The following is a summary of the fiscal 2000 state budgets for schools and highlights of education-related action in legislatures. The totals for K-12 education include money for state education administration, but not federal, flow-through dollars.
CALIFORNIA
Governor: Gray Davis (D)
FY 2000 state budget: $81.3 billion
FY 2000 K-12 budget: $23.7 billion
FY 1999 K-12 budget: $22.43 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +5.7 percent
Estimated enrollment: 5.7 million
Highlights:
- Gov. Davis’ first budget includes $274 increase in per-pupil spending, from $5,751 in fiscal 1999 to $6,025 in fiscal 2000.
- As part of governor’s school improvement plan, budget also includes: $192 million for new performance and accountability measures; $134 million to help schools buy textbooks aligned with state standards; and $35 million to pay for extra slots in after-school enrichment programs for low-income students.
- Budget includes $100 million for teacher-quality initiatives, half of which will be directed toward raising teacher salaries and half designed for financial rewards for teachers at low-performing schools whose students show marked academic gains.
MICHIGAN
Governor: John Engler (R)
FY 2000 state budget: $34.04 billion
FY 2000 K-12 budget: $11.01 billion
FY 1999 K-12 budget: $9.62 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +14.4 percent
Estimated enrollment: 1.7 million
Highlights:
- For fiscal 2000, legislature increased basic state K-12 funding to nearly $5,700 per pupil--a per-student increase of slightly more than $230 from fiscal 1999.
- Lawmakers approved plan to give Michigan high school students who pass state reading, writing, mathematics, or science exams--starting with class of 2000--one-time scholarships of up to $2,500 for use at in-state colleges, technical-training centers, or for apprenticeships.
OREGON
Governor: John Kitzhaber (D)
FY 2000-01 state budget: $10.61 billion
FY 2000-01 K-12 budget: $4.81 billion
FY 1998-99 K- 12 budget: $4.36 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +10.5 percent
Estimated enrollment: 573,000
Highlights:
- Governor had proposed $4.95 billion for K-12 for 2000-01 biennium.
- Local-option measure enables communities to ask voters to raise property taxes to help pay for schools, but requires 50 percent voter turnout and majority vote.
- Legislature approved process to create public charter schools in which half the teaching and administrative staff must hold regular Oregon teaching licenses.
- Budget includes $300,000 for state superintendent to produce local school report cards by Jan. 30. Schools with low grades must develop improvement plans.
- Lawmakers enacted several measures to tighten school security, including requirement that teachers report to an administrator or law-enforcement agency anyone they believe has brought a firearm or destructive device to school.
