Tulsa World: Crisis funds for education sought

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Crisis funds for education sought
A state board's resolution puts an "emergency" tag on budget shortfalls.

First-grade teacher Dorce Trotter cleans her classroom while her students are in gym class at Creek County's Pretty Water school district. The school is one of many in the state facing budget shortfalls. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World

By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/18/2009 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 11/18/2009 5:53 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Board of Education on Tuesday called on the state Legislature and Gov. Brad Henry to act swiftly to address a funding emergency in education.

Board member Tim Gilpin from Tulsa led the passage of a resolution seeking "rainy day" funds for the current budget year.

"I move we pass a resolution to say it is an emergency. There is no reserve fund we can look to," Gilpin said. "Our schools can't wait until February."

State Superintendent Sandy Garrett told the board that public schools can no longer rely on funding from the House Bill 1017 revolving fund as they have for about 30 percent of their state revenue in years past.

Education officials reported that as of October, revenue collections for the House Bill 1017 revolving fund had come in almost $34 million below projections.

"We haven't seen this decline, ever," she said. "When other (state) departments cut 5 percent general revenue, we cut 7.11 percent because we cut 5 percent general revenue and the House Bill 1017 revolving fund."

The state Department of Education is surveying schools about how they are coping with the state funding shortfall.

State board members had to look no further than some of the public school superintendents attending Tuesday's meeting for examples.

Jeff Taylor from Pretty Water, a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in Creek County, said janitorial expenses have been among the cuts made there.

"I've asked teachers to clean their own classrooms," he said. "I'm buffing floors and cleaning toilets. I'm not saying that's anything bad, but we've already cut all of that. What else can we cut?"

John Weaver, superintendent of Cleveland Public Schools, said his district eliminated 12 positions to maintain employees' salaries and is getting by on funding reserves carried over from last school year.

"I understand there are other departments out there, but we, for two years, have been cut and we are at the bare necessities," Weaver said. "Right now, I have a proposal on my desk for five teachers to lose their jobs next year if the Legislature doesn't do something."

Amber-Pocasset Superintendent Chad Hance said he is facing the prospect of asking teachers who have been teaching there since before he was born to retire so that he can cut down on payroll costs.

"That's going to hurt us. Your district is only as good as the people you have in there," Hance told the board.

The board followed the discussion about the shortfall for the current fiscal year by approving a budget request for the next one, Fiscal Year 2011.

Education Department officials presented three possible scenarios for the request, each calling for increases based on higher operational costs for such things as utilities, teacher health insurance and high school remediation.

Board member Gilpin unsuccessfully sought to table the matter for a month, saying he was concerned that a new budget request for more money could detract from the current funding crisis.

In the end, the board voted 4-1, with Gilpin dissenting, to approve a budget request for almost $226 million total.

Garrett said state department budget requests are critical for the governor and Legislature's budget deliberations each year.

"This is meager. It's very meager," she said of the budget request. "We have an obligation to say, 'These are our needs.' And we've never gotten our request that I can remember."

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Oklahoma education board calls on governor to address funding," which was published on 11/17/2009.

	Report Comment Exchanging views, Tulsa (11/17/2009 2:05:16 PM) The listings of Superintendent's and their assistants' salaries is interesting.
	Report Comment Exchanging views, Tulsa (11/17/2009 2:05:58 PM) Easy to locate and see who is making what and for what reason.
	Report Comment Sarge776, Tulsa (11/18/2009 8:48:39 AM) When some of the school districts opt to build fancy high dollar buildings, and do nothing to help out the teachers pay, I have no sympathy for the education department. Seems like they spend more and more on newer buildings, and less worry about how a teacher is going to pay their bills or support their family.
	Report Comment gadfly, Broken Arrow (11/18/2009 10:54:41 AM) If we "gave" every new junior high and high school student a computer -- and schooled him or her at home (via internet education programs) we could reduce education spending by 50%. If we charged tuition for more than two children, per family, (low income mothers and fathers could be assigned community service) we could reduce educational costs even further. Computerized education would enable fully individualized instruction, reduce drop outs, improve student computer skills, and eliminate, to a great degree, busing. A "win-win" situation. effected teachers could b e used for desperately needed Pre-K and special needs education. Or assigned to adult education until that mess is cleaned up.
	Report Comment J C OK, Tulsa County (11/18/2009 8:45:40 PM) Why not send students to the neighborhood schools? That way we could eliminate many of the bus routes, duplicate subjects and special subjects that are only allowed in these schools. We can do away with the special schools like the one next to Skelly that teaches only in Spanish. It is not there for those who do not speak English it is for all students that want to learn another language. If they want to speak Spanish take a class. Why have a Spanish only school when we are an English speaking nation? Why it is not more obvious where money can be saved? They will cut teachers and increase number of students in the classrooms, instead. I have often wondered why anyone would want to send their children across town. They ride a bus for long periods when they have good neighborhood schools.

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