The following are summaries official action by legislatures on education-related matters.
ALABAMA
Governor: Guy Hunt (R)
FY 1992 state budget: $6.8 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $1.62 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.59 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: + 1.8 percent
Highlights:
- Lawmakers approved Governor’s education-reform bill, which requires the state to resume pro-service teacher testing, establish a core curriculum of required courses for all high-school students, allow intradistrict public-school choice, and extend the school year by four days. The bill does not fund the reforms, which are estimated to cost up to $670 million a year.
- Effective Oct. 1, Governor ordered an across-the-board, $145-million cut in the state’s education budget to combat a shortfall. In fiscal 1991, Governor ordered a 3.72 percent proration in January and a 6.5 percent reduction in May.
- Figure for total state budget includes earmarked funds that the state does not break down by source. The monies include federal and local funds as well as state revenues.
COLORADO
Governor: Roy Romer (D)
FY 1992 state budget: $2.68 billion
FY 1992 K-12 budget: $1.10 billion
FY 1991 K-12 budget: $1.04 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: + G. 2 percent
Highlights:
- After a two-month special session, legislature approved and Governor signed school-finance compromise aimed at reducing projected education-funding shortfall of $350 million for next year. Plan trimmed scheduled funding increases and lowered inflation adjustment from 3 percent to 1 percent for the first half of 1992.
- Legislature declined to increase taxes for schools as urged by the Governor and education groups.
