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Education gets $1 million boost Jackson County districts would see 2-year increase By DAMIAN MANN A bill that would increase funding to the Jackson County Education Service District by more than $1 million over a two-year period was approved recently by the Oregon Senate Revenue Committee. The Senate is expected to pass SB260 next week. Under this new funding plan, the ESD would see revenues increase from the current $13.3 million to $13.9 million this coming fiscal year, then to $14.5 million the following year, according to Ozzie Rose, executive director of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators. The bill is the result of a hard-fought compromise plan to bring equitable funding to the state�s 21 education service districts within the next six years. The bill still needs approval by the full legislature and the governor. "The issue was how do you do the phase-in of this plan while doing the least damage," said Rose. Jackson�s ESD is among those that receive less funding than some of the larger districts. Funding will drop to about six larger ESDs so the smaller districts can receive a more equitable share of money. "They�ve got to take a substantial hit to make it happen," said Rose. Multnomah, for instance, will see its budget reduced from about $40 million to $36.5 million. Another underfunded district, Northwest Regional, will see its revenues jump from $15 to $22 million. Rose said the equalization effort is comparable to the one that has affected most school districts throughout the state during the past 10 years. Although there was general agreement on the plan, Rose said, controversy has centered on how to achieve equalization while doing the least harm to the bigger districts. In Gov. John Kitzhaber�s proposed $5.2 billion biennial education budget, the ESDs would receive $161.8 million this coming fiscal year and $169.6 million for 2002-03. Jackson ESD Superintendent Joe Crowder welcomed the anticipated funding boost. "We�ve been struggling for the past few years without any extra funding," he said. "We will be moving closer to the equity line." The ESD had already calculated about $400,000 into next year�s budget in anticipation of a revenue increase. This money will be plowed back into services and also used to offset increases in salaries, insurance and other expenses, said Crowder. Offering regional services to Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, the ESD provides programs such as special education, migrant education, English as a second language and technology programs. Crowder said the new equalization formula would help ESDs predict their revenues from year to year. A move to consolidate the ESDs throughout the state and reduce their numbers from 21 to 14 has failed. Instead, another bill is being considered that would allow for voluntary mergers, subject to approval of the ESD boards and school districts. Jackson ESD is not one of the districts being considered as part of this consolidation effort. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.