From: Draud, Jon - Commissioner, Dept. of Education
Sent: Monday, January
07, 2008 9:29 AM
To: All State Supt
Cc: KDE Planning Committee
Subject: Budget situation
Importance: High
I have been notified by the Governor’s administration that the budget outlook for 2008-10 is extremely bleak. As a result, the SEEK formula is being considered for a
possible reduction. In my opinion, a reduction in the SEEK formula would be devastating for elementary and secondary education.
It is important that each school district superintendent start estimating how a 7% reduction in the SEEK formula would impact your school district. I will be in touch with you as more information comes forward but I wanted you to know what we may be facing.
Here's the H-L story.
Public schools told to brace for cuts ahead
7 PERCENT REDUCTION IN SEEK FUNDS 'POSSIBLE' IN 2008-09
7 PERCENT REDUCTION IN SEEK FUNDS 'POSSIBLE' IN 2008-09
...Beshear will make his budget proposals for both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years public on Jan. 29.
"We are not touching SEEK this fiscal year (2007-08)," Beshear said. "We have not made a determination for the next budget."
SEEK funding totals about $3 billion a year, and a 7 percent cut would be about $205 million, said Susan Weston, an independent education consultant focusing on school funding and a former director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils.
"At least since 1990 and the Kentucky Education Reform Act, K-12 has never faced a cut in funding of anything like this scale," Weston said. The possible cut would mostly affect districts with little property per pupil.
"In general you're talking poor Eastern Kentucky, and then some of the very rural districts," she said. Those districts "don't have that much they can tax." ...
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