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Next governor key part of reform Mike Hasten
/ Louisiana Gannett News/Baton Rouge
Posted on November 2, 2003
BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's next governor will be asked by higher education officials to continue funding reforms that are improving and stimulating growth in colleges and universities rather than subject them to cuts to balance the budget.
"We've got all the necessary building blocks" to solve Louisiana's persistent education problems, Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie said. "Our challenge now is to follow through and finish the job."
Standing in the way is at least a $483 million hole to fill next year's budget "and probably more," budget analyst Jean Vandal said. That's $323 million in one-time federal funds used to balance this year's budget and $160 million in taxes that will go off the books.
The Revenue Estimating Conference has not developed an income projection that could offset that loss. But it also has no estimate of how much governmental growth, such as the cost of public schools, prisons and other items that increase yearly, will add to the budget hole.
One of the state's most popular new programs, the LA 4 prekindergarten program, also is threatened because federal funding is expiring, Vandal said.
Savoie said he and other higher education officials consider prekindergarten one of the keys to solving Louisiana's education problems, including accountability and the TOPS scholarship program, so he urges continued funding. He also supports other elementary and secondary education efforts that supply better graduates who enroll in universities.
The state Legislature has pumped $400 million in new funding into higher education in the past eight years, bringing state colleges and universities closer to their funding goals.
If "all the pieces fall into place" - imposing entry requirements at universities, shifting students to lower-cost community colleges and continuing the $50 million yearly increase - universities could be funded at 100 percent of a formula designed to meet their needs within the next four years, Savoie said.
More community colleges must be offered before entry requirements can be imposed at some schools in the University of Louisiana System; but the investment will be worth it, he said. Operating those schools is cheaper for the state and students, who get quality instruction.
The community college system is "blossoming," Savoie said. For example, enrollment at South Louisiana Community College, with course offerings in Lafayette, New Iberia and Franklin, grew by 43 percent this year.
Emphasis also is needed on improving technical colleges and meeting the needs of industry, he said.
One of Louisiana's drawbacks in attracting high-tech industries is the lack of a trained work force. With almost 25 percent of all adults age 25 or older lacking high school diplomas, it's not surprising, Savoie said.
Higher education institutions want to join with all other levels of education to address this problem, he said. "The state currently funds dozens of adult literacy programs but they're not coordinated and there's no accountability."
It will take time, possibly another generation, to solve the state's major education problems, he said. So the next governor must have an eye on the long-term benefits of what's being done, Savoie said.
Education platforms
Following are the Louisiana gubernatorial runoff candidates' responses to questions about key education issues posed by Louisiana Gannett News prior to the Oct. 4 primary.
The election will be held Nov. 15. Absentee voting starts today and ends at noon Saturday in parish registrar of voters' offices.
Do you favor allowing the Louisiana Legislature to control the Minimum Foundation Program for funding public education rather than leaving control with the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education?
Kathleen Blanco: I prefer the Minimum Foundation Program. It's what has protected education through the years. The BESE board has the whole picture.
Bobby Jindal: No. But I think it's appropriate for the Legislature to work with BESE to require that a portion of new dollars go to teacher pay raises. I don't think those decisions ought to be made by the Legislature.
Do you favor a voucher system that would allow parents to use state funds to put their children in the public or private school of their choice?
Blanco: I see vouchers as disaster relief. Giving vouchers to students does nothing to help our public school problems. Our public school image and performance is what pulls us down nationally.
Jindal: I do, for low-income students trapped in failing schools.
Do you favor raising teacher pay to the national average?
Blanco: I'd like to do that but, realistically, I don't believe Louisiana's fiscal situation allows that to be done soon. I would love to reach the national average. But I don't know that is realistic, so I'm not making any promises to do that.
Jindal: I favor raising teacher pay. And we should pay them based on teacher performance, whether their students are learning.
If you oppose raising taxes, how would you pay for education improvements?
Blanco: I'm planning to spend a lot of my energy rebuilding Louisiana's economy. Through the economic growth that we should experience if we do economic development right, we should have the money.
Jindal: I think the more effective solution is to grow our economy. That will generate the money to pay for education. We will have to make education a top priority in the spending of these dollars.
State budget experts contend the budget is pared down to the point that the only way to generate meaningful savings is to eliminate whole programs ... staff and services. What would you eliminate to generate money for teacher pay?
Blanco: I have not analyzed any specifics in government yet. The process is that you hire the right people to head the various divisions of government and give them the assignment to take a hard look within their departments for what can be consolidated.
Jindal: I'm not sure that's right. I think there are ways to generate savings. For example, at the universities, we hired private contractors to save money at our dorms, bookstores and cafeterias. I think there are similar ways to use the private sector.
School support personnel ... janitors, secretaries, lunchroom workers and teacher aides ... are not state employees. But lawmakers have authorized salary supplements for these workers. Do you favor paying these local employees from state funds?
Blanco: If we have enough money left over. I don't necessarily oppose it, but I do think it is more of a local responsibility.
Jindal: Only after we pay our teachers. I think our first priority has been investing in the classrooms and paying our teachers. If there is additional money, then we can consider other spending.
Would you propose raising taxes to pay for teacher raises?
Blanco: Not at this time.
Jindal: No.
Do you favor continuing the high-stakes LEAP test as a requirement for promotion from the fourth and eighth grades?
Blanco: Yes.
Jindal: Yes.
Do you favor raising the LEAP test score levels required for promotion?
Blanco: We need to gradually raise the bar, but it has to be done very judiciously. You have to have summer school in place. You have to have the remedial piece in place.
Jindal: Yes, over time. The intent is to phase in tougher standards. My experience has been when we expect more from students, they improve their performance.
Should there be restrictions on the state's college Tuition Opportunity Program for Students?
Blanco: No, unless the state gets in an extraordinary fiscal crunch.
Jindal: No.
Should students who fail to keep up their grades be required to pay back their TOPS grants?
Blanco: No.
Jindal: No. But I think there needs to be stronger admissions standards in the first place to make sure students are more likely to stay in school and succeed.
Should students accepting TOPS scholarships be required to stay in Louisiana for a period of time after their graduation?
Blanco: No.
Jindal: No. I think the reason students are leaving is not that they want to leave but because the jobs are not here. It is our obligation to make sure there are more opportunities for them here.
