The following are summaries of final action by legislatures on education-related matters.
ARIZONA
Governor: Rose Mofford (D)
FY 1991 state budget: $3.47 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.23 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.18 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +4.2 percent
Highlights:
- Legislature approved a $205-million tax package that includes increases in property, corporate-income, and cigarette taxes.
- Budget also includes money to establish early-childhood-education programs for handicapped and at-risk students.
DELAWARE
Governor: Michael N. Castle (R)
FY 1991 state budget: $1.2 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $404 million
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $381 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +5.7 percent
Highlights:
- Legislature approved average salary increases of 5.6 percent for teachers and 4 percent for support staff.
- Also approved $32 million, an increase of $3.2 million, to equalize funding among school districts under a new formula.
- Lawmakers did not approve Governor’s request for pilot full-day-kindergarten program.
ILLINOIS
Governor: James R. Thompson (R)
FY 1991 state budget: $12.84 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $3.04 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $2.99 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +1.7 percent
Highlights:
- Legislature approved a bill allowing school boards to initiate student-uniform policies if requested by school officials or parents.
- Also approved legislation that would require district report cards to include indicators of parental involvement.
LOUISIANA
Governor: Buddy Roemer (D)
FY 1991 state budget: $4.05 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.73 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.65 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +4.8 percent
Highlights:
- Budget includes $85 million for the third and final year of a teacher- pay-raise plan, $7.5 million for the first year of a five-year teacher-evaluation program, and $2.2 million for a program evaluating schools and districts.
- Legislature declined to approve funding for the Governor’s proposal to implement “Writing to Read” computer-based reading program in all state elementary schools by this fall. Governor Roemer vetoed a proposal for a $3-million pilot test of the program.
NORTH CAROLINA
Governor: James G. Martin (R)
FY 1991 state budget: $7.25 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $3.33 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $3.13 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +6.4 percent
Highlights:
- Legislature approved $44.5 million--instead of the $116 million necessary for full funding--for the Basic Education Program.
- Approved $39.4 million to enable all school districts to implement differentiated-pay plans.
Ordered state department to cut $843,000 and school systems to cut $45 million in coming school year.
