Hoeven: K-12 Education Bill Needs Improvement

Hoeven: K-12 Education Bill Needs Improvement

Gov. John Hoeven today said the K-12 education funding bill needs improvement before he can sign it. He issued the following statement in response to the current status of the legislation:

"We've made progress in our efforts to raise teacher salaries in North Dakota," Hoeven said. "Our new K-12 education funding bill must make a commitment to maintain that progress going forward. That means it must include some combination of targeting 70 percent of new funding for teacher compensation and increasing the base. Although the bill has some good features, like increased Foundation Aid and funding for Joint Powers Agreements, it is still not enough.

"The current bill retreats to the approach of the 1990s, when North Dakota slipped into last place in teacher compensation. The Legislature must address this issue and maintain the gains we've worked so hard to achieve over the past two bienniums."

http://www.governor.state.nd.us/media/news-releases/2005/03/050325b.html