Friday News Roundup: Week of March 19-23

Georgia State Senate adopts $19.2B state budget plan

Missouri House budget proposal comes with no higher education costs

More funding proposed for Mississippi public schools in separate plans

New Mexico estimates 2 percent increase in key funding factor for public schools next year

Georgia State Senate adopts $19.2B state budget plan
A fiscal year 2013 budget proposal passed unanimously by the Georgia State Senate this week allocates $19.2 billion for state programs, a slight increase over fiscal year 2012. According to State Senator Jack Hill (R), legislators had $80 million in discretionary spending to allocate, an increase over last year forced by increasing education and health care program costs. In the new budget, more students would be eligible for low-interest loans. The loans are meant to replace a statewide scholarship–the HOPE scholarship–that was cut in the 2012 budget. While the HOPE scholarship once provided full in-state tuition to students, it now provides a lower amount. The low-interest loans are intended to cover the difference in full tuition costs for awardees. The budget already passed the House earlier this month. More here…

Missouri House budget proposal comes with no higher education costs
Legislators in the Missouri House this week approved a $24 billion state budget for fiscal year 2013 – a $1 billion increase over fiscal year 2012. Most of that “additional money” came from budgeting changes that more accurately reflect expenditures. State revenue decreased by $500 million, primarily because of the loss of federal stimulus funds and Medicare reimbursements. To avoid raising taxes, lawmakers made cuts to other programs, including health care spending. However, the budget maintained the same level of funding for higher education. Governor Nixon’s proposal initially included a 15 percent decrease to the state’s public universities, but he later amended the plan by using revenue from a national settlement with mortgage companies to avoid the cuts. The House also cut welfare benefits to avoid any reductions in higher education funds from fiscal year 2012 levels. More here…

More funding proposed for Mississippi public schools in separate plans
The Mississippi House and Senate have not yet come together on a fiscal year 2013 budget proposal, but each chamber’s plan includes an increase in public K-12 schools funding over current year levels. The Senate bill prioritizes debt payments, whereas the House bill prioritizes additional funding for mental health programs.  Some House members unsuccessfully attempted to insert an additional $29 million for K-12 education. The chambers are expected to be in negotiations for a final version of the budget by late April  The final budget will likely total about $5.6 billion (excluding federal funding). The state fiscal year begins July 1. More here…

New Mexico estimates 2 percent increase in key funding factor for public schools next year
New Mexico’s Public Education Department said that one aspect of the state’s school funding formula will increase this year for the first time in three years, providing additional per-pupil state aid. The state determines funding for schools by multiplying a set dollar amount, called the unit value, by the number of students per school. The funding formula allocates a percentage of the unit value to each student depending on his grade level. The dollar amount will be increased by 2 percent to $3,668 for the 2013 school year. Most districts will benefit from this change, although districts with high rates of growth in student enrollment will benefit more than other districts. In all, the school funding budget will total about $2 billion. More here…