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Barresi’s first budget request seeks $158-million more than last year

By   /   December 15, 2011  /   4 Comments

The State Board of Education on Thursday voted unanimously to send a budget request to lawmakers that calls for $158-million in additional funding over last year.  For the first time ever, the details of that budget request are available online  both as a breakdown of the major categories for this year and a spreadsheet showing the numbers for FY2011 and FY2012 as well.

Nearly half of the increase – $78-million – would go into the funding formula that passes through to districts.  Barresi says that restores funding to FY2011 levels, reversing cuts enacted last year.  The next-largest increase goes to the Flexible Benefit Allowance – health insurance – for certified and support staff totaling $45-million.  Barresi says there is also money to restore programs that had to be cut this year like the stipend for National Board Certified Teachers ($11.3-million) and training for Advanced Placement teachers ($4-million, double the current year expenditure).

This is the smallest increase requested by the Department of Education in recent years.  It’s not clear whether it has a greater chance of being a part of the budget Governor Fallin and lawmakers agree to next year.  While state revenues are up over last year, lawmakers are talking about a stand-still budget for FY2013 as revenue increases replace one-time funds that were put into the current budget to avoid more cuts.  The budget picture will become more clear next week when the State Board of Equalization meets to give a preliminary revenue certification.  That will be the figure Governor Fallin uses for the budget she presents to lawmakers on the first day of the legislative session in February.  A final certification is made later in February which lawmakers use to craft the actual budget.

Click on the video below to see more from Barresi on the budget.

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  • Wendy Pratt

    I wish it WAS a spreadsheet! I know – the new law should be IF a state agency posts a budget request online, it SHOULD be a spreadsheet for ease of analysis. … :) THANKS for all you do and esp the video!

  • Peter Gatliff

    I remember my GrandPa gripping about the money that needed to be spent on education in Oklahoma. He stated. “This states motto should be , Keepem down on the farm and keepem stupid”.

  • http://www.RestoreOkPublicEducation.com Jenni White

    I would like to know where the money is going to come from to fund this budget request.

    Governor Fallin and Dr. Barresi asked the federal government for an RTT Pre-K grant. How in the world does our current state leadership feel they could – or SHOULD for that matter – go to our thoroughly BROKE federal government and ask them for money to do something that should be accomplished in local communities by churches and private organizations? Was the application made because Oklahoma didn’t have enough money to fund the desired programs or was it simply because the grant was seen as “free” money for which Oklahoma could find a use? Neither thought should make Oklahoman’s feel as though our state has a real grip on the current economic crisis looming, and that is extremely concerning.

    It is interesting to note that Dr. Barresi had this to say on her campaign blog, “We must restructure Oklahoma’s State Department of Education to ensure that dollars are getting into the classroom, rather than concentrating critical funds on administrative overhead. I intend to transform the State Department of Education from being primarily a regulatory agency into a service organization for parents and children. I’ll also move quickly to conduct a financial and performance audit of the department.” http://www.janetbarresi.com/blog/

    Was an audit conducted before the budget was presented? Why is the department now asking the state to fund specific functions that the Superintendent chose to do away with in the SDE budget?

    Way too many unanswered questions here that I see the taxpayer having to eventually answer out of their pockets.

  • Wendy Pratt

    Jenni: I’ve always respected you as an educated person who I just don’t usually agree with. That said, you’ve hit precisely on the hypocrisy of the situation: It was OK to cut these things last year but now it’s not politically expedient to stay the course? It is my understanding that audits were conducted but no findings released. I agree that there are way too many unanswered questions – especially about who she’s hired for what and at how much salary. … Just sayin’.