| Education backers lobby legislators to avoid cuts |
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Original Source | The Oregonian Supporters of schools, universities and Head Start programs urged lawmakers Wednesday to spare those programs from steep budget cuts this spring, pointing out that education is an economic engine for the state. Higher education and Head Start officials offered no suggestions about where lawmakers should find the millions to keep their programs afloat, given that state income tax collections have tanked $800 million below what the state expected for the current budget. But advocates for public schools had a unified message: Raid the state's education stability fund, and fast, to keep schools open for a full school year through this June. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said he doesn't want to take money from that fund, which contains about $390 million, to patch the current budget because he fears the money will be needed more in 2009-2011 as the recession persists. But public school leaders pleaded with lawmakers to take the risk and spend much of the savings now. Planning ahead for two lean school years to come would be better than trying to hack back school spending two-thirds of the way through this school year, they said. "All available options would negatively affect students," said Annette Mattson, a member of the David Douglas School Board. She said most school boards are considering cutting days or even weeks from the school year. Spending the school savings account now would mean less money available in the next two school years, she acknowledged, but "we will be able to plan and budget for the next two years so that our programs have as much continuity and flow as possible," Mattson said. Lawmakers are waiting for two pieces of information before they decide: How many millions will Oregon get from the final federal stimulus plan, and how much will Oregon have to cut from the current budget to balance its books by June 30. The next state revenue forecast comes out Feb. 20. |
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