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Budget aims to aid grade schools But to do that, Kitzhaber would take money from high schools By Damian Mann Jackson County schools are bracing for a $2.4 million shift in funds under Gov. John Kitzhaber�s education plan that could benefit younger students at the expense of older ones. Kitzhaber estimates it will take $220 million to help Oregon elementary students meet state benchmarks in reading tests. School districts may have to set aside $110 million during the next two years as their share of the program; the rest would come from cigarette tax revenue. Nancy Heiligman, director of school finance for the Oregon Department of Education, said the impact on Jackson County amounts to roughly $82 for each of its 29,000 students. The governor has suggested schools could find the money by cutting or altering programs for students in secondary school. But Heiligman said that will be a decision made by individual districts. "The governor�s proposal recognizes that some programs will suffer," she said. "Something somewhere else has to give." But with the matching cigarette tax funds, districts would come out ahead financially. "It is a double-edged sword," she said. Though the state Department of Education typically doesn�t take a stand on the governor�s budget, Heiligman said, "We�re just happy there weren�t enormous cuts." Medford School District might have to scrape together $500,000 to $750,000 to keep some of its programs running, said Business Director Galen Anderson, adding that this figure is just a "best guesstimate" at this time. Because the governor�s proposal forces districts to find money for one program by taking from others, Anderson said, "It�s kind of a smoke-and-mirrors thing." With the state�s budget months away from adoption, Anderson and other administrators hope this proposal is ultimately dropped or changed. "We�ve got a long way to go as far as what the Legislature�s doing," Anderson said. "We just need to hang in there and hope that things straighten themselves out." The governor�s $12 billion budget was generally regarded as school friendly, increasing education funding from $4.8 billion to $5.2 billion. The Legislature has received the budget, but local districts have yet to get much information on which of the governor�s proposals might be cut or increased. Last year, Kitzhaber�s $5.1 billion education plan was cut to $4.8 billion after legislative wrangling. William Jones, superintendent of Eagle Point School District, said, "It won�t be until February that we take these suggestions (by the governor) seriously." But he is concerned that the governor�s proposal will benefit elementary at the expense of secondary students. Eagle Point, like other districts, still is not sure how the governor�s proposed budget would be divvied up. "Some of the dollars are assigned with strings attached," Jones said. For instance, some funds can be used only for technology, but many school districts have already installed computer systems, so they wouldn�t be able to access this money. The Legislature often doesn�t pass the budget until July, after many districts have completed their own budgets, forcing them to revise them later. "It�s a terrible way to run a railroad," said Jones. Vicki Robinson, director of business services for Central Point School District, said she will not make any decisions on that district�s budget until later. "None of us know what the impacts are going to be," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or e-mail him at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.