Members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee will prepare to spend more than $1 billion on Monday morning when they set the FY 15 Public Schools Budget. Though no specific information will be available until Monday, the IEA has been working with other stakeholders to make sure that several areas of the budget are enhanced.
Specifically, the IEA has been advocating that base salaries be increased by at least 1%. HB 504, the bill that will provide up to $16 million for leadership premium bonuses is expected to easily pass the Senate, and JFAC is further expected to include these funds in the budget bill. Additionally, since the earliest days of the legislative session, the IEA has joined other stakeholders in encouraging lawmakers to increase district operational funding. Both Governor Otter and Superintendent Luna have recommended that JFAC increase those funds by $35 million.
You can listen to the JFAC meeting, which begins at 8 AM.