OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 13, 2011 | Contact: Nick Smith 503-986-1351 |
HOUSE REPUBLICANS LAUD EARLY PASSAGE
OF K-12 EDUCATION BUDGET
Audio actuality available here
SALEM— House Republicans today lauded the early passage of the 2011-13 K-12 education budget. Republicans, who’ve made early passage a top priority for 2011, say today’s vote will provide certainty to school districts as they determine their own budgets for the coming school year.
“The Oregon House hasn’t passed an education budget this early in over 15 years,” said House Republican Leader Kevin Cameron (R-Salem). “Republicans have long called on legislative leadership to put kids at the front of the line for funding and make K-12 the first priority in the budget process. Today’s vote eliminates the politics of delay and gives school districts a number they can begin to work with. Early passage of the K-12 budget will also give school districts more time to find efficiencies in their own budgets to maximize classroom funding.”
Joint Ways and Means Co-Chair Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) said the 2011-13 K-12 budget reflects a bipartisan compromise to provide a fiscally-sustainable funding level for schools. This budget is equal to the amount of money schools received over the last two year budget cycle, taps $100 million from the Education Stability Fund (ESF) specifically for classroom instruction.
Rep. Richardson, who has sponsored resolutions requiring the Legislature to pass the education budget within the 81st day of session, says the quick and bipartisan passage of the K-12 budget should set a positive example for future legislative assemblies.
“This will be the first time since I entered the Legislature in 2003 that the K-12 Education Budget is passed in April,” Rep. Richardson said. “This joint effort to ‘fund K-12 Education first’ is a tribute to this legislature’s bipartisan cooperation. Hopefully, passing the K-12 Education Budget in April will be a joint goal for legislators in future sessions.”
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