The following are summaries of final action by legislatures on education-related matters.
FLORIDA
Governor: Lawton Chiles (D)
FY 1995 state budget: $38.6 billion
FY 1995 K-12 budget: $6.99 billion
FY 1994 K-12 budget: $6.56 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +6.5 percent
Highlights:
- Legislature passed Governor’s $120 million package to protect schools and prevent student crime, including after-school programs for middle school students.
- Budget also includes a 3 percent increase in state aid.
- Legislature mandated Holocaust and African-American-history curricula for schools.
WEST VIRGINIA
Governor: Gaston Caperton (D)
FY 1995 state budget: $2.2 billion
FY 1995 K-12 budget: $1.23 billion
FY 1994 K-12 budget: $1.19 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +3.3 percent
Highlights:
- Teachers will receive a $500 annual salary raise, plus an additional $40 for each year of experience.
- Legislature passed measure banning corporal punishment.
- Budget designates $10 million in lottery funds for expansion of computer and basic-skills programs.
WISCONSIN
Governor: Tommy G. Thompson (R)
FY 1995 state budget: $15.8 billion
FY 1995 K-12 budget: $5.9 billion
FY 1994 K-12 budget: $5.6 billion
Percent change K-12 budget: +4.7 percent
Highlights:
- Governor signed measure mandating a $1 billion, one-third decrease in the amount of school revenue derived from local property taxes by 1997. The measure freezes existing levies at current levels, and establishes a state commission to devise new sources of state revenue.
- Legislature also passed a law calling for criminal-background checks on teachers.
