Ways & Means to act on school budget
May 18, 2007 Issue (71k ) of Legislative Highlights

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means will take action May 24 on the State School Fund and School Improvement Fund. Ways and Means Co-Chairs Kurt Schrader and Mary Nolan have recommended $6.245 billion for the K-12 budget, consisting of $5.985 billion in the State Schools Fund and $260 million in the School Improvement Fund.

Last week's state revenue forecast showed that Oregon's revenue picture is strong for the 2007-09 biennium, with $151.9 million more to spend than had been predicted in March. Because the Ways and Means Committee co-chairs' recommended budgets are based on an earlier forecast from December, there is actually $187 million more available for lawmakers to re-invest in K-12, pre-kindergarten, community colleges and higher education and other important state priorities than is currently included in the co-chairs' budget.

With only five weeks left in the session, legislators, using the May revenue forecast, will soon make final budget decisions. OSBA and members of the broad-based education coalition are advocating legislators' critical re-investment in education.

K-12 funding facts

FACT: In the 2005-07 (current) biennium, K-12's share of the $12.419 billion in General Fund/Lottery expenditures was 42.7 percent ($5.305 billion).

FACT: The Ways and Means Committee Co-Chairs' proposed $6.245 billion budget for 2007-09 would be only 41.4 percent - a slightly smaller share of the $15.087 billion pie. To achieve the same ratio as the 2005-07 biennium, K-12's appropriation would have to be $6.442 billion.

FACT: In the Governor's Recommended Budget, the K-12 number of $6.06 billion represented a 15.5 percent increase over the current biennium. The co-chairs' budget would increase the state's investment by 17.7 percent. (If state and local resources are combined, the total K-12 pot would be only a 14.4 percent increase in total funds for 2007-09.)

FACT: By contrast, several other line items in the proposed budget exceed 20 percent in increases over 2005-07. In fact, recommended overall state budget expenditures come in at 21.5 percent over the prior biennium - far more by percentage than K-12's increase.

ACTION ALERT: Strong state revenue forecast provides opportunity for reinvestment in education

YOUR ACTION IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE FUNDING OF EDUCATION BUDGETS! Please contact your legislators NOW and urge their support of reinvesting in education!

OSBA has an online advocacy tool to simplify the process.