Friday News Roundup: Week of April 26-30

At Ed Money Watch, we discuss and analyze major issues affecting education funding. In our Friday News Roundup, we try to highlight interesting stories that might otherwise get overlooked. These stories emphasize how federal and state policy changes can affect local schools and districts.

New York School Districts Propose Tax Increases to Offset Expected Cuts to State Aid

Georgia Legislature Passes Balanced Budget, Cuts Education Funding

Colorado Governor Signs State Budget Bill with Reductions for Education Funding

California Governor Warns Lawmakers Not to Cut Higher Education Budget

New York School Districts Propose Tax Increases to Offset Expected Cuts to State Aid
In an effort to close a state budget gap of $9.2 billion, New York Governor David Patterson has proposed cutting state aid for schools by $1.4 billion for the current fiscal year, which started April 1^st. In response, many local school boards have included property tax increases in their budget proposals. State officials estimate that school tax levies will increase by 3.2 percent statewide in the 2010-11 school year. Many homeowners are complaining that with property taxes already 79 percent higher than the national average, the increase is too much. But the state’s largest teachers union estimates that 15,000 jobs could be lost this year even with the tax increase. More here…

Georgia Legislature Passes Balanced Budget, Cuts Education Funding
Georgia state legislators this week passed a balanced budget of $17.8 million for fiscal year 2011. Governor Sonny Perdue praised the budget measure, stating his belief that a trimmer state government with fewer employees will work better for Georgians. Some legislators have expressed concern over the funding cut for education included in the budget, saying schools could be forced to furlough teachers, lay off faculty, increase class sizes, and make other cuts. Despite the cuts, Governor Perdue says that education was his and lawmakers’ greatest priority in crafting the budget. More here…

Colorado Governor Signs State Budget Bill with Reductions for Education Funding
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter this week signed into law the state’s $20 billion budget for fiscal year 2011. The budget closes a projected $1.3 billion revenue shortfall by eliminating some business tax breaks and cutting education funding, among other things. The state’s K-12 education budget will be cut by $260 million – the first cut to education spending since voters in the state approved Amendment 23 in 2000, which sets minimum education funding levels for each year. Governor Ritter said that all agencies had to share in the cuts in order to keep the budget balanced. More here…

California Governor Warns Lawmakers Not to Cut Higher Education Budget
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week promised the state’s colleges and universities that he will veto any state budget that does not include additional funding for higher education. Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a $224 million increase in state funding for higher education in fiscal year 2011. State funding for higher education has dropped over the past five years, causing a 60 percent fee increase over that time period in the University of California and California State University systems and a 30 percent increase at state community colleges this year alone. Governor Schwarzenegger’s announcement came as he met with top administrators from the state’s universities on the 50^th anniversary of the state’s college master plan, which greatly expanded access to higher education in the state. More here…