House passes record education budget

By Staff
Rep. Ronald Grantland, Guest Columnist
Almost every time Alabamians are asked to identify the most pressing statewide issues, education is at the top of the list. One of the most important responsibilities of the legislature is to fund schools and the many great education programs that will have a positive impact on the lives of Alabama’s children.
Many of us remember what it’s been like in lean years to try to piece together an education budget when the funds just aren’t there. This year our state had the uncommon, but fortunate, opportunity to provide for the needs of our schoolchildren, and that’s exactly what we did.
Last week, the House passed a record $6.7 billion Education Budget, and it passed with only four dissenting votes. The budget increases last year’s funding record by nearly $500 million. We improved funding in several critical areas, while ensuring that nearly all areas of our education system received a fair amount of funding.
One of the biggest keys in developing successful students is to get an early start, and Alabama has one of the best pre-kindergarten programs around. The budget increases funding for Alabama’s pre-K program by $10 million.
Our pre-K program has garnered national attention lately—it received the highest rating in the nation from the National Institute for Early Education Research. Although the program itself has received several accolades, funding wasn’t where it needed to be.
Next year, the pre-K program will receive nearly double the funding that it received in the last budget, and nearly $2.5 million more than the governor recommended.
There are dramatic increases for learning programs. With a $13.8 million increase in Math, Science, and Technology programs and an $8.3 million increase in the Alabama Reading Initiative, the budget will improve the way our teachers teach and the way our children learn.
The budget fully funds the requests of the Alabama Board of Education for grades K-12. It increases state spending per pupil from $51 to $55, which should improve Alabama’s historically low national ranking in this area. The budget also increases the amount spent on textbooks from $67.50 a student to $75 a student.
Several other areas of our schools that need improvement will have increases in financial support. Funding for school nurses will rise by $7 million, ensuring that our children’s health is properly cared for while they are at school.
Now, almost every school in the state should be able to have a school nurse on duty. There are also increases for school buses and programs that work with at-risk and gifted students.
Finally, everyone knows how important it is to have good teachers. A good teacher can motivate, inspire, and have a lasting influence on a child’s life. There’s no doubt that Alabama has some of the best teachers anywhere, but it’s important that we keep them here. In order to do that, we must adequately compensate them. With this budget, teachers will receive a much-needed pay raise of seven percent.
Teachers’ salaries have been well below national and southeastern averages for years. Because of this, Alabama has lost far too many good teachers to our neighboring states. Moreover, since 2000, inflation has increased by sixteen percent. Everything—from a gallon of gas to a gallon of milk— has increased in price and our teachers and staff have been unable to keep up.
However, in the last three years, we have been able to increase teachers’ pay by 18 percent. While the pay will never equal the work, this budget helps ensure that our education workers are at least in line with the cost of living, and makes Alabama’s teacher salaries more competitive with our sister states.
Hopefully, we can keep Alabama’s finest right here at home.