Posted on: Wednesday, May 16, 2001

State, DOE fighting over money saved in teachers strike

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

The recent teachers strike saved the state $29 million in unpaid salaries, and now there is a tug-of-war over who gets the money.

The state Department of Budget and Finance has indicated it wants the Department of Education to return the money to the general fund. It also has asked the education department to report other strike-related savings in areas such as bus transportation and after-school programs.

But schools chief Paul LeMahieu yesterday argued that the DOE should be able to keep the money to pay for strike-related expenses as well as special education in order to fend off a federal court takeover of the school system.

The department saved $2 million during the strike, LeMahieu told a Board of Education committee yesterday.

But it also spent $9 million on things such as staff overtime, extra security and make-up services for special-education students.

LeMahieu also sees the salary savings as a way to "make whole" the special-education budget. This session, the Legislature did not provide $20 million the department had requested for the next fiscal year to meet requirements of the Felix consent decree.

U.S. District Judge David Ezra has warned he will take over the school system if the state does not provide the money the DOE says it needs by June.

LeMahieu said the department can use $5 million of its own money to help cover the shortfall and has asked the governor if it can keep $15 million of the strike savings to pay for the remainder.

The full Board of Education will consider the issue at its meeting tomorrow.