State Senate Panel Gives Schools Budget Flexibility

AUSTIN (AP) - Educators who have begged state lawmakers for more freedom to deal with lower funding got a small victory Thursday when a state Senate committee voted to let school districts cut salaries and furlough contract personnel for a limited period.

They also agree more work needs to be done.

The bill allows districts to reduce contract employee salaries and furlough personnel for up to six non-instructional days -- but only while the Foundation School Program entitlement remains below 2010-2011 funding levels.

Public education has taken the brunt of the cuts as state lawmakers slash spending across the board to deal with a budget shortfall that could reach $27 billion.

The bill was co-authored by Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Education Committee who spent six weeks meeting with education professionals to reach a compromise between teachers and administrators.

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, emphasized the bill's requirements that school districts maximize furloughs and salary cuts before laying off a teacher for financial reasons.

"This is a place where we felt satisfied and recognized both the needs of schools and teachers," said Davis, who co-authored the bill. "I hope that districts will use reduction in force as an absolute last resort."

School superintendents have been asking lawmakers for permission to cut employee pay and give teachers unpaid days off -- which current state law doesn't allow -- to absorb some of the harsh cuts. Though grateful for the legislation, most school officials testifying before the committee weren't completely satisfied with the bill lawmakers came up with.

Dr. Wanda Bamberg, superintendent of Aldine ISD, was concerned with a provision of the bill that says districts have to use salary cuts and furloughs in proportion to the percentage of state funding the district loses. She argued that teachers in a district taking a massive cut will be unfairly suffering when their salaries are cut by that same percentage.

"I think I'm going to be creating a negative work environment by increasing their challenges and their anxiety and then significantly reducing their pay," Bamberg said. "I'm going to have teachers that can't make their car payments, that can't make their house payments. This could be very damaging to the very people we're trying not to cut."

The bill also allows districts to notify teachers they won't be renewed only 10 days before the last day of instruction instead of 45.

Eric Hartman with the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers said that could leave teachers with anxiety and uncertainty about the coming school year. He also wants a firm expiration date on the time that salary reductions can be used, though lawmakers say they can't predict when the financial crisis will be over.

He said a definite expiration date would "keep pressure on the Legislature" to fix the real budget issue-- a 2006 margins tax that didn't generate enough money and that will give Texas a recurring hole in the budget if not addressed.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, was the only committee member present that voted against the bill. She said school districts will have already cut employees by the time the legislation becomes law and reminded fellow lawmakers that the margins tax remains the real issue.

"I'm just so sorry it's our teachers and classrooms that are plugging this budget hole because it's our biggest expense," Van de Putte said. "Unless we have the courage to stop this craziness with the revenue stream we have, we're going to be making these decisions every year."

The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

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