The N.C. General Assembly convened Wednesday to begin hashing out more budget cuts during the short session this summer, and all levels of state education are looking at cuts that would affect students and faculty.
The K-12 public schools, community colleges and the UNC system are looking at significant cuts for the fiscal year to begin July 1, 2010.
While the state already approved the 2009-11 budget, extra cuts will be made this session for the fiscal year 2010-11 to compensate for a $1.2 billion shortfall.
Issues
— The N.C. General Assembly short session convenes Wednesday, May 12 at noon.
— Gov. Bev Perdue’s 2010-11 budget proposal will be the crux of short session debate.
— Read the governor’s proposed adjustments online.
— Ethics reform will also be discussed this summer in light of recent concerns about campaign contributors.
— Read House Bill 388 - Campaign Disclosure
“Most programs face a 5 to 7 percent reduction when compared to (fiscal year) 2009-10 funding levels,” Perdue stated in her budget recommendation.
“This is in addition to the 10 percent reduction in last year’s budget, bringing total reductions to more than 15 percent since I took office,” Perdue stated.
Cuts to the UNC system
The UNC system faces an additional 3.9 percent cut beyond the 2 percent cut originally expected.
“Given the multiple rounds of cuts we’ve been through … we certainly are very concerned that it would do lasting damage to the classroom,” said Joni Worthington, UNC-system vice president for communications.
N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, said the legislature has always been supportive of the UNC system and will do its best to prevent cuts to the classroom.
“I have to compliment (UNC-system President Erskine Bowles) for really trying to preserve as much of the faculty, the classroom and the core functions of the university,” Kinnaird said.
While the first cuts were contained to administration, Worthington said there’s only so much to cut without hurting classrooms.
K-12 schools suffer most
The K-12 schools face a $314 million cut from what was originally allocated — larger than new cuts to the community college system and the UNC system combined.
“It appears to me that the K-12 budget has suffered the greatest fiscal impact,” said Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke.
A member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Blackwell said he hopes public schools will see fewer cuts to make up for the severity of past cuts.
Perdue’s recommendations include a $39 million allotment for hand-held devices that would determine student aptitude.
“If the result of reducing the public school budget … gets rid of teachers,” Blackwell said, “I’m inclined to think we’d be better off not buying hand-held electronic devices, and have teachers.”
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