<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16945" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><FONT face=Calibri>Legislative Report</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>The Public
Education budget was set in the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee
today, March 3.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(JFAC)<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The total amount appropriated for FY
2011 is approximately $128.5 million lower than the appropriation for FY
2010.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Dean Cameron and Maxine Bell
held meetings with the Education Committee chairs and vice-chairs, and
representatives from the IEA, administrators, and school boards.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where there was agreement, funds
dedicated to specific programs were reduced to zero, and the amounts for them
moved down to discretionary money.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This should at least be helpful to districts to give flexibility in
attempting to meet their needs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Even then, discretionary funding is 13.5% lower for 2011 than 2010.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Without a change in the amount
appropriated, it was like rearranging the chairs on the deck of the
titanic.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Among
decisions made:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>specific funding
for the Teacher Incentive Award was eliminated and must now be paid out of
discretionary funds (if possible); also eliminated is specific funding for
technology, gifted and talented teacher training; classroom supplies, and
textbooks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The math initiative,
reading initiative, and remediation are grouped together with funding of
$9,400,000.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Base pay for
teachers and classified staff is reduced by 4%; administrator pay is reduced by
6.5%; the salary grid is frozen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The minimum pay for any teacher has been reduced to $29,655.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope you’re as outraged as I am.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It would be a good idea to meet with
your school district officials and ask what this budget means to your
community.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Besides the
terrible funding, there was terrible intent language adopted along with the
budget.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The intent language
declares financial emergency status for all school districts for the purpose of
reopening the salary and benefits compensation aspects of the negotiated
agreement, including the length of employee contracts and the amount of
compensation and benefits. (It turns everybody into an at-will employee.)<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am reminded of the situation for
Universities, where presidents can take employment action in the event of a
“financial challenge,” which does not seem to be defined.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>In my
opinion, the majority party has irresponsibly chosen this action.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have consistently refused to even
discuss revenue enhancement.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
minority party offered an alternative:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>delay the implementation of consolidated elections ($4.1 million); limit
the expansion of the grocery tax credit ($9.4 million); delay the planned
reduction of the insurance premium tax ($6.7 million); and add $3,000,000 to the
budget of the tax commission to help close the tax gap (collect unpaid taxes,
projected gain of $17 million).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This would have given $37.2 million to add to the public school
budget.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The motion failed on a
party-line vote.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>I tried a
motion to help the college and university budget a little, by restoring stimulus
money to them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>About $5.7 million
in stimulus money that was originally in the college and university budget was
taken from them and given to public schools.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My motion would have borrowed a like
amount from a pool of money for school facility emergencies, put that in the
public school budget, and restored the stimulus money to universities.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The motion failed along a party line
vote.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>It was not a
good day for education in Idaho.</FONT></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>