Oregon school funding tussle heats up in Salem

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney said Monday they plan to move ahead with consideration of a $7.255 billion budget for K-12 schools – with a trigger that will boost school funding if more money is available after the next economic and revenue forecast in May.

At $7.255 billion, students and teachers will see stability in schools throughout the state, they said — and for the first time in Oregon’s history, this budget provides funding for every child to attend full-day kindergarten.

“It’s time to move this budget,” Courtney said. “School districts are planning their budgets. They’re preparing for next year. They need to know how much money they are guaranteed to have.”

“We are taking a major step forward for working families and kids throughout our state by funding full-day kindergarten,” Kotek said. “Every child in Oregon deserves the opportunity to succeed, and this budget locks in a stable funding floor, while also boosting support to schools for English language learners, children with disabilities, and low-income students.”

Interest groups representing teachers, school administrators and others say many districts would be forced to reduce school days or lay off teachers under the Democrats’ budget. They’re requesting an additional $260 million.

Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, who has been pushing for an $8 billion K-12 budget, shared a message Monday from a 43-year education veteran on what a reduced school budget would mean for Oregon schools.

Knopp said the education budget has been on a steady decline since 2003, resulting in poorer student performance and less instruction time for students.

“Oregon students need your support for a minimum of $7.5 billion. My request is to make available to us enough to really make a difference. Senator Knopp’s $8 billion would be an awesome start,” said Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson.

Knopp told NewsChannel 21 the Democrats’ planned K-12 spending level is “not even close to enough.”

“It’s about choices and priorities, and Democrats chose Obamacare over education funding for K-12,” he said.

The Democrat legislative leaders said their $7.255 billion proposal includes:

$600 million more than the 2013-15 K-12 budget, maintaining the historic $1 billion increase the Legislature approved in 2013;
Full funding for full-day kindergarten;
An additional $12.5 million to improve outcomes for English language learning students;
A $2.5 million increase to ensure that every student who qualifies for reduced price lunches qualifies for free lunches;
$17 million more for the High-Cost Disabilities Account
An additional $5 million (above the original co-chairs budget).

The House and Senate leaders said the investment is part of a multi-year effort to get education funding back on track after years of recessionary cuts.

Still, the presiding officers acknowledged that Oregon is far short of being able to make game-changing investments, and both committed to continue working to increase funding for education.

For example, if the economy shows improvement in the May forecast, 40 percent of the new revenue will be provided to the State School Fund. This trigger ensures that the budget will continue to prioritize education if more money becomes available later in session, the lawmakers said.

Legislative leaders said they expect the K-12 budget, House Bill 5017, to move out of the Joint Ways and Means Sub-Committee on Education Tuesday and to be considered by the full Joint Ways and Means Committee on Thursday.

It is likely to go to the House floor next week and then move to the Senate for final consideration.

The presiding officers said it is likely the K-12 budget will go to the governor for her signature earlier than at any time in recent memory, which will give local districts the certainty they need to plan for the next school year.

In 2011, lawmakers gave final approval to the K-12 budget on April 13. In 1995, legislative work on the K-12 budget was completed April 21.