Mixed Results - House votes on education budget

Friends,

Today the Oregon House approved a $5.7 billion K-12 education budget by a 32-28 vote. I voted no and here is why:

The level of cuts required by this budget for K-12 schools is unacceptable. I believe we must do all we can to prevent cuts in school days and increased class sizes. Students never get a school year or a school day back, and with more than $400 million left in reserve funds, I would like to see a greater portion of that used to protect education.

Middle class families don’t keep such a large amount in savings if it means they can’t pay their mortgage or keep food on the table. Neither should Oregon. While we should certainly keep reserve funds to deal with the uncertainties we face, we can maintain a healthy level of savings while minimizing some of the worst of the cuts we now contemplate. Using more of our reserves can also offer an important economic benefit by keeping more people employed and dollars circulating in our economy.

If our education system isn’t up to par, business will suffer. Our students will fall behind students from other states and won’t be able to compete. Investing in education now means good jobs in Oregon now and in the future.

My brave colleagues who serve on the budget writing Ways & Means Committee, particularly the Co-Chairs, deserve enormous credit for their work taking on a thankless and tremendously difficult task. Establishing a budget for schools this early in the legislative session is an accomplishment I want to recognize and applaud. Giving certainty to the school districts around the state, so they can take up the awful task of making the cuts that are required is a good thing. Districts must be deliberate and diligent as they work to minimize the devastating effect of those cuts.

Even as I applaud the work of the Ways & Means Committee, I believe we can do better. I will continue to advocate for additional investments in education. Thank you for all your emails and phone calls. Please keep in touch!

Best,

Representative Tobias Read

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