Senate budget cuts to impact schools

COLUMBIA BASIN — Schools and colleges statewide could be impacted by suggested cuts in the Senate’s proposed two-year operating budget.

The budget, released Monday, suspends cost-of-living raises for teachers, cuts funding for additional support staff, and increases health care costs for state employees.

“Today is a sobering day for our state,” Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, stated. “We’re doing what none of us came to Olympia to do, and that is to introduce a budget that cuts more public services than any lawmakers in state history.”

The House budget was expected to be released Tuesday, said Senate Democratic spokesperson Tony Sermonti.

The Senate’s proposed budget includes an 8 percent cut in funding for K-12 education and a 14 percent cut in funding for colleges and universities, Sermonti said.

Initiative 732, which gives teachers cost of living raises, was suspended in the budget.

An increase in health care costs, for all state employees, and a freeze on raises for state managers through 2011, is proposed in the budget.

The proposed cut for I-728 money, also known as levy equalization funding, is 93 percent, Sermonti said.

Moses Lake School District Superintendent Steve Chestnut said 28 employees are funded through I-728 funds.

“I think we will definitely have fewer teachers teaching next year, and exactly what that will look like next year, (it’s) too soon to tell,” Chestnut said.

He was certain that next year the school district would have reduced funding for teachers.

He noted K-12 funding is faring better than other state agencies.

“I think there will be fewer teachers, so we’re going to have higher class sizes initially,” said Moses Lake Education Association co-President Doug Boole.

In addition to larger class sizes, the loss of I-728 funds could mean reduced staff development, said co-President Mike Hymes.

“We rely on that quite a bit to stay updated and have new programs interjected into our system,” Hymes said.

Boole said school staff normally receive two learning improvement days each year. The proposed budget could remove at least one of the days, he said.

Hymes noted union members are in an open contract year. The budget is going to impact the union’s discussions with the district, he said.

“The (Moses Lake Education Association) is very committed to working cooperatively with the district to help lessen the negative impact for staff and students,” Boole said.