Educ. board wants cuts applied equally

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Every school corporation in Indiana will be asked to share in education cuts and they will begin right after the first of the year.

Those are the recommendations from the State Board of Education.

The board met for six hours in the effort to find ways to achieve the $300 million in school cuts demanded by the governor.

Members agreed the cuts should take effect next month and that teacher layoffs should be a last resort.

"I think we have to view these issues as how are we helping school corporations, fundamentally examine themselves and reset their budgets," said State School Superintendent Dr. Tony Bennett.

But the board heard that there is resistance to a pay freeze.

"I find it a little bit upsetting to me that teacher salaries are perceived to be too high and we much remember that a teacher is a professional," said Nate Schnellenberger of the Indiana State Teachers Association.

There is no support for a shorter school year.

"We need to find a way to make education in this state more efficient given the financial crisis. We don't need to find a way to have less education," said Derek Redelman of the State Chamber of Commerce.

So how about making extracurricular activities voluntary, in other words, eliminate coach’s salaries and athletic expenses?

"I don't want to say this harshly," said Steve Gookins, Interim Superintendent in Milan. "But I don't know how that improves our graduation rates and ISTEP scores."

That suggestion fell flat. The board will give schools a checklist of ways to save money. It will first go to the governor along with the other recommendations sometime in the next 24 hours. Don't look for a reaction from the governor until next week.