Governor promises to protect education budget

By Brandi Watters, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer

June 17, 2009 06:59 pm

— ELWOOD — As state lawmakers met in special session to work out a budget on Wednesday, the governor traveled to Elwood to discuss the state’s education budget.
Before a crowd of just under 100, Gov. Mitch Daniels presented a slide show illustrating the state’s dire financial status.
The state’s revenue was $1.5 billion less than projected during the last budget, he said, but unlike other states, Indiana is not making cuts to education.
This point was argued by Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, who attended the public forum.
Under the governor’s proposed education formula, Lanane said, Anderson would see $4,824,733 in cuts by 2011, even after an infusion of federal stimulus money.
Elwood, according to documents outlining the formula, would see a loss of $902,688 by the same year.
Meanwhile, he said, Hamilton County schools would see more than $15 million in additional education funding.
“It’s sort of hard to support a budget that does this to my district,” Lanane said.
Tom Stone, president of the Elwood Teachers Union, was one of more than a dozen local teachers who attended the forum, concerned about the impact the budget would have on Elwood.
“We have been losing people. We had a buyout this year kind of like Anderson did. We’ve lost 11 teachers and we will rehire a minimal number, but for the most part we will not replace people,” Stone said.
Though he’s encouraged to see that Indiana is not making official cuts in education spending like many other states, Stone doesn’t believe the state is immune to such circumstances. “I think we’re probably sinking slower than the other ones ... Those all around us are in the red and we’re in the black, but not by much.”
Educators weren’t the only Elwood residents concerned by the state budget. Elwood Mayor Merrill Taylor said property tax cap legislation has forced his town to make $1.3 million in cuts over the past year, with more to come for 2010.
He’d like to see the state use some of its rainy day money to help small municipalities in the wake of the circuit breaker. “My feeling on the surplus is that if they have that much of a surplus, they ought to spend some of it.”
Elwood has already had to lay off 10 city workers and is five police officers short of a full police force, he said. “I know the rainy day is here when I have to cut $1.3 million from my general fund.”

Contact Brandi Watters: 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com

Lawmakers to discuss state budget
Local legislators Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, and Rep. Scott Reske, D-Pendleton, will host a public forum to discuss the state budget this weekend.
When: Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m.
Where: Anderson Public Library, 111 E. 12th St., Anderson

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