State education officials look anxiously at upcoming budget discussions

State public education leaders have a few more days to fret about the unknowns of their budget cuts.

Lawmakers Tuesday said revenue estimates are lower than were estimated but suggest using rainy day funds and part of the national economic stimulus package to balance the state's fiscal 2009 and 2010 budget.

"In the next couple of weeks the Legislature will have to grapple with the issues of how to do the best they can," said Deputy State Superintendent Larry Shumway. "It will be interesting to see how it all works out."

Last week the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee recommended $444.6 million in budget cuts for the fiscal year 2010 budget for public education.

The cuts are mainly in the "above the line" basic education portion of the state education budget, which affects districts evenly, as compared to cutting programs that are "below the line," which can affect districts differently.

In discussions since the subcommittee's recommendation, State Board of Education Chairwoman Debra Roberts cautioned board members not to overreact during this waiting period. Don't "scream the sky is falling," she said.

John Nixon, executive director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, said, "I don't think anyone just wants to skin education."

Tuesday, Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, executive appropriations co-chairman, said he believes "public education may be OK."

A five-day furlough for education employees would be an option for school districts to allow for reduced funds, the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee recommended last week.

Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, Executive Appropriations co-chairman, said he suspects, if given the option of five days off without pay, 90 to 95 percent of teachers are of the caliber of people who "would take the furlough and work anyway."

Regarding the overall budget cuts to public education, Hillyard said, "We've tried to give as much discretion back to the local districts as we can so they can work that through. But, quite frankly, when you take an 18 percent reduction of your budget, and 85 percent of your budget is teachers' salaries, there has to be a transition there, just plain and simple."

He points out the past few years has been "a bogus economy," and people have been receiving benefits they normally wouldn't have gotten.

State Board member Kim Burningham said teachers have been telling him they would prefer to keep their jobs and simply get paid less. "I want to keep people employed," he said.

State Board member Greg Haws said he also has been hearing from teachers who are "worried about losing their jobs."

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