Cutting state P-12 funding

House Bill 1 is the special session's budget amendment bill.

For the SEEK base guarantee, it sets a 2009-10 per pupil amount of $3,866. That matches the 2008-09 guarantee, but cancels the scheduled increase to $3,909.

Understand that those words mean a cut in the state contribution to SEEK base funding.

That's because the base guarantee is paid partly by local funds and partly by state funds.

In 2008-09, the average district share was $1,399, so the state paid $2,467.

In 2009-10, the average district share will be $1,454, so the state will pay $2,412.

That's a $55 cut per pupil in the state share, translating to $31.5 million cut in total state spending on the base guarantee.

(State spending will go up on the SEEK add-ons for special student needs--because those needs are growing, but go down on the SEEK Tier 1 program, which provides matching funds for districts that voluntarily raise more than the minimum district share of funding.)