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House passes 18% Increase in K-12 budget and dramatically increases funding for Head Start.
Rep. Shields calls it "The best K-12 budget in well over a decade."
Portland, Ore. - June 13, 2007 - State Representative Chip Shields (D-N/NE Portland) today expressed his pleasure that House Democrats delivered on a promised significant reinvestment in K-12 education with the approval today of a combined $6.245 billion budget for 2007-09. That's an increase of 18% over the 2005-07 budget. Three budgets-the State School Fund, the School Improvement Fund and the Department of Education budget were approved today with broad, bipartisan support.
"K-12 education is my top priority," said Shields, a member of the King Elementary PTA and a SMART volunteer reader at King. "This budget is the best K-12 budget in well over a decade and is an important step in repairing Salem's years of neglect and harm done to Portland's kids and schools."
Two of the budgets approved today-The Department of Education Budget and the School Improvement Fund-contain specific programs and provisions aimed at increasing student achievement.
The Department of Education Budget includes $96 million to fund Oregon's pre-kindergarten Head Start Program, which is $10 million above the Governor's Recommended Budget. At previous funding levels, just over half of eligible kids could participate in the program. Today's approved budget allows the state to enroll 75 percent of eligible Oregon children and is a solid step in moving Oregon towards fully funding Head Start.
In addition, the $260 million contained in the School Improvement Fund allows school districts flexibility to spend money on the established best-practices in SB 318 that are most critical for their student population-whether that is decreasing class sizes, implementing all-day kindergarten or increasing vocational training for high school students, and do it in a way that guarantees clear accountability to tax payers.
"Building a world-class public education system-including adequate school funding-- is a core part of House Democrats' Roadmap for Oregon's future and this budget is a great step in that direction," said Shields.
The bills now move to the Senate, where easy passage is expected.
To receive the latest information on Rep. Shields' 2007 agenda, visit his website at ww.leg.state.or.us/shieldsc.
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