The following are summaries of final action by legislatures on education-related matters.
ARIZONA
Governor: Rose Mofford (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $3.2 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.3 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $1.15 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +13 percent
Highlights:
Adopted $167.5-million “revenue enhancement” bill that partially suspends state payments to teacher-retirement fund, taxes pensions over $2,500 of retired teachers and public employees. Also requires four districts containing large utilities to levy minimum property tax.
Rejected bill to create statewide open-enrollment program.
Limited property taxes for retirement community residents.
CALIFORNIA
Governor: George Deukmejian (R)
FY 1990 State Budget: $39.8 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $14.4 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $12.8 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +13 percent
Highlights:
Under Proposition 98, schools will receive from excess revenues $52 per pupil in unrestricted aid for FY 1989, $19 per pupil for FY 1990.
Provided general school-aid fund, all categorical programs with 4.64 percent cost-of-living increase.
Earmarked $181 million for new “supplemental grants” to districts whose categorical-grant allowance is below state average; $73.5 million to equalize spending among districts.
Approved $35 million for K-8 school improvement programs; $16.7 million for drug education; $14 million for educational-technology grants; $23 million for deferred maintenance; $21 million for staff development; $3 million for dropout-prevention programs.
Set aside $230 million in reserve. If unspent by end of the school year, $110 million will be used to reduce class sizes.
DELAWARE
Governor: Michael N. Castle (R)
FY 1990 state budget: $1.1 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $379.8 million
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $355.4 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +7 percent
Highlights:
Raised teacher pay 5.7 percent.
Allocated $1.2 million for local dropout-prevention initiatives; $3.5 million for alternative high-school programs for potential dropouts.
ILLINOIS
Governor: James R. Thompson (R)
FY 1990 state budget: $12.3 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $2.99 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $2.54 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +18 percent
Highlights:
Two-year, 20 percent income-tax hike permits 13.7 percent increase in general school aid, full funding for categorical programs.
Raised cigarette tax to provide $10 million to revamp mathematics and science curriculum, $4.6 million for substance-abuse-prevention program. Also voted to ban tobacco use on school grounds, prohibit student possession of telephone paging devices, require districts to provide drug- and substance-abuse education.
Provided $48 million for preschool education, $16.5 million for dropout-prevention efforts.
Defeated proposals to provide vouchers for public or private education; permanently earmark set percentage of state budget for education; raise compulsory-attendance age from 16 to 18.
LOUISIANA
Governor: Buddy Roemer (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $7.1 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.45 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $1.34 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +8 percent
Highlights:
Eliminated $700-million deficit in part by extending temporary sales-tax hike through end of 1989.
Allocated $91 million to raise teacher pay by average of 7 percent, second phase of two-year effort.
Approved $4.5 million for remediation of students who fail test required for graduation.
Established “drug free” school zones mandating maximum penalties for those selling drugs within 1,000 yards of schools.
Required schools to reduce pupil-teacher ratio in grades K-3 to average of 20 to 1 by 1990.
MAINE
Governor: John R. McKernan Jr. (R)
FY 1990 state budget: $1.58 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $638 million
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $560 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +14 percent
Highlights:
Rejected governor’s proposal to extend school year from 175 to 180 days.
Provided $4.1 million for student-incentive scholarship program and to establish new higher-education finance authority.
MASSACHUSETTS
Governor: Michael S. Dukakis (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $12.2 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $1.64 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $1.8 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: -9 percent
Highlights:
Governor vetoed $210 million for aid to cities and towns. Legislature voted to override veto but governor vows to withhold funds.
Also vetoed $25 million for school programs including remediation, dropout prevention, early-childhood education, and bonuses for teachers who develop curricula.
Passed “drug free” school zones measure mandating two-year jail term for those convicted of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.
Approved 10-year management agreement between Boston University and the Chelsea Public Schools.
Deferred action on statewide “choice” legislation until fall.
MONTANA
Governor: Stanley Stephens (R)
FY 1990-91 state budget: $873.3 million
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $509.1 million
FY 1988-9 K-12 budget: $364 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +40 percent
Highlights:
Revised school-finance system to comply with ruling by state supreme court; raised state’s share of districts’ costs from 56 percent to 82.5 percent. Governor has yet to act on measure.
