The following are summaries of governors budget requests for schools and highlights of proposals on the state education agendas.
GEORGIA
Governor:
Zell Miller (D)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$11.8 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$4.45 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$4.29 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.6 percent
Estimated enrollment:
1,308,100
Highlights:
- Governor would train teachers to integrate technology into the classroom, proposing $25 million to pay for half-time technology experts at schools.
- High school class sizes would be reduced from 23 to 20 by redirecting $60 million.
- Budget proposes 6 percent salary increase for teachers--the third year of a four-year effort to bring teacher salaries in line with national average.
HAWAII
Governor:
Benjamin J. Cayetano (D)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$3.26 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$7.39 million
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$7.14 million
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.5 percent
Estimated enrollment:
191,600
Highlights:
- In two-year budget, governor proposes $7.29 million for education in fiscal 1999, a 1.3 percent increase over amount proposed for 1998.
- Governor proposes $1 billion in capital-improvements budget over the two years, including doubling money for school construction projects to $180 million each year. Some of the money would be used to build four new schools and four new libraries.
- Mr. Cayetano urged lawmakers to encourage teachers who opted for early retirement in 1994 to return to classroom.
KANSAS
Governor:
Bill Graves (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$7.9 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$2.0 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$1.9 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+5.3 percent
Estimated enrollment:
446,800
Highlights:
- Budget includes $20 million in new money for school districts with more than 1,800 students.
- Another $12.2 million would go to increasing basic aid to districts by $22 per student, to $3,670.
- Governor’s plan would also cut statewide property tax for schools from 33 mills to 29 mills.
- Budget provides $13 million for enrollment growth and $4 million for local programs aimed toward at-risk students.
MASSACHUSETTS
Governor:
William F. Weld (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$18.1 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$2.8 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$2.6 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+7.7 percent
Estimated enrollment: 930,000
Highlights:
- Governor’s budget proposes major boosts for education while offering several tax cuts, including $1,000 increase in state income-tax exemption for children.
- Budget includes full funding of state’s 1993 K-12 education reform law, boosting spending by $278 million.
- Budget proposes big increase for early-childhood education programs and new funding to help school districts cope with unexpected increases in enrollment.
MONTANA
Governor:
Marc Racicot (R)
FY 1998-99 proposed state budget:
$2.08 billion
FY 1998-99 proposed K-12 budget:
$945 million
FY 1996-97 K-12 budget:
$910 million
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.8 percent
Estimated enrollment: 167,700
Highlights:
- Boost in education spending amounts to one-third of all new money proposed for state by Gov. Racicot.
- Budget seeks $15.2 million to compensate for rising student enrollments and school equalization.
- Governor requesting $1.62 million for an “accountable school improvement project” that would set statewide standards and guide local tests in Montana’s 800 public schools.
- Governor urging increases for school technology, distance learning, teacher retirement, school construction, and school buses.
NEVADA
Governor:
Bob Miller (D)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$1.46 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$460
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$395 million
Percent change K-12 budget:
+16.5 percent
Estimated enrollment: 282,100
Highlights:
- Two-year budget proposal includes $521 million for education in fiscal 1999, nearly an 11 percent increase over fiscal 1998.
- One-time appropriation of $35 million from surplus funds would be used to boost state’s technology-improvement program, which aims to put five computers in every public school classroom.
- Another $2 million is proposed for state public works board to conduct an inventory on condition of schools and building needs.
NEW MEXICO
Governor:
Gary E. Johnson (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$2.96 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$1.33 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$1.31 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+1.5 percent
Estimated enrollment:
319,400
Highlights:
- Governor wants constitutional amendment that would require at least 50 percent of state general fund to go to public schools. Measure requires approval of lawmakers and voters in order to take effect in 1999.
- Governor proposes abolishing state funding for school-to-work programs. Last year, state spent $100,000; it received $2.2 million federal grant to pay for school-to-work programs in fiscal 1998.
NEW YORK
Governor:
George E. Pataki (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$32.83 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$10.6 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$10.3 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+2.9 percent
Estimated enrollment:
2,829,000
Highlights:
- Of proposed $302 million increase for schools, $23 million would fund first year of four-year plan to provide $1.7 billion for school improvements and $1.7 billion in property-tax relief.
- As part of the four-year plan, governor wants to triple state spending on school computers--now $21 million--and double the $114 million budgeted for textbooks. He proposes $110 million in fiscal 1998 to reimburse districts for cutting senior citizens’ property taxes.
OHIO
Governor:
George V. Voinovich (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$18.4 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$5.46 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$5.22 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+4.6 percent
Estimated enrollment:
1,822,800
Highlights:
- Two-year budget proposes $5.68 billion for K-12 programs in fiscal 1999. All budget figures include lottery revenues.
- Budget targets state’s 21 urban districts with $167.5 million over two years for dropout prevention, discipline, Head Start, and kindergarten programs.
- Beyond budget, governor is calling for $300 million capital appropriation to be spent on improving school facilities. Of that amount, $200 million would go to state’s poorest districts and $100 million would be aimed at its largest districts.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Governor:
David M. Beasley (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$4.6 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$1.94 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$1.88 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+3.2 percent
Estimated enrollment:
644,400
Highlights:
- Proposal includes $30 million for state’s K-12 technology initiative, $20 million increase over this year. Initiative includes more Internet access and buying five more computer terminals for each school.
- Spending for all-day kindergarten would rise by $17 million. Program began by paying for about a third of state’s kindergarten students last year. Governor’s request would enable state to provide services to all eligible children.
- About $41 million would be provided to Children’s Education Endowment, a school building program.
VIRGINIA
Governor:
George Allen (R)
FY 1998 proposed state budget:
$8.52 billion
FY 1998 proposed K-12 budget:
$3.02 billion
FY 1997 K-12 budget:
$2.89 billion
Percent change K-12 budget:
+4.5 percent
Estimated enrollment:
1,086,400
Highlights:
- Bulk of budget hike--$28 million--would come from anticipated boost in retail-sales-tax receipts. One cent is earmarked for schools.
- Governor’s request includes $8.5 million to pay for projected enrollment increases.
- Budget plan seeks $6.2 million for teaching materials to implement state’s new school standards program, and another $6.2 million to pay for elementary school reading projects.
- Governor proposes changing how teacher pensions are funded. Budget plan would draw next year’s projected $7.8 million cost of teacher retirement benefits from state’s general fund instead of education department budget.
