House gives final OK to freezing school funds

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 25, 2009 - Page: 6A

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Bowing to budget problems, the Legislature gave final approval Wednesday to a plan that freezes basic state aid to public schools at current levels for the first time in a dozen years.

The measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, passed the House 89-6 after barely five minutes of discussion.

The Senate passed it earlier this month 36-2.

The Minimum Foundation Program proposal would authorize the spending of $3.3 billion in aid for about 650,000 public school students statewide.

Spending usually rises by at least 2.75 percent each year, which would be $70 million this time.

The increases were 3 and 6 percent the past two years.

But Gov. Bobby Jindal and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education requested a standstill budget this time.

Jindal and top educators said predictions of a $1.3 billion drop in state revenue for the financial year that begins July 1 derailed chances for a boost in state school aid.

House Education Committee Chairman Austin Badon, D-New Orleans and sponsor of the resolution, said most local superintendents went along with the no-growth package because of state budget problems.

“It was agreed that it would be a no-growth formula this year because of the economic problems,” Badon told the Louisiana House.

Lawmakers can only accept or reject the state board’s funding request but cannot change it.

Badon said that, if the Legislature turned down the no-growth plan, it would force legislators to find $70 million “in about a day and a half” to finance a 2.75 percent increase in aid.

The two-month session ends at 6 p.m. today