ALABAMA
Governor: Guy Hunt (R)
FY 1991 state budget: $4.46 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.78 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.60 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +11.2 percent
Highlights:
Legislature appropriated $110 million to fund an 8 percent pay raise for teachers; Governor had proposed a 7.5 percent pay hike.
Also approved $20 million to continue a multiyear effort to reduce class size in the early grades, and $9.3 million to place 317 guidance counselors in elementary schools.
Added $3 million for school maintenance, $4.2 million for vocational-education equipment, and funds for 100 additional special-education teachers.
Rejected Senate plan to add two days to the 175-day school calendar.
Rejected a Senate proposal to fund additional programs by drawing $28 million from a cash-reserve fund designed to offset school cutbacks when tax revenues fall short of projections; added $8 million to the reserve fund.
MAINE
Governor: John R. McKernan Jr. (R)
FY 1990-91 state budget: $3.2 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $1.02 billion
K-12 change for FY 91:ÿ20+$52 million
Highlights:
Lawmakers approved measure to collect withholding-tax payments from businesses in June 1991 rather than in July 1991, thereby generating an additional $12 million in FY 1991 and allowing education spending to grow at a rate beyond the 10 percent limit proposed at the beginning of the session.
Also passed bill to promote equity of opportunity for women in administrative positions in the public school system.
