Education Wish Lists........and Reality

$42 million. Remember that number. That’s the number the Education Appropriations Subcommittee identified as the upper limit for additional education spending in order to stay within the assigned spending target of $11.3 billion. With little room for expansion, the Governor’s recommendations for significant increases for K-12 (6.4 percent); UNC (6.5 percent) and Community Colleges (4 percent) quickly lost some of their significance. Included in the total recommended budget are $501 million in salary expansions, including 6.9 percent salary increases($392 million) for teachers. Yes, you heard me right the first time: I did say 6.9 percent. What’s that I heard about a recession and the need for tightening our belts?