Volume 34, No.10
April 18, 2008
Click here for a look at a list of education-related bills.
Education Budget to be Tested Tuesday in House;
K-12 Urges Support for Committee Budget
A solid budget substitute was approved in the House Education Appropriations Committee Wednesday and faces higher education’s floor amendment challenges Tuesday. The committee version of H.319 appropriates $374 million less than the 2008 education budget. The committee used cautious optimism from March revenue figures to allocate $6.35 billion based on the governor’s projections, which is higher than the Legislative Fiscal Office estimates.
The committee budget continues to shield K-12 from the harshest cuts and shifted some allocations within the governor’s budget framework. It largely incorporated the governor’s recommended increase for the K-12 allocation by providing 68.74 percent to K-12, an increase from the 66.91 percent in FY08.
The budget proposal protects K-12 students by maintaining basic operations critical to run school systems. It cuts by half the governor’s proposed increase to key programs and now gives $10 million for Pre-K and $5 million each for the Alabama Reading Initiative; Alabama Math, Science & Technology Initiative and distance learning. H.319 also restored some funding to basic foundation programs (click here for more).
Make no mistake, K-12 is cut by almost 3 percent from its current budget. Transportation funding loses $13 million. Fuel costs are incorporated in that allocation and are based on $3/gallon for diesel. Prices are topping $4/gallon. Classroom instructional supplies directly impacting the classroom take significant cuts. But K-12 advocates support the committee budget because it fairly distributes the pain and prioritizes the basics.
Tuesday’s Challenge: Defend Committee Budget
Higher education will attempt to add $25 million to the bottom line of the budget. While there is a $25 million conditional appropriation for higher education, universities are pushing to amend the budget by inflating available revenue. But there is no additional, magical $25 million to add to the bottom line. It’s just not there. Universities would rather have the $25 million added, even if it means pushing the FY09 budget into proration. The impact of proration to higher education and K-12 is not equal. Proration disproportionately harms K-12.
Support the Education Committee Budget,
H.319 on the House Floor!
House Members Protect Local Choices
for School Calendars!
In a significant victory for local school boards, House members stopped the momentum by the tourism and summer camp industries to impose a statewide school start date proposal. Lawmakers support local decision-making and local accountability for those decisions. H.179 failed to garner the 3/5-vote it needed to be debated on the House floor with a 43-39 vote.
As expected, there was a great deal of confusion about a “compromise.” Misinformation abounded. Members kept hearing that superintendents supported the bill. But when local board members and superintendents made calls and sent e-mails during the day, lawmakers understood there was no compromise from their districts. AASB kept vigil at the statehouse to dismiss rumors of a compromise by school boards. It was an effective message, and the bill failed on a procedural vote.
Many thanks to House members for supporting local choices and local voices on the school calendar issue. Thanks also to those members who stopped to contact their local board members before making a decision when faced with conflicting information.
S.241, the Senate version, is pending in the Senate. Even after the loss of the procedural vote, H.179 remains pending in the House.
Urge Senate to Act on $15,000 Bid Threshold
Very little is taking place in the Senate during a lockdown over a local bill that relates to gambling. Meanwhile, literally hundreds of bills are piling up for Senate consideration. Priorities will be made as to which pieces of legislation will see the light of day if or when the logjam breaks. The competitive bid bill deserves high priority to help schools find the best products at the best price. With a tight budget year ahead, AASB is urging final passage to give schools relief. Please ask your Senator to prioritize S.362/H.442.
Urge your senator to vote
YES on S.364/H.442
Click here for 2009 Education Trust Fund
Proposed Budget Comparison Chart
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On education funding and policy decisions,
local perspective can make a BIG difference.
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8 Days remain in the
Regular Legislative Session
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