ALASKA
Governor: Steve Cowper (D)
FY 1991 state budget: $2.88 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $694.4 million
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $629.3 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +10.3 percent
Highlights:
Governor’s proposal to create separate endowment for education from oil revenue in the state’s Permanent Fund died when Senate declined to send proposed constitutional amendment to voters.
Legislature approved bill giving teachers the right to strike, but requiring that teachers and school boards engage in nonbinding arbitration before strike could be called.
VERMONT
Governor: Madeleine M. Kunin (D)
FY 1991 state budget: $623.6 million
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $199.8 million
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $181.9 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +9.8 percent
Highlights:
Legislature did not approve proposals to revise state tax formula to provide property-tax relief.
Altered state funding formula for special education to allocate some funds according to total number of students, not just number of special-education students.
Revised school-residency laws to take into account homeless, migrants, other special cases.
Endorsed state board of education’s list of goals, including restructuring and increased community involvement.
