The following are summaries of governors’ budget requests for schools and highlights of proposals on the state education agendas.
ILLINOIS
Governor:
Jim Edgar (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$18 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$4.40 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$4.17 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+5.5 percent
Estimated enrollment:
1,960,000
Highlights:
- Governor’s budget recommends that legislature provide more equitable school funding formula, but does not include new state taxes.
- Budget proposes $15 million increase for state technology initiative; the total funds are $45 million.
- It also includes $123.9 million for state preschool programs and $20 million to pay for early-intervention programs.
- Budget requests full actuarial funding for teacher-retirement system and $26.1 million for health insurance for retired teachers.
KENTUCKY
Governor:
Paul E. Patton (D)
FY 1998 state budget:
$5.73 billion
FY 1998 K-12 budget:
$2.51 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$2.43 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.3 percent
Estimated enrollment:
660,000
Highlights:
- Biennial budget was approved by legislature last April.
- Budget allocates $10 million for fund that rewards schools that show improvement under state’s testing program, and $16.2 million for 1997 and 1998 for administrative costs for improving the program.
- Budget provides $2 million for transportation costs for children attending private schools.
- It also asks districts to use extra revenue for annual raises of $900 for teachers.
LOUISIANA
Governor:
Mike Foster (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$5.58 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$2.04 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$1.98 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.0 percent
Estimated enrollment:
797,933
Highlights:
- Governor has proposed one-time expenditures of $105 million, including $75 million for computer technology and scientific equipment for schools and $10 million for a fund to implement school accountability through technical assistance for low-achieving districts and rewards for high-achieving ones.
- Governor has proposed one-time expenditures of $105 million, including $75 million for computer technology and scientific equipment for schools and $10 million for a fund to implement school accountability through technical assistance for low-achieving districts and rewards for high-achieving ones.
- Mr. Foster is seeking $165 million in ongoing funds for education. Of that, $65 million for boosting teacher salaries would come from governor’s request to legislature not to lower state sales tax in July.
- He proposes to give $5 million in interest-free start-up loans to groups that want to open charter schools.
TENNESSEE
Governor:
Don Sundquist (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$6 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$2.33 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$2.15 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+8.3 percent
Estimated enrollment:
875,670
Highlights:
- Governor’s budget would boost state spending on health care by $116 million to help provide coverage for all minors.
- Budget would save $50 million by trimming 4 percent from higher education and eliminating 1,753 state jobs, including 40 positions from the state department of education.
TEXAS
Governor:
George W. Bush (R)
FY 1998-99 proposed state budget:
$47.42 billion
FY 1998-99 proposed K-12 budget:
$19.88 billion
FY 1996-97 K-12 budget:
$21.38 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
- 7.5 percent
Estimate enrollment:
3,740,260
Highlights:
- Gov. Bush wants legislature to raise state cap on charter schools, which is currently set at 20.
- Governor backs plan to lower property taxes by $3 billion a year. Plan would be paid for, in part, by cutting $1 billion in state spending and implementing a new business tax.
- Governor’s budget proposes spending more money to expand school-based reading academies that help diagnose early reading problems.
