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Oklahoma officials warn of teacher cuts
Public schools would lose $244 million, an amount equal to the salaries of 5,000 teachers, if the education budget is slashed by 10 percent, a House subcommittee was told Monday.
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BUDGET SHORTFALL
Because of state revenue coming in about 23 percent below estimates this fiscal year, most state agencies received 7.5 percent across-the-board cuts. In addition to the cuts, legislative leaders and the governor agreed to use savings to eliminate a nearly $300 million deficit at the end of this fiscal year, or June 30.
The state Education Department’s appropriations were $2.6 billion, or about 35 percent of the state’s $7.2 billion 2010 fiscal year budget — which included about $630 million in federal stimulus funds — that legislators approved last year.
The Education Department was spared a 7.5 percent cut, but still received a 5 percent cut, which amounted to about $126 million.
Because state revenues have been projected to be flat for the upcoming fiscal year, legislators this session have about $1.2 billion less in state money to appropriate this session. After using about $750 million in savings and federal stimulus funds, legislators still are facing a deficit of $500 million to $600 million for the 2011 fiscal year.
Budget negotiators have said if no additional revenue is brought in for the 2011 fiscal year, each agency would have to be cut about 8 percent to make up the deficit.
Legislative leaders are asking appropriation committees to meet with various agencies to discuss budget cuts for the 2011 fiscal year. The Education Department was asked by both the House and Senate panels to report on the effects of a 10 percent cut.
MICHAEL MCNUTT, CAPITOL BUREAU
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Educators were asked to describe the impact of such a cut, as lawmakers wrestle with a revenue shortfall of more than $1 billion.
A reduction of this magnitude would put the state Education Department’s funding level close to the amount it received in 2006, agency spokeswoman Shelly Hickman said.
Almost all increases for the Education Department since 2006 have been for teacher salaries and insurance, she said.
Public schools have about 20,000 more students now.
"This is the worst funding crisis for education,” Hickman said.
About 85 percent of an average school’s budget is tied to salaries, said Lealon Taylor, chief of staff for state schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett.
The state’s 531 school districts started the school year with about 50,000 teachers, so a 10 percent cut would come in about the same as the loss of 5,000 teachers, he said.
"I don’t see how you can avoid those kinds of cuts because it’s so tied to salaries,” Taylor said. "The educational process is all about the teacher and student relationship and that’s where all the money is.”
Several subcommittee members said they thought school districts could look at other areas first before cutting teachers.
The subcommittee vice chairman, Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, said he was hoping to hear some creative ways being proposed to deal with the budget shortfall instead of hearing just about teacher cuts.
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