LFT President Steve Monaghan tells the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's Finance Committee that the standstill budget for public schools "represents a retreat from the board’s stated goals for our children."
“Can we have a cooperative agreement to fight those forces working to further constrict funding for our schools?”
(Baton Rouge – March 11, 2009) The standstill education budget approved by a state board of education committee represents a retreat from the board’s stated goals for our children, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan said today.
“Everyone seems to agree that we want a ‘world class’ education system,” Monaghan said. “But there also seems to be little commitment to define that dream and then align it with the necessary revenues.”
By a seven-to-one vote, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s finance committee decided to recommend a $3.27 billion funding formula that does not include an increase in the per-pupil allotment for local school systems. Once the full board adopts the Minimum Foundation Program recommendation, it will be sent to the State Legislature to be funded. The legislature can either accept the formula or send it back to BESE with recommendations for changes.
While BESE members said the standstill budget is necessary because of the national economic downturn, Monaghan said that state political leaders bear a portion of the blame.
“Last year, the legislature approved hundreds of millions of dollars in tax givebacks,” Monaghan said. “There are already a number of bills filed for the coming session that will further erode our revenue base. Our problems were not all caused by a national crisis. We partly brought them on ourselves with tax cuts.”
The LFT president asked the board to take a stand against further reductions in state revenue.
“Can’t we resist those who suggest we remove more and more revenues during this crisis,” Monaghan asked. “Can we have a cooperative agreement to fight those forces working to further constrict funding for our schools?”
There was no response from members of the board.