[Vision2020] Legislative Report

[Shirley Ringo]

January 29, 2009

Dear Friends:

I have spent some painful days on the Joint Finance Committee (JFAC) as we discuss reductions in the Idaho budget to respond to Idaho's slow economy.  Proposed reductions involve cutting support to struggling families, individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis, individuals suffering from epilepsy, severe cuts to higher education, public education, etc.   It's hard to think of raising fees for much needed work on highways and bridges with so many people losing jobs.   I am happy to see Congress moving towards a stimulus package that should give a certain amount of relief.  The notion of the economic stimulus is not unanimous (especially among the Idaho delegation), but I hope my colleagues in the Idaho Legislature will agree to use the opportunity to assist vulnerable citizens, protect education, and stimulate the economy.

Today in JFAC, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna presented his budget.  Currently, he is directed to cut $80 million in expenditures.  That could grow worse after we examine revenues for the month of January.  Superintendent Luna's official recommendations include:

1.       Reduce discretionary funds by the amount of state lottery and state maintenance matching funds.  (Interest portion only)  Cut the general fund match.  Temporarily relieve state from match requirement in FY 2010 and 2011, and allow discretionary use of the funds.  The cost savings is approximately $20,825,000.

[In essence this transfers lottery funds sent to schools for school building related projects to discretionary  funds.  A district's discretionary funds are those that don't have strings attached directing how they are to be spent.  Districts have very little in the way of discretionary funds.]

2.        Reduce the administration staff allowance from 0.075 to 0.0715 per midterm support unit.  The cost savings is $3,924,000.

[This reduces state support to Districts for administrative salaries.]

3.       Eliminate Early Retirement incentive Program for teachers.  The cost savings is $4,000,000.

[The cost savings on this one is highly suspect.  The early retirement incentive program saves a considerable amount of state money for salary support.]

4.       Freeze experience movement on the grid for one year.  The cost savings is $6,130,000.

[Depending upon the number of years of teaching experience, and upon education, some teachers receive a salary increment for an additional year of experience.  Because of policy regarding the salary grid, many teachers don't receive this increment.  This measure would not award the experience increment to teachers who would normally receive it.]

5.       Reduce base salaries by the equivalent of three contract days.  Give local school districts discretion to absorb this cut by attrition, not filling open positions, eliminating in-service days or combing half-days into full days.  Also give school districts additional flexibility by removing the provision "use it or lose it."  The cost savings is $15,097,600.

[One should note that the cost of a contract day to a teacher is the yearly salary divided by 190.]

6.       Reduce state funding for textbooks by 40%.  The cost savings is $3,800,000.

7.       Reduce funding for classroom supplies from $350 to $300 per classroom teacher per year.  The cost savings is $781,000.

8.       Use $17 million from the School Budget Stabilization Fund.

Other proposals are included, totaling $62 million in reductions.  This is not the official budget.  After each agency presents its budget request, members of JFAC prepare motions, upon which there is an official vote.  I expect a vigorous debate with alternative suggestions.  When we get official word regarding the stimulus package, those funds should be incorporated into budgets.

Shirley
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