Ore. House OKs $7.25 billion K-12 budget in party-line vote

The Oregon House voted along party lines Tuesday to pass Democrats’ $7.255 billion K-12 education budget, one trumpeted as a big step forward by Democrats but opposed by Republicans who say more state funds should go to the state’s schools.

The budget, which now goes to the Senate, was pushed by Democratic legislative leaders, who say the 9 percent increase would allow most districts to offer full-day kindergarten to all students without cutting budgets beyond current levels.

Education interest groups have criticized the proposal as inadequate. They say it won’t allow school districts to make improvements and will require some to increase class sizes.

Money from the state general fund and lottery makes up the bulk of the budget for Oregon school districts.

Under HB 5017, Bend-La Pine Schools expects a reduction of $83 per student (Average Daily Membership/Weighted (ADMw), said state Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, who spoke on the House floor to oppose the legislation and advocate for more funding.

“Given the poor condition of our school system, education should be our top priority. Our schools need more money and a lot more reform,” Buehler said.

Buehler read a letter from Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson. In the letter, Wilkinson explains that the share of the budget devoted to K-12 has been on “steady decline” and says the proposed amount is insufficient to meet increasing demand.

Due to budget reductions and cut school days, Wilkinson said Oregon students are already “receiving the equivalent to about one less year of instructional time during grades K-12 than the national average.”

Buehler said, “I am shocked by the lack of attention given to Oregon schools. We have one of the highest dropout rates and shortest school years in the nation, yet the Legislature has chosen to focus on low-carbon fuel standards, “motor voter’ and class-action lawsuits.”

“Instead of funding misplaced priorities, we should focus on third-grade reading proficiency, workforce training, and developing master teachers. Let’s bet on Oregon students before out-of-state green energy investors.”

Democrats had a different take, of course. Here’s House Speaker Tina Kotek’s release on the schools budget:

The Oregon House of Representatives today passed a $7.255 billion budget for the state’s public schools. The budget is a $600 million increase over the last biennium, which will provide stability for most school districts while also funding full-day kindergarten for children throughout Oregon for the first time in state history.

“Every child in Oregon deserves the opportunity to succeed, and this budget takes a major step forward for working families and kids throughout our state by funding full-day kindergarten,” said House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-North/NE Portland).

This investment is part of a multi-year effort to get education funding back on track after years of recessionary cuts.

In 2013, the Legislature added $1 billion to Oregon’s K-12 schools, approving the largest budget in state history as the economy began to improve.

The $7.255 billion budget approved today will maintain that historic boost, and automatically increase school funding if more money is available after the next economic and revenue forecast in May.

“We have been fighting to get our schools back on track for years, and today’s investment is another step in the right direction,” said Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), the House’s chief budget writer. “But it’s still not enough.

“In order to give our kids the opportunities they deserve, while also ensuring Oregon families feel safe in their neighborhoods, and those in need have resources available to help them, we must address the unstable revenue system that has caused our schools to be underfunded for decades.”

The $7.255 billion K-12 budget (House Bill 5017) 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;
Targeted investments to support children with disabilities, low-income students, and English language learners.
A trigger that will send 40 percent of new revenue to the State School Fund if the economy shows improvement in the May economic and revenue forecast.
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And here’s the Oregon House Republican Office news release on the schools budget:

House Democrats Pass Inadequate Funding Bill That Shortchanges Oregon Students, Teachers And Schools

House Republicans Called For Increased, Stable Funding For K-12 Education

Salem, OR – On a party-line vote, and despite concerns from dozens of school districts across the state, House Democrats voted today to shortchange Oregon’s schools at a budget of $7.255 billion.

Moments after their own admissions that the proposed budget was inadequate and “not satisfying,” House Democrats passed House Bill 5017, dismissing House Republicans’ request to send the budget back to the Committee on Ways and Means to secure more funding for K-12 education.

“Today, House Democrats chose to put politics ahead of kids by voting for an underfunded education budget, despite an additional $1.8 billion in revenue in the General Fund this biennium,” said House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte).

“Rather than responsibly prioritize the needs of students and teachers, House Democrats purposefully shortchanged schools so they could move forward later with their predictable demand for increased taxes and keeping the kicker.”

Despite increases in revenue over the past decade, education spending has been steadily declining as part of the overall General Fund.

In the 2003-2005 budget, education funding represented 58.7% of nearly $11 billion, and K-12 education represented 44.7% of the budget.

In the 2013-2015 budget, education funding represented just 51.6% of a $16.753 billion general fund budget, and K-12 only 39.7% of the budget.

And in Democrats’ proposed 2015-2017 budget – which represents a 10.5% overall budget increase of nearly $1.8 billion more in revenue than last biennium, K-12 education funding drops even further, to 39.1%.

As House Republicans discussed on the Floor today, this inadequate K-12 education budget leaves school districts across the state – both large and small – with serious consequences, including overcrowded class sizes of 40+ students; layoffs of teachers; outdated curricula, textbooks and other materials; and, dilapidated facilities and resources.

NewsChannel 21’s Katie Higgins will have a report on the schools budget debate tonight at Five and Six.