To pay for new system, raised state property tax by $61 million; individual income tax by $38 million; coal severance tax by $6.4 million; and corporate income tax by $1.6 million. Revenue package also includes $4.6 million from lottery, $5.8 million in interest from coal-tax trust fund.
NEVADA
Governor: Bob Miller (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $759.1 million
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $325.7 million
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $275.6 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +18 percent
Highlights:
Approved funds to reduce current 28-to-1 pupil-teacher ratio in grades K-3 to 15 to 1.
Raised teacher pay by 5 percent. Authorized raise of between 3 percent and 5 percent next year if sufficient revenues are available.
Did not act on initiative to create corporate-profits tax to benefit education. Will appear on 1990 ballot.
Reduced financial penalties for teacher early retirement.
Rejected bills to create separate legislative committee to oversee precollegiate education; to offer cash rewards to outstanding principals.
NEW JERSEY
Governor: Thomas H. Kean (R)
FY 1990 state budget: $8.6 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $3.7 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $3.5 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +6 percent
Highlights:
Raised general state school aid by $270 million.
Revenue shortfall resulted in cuts including $2.5 million for prekindergarten program for urban children; $1.2 million for scholarships to prospective teachers; $250,000 for academy of teaching and management. Also eliminated 5 of 10 staff positions in effective-schools program.
Earmarked $400,000 for choice experiments sought by governor. Includes open-enrollment pilot in 6 districts; second-chance program for dropouts; postsecondary-options program for up to 1,000 students.
NEW YORK
Governor: Mario M. Cuomo (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $29.2 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $8.4 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $8 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +5 percent
Highlights:
Raised $1 billion in new revenues to eliminate deficit.
Increased basic per-pupil aid by 5.7 percent, welfare benefits by 15 percent. Other increases include $4 million for prekindergarten for the disadvantaged; $4 million for community-schools program; $5 million for magnet schools.
Shifted authority for determining appropriate placement of handicapped preschoolers from family courts to school committees.
OHIO
Governor: Richard F. Celeste (D)
FY 1990-91 state budget: $26 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $6.7 billion
FY 1988-89 K-12 budget: $5.7 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +18 percent
Highlights:
Approved far-ranging reform bill including voluntary open-enrollment within districts or among adjacent districts; alternative certification for teachers; mandatory kindergarten attendance; state-board authority to waive rules for high-performing districts and to take over “academically bankrupt” districts.
Approved $90 million for new Education Improvement Fund.
Earmarked $1.45 million for effective-schools program.
OREGON
Governor: Neil Goldschmidt (D)
FY 1990-91 state budget: $4.4 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget: $1.2 billion
FY 1988-89 K-12 budget: $1 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +20 percent
Highlights:
Approved “21st Century Schools” program, allows districts to seek waivers from state regulations to implement innovative programs.
Approved $20 million in property-tax relief for districts with low property values, high tax rates; $18 million for special education.
PENNSYLVANIA
Governor: Robert P. Casey (D)
FY 1990 state budget: $11.9 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget: $4.4 billion
FY 1989 K-12 budget: $4.1 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:ÿ20+7 percent
Highlights:
Approved $2.6 billion in basic school aid--a 6.1 percent increase.
Earmarked $447 million for special education, including $99 million to eliminate state obligations to districts that have accumulated over eight years.
Pennfree anti-drug program includes $6 million for community-based prevention, education efforts.
Approved $5 million for school performance-incentives program; $14.8 million for early-intervention program for the handicapped.
RHODE ISLAND
Governor: Edward D. DiPrete (R)
FY 1990 state budget:ÿ20$1.5 billion
FY 1990 K-12 budget:ÿ20$374 million
FY 1989 K-12 budget:ÿ20$346 million
Percent change K-12 budget: +8 percent
Highlights:
Authorized nation’s first “pension portability” system for teachers.
Created separate school district for children in foster homes, group homes under the care of state department of children and families.
WISCONSIN
Governor: Tommy G. Thompson (R)
FY 1990-91 state budget:ÿ20$22.3 billion
FY 1990-91 K-12 budget:ÿ20$3.5 billion
FY 1988-89 K-12 budget:ÿ20$3 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:ÿ20+16 percent
Highlights:
Rejected choice proposals offered by governor, Milwaukee school board.
Approved “aging school buildings” package making it easier for districts to borrow money for construction.
Set aside $2.6 million to reduce kindergarten class sizes.
