Budget battles: states are strapped for cash, forcing superintendents to pare personnel and programs. While making these hard choices, a few have discovered creative solutions. .Marion Marion. 1 City (1990 pop. 14,545), seat of Williamson co., S Ill.; inc. 1841. It is the commercial and retail center of a farm and coal area and has a large soft drink bottling plant. A maximum-security federal prison is nearby. Canedo Canedo may refer to four parishes in Portugal as well as other things:
1. Contraction of it is. 2. Contraction of it has. See Usage Note at its. it's it is or it has it's be ~have an accountant, calling to get figures for that night's school board presentation. To say that Canedo's job as superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools  This article may not be compliant with the content policies of Wikipedia. was hectic hec·tic adj. 1. Characterized by intense activity, confusion, or haste: "There was nothing feverish or hectic about his vigor" Erik Erikson. 2. , even chaotic, this spring, is an understatement. Chaos can be expected when a school budget takes a $42.6 million cut. In Buffalo, the cuts meant school closings and teacher layoffs. Canedo has faced the public in a series of open hearings. "They were dramatic, but at least they know we listened," she says. She walked the streets of Buffalo, talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to parents, explaining why their children would be going to different schools next year. "Sometimes I wanted to duck," she admits. Crunching budget numbers is virtually a silent exercise, done by accountants in back offices with the help of spreadsheets The following is a list of spreadsheets. Freeware/open source software Online spreadsheets
In many states, superintendents, like Canedo, were under more fire this budget season than they have been in a decade. It is the severity and magnitude of the state budget cuts that have caused distress. An economic recovery may have officially begun, but the passing recession is still making its presence felt. An estimated 41 states are running in the red, and that bodes ill for K-12 education. On average, one out of every three state budget dollars goes to education spending, says Arturo People named Arturo:
The abbreviation NCSL redirects here. For the British educational institution see National College for School Leadership. The National Conference of State Legislatures . That makes it hard to leave education untouched when trying to balance a state budget, no matter what the politicians promise. Currently, legislators in 17 states are cutting K-12 education spending to help make up their shortfalls. Consider a few scenarios: * Roy Romer Roy R. Romer (born October 31, 1928 in Garden City, Kansas, United States) was the 39th governor of Colorado and served as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2001 to 2006. , superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. , was forced to cut $428.5 million from the budget. He blames "the recession impacting all school districts across the state and nation." The biggest chunk was taken out of classroom expenditures because they account for 92 percent of the overall budget. After school programs, education for migrant mi·grant n. 1. One that moves from one region to another by chance, instinct, or plan. 2. An itinerant worker who travels from one area to another in search of work. adj. Migratory. students and administrative jobs have also taken a hit. * The school board in Minneapolis Minneapolis (mĭn'ēăp`əlĭs), city (1990 pop. 368,383), seat of Hennepin co., E Minn., at the head of navigation on the Mississippi River, at St. Anthony Falls; inc. 1856. has cut $30 million from next year's budget, or 5 percent of the planned total; gone are 203 classroom teaching jobs and 70 full-time full-time adj. Employed for or involving a standard number of hours of working time: a full-time administrative assistant. full administrative positions. Other urban and suburban school districts in Minnesota's Twin Cities region are reportedly running $100 million in the red, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a survey conducted by the Association of Metropolitan School Districts. * In the small town of Neenah Neenah (nē`nə), city (1990 pop. 23,219), Winnebago co., E Wis., on Lake Winnebago at the mouth of the Fox River; settled c.1835 on the site of a Winnebago village, inc. as a city 