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Ed Budget Finalized Say Majority Party Leaders
“It’s done,” said House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, quoted in a Salt Lake Tribune article referring to a compromise on the state’s FY2011 budget. “We feel great. Public education essentially is being held harmless. It’s being taken out of areas that don’t impact the classroom.”
The Governor and majority party legislative leaders worked to trim the proposed $21 million cut to public education to an estimated $10 million reduction from last year’s budget. However, there is no new funding to educate an estimated 11,000 new students expected next year. The net result is a cut of about 3 percent, far less than reductions faced by many other departments and agencies. According to the Tribune article, the public education cut will ultimately mean $8 million less for new school buildings, no state money for new library books, the elimination of a science and math program for educators, and a 50 percent cut to teacher supply money.
A major change in the education budget proposal is a shift from one-time to ongoing money. During the downturn in the economy, one-time rainy day and federal stimulus money was used to fill budget shortfalls. In the new FY2011 budget, lawmakers and the governor agreed to replace the one-time money with ongoing funds.
Follow the funding bill for public education at SB2 (first substitute): Minimum School Program Budget Amendments. Watch for more information to be posted here as it becomes available. (Also see articles in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News.)
Budget Situation Remains Tenuous
By Susan Kuziak, UEA Legislative Team Member
Sen. Lyle Hillyard presented the majority party budget proposal in the Senate Democratic Caucus today (Feb. 23). Other caucuses also reviewed the proposal. Here’s where things stand...Utah has a ‘structural deficit’ (more expenditures on programs, agencies, debt obligations than there are revenues to fund) in the range of several hundred million dollars. Since there is no movement to raise taxes or other revenues (the cigarette tax may still be considered), expenditures must be reduced.
Back to what it means for public education…grateful as we must be for the one-time allocation, schools will not be whole next year. There is no funding for enrollment growth (11,000 new students), no funding for increased costs in other programs related to growth. The classroom supply funding is not included. The allocation of the $284 million will likely be done in accordance with the recommendations of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee (see the “Under the Dome” post for Feb. 15 for details).
Sen. Hillyard indicated little or no interest in increasing ongoing revenue and, although there are sources of additional one-time money (e.g.: $253 million remaining in the Rainy Day Fund), there is a reluctance to use these dollars because they feel it would perpetuate the structural deficit.
The Legislature has multiple options for dealing with the many critical needs in education and other agencies that are not funded in the initial proposal. We will be working to make that happen.
Please express appreciation for the priority given to public education both the Legislators and to the Governor. Talk with your district administration and local association leaders to understand what failing to fund enrollment growth will mean to your school and to your work with students and share these concerns with your legislators, neighbors and friends.
2010 Utah Education Budget
Cutting Education Runs Counter to Public Opinion
Take Action: Write Your Legislator Now!
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Gov. Gary Herbert’s recommended fiscal year 2011 state budget includes measures to protect public education from reductions faced by other state agencies, but school districts would still see funding cuts if it took effect.
The recommended budget, announced Dec. 11, avoids raising taxes and keeps public education roughly equal to this year, but it also fails to provide funding for new student enrollment of about 12,000 students next school year. The result would be a decrease in overall education funding, a drop in the weighted pupil unit (WPU), and likely an increase in the state’s class sizes, already the largest in the nation.
According to a Dan Jones & Associates survey commissioned by UEA and conducted in August 2009, the scenario is not one supported by most Utahns. Asked which was more important, increasing the investment in public schools or cutting school budgets to live with lower revenue, 73 percent said increasing public school investments was most important while just 20 percent said cutting budgets.
When asked how to help public schools deal with falling revenues, survey respondents’ top six choices all involved some form of tax increase, including:
The public school funding solutions least preferred by survey respondents were increase class sizes, reduce teacher salaries and reduce or eliminate sports, arts or music programs in schools.
“We understand the serious financial situation facing our state and are encouraged to see Gov. Herbert has recommended holding public education to less severe cuts than other departments,” said UEA President Kim Campbell. “But we have a real concern if the state is asking schools to provide the same services to 12,000 more students with no additional funding. Following reductions to last year’s public education budget, the governor’s proposed cuts will have serious impacts in the classroom, and that’s clearly not what the public wants.”
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The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce echoes the public’s concerns about education funding. In a >recent editorial, Mark Bouchard, Senior Managing Director at CB Richard Ellis and Chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Education Task Force wrote: “A highly educated workforce is the most critical long-term strategy for a vibrant economy and healthy society…Balancing the budget is the immediate concern but the long-term requires an investment in our human capital. A well-trained workforce is the single most important element to maintaining and enhancing Utah’s reputation as a great place to do business. Further reductions in public and higher education put our workforce at risk. Education funding must be protected as we balance the state budget.”
The governor’s recommendations for public education are very close to what the State Board of Education requested. Under the governor’s recommendations, $72 million of the $100 million set aside two years ago for schools would go toward funding this year’s budget, avoiding a 3 percent cut asked of other departments and higher education this year. The remainder of the $100 million would be used in next year’s budget.
Gov. Herbert’s proposed budget would take $166 million of the $419 million state rainy day money, tap $31 million of the roughly $100 million education reserve fund, increase its bond debt and resort to some accounting maneuvering to deal with a projected $510 million shortfall—all to keep a budget that is relatively flat compared to the current year.
The projected deficit is less than previous estimates, in part because state departments were asked to make reductions in the current fiscal year. Revenue projections also show some future growth, though still well below what is needed to deal with growing demand for services.