Education employees could get furlough

Some teachers may be getting a five-day vacation soon. Unfortunately it will be unpaid time off.

The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved Thursday recommending a proposal to slice $444.6 million from the fiscal year 2010 budget for public education, including the State Office of Education.

The budget cuts total 17.6 percent, which includes the ongoing 3 percent cuts made in the 2008 special session, and also the cuts made during the past couple weeks through SB4 or HB3.

The five-day furlough for education employees would be an option for school districts to allow for reduced funds. If all districts participate, one day of canceled school is estimated to save $12.5 million statewide.

"We support furloughs because it keeps everything whole and has equality across the board," State Superintendent Patti Harrington told the Deseret News after the meeting.

An alternative budget-cut plan, proposed by Sen. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, called for cutting programs from the area of the education budget called "below the line," meaning it's not included in the basic education funding paid out to school districts evenly based on the weighted pupil unit.

These "below the line" programs tend to be specialized, such as adult education or youth at-risk programs. Cutting them would affect districts differently.

The plan the committee eventually opted for was presented by committee co-chair Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan. Her plan included more overall cuts "above the line" in the budget that will affect school districts more evenly.

However, Morgan pointed out that her own plan allowed for more local control in the budget cuts. "You're taking the role of the local school board away," she told Newbold. "You're tying their hands."

Newbold said she viewed the cuts from "the perspective of a mom and what she thinks would be best for her kids."

Committee co-chair Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said he looked at it from a businessman's perspective — which added to Newbold's ideas as they worked together toward a plan to begin committee debate.

Also during Thursday's budget discussions, Rep. Tim Cosgrove, D-Murray, fought for an amendment that would restore $1.5 million for library books. He pointed out that for students, libraries are "a world of resources at their hands whether they are rich and poor."

The committee unanimously backed up Cosgrove.

Lawmakers are keeping their fingers crossed until Tuesday when the executive appropriations will have revenue estimates. If revenue shortfalls aren't as bad, some of the budget cuts decided on Thursday can be reduced.

The committee also decided it would further examine the public education budget during an interim session and especially study "above the line" and "below the line" items.

E-mail: astewart@desnews.com