1873. , Wis adv. 1. Certainly; really; indeed. v. t. 1. To think; to suppose; to imagine; - used chiefly in the first person sing. present tense, I wis. See the Note under Ywis. ., school administrators cut teaching jobs for the first lime in 20 years to slash $1.5 million out of next year's budget. "We have officially hit the wall," is what one administrator told the press when describing the budget realities. * Officials in the state of Oklahoma Oklahoma (ōkləhō`mə), state in SW United States. It is bordered by Missouri and Arkansas (E); Texas, partially across the Red R. (S, W); New Mexico, across the narrow edge of the Oklahoma Panhandle (W); and Colorado and Kansas (N). had to cut $22 million from the education budget for school year 2001-02. This spring, districts were instituting hiring freezes Noun 1. hiring freeze - a freeze on hiring freeze - fixing (of prices or wages etc) at a particular level; "a freeze on hiring" and laying off janitors and bus drivers. "We are just trying to survive," Jerry Needham, superintendent in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (1990 pop. 444,719), state capital, and seat of Oklahoma co., central Okla., on the North Canadian River; inc. 1890. The state's largest city, it is an important livestock market, a wholesale, distribution, industrial, and financial center, and a farm , says. Officials are bracing bracing, n a resistance to the horizontal components of masticatory force. for more cuts because the state's deficit is expected to reach $350 million next year. How did we get here? Reality is harsh, especially compared to recent history. The American economy enjoyed its longest uninterrupted period of growth from 1992 until 2001. Such growth allowed state legislators to simultaneously increase education spending and cut taxes. The average, overall per-student spending increased by $1,741, or 31 percent, between 1996 and 2001, according to Education Commission of the States The Education Commission of the States (ECS) was founded as a result of the creation of the Compact for Education, supported by all 50 states and approved by Congress in 1965. The original idea of establishing an interstate compact on education and creating an operational arm to follow up . Spurring the revenue growth were healthy state income and sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. totals. That was certainly true for Indiana Indiana, state, United States Indiana, midwestern state in the N central United States. It is bordered by Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan (N), Ohio (E), Kentucky, across the Ohio R. (S), and Illinois (W). , which had a $2.1 billion budget surplus two years ago, notes Frank Bush, executive director of the Indiana School Boards Association. Now the state is at least $1 billion in the hole because of decreased tax revenues. A major slide in corporate income tax revenue is a large part of the problem there. Indiana, as some other states, is mandated to balance its budget. Legislators here had no choice but to cut spending everywhere, including K12 education. Next year's budget whacks $500 million out of K-12 education spending, with education technology as the sector hardest hit. "Our technology money has been cut 100 percent," says Suellen Reed, Indiana's superintendent of public instruction. A planned $40 million to upgrade equipment--that in some schools is now five years old--and train staff and students is gone. Oregon Oregon, city, United States Oregon, city (1990 pop. 18,334), Lucas co., NW Ohio, a suburb adjacent to Toledo, on Lake Erie; inc. 1958. It is a port with railroad-owned and -operated docks. The city has industries producing oil, chemicals, and metal products. was flush To empty the contents of a memory buffer. See buffer. Flush Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s spaniel, subject of a biography. [Br. Lit.: Woolf Flush in Barnhart, 446] See : Dogs (data) flush with cash, having enjoyed 10 years of budget surpluses. All taxes were lowered, spurring corporate growth and real estate sales. "Now the recession hits and there is no slack 1. (operating system) slack - Internal fragmentation. Space allocated to a disk file but not actually used to store useful information. 