Let's discuss the budget for education this session
03/12/2015

 

There is much to be said about the level of funding schools will receive from the current proposed House budget. We will offer a more detailed analysis of school funding in another blog post. However, there are several items that should be given serious consideration in regards to education.

 

School Takeover

The current budget provides $5 million each year for turnaround school support that could be used to promote and accelerate takeovers. ISTA opposes this approach. The Department of Education (DOE) through its own outreach program successfully helped 103 public schools (that were previously D and F schools) rise to grades of A, B, C in one year. ISTA believes the state should not use private companies to duplicate the efforts successfully done by the DOE.

 

Testing & Remediation

The state currently spends approximately $40 million on state testing alone, with only $6 million to provide additional assistance to children in need. ISTA is asks that the appropriations between testing and remediation be separated out.

 

ISTA urges legislators to reconsider a summer school appropriation which flatlined in 2001. This is another way to provide more programs for students in need.

 

Textbook Assistance

ISTA is urging an appropriation of $10 million each year for textbook assistance to cover families who qualify considering the last time this appropriation was adjusted in 2008. The budget bill will flatline textbook assistance. When there are more parents without resources who qualify for assistance, school districts must divert classroom and program expenditures.

 

Private School Tuition Tax Credit

The current budget proposes an increase in Private School Tuition Tax Credit. This provision will increase to $12.5 million (from $7.5 million) the amount of money if the state is willing to forego in state income tax revenue and the taxpayer makes contributions to scholarship granting organizations providing tuition payments to private schools. Additionally, this provision includes an automatic annual escalator once the $12.5 million threshold is reached in approximately 120 percent of the prior threshold. ISTA opposes increasing this tax credit.

 

School Consolidation Incentive

ISTA questions the priority and cost of our local communities for incenting school districts to consolidate in exchange for some money. According to LSA, this has an indeterminable fiscal impact and is inconsistent with the state’s policy of not restricting the growth of charter schools that are not consistent with efficiencies.

 

Miscellaneous Provisions

• ISTA supports the 10 percent increase in English Learners program funding.
• ISTA supports the maintenance of the INSPIRE database funding that is in the House version of HB 1001—the Governor’s version of the budget removed this.
• ISTA supports the $200 tax credit for teachers who buy classroom materials.
• ISTA recognizes and supports that the House budget includes a modest COLA for public employee retirees.