CALIFORNIA
Governor: Pete Wilson (R)
FY 1992 state budget: $43 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $17.6 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $14.2 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +23 percent
Highlights:
Nominal increase in education funding over last year reflects carry-over of $1.2 billion deemed “overallocated” to districts and called a loan. Real growth about 3.5 percent.
Budget does not provide for suspension of Proposition 98’s school-funding guarantee.
Addressed $14.3-billion deficit with $7 billion in budget cuts, including reduction in welfare payments and state services, and $7 billion in new taxes and fees, including higher sales tax and increased income taxes on higher brackets.
Contains several new preventative programs backed by Governor, many geared toward pregnancy prevention and prenatal care.
HAWAII
Governor: John Waihee 3rd (D)
FY 1992-93 state budget: $6.8 billion
FY 1992-93 K-12 budget: $1.22 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $1.01 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +21 percent
Highlights:
Legislature established task force on public-school governance.
Also authorized panel on statewide performance standards for students; created new teacher-salary classification and approved $7.7 million beyond the current contract level for teacher-salary hikes over biennium; expanded Hawaiian-language immersion program; and, as part of multi-year school-construction program, allocated $90 million for capital improvements.
ILLINOIS
Governor: Jim Edgar (R)
FY 1992 state budget: $13.46 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $3.36 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $3.35 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +0.3 percent
Highlights:
Legislation approved to permanently extend income-tax surcharge for state school aid, raising $395 million annually, and extend for two years income-tax surcharge for state and local governments.
Also put 5 percent cap on annual property-tax increases in Chicago-area counties, and froze Cook County property taxes for one year.
Lawmakers passed bills revising Chicago school-reform law to alter method of electing school councils, providing for state takeover of troubled districts, and giving principals greater control over personnel.
IOWA
Governor: Terry E. Branstad (R)
FY 1992 state budget: $3.2 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $1.21 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.28 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: -5.8 percent
Highlights:
Governor cut $40.6 million from education funds on the eve of approving the state’s budget, as part of a 3.25 percent across-the-board cut.
First of four teacher-pay raises promised by Governor during election campaign not in budget.
Attempt by legislature to cut $5 million from statewide telecommunications network for education vetoed by Governor.
LOUISIANA
Governor: Buddy Roemer (R)
FY 1992 state budget:$5.97 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $1.77 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.73 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +2.6 percent
Highlights:
Legislature provided an increase of $53 million for the state school-funding formula, but declined to alter the formula to provide more money to poorer school districts.
Suspended the state’s controversial teacher-evaluation program for one year and ordered a revision of the program before it is used again.
MASSACHUSETTS
Governor: William F. Weld (R)
FY 1992 state budget: $12.9 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $1.43 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.5 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: -5 percent
Highlights:
Budget cuts funding for nearly all programs.
Legislature passed public-school-choice law and measure to replace Boston’s elected School Committee with a panel appointed by the mayor.
Governor’s proposal to create an education secretariat approved in part. A new education secretary will oversee higher education and sit on state board of education, which will continue to set K-12 policy and select precollegiate education commissioner.
NEW JERSEY
Governor: James J. Florio (D)
FY 1992 state budget: $14.7 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $4.5 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $3.6 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +25 percent
Highlights:
Under state’s 1990 Quality Education Act, as amended, education aid will rise by $750 million, most of which will go to the poorest urban districts. Legislature this year appropriated $8.9 million to oversee implementation of the law.
Funding increase would have been greater, but legislature cut $350 million from aid to provide property-tax relief.
NEW YORK
Governor: Mario M. Cuomo (D)
FY 1992 state budget: $29.9 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $8.3 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $8.7 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: -5 percent
Highlights:
Budget eliminated estimated $6.5-billion deficit through $1.5 billion in increased taxes and fees and layoffs of 7,000 state employees.
Also cut out Regents and Empire State scholarship awards and increased tuition at state universities.
Proposal by Governor to significantly change formula for distributing school aid did not pass.
RHODE ISLAND
Governor: Bruce Sundlun (D)
FY 1992 state budget: $1.48 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $307 million
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $337 million
Percent change K-12 budget: -9.8 percent
Highlights:
Budget cuts state aid substantially; funding level of most other education projects frozen.
Legislature will withhold contribution to state-employee retirement system, including teachers’ pensions. Also will phase in cutback of state share of funding formula from 50 percent to 25 percent; local districts and governments will be responsible for picking up balance.
Lawmakers gave go-ahead for designing a plan that would reduce number of school districts from 37 to no more than 6.
WASHINGTON
Governor: Booth Gardner (D)
FY 1992-93 state budget: $15.7 billion
FY 1992-93 K-12 budget: $7.2 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $6 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +20 percent
Highlights:
Legislature did not adopt Governor’s school-reform bill.
Teachers received 7.55 percent salary increase over two years.
Budget includes $58.7 million for block grants, $40 million to reduce class size, and $5.3 million to make state the first to ensure that all eligible 4-year-olds are enrolled in Head Start.