2. (jargon) slack in the system," laments Portland's acting superintendent, James Scherzinger, and long-time business executive in the district. "This is the worst financial situation since the 1990-91 recession," adds Perez of the National Conference of State Legislatures. State budget cuts threaten to reduce state K-12 funding by $10 billion nationwide, notes the Public Education Network, a non-profit watchdog group. The only good news is the knowledge that this downturn Downturn The transition point between a rising, expanding economy to a falling, contracting one. downturn A decline in security prices or economic activity following a period of rising or stable prices or activity. will end. Perez observes, though, that response to the recent downturn was different than the response a decade ago. This time around, state legislators have been afraid to raise income and sales taxes, he says. In 1991, states' collectively raised $15.4 billion in new taxes, based on a mix of increases in personal, corporate and excise taxes excise taxes, governmental levies on specific goods produced and consumed inside a country. They differ from tariffs, which usually apply only to foreign-made goods, and from sales taxes, which typically apply to all commodities other than those specifically exempted. . This year, the only significant tax increases have been "sin taxes 'sin' tax A popular term for any tax levied on 'pleasure poisons'–eg, alcohol, tobacco. See Alcohol, Smoking. ,"--levies on cigarettes and alcohol, notes Perez. `No good choices' State budget shortfalls leave superintendents with "no good choices," as one official observes. Who wants to pick between staff cuts, lost programs or dosed schools? For Canedo, budget woes are responsible for 312 layoffs. She has tried to contain them to administrative and clerical staff, but 185 Buffalo teachers are now unemployed. Determined to keep class sizes the same, Canedo has insisted that all administrative staffers who had been promoted out of the classroom and into other service jobs, go back to teaching. Granted the Buffalo schools are doing without many technology coordinators and curriculum specialists, but some jobs have been saved. She has had to close five schools and increase the student bodies at several other schools. This could not be avoided, she notes. It wasn't easy squeezing $42.6 million out of the upcoming school year budget, notes Canedo. But her staff had practice. Just last fall they suffered through an $28 million shortfall Shortfall The amount by which the capital required to fulfill a financial obligation exceeds available capital. Notes: Shortfall risk is often combated with an efficient hedging strategy created by a fund, group, institution, or individual. . All through the fall, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of state was operating without an official budget. The political situation was confusing con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. enough, but was made much, much worse with the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Budget debates became complicated beyond measure. The state was then in a fiscal crisis, leaving areas like Buffalo without definitive answers on spending. "We met every day after 9/11," says Canedo of herself and staff. In a dogged attempt to get money to pay the bills and save teachers' jobs, she and her staffers poured over every grant that had been written for the school district. In all, 130 federal, state and private agencies were asked if money earmarked for certain initiatives could be used instead for general and other expenses. In many cases, Canedo received the OK to use funds as she needed to, a turn of events that eased a difficult situation. On the other side of the country, in Portland, Ore., Scherzinger has had his own experience in downsizing (1) Converting mainframe and mini-based systems to client/server LANs. (2) To reduce equipment and associated costs by switching to a less-expensive system. (jargon) downsizing and budget cutting. This spring he learned that his district, which serves 54,000 students, would have to make do with 10 percent less. A total of $36 million would be cut from the budget. He's concentrated the cuts in five major areas: * Containing health-care costs * Freezing cost-of-living increases * Closing schools * Cutting programs * Contracting out for services. Absorbing the cuts won't be easy, he says, referring especially to the health-care cost savings. For the first time, he will ask that employees pay part of the health-care premium. The district currently pays $700 per employee, per