really going to be on the hook now. I know that Bremerton in the next couple of years is on track to make very large payments to the retirement and pension programs which is on the fast track to becoming bankrupt if some corrective measures are not taken soon.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Maybe our government desires an uneducated proletariat. Might make their job easier…
February 24th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Bluelight, I think it really comes down to shallow greed rather than some well thought out agenda. Our state legislators are not really that deep or complex. Seriously, they are self devoted and pretty basic. Easily distracted by the next shiny object dangled in front of them. They are fundamentally concerned about number one and the self preservation and continuation of their public careers and increasing or profiting from their special interest.
Education as an issue does not provide them with the opportunities for career advancement or overall profit so subsequently it suffers except for the necessary candidate marketing lip service that is paid every election cycle.
Education and learning is all around us. For too long our society has relied on “schools” to be exclusive education provider when it fact our kids should be raised to be both successful and motivated to learn in the “school” classroom and successful and motivated to learn in the “life” classroom.
I am already laying the groundwork for my own child that what public school has to offer is only a fraction of what he will be taught and only a fraction of what he will eventually learn. Right now I am reading a great book called A Patriot’s History of the United States to refresh myself on what he will not learn in school but I can teach him at home.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Sad to see that the amount set aside for education is getting low.. Recession is causing the government to cut back on a lot of important things as well…
February 24th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, alternative learning experience (ALE) programs such as online and digital learning delivered over the internet, parent partnership programs (primarily instructional programs taking place in the home, with district responsibility for overseeing instruction), and contract-based learning programs will no longer be available to students in grades K-6, saving $22.7 million.
So other nations focus on strategies which use technology to transform traditional learning environments, but Washington sees ALE as an extraneous luxury.
February 25th, 2010 at 7:42 am
Correction, Lawyer: Recession, overspending and misplaced priorities are causing the government to cut back on a lot of important things. At least a lot of things that are important to the everyday taxpayer.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:15 am
RV, The Washington HOUSE sees this as an extraneous luxury. The Senate and both Govenors Budgets do not cut this program per the data I have from the 2009-11 Revised Omnibus Operating Budget. It may stil survive. We can hope.
List of activities funed by the current legislative budget proposals, provided to us last night at the Finance Meeting from the Washington Policy Center as cuts to education are made:
Documenting womens roll in WWII $75,000 (House)
Hiring a world language supervisor $272,000 (House)
Labor Center at Evergreen State College – $200,000 (Senate)
Aisian Affairs Commission $466,000 (House)
Figure Skating Championship in Spokane $200,000 (Senate)
Hispanic Affairs Commission $517,000 (House)
State Liquor Board – $245,110,000 (Senate)
Archaeology and Historic Preservation $4,766,000 (House)
Spanish TV $40,000 (Senate)
African-American Affairs Commission $491,000 (House)
Office of Minority and Women in Business Enterprises $3,699,000 (Senate)
State Convention & Trade Center $118,174,000 (House)
State Arts Commission $6,747,000 (House)
Washington State Historical Society $7,817,000 (House)
Eastern Washington State Historical Society $6,412,000 (House)
This is the list as given out. I am not saying all of these things are all bad. There are some good ones on here that do promote and grow business or tourism, which then in return brings more money into the state in the form of tax revenue. But a good portion of this should not take priority over education.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Based on the data that came out of Olympia yesterday here are the proposed cuts to the Bremerton School District:
I-728 voter approved funding to reduce classroom overcrowding $-395,191
Levy equalization funding $-497,392
K-4 funding to hire teachers and reduce classroom size $-594,844
Value of professional development and training day $-74,712 (education has its own cheese as well, I am not unhappy to see the LID day go as a parent and taxpayer)
Full Day Kindergarten funding $-689,210
Highly capable (Gifted Education) funding $-36,960
Total proposed cuts to Bremerton $-2,289,309
Now if certain things do survive the negotiation process between the House and the Senate, as we hear some might, the real dollar amount of cuts we are looking at are between $-850,000 and $-1.2 million.
The Full Day Kindergarten and the Highly Capable program are already sizing up to be hot button topics at the District Finance Committee Meetings. Citizens want to see real reform and some hard decsions made. Staff can not help but to be in full self-preservation mode. Last night district employees outnumbered just average parent/citizens like myself nearly 3 to 1.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:05 am
On the bright side, Colleen, maybe the kids can take a field trip to see statues of a fish catching a man pretty soon.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:10 am
A new take on an old classic: It’ll be a great day when schools get all the money they need and the governor has to hold a bake sale to fund climate junkets to Copenhagen.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Can there still be Field Trips for the kids when the schools are completely closed down due to lack of funds?
February 25th, 2010 at 9:24 am
I was trying to be positive, Colleen! Maybe you’re right, though. Perhaps the legislature (or the governor!) can think up something for them to do. Maybe participating in monument construction. Something along the lines of the pyramids. Or a Great Wall. A little indentured servitude might be just the thing for the little proles-at-hope.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:03 am
That might be a little extreme and old school. The little Workers-at-Hope will be way too busy with the vast variety of Green Jobs that will be available to them, as promised, very soon….right?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Green
Green is the colour of her kind
Quickness of the eye deceives the mind
Many is the bond between the hopeful and the damned
– Pink Floyd, 1969
I wonder if the serfs-at-hope will listen to music, read literature in the future…
February 25th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Oh sure they will. I know that Green is the Colour song is off the “More” album, but you can be sure that the music industry has already dreamed up additional ways (due to evolving format and technology changes) to make us purchase “The Wall”…again. I am up to 3 different format purchases on that baby so far.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:18 am
We don’t need no education.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:36 am
RV, The Washington HOUSE sees this as an extraneous luxury.
Colleen – I know the cut I referenced was under the heading of ‘K-12 reductions included in the House budget’.
We’ve been lobbying this issue since at least 2004, including SB Bill 5410 (which Gregoire ultimately signed into law in May of last year), Washington Virtual Academy, and a host of others.
HB 2824 is the bill which proposed to end funding for ALE. It came about by request of Gregoire and SB 6444 is the companion bill in the Senate. There is still hopem, but there’s a good chance it’s being cut across the board.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
RV, yes. If it does dodge the bullet this time there is a good chance it will be cut sooner rather than later. The overall mindset is still something to the effect that “computers are a luxury” educational tool not a necessity in this day and age.
It is doubly difficult here in Bremerton to change this perception, because the automatic assumption that every household is too poor to have an item like a computer in it permeates pretty much every conversation when the issue of online learning is brought up. Districts tend to fly the “free and reduced lunch” flag as a decision making tool (or crutch) by which every financial issue should be judged. Maddening and frustrating.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Indeed. Meanwhile, countries considered less wealthy than the U.S. have implemented policies (and fund them) to prepare their students beyond brick and mortar education. I wonder how many of the “too poor” schools have looked beyond the idea of shiny new computers for everyone vs. Computers for Learning?
Keep fighting the good fight.
February 26th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Thanks RV. That means a lot!