Teachers would get 4 percent raise in budget proposal

Feb. 26--House leadership will unveil a $6.327 billion education budget next week that will include a four percent raise for most educators and funding bumps to many services.

The 2017 budget, if approved, would represent a $370 million increase over the current Education Trust Fund, about a 6.2 percent jump. It would be the largest ETF since 2008.

"I was very, very pleased with the FY 16 budget," said Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Education committee. "It enjoyed broad support in legislature and across the education community. I think this is an even better budget in terms of targeting needs and providing resources where they are so desperately needed in our education system."

The budget would extend a four percent salary increase to educators in the state's K-12 and two-year colleges making $75,000 a year or less. A two percent raise would go to those making over that amount. Alabama teacher salaries top out at just over $62,000 a year, meaning they would see the four percent raise.

"What we want to make sure (to do) in this raise proposal is to recognize and support classroom personnel and our support staff," Poole said. "They are in those classrooms every day."

Under the proposal, the entry-level salary for a teacher with a bachelors' degree would climb from $36,867 a year to $38,342 a year. A teacher with a bachelors' degree and 15 years experience would see their salary go from $44,670 a year to $46,457. The pay raise would cost about $146 million.

The budget will also fully fund the request from the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Program (PEEHIP), as well as the request from the Teachers Retirement System.

Poole said the proposal will also include a $29 million increase for Other Current Expenses (OCE), money given to local districts to address particular needs there. The budget will also include an $8 million increase for textbooks; an $8.8 million increase for transportation and an extra $5 million for technology. Funding for teacher supplies would increase $1.6 million.

Higher education would get 26.59 percent of the ETF, roughly $1.7 billion.

The proposal increases some allocations over what Gov. Robert Bentley proposed in his budget earlier this month while decreasing others. Bentley initially called for a two percent, across-the-board pay raise for educators, $22 million for OCE and $5 million for textbooks. But the governor also called for about $33 million more for transportation.

The governor also called for a $20 million increase for the state's well-regarded but limited pre-kindergarten program. The House budget would increase funding by $14 million.

Poole expects the budget in committee Wednesday. A floor vote could take place as early as March 10, but the ETF will have to go through the Senate -- and likely a conference committee -- before achieving a final form. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said Friday afternoon a pay raise for teachers has been "among the highest, if not the highest priority" for senators.

"It's certainly a good omen that Rep. Poole believes that's an attainable number," Orr said. "He certainly does his homework."

In the Alabama Legislature, the education budget is Xanadu compared to the Pandemonium of the General Fund, which faces flat growth and rising costs. The Senate Thursday evening approved a $1.8 billion General Fund that does not provide any new money for the Medicaid agency, which could force it to cancel an attempt to move the program into a managed care model and reduce services.

Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund chairman Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, has floated the possibility of universities with hospitals -- which draw from the ETF and the General Fund -- helping out the General Fund. But Poole, along with House and Senate leadership, have opposed moving revenues from the ETF to the General Fund.

Both budgets are moving earlier this year than usual. Poole, like other legislators, said Friday they're trying to give legislators time to avoid budget details in the hopes of avoiding last year's General Fund battle, which took three sessions of the Legislature to resolve.

"I want everyone to have sufficient and ample time to be part of the process," he said.

Poole also reiterated his opposition to moving money into the General Fund, though he did not rule the possibility out.

"This budget does not contemplate revenue transfers and I do not support revenue transfers," he said. "I'm only one member of the Legislature. There's a lengthy process and transparent process and we'll just have to see how it goes."

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