A Recap of the State Board Of Education's
October 2007 Work Session

DRAFT BUDGET INCLUDES $22.6 MILLION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton presented his proposed budget for state Board of Education discussion at Thursday’s K-12 work session. Included in the $224 million draft budget was $22.6 million in new funding to boost the middle school teaching corps.

“I don’t know if I hear any more cries from the classroom than from middle school,” Morton said. “It’s time we take a look at that.” He proposed changing the allocation for grades 4-8 to add 342 brand new middle school teachers.

The draft budget also includes more money for:

• Classroom materials and supplies,
• Library enhancement,
• School bus fleet renewal,
• Professional development,
• Textbooks,
• More than $1 million in new funding for autism specialists,
• $150 per unit more for technology,
• $1 million more for technology coordinators,
• $3.5 million to add a physical science component to Alabama’s Science in Motion program, and
• $15 more to boost substitute pay to $75.

Morton also said he supports $10 million for preschool funding.

To address teacher recruitment and retention concerns outlined by the Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching, Morton proposed $5 million for teacher mentoring, $3.8 million for recruitment and preparation initiatives and $2 million for teacher/student testing.

“Research indicates we need a two-year mentoring program, not one-year, so we really don’t lose these people to other professions,” Morton said. “We also need to stay current with a teacher working conditions survey.”

Morton hopes to also launch three pilot teacher leader certification programs designed to keep strong teachers in the classroom by rewarding them with additional pay, responsibility and recognition.

In 2009, funding would remain level for:

• Arts education,
• The at-risk student program,
• Board of adjustment,
• The Public School Fund,
• FICA,
• Head Start,
• HIPPY,
• In-service centers,
• The interpreters program,
• Online professional development, and
• The redesign of principal preparation.

The pilot program studying seatbelts on school buses would be reduced by $420,780.

Craig Pouncey, assistant state superintendent for finance and administration, explained Thursday how steadily escalating Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Program and retiree costs impact the bottom line.

Employer contribution rates for the Teachers’ Retirement System will jump to an estimated 12.07 percent in 2009 from 4 percent in 1999. The employer portion of PEEHIP will cost $795 per month for 2008-09, up from $210.50 per active employee in 1995. Individual employees have paid $2 per month since 1995, while the PEEHIP contribution for employees with dependents is $132 per month, unchanged since 2000.

Board member Randy McKinney acknowledged the economic lag and shrinking growth rate the state now faces and said the increasing cost of employee benefits worries him.

 “I see increases both in postsecondary and K-12 budgets that would exceed the declining growth estimate of the Education Trust Fund,” McKinney said. “We’re now spending 25 percent of our education budget for K-12 on these two items (PEEHIP and TRS costs). I see employee contributions have not increased. I wonder if the PEEHIP board is looking at ways to try to hold these costs down.”

McKinney said the Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative are worthwhile investments because they are paying off. However, “with the Education Trust Fund growth rate on the decline and all these other areas on the increase, at some point we are going to hurt what is working for us,” he said.

The board is expected to approve its official 2009 budget request when it meets Nov. 8.

In other discussion, the board addressed media reports that Alabama is the first state to adopt “The Bible and its Influence,” a heavily debated textbook that failed to win the Legislature’s stamp of approval. The Bible Literacy Project textbook was submitted as comprehensive literature to the state textbook committee for reading/literature and driver and traffic safety education. The state board adopted the book Oct. 11 along with thousands of others recommended by the committee, which had no dissenting report and drew no public concerns.

Final textbook decisions are made on the local level. Boards may choose to use and purchase with state funds any textbooks not rejected by the state.

— Denise L. Berkhalter
publicrelations@alabamaschoolboards.org