Subscribe
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Apartments
Classifieds
Shopping
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Teachers Association stepped into the funding debate over K-12 education Wednesday, suggesting the state tap its reserves and eliminate some testing to provide new dollars for schools in the next two-year budget.
“We understand additional money is going to be at a premium,” ISTA President Nate Schnellenberger said. “We are looking out for the children we teach. We agree schools should be a learning center. But a classroom of students without a teacher is not a learning center.”
Gov. Mitch Daniels’ proposed budget would essentially flatline funding for K-12 education.
But the teachers union Wednesday pointed to $270 million they think should be given to local schools for operation in the next years.
The bulk of the money – $70 million in 2010 and $142 million in 2011 – would come from the state’s tuition reserve fund, part of the state’s overall $1.3 billion surplus.
An additional $3 million each year would come by eliminating funding for the Indiana Education Roundtable, which ISTA said has few responsibilities and could operate for far less.
An additional $12 million in 2010 would come if the state postpones the spring ISTEP+ test. The state is moving to a spring date, and this year – the transition year – students are scheduled to take the tests in the fall and spring.
An additional $20 million each year would come from eliminating other non-essential state and local testing, such as end-of-course assessments for Core 40 classes.
This pot of money could be used to give schools an increase of between 1 percent and 2 percent a year.
Schnellenberger warned that under the current flatline proposal, hundreds of teachers statewide would lose their jobs and classroom sizes would become larger. But he also said his association is unwilling to budge on salary increases that had been negotiated before the downturn.
Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said it’s too early to start talking about using money in the tuition reserve fund.
“We need to wait until we get a better look at the economy,” he said. “It’s getting worse.”
Long said if a revised April budget forecast shows the state in even worse financial shape, then it might be necessary to use reserve funds.
“But for now we should be prudent,” he said.
The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee is crafting its version of a state budget, and details could start to be revealed next week.