month, for health care coverage. The district will cap that at $600, leaving employees to pay $100 per month. This cost-savings measure was not finalized See finalization. at press time and Scherzinger anticipated some flak from employees, although the district will save at least $4 million per year in health-care benefits covered for 3,500 teachers. "I am expecting this to be difficult." His other budget options aren't any easier. "I've called these cuts `mission threatening,'" he says. Portland will close two schools, cut the school year by eight to nine days, and raise the teacher/student ratio to 30:1. Approximately 15 percent of the teaching staff may be laid off. Programs will be cut by $5.5 million; the district is eliminating a horticulture horticulture [Lat. hortus=garden], science and art of gardening and of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. Horticulture generally refers to small-scale gardening, and agriculture to the growing of field crops, usually on a large education program for students. "This was a professional, technical program," Scherzinger explains, adding that horticulture is a big industry in Oregon. A new reliance on contracted custodial workers, instead of district employees, will cut these costs from $17 million to $4.5 million. Of course, a less-expensive contract service will mean more layoffs. Adding to Scherzinger's frustration is the harsh fact that his now $325 million budget is only $15 million higher than his budget in 1990. Budget growth hasn't even kept up with inflation, even though the district is serving the same number of students, and is striving for higher achievement. For now there is no reprieve reprieve (rĭprēv`): in law, see pardon. to the budget trouble. The Federal government, which accounts for 7 percent of overall K-12 education spending, is not expected to dramatically increase K-12 education totals to make up for any state shortfalls. President Bush's proposed K-12 budget for 2003 is $56.5 billion, only 2.8 percent higher than the 2002 budget. "We have to hunker down Hun´ker down v. 1. to crouch or squat; to sit on one's haunches. 2. to settle in at a location for an extended period; - also (figuratively) to maintain a position and resist yielding to some pressure, as of public opinion. 3. ," says Vance Ramage, superintendent of schools in Paducah, Ky., who's exercising a number of cost-cutting measures in his district. Some teacher jobs will be lost, some supply orders will be ignored, district travel has been cut, and even some thermostats will be lowered to save on energy costs. He's holding off on buying any new computer equipment for his schools this year. "Still, I'm optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op ," he says. His secret? "I maintain a cadre (company) CADRE - The US software engineering vendor which merged with Bachman Information Systems to form Cayenne Software in July 1996. of people around me who can create miracles," he says, referring to teachers and administrators who are willing to do more with less. Miracles have their limits, though, he adds. Ramage can foresee fore·see tr.v. fore·saw , fore·seen , fore·see·ing, fore·sees To see or know beforehand: foresaw the rapid increase in unemployment. managing in this mode for a year, maybe two. "After that, you start to hurt."
--STATE BY STATE BUDGET OUTLOOK--
Budgets Cut in Fiscal Year 2002
Public Budget K-12 Higher Ed
State Districts Schools Cuts Cuts Cuts
Alabama 130 1,482 [check]
Alaska 55 513
Arizona 241 1,435 [check] [check]
Arkansas 326 1,158 [check] [check] [check]
California 1,135 9,039 [check] [check] [check]
Colorado 223 1,521 [check]
Connecticut 192 1,029 [check] [check] [check]
Delaware 20 181 [check]
D.C. 7 173 [check]
Florida 193 2,926 [check] [check] [check]
Georgia 224 2,085 [check]
Hawaii 8 268 [check] [check] [check]
Idaho 119 619 [check] [check] [check]
Illinois 1,051 4,176 [check] [check] [check]
Indiana 369 1,901 [check] [check] [check]
Iowa 391 1,463 [check] [check] [check]
Kansas 354 1,468
Kentucky 184 1,429 [check] [check]
Louisiana 71 1,516
Maine 267 719 [check]
Maryland 41 1,355 [check] [check]
Massachusetts 363 1,914 [check] [check] [check]
Michigan 617 3,711 [check]
Minnesota 394 1,642 [check]
Mississippi 153 991 [check] [check] [check]
Missouri 531 2,202 [check] [check]
Montana 421 696 [check] [check]
Nebraska 626 1,240 [check]
Nevada 28 474 [check]
New Hampshire 246 444 [check]
