Education to endure 58 percent of budget cuts

More than half, or around $332 million, of the 10 percent across-the-board budget cut ordered Thursday by Gov. Chet Culver will come from the state’s department of education.

Gov. Chet Culver ordered a $565 million budget cut Thursday, more than half coming from education.

After a report Wednesday showing an estimated $415 million budget deficit, Culver ordered $565 million to be trimmed from the state’s general fund immediately.

Funding for K-12 education takes the biggest hit, as programs ranging from early childhood education to school food service will see cuts totaling $265 million.

Republican lawmakers sounded alarms that the cuts to K-12 budgets would mean an increase in property taxes. Culver said he will ask the legislature to pass a bill mandating that the state’s 365 school districts use their cash reserves to balance budgets before raising taxes.

Chris Bern, president of the Iowa State Education Association, a union that represents more than 34,000 education employees, said he supports the idea that school districts should use the estimated $400 million in cash reserves to avoid drastic cuts and layoffs.

“Tough economic times require all of us to reach into our ‘savings’ and use cash reserves and other resources available rather than making poor choices that would have an adverse effect in the long-run,” he said. “Iowa’s students should not be short-changed by inadequate course offerings or lose access to world-class educators because districts did not want to dip into their cash reserves, utilize the Iowa School Cash Anticipation Program (ISCAP), or use other resources available to them.”

Jack Hill, president of the Iowa Association of School Boards, said before any action is taken school districts should “step back and evaluate their options.”

“It’s not going to be an easy year, but if we work together, hopefully we can all come up with viable solutions to keep achievement levels, curriculum development and education as a whole moving forward,” he said.

The state’s public universities will see their budgets shrink by $59.8 million. The University of Iowa faces the biggest hit, as it faces a $23.5 million cut. That total doesn’t include cuts to other UI programs, only the general university.

Iowa State University will see its budget cut more than $18 million.

The state’s College Aid Commission will have its budget cut $6.3 million, meaning less help for students in funding their college education.

Even Iowa Public Television will face nearly $1 million in cuts.

David Miles, president of the Iowa Board of Regents, said in a statement that he will ask the board to enact a system-wide freeze on hiring and a moratorium on all new building construction projects.

UI Faculty Senate President David Drake told the Daily Iowan that he was surprised by the magnitude of the cuts. Culver was only obligated to cut 7 percent from the budget in order to balance it.

“That number is significantly higher than any of our past expectations,” Drake said. “We’re talking about millions and millions of dollars.”

University of Iowa President Sally Mason told the Iowa City Press-Citizen earlier this year that if the economy didn’t improve, the university would lay off 130 employees in December and January.

For the full spread sheet of how each state department will be effected by the budget cuts, click here.