A budget plan approved by the state Senate is affecting local funding for schools before the House has even voted on the measure. Reactions from Pitt County commissioners and school administrators indicate negative repercussions to come if the plan is passed.
The Senate plan offers sizable raises to teachers on the condition they give up the security of career status, often referred to as tenure, which allows them due process in the event they are fired. The average increase is about 11 percent. It can be significantly higher or lower depending on years of employment.
According to Senate leader Phil Berger, the plan represents a $498 million investment. It also represents fewer textbooks, $15 million in funding cuts for the state department of public instruction and a $233 million cut in funding for teacher assistants.
Pitt County school officials responded to the Senate budget plan last week, saying the plan would cut 117 teacher assistant positions. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Michael Cowin said the proposal also would adjust the funding formula for second and third grades, causing a reduction of 12 teacher positions.
The budget also would reduce the school system’s transportation allotment and cut five school nurses.
Cowin said Rep. Brian Brown has told him and Superintendent Ethan Lenker that the House budget plan will be different. The potential for increased financial burden on the county, however, has hampered Pitt County commissioners’ efforts to respond to the school system’s local funding needs.
A majority of commissioners polled by The Daily Reflector last week said they do not support raising taxes to increase funding for schools.
Commissioners said they believe the GOP-led legislature is shifting more of the financial burden for schools to county governments.
Commissioner Tom Coulson, one of three Republicans on the Board of Commissioners, called out state legislators who boast of cutting taxes while counties are forced to fill in the gaps.
“I’m tired of the state pushing off on local governments what they should be funding,” Coulson said.
The school system has requested from the county a $1.9 million increase that does not account for any potential cuts in state funding.
Commissioners say they don’t want to act on their budget before they know that the state will do, but the county budget must be approved by June 30 and the General Assembly can wait until after July 1.
No matter how it goes, it appears that the clear losers in this political game of chicken will be teachers, schools and county taxpayers.
http://www.reflector.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-state-budget-plan-effects-2499621