New Jersey 626 2,391 [check] [check]
New Mexico 111 718
New York 784 4,350
North Carolina 121 2,109 [check]
North Dakota 315 435
Ohio 852 3,894 [check] [check]
Oklahoma 595 1,844 [check] [check] [check]
Oregon 228 1,238 [check] [check] [check]
Pennsylvania 616 3,263 [check] [check] [check]
Rhode Island 38 322 [check]
South Carolina 106 1,130 [check] [check] [check]
South Dakota 188 687
Tennessee 156 1,633 [check] [check] [check]
Texas 1,164 6,956
Utah 51 765 [check] [check]
Vermont 287 345 [check] [check]
Virginia 155 1,946 [check] [check]
Washington 307 1,913 [check] [check] [check]
West Virginia 64 817
Wisconsin 447 2,019 [check]
Wyoming 73 390
TOTAL 16,264 88,935 41 17 29
State
Alabama The Education Trust Fund budget gap totaled
$160 million for FY 2002
Alaska Oil prices are up, and the budget gap is
decreasing. But growth is slow
Arizona FY 2002 budget gap: $750 million; outlook for
2003 is concern
Arkansas FY 2002 budget shortfall was $164 million
California Budget shortfall for FY 2002 was as large as
$5.1 billion
Colorado Current budget gap is $822 million
Connecticut FY 2002 budget gap was $450 million;
state hiked cigarette tax
Delaware Governor cut $33.9 million in spending
D.C. Budget is off $173 million; district
agencies were forced to make cuts
Florida K-12 spending was over-budget, spending
cuts are necessary
Georgia FY 2002 budget gap was $700 million
Hawaii State spending has been frozen; education
took a hit
Idaho Education cuts helped make up for a $155
million shortfall
Illinois The FY 2002 budget is off $804 million;
state layoffs continue
Indiana The budget gap is $1.2 billion; emergency
legislative sessions continue
Iowa FY 2002 budget gap is $200 million;
employee layoffs are considered
Kansas The budget is off, but no cuts were
planned for FY 2002
Kentucky Budget cuts to higher ed helped make up
for a $535 million budget gap
Louisiana Outlook is stable, but there is a hiring
freeze
Maine FY 2002 budget was off $58.3 million
Maryland Cuts were made to make up for a $415
million budget shortfall
Massachusetts Governor trimmed $155 million in FY 2002
by cutting K-12 and other costs
Michigan The school fund aid gap was off $250
million earlier in the year
Minnesota Legislature passed budget cuts of $488
million to stay on track
Mississippi $170 million in across the board cuts
helped plug a $200 million hole
Missouri Total FY 2002 budget was off $520 million
Montana Budget is projected to be short $28 million
Nebraska Cuts made up for a $20.7 million shortfall
Nevada The $135 million gap includes the shortfall
in the school sales tax funds
New Hampshire Although there's a $10.8 million gap,
Educational Trust Fund is in the black
New Jersey FY 2002 budget as off $2.8 billion;
K-12 is spared for now
New Mexico Revenues are down, but the state is
still running in the black
New York Tax revenues are down slightly
North Carolina FY 2002 gap of $1.2 billion forced cuts;
education was spared
North Dakota Biennial gap of $15 million was addressed
with spending cutbacks
Ohio FY 2002 gap is $500 million; no major K-12
cuts are expected, though
Oklahoma Education cuts helped make up for a $284
million shortfall
Oregon A biennial gap of $940 million forced cuts
in K-12 and higher ed
Pennsylvania Proposed K-12 cuts may be necessary to
make up for $678 million
Rhode Island FY 2002 budget gap was $70 million at press
time, but expected to climb
South Carolina $442 million shortfall made K-12 and
higher ed cuts necessary
South Dakota Reserve funds were used to make up for
a $12 million budget deficit
Tennessee FY 2002 is off $400 million; K-12 and
higher ed were hit
Texas The Lone Star State is one of the few
with no budget gaps
Utah A shortfall of $256 million in FY 2002 may
force a raid of the rainy day fund
Vermont A $23 million gap forced some cuts; tax
revenues are climbing slightly
Virginia A FY 2002 budget gap of $1.5 billion
forced a hike in sales tax
Washington The FY 2002 budget was off $900 million,
K-12 and other areas are hit
West Virginia State has no deficit
Wisconsin The gap is $1.2 billion for the biennium,
education may take some cuts
Wyoming State has no significant budget gaps
Note: All district and school counts reflect 2001-2002 school
year. Source: Quality Education Data. All budget information was
furnished by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Jean Marie Jean Marie may refer to:
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