House+Republicans+Budget+is+a+Positive+Step,+But+Still+Means+Major+Cuts+to+Schools

= HOUSE REPUBLICAN BUDGET PLAN IS A POSITIVE STEP, BUT STILL MEANS MAJOR CUTS TO SCHOOLS = =//By the PSEA//= =//5/11/11//= = =

=(HARRISBURG, May 11, 2011) – The state budget proposal announced by Republican lawmakers in the= =state House of Representatives Tuesday is a positive move, but would still result in funding cuts to public= =education that would harm students, the president of the state’s largest school employee union said= =today.= =James P. Testerman, president of the 191,000-member Pennsylvania State Education Association, said,= =“The House Republicans’ budget plan is a step in the right direction, but it still would mean= =unprecedented cuts to our schools, because it only reduces Governor Corbett’s nearly $1.2 billion in= =proposed public school funding cuts to almost $1 billion in cuts.= =“School districts will still be forced to increase class sizes, cut programs that work for our students, raise= =property taxes – or do all three,” Testerman said. “The next step is for the House and Senate to use the = = $500 million in surplus funds to restore even more of these cuts and use the taxpayers’ money to = = support schools, students, and communities that are struggling to fund their schools. = = “Unfortunately by adhering to the arbitrary spending limit the governor has set for the state budget, = = resources are being shifted away from services that assist Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable students,” = = Testerman said. = =Testerman referred to the Commonwealth’s $500 million revenue surplus. PSEA believes the $500= =million should be used to further reduce the proposed funding cuts, and not sit in the Commonwealth’s= =“Rainy Day Fund.”= =“Students can’t wait for some rainy day in the future, while the proposed cuts threaten to swamp the quality of their educations right now,” Testerman said. “PSEA’s members appreciate that the House Republicans realized that Governor Corbett’s extreme cuts are unacceptable. We are encouraging them now to take the next step and stand up for what’s right for children in their communities.” For information on how Gov. Tom Corbett’s funding cuts would affect individual school districts, go to [|www.psea.org/schoolcuts] .= = = = = =//Testerman is a science teacher in the Central York School District. A state affiliate of the National// //Education Association, PSEA represents approximately 191,000 future, active and retired teachers and// //school employees, and health care workers in Pennsylvania.//=

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