The Senate has passed the amended versions of two controversial education bills, HB 262 and HB 256. The first one no longer phases out an early retirement incentive program for teachers, but still freezes movement on the pay grid for one year. The second one no longer ends funding for academic field trips, but it still makes other changes in state reimbursements to school districts for student busing costs. Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, estimated that the changes to the bills will cost the state an additional $4.5 million next year - and that's $4.5 million that, at this point, isn't included in the budget for public schools. Asked where the money will come from, Goedde said, "That's up to the joint finance committee." But he said his preference is to trim budgets for textbooks and classroom supplies to make up the difference. The state also will have to dip into its public education stabilization fund for up to $1.4 million, depending on the results of a transportation audit, to make up what otherwise would have been a cut to the Boise School District in funding for busing.

Goedde said he doesn't think the state can afford to fill the funding gap created by the changes in the bills from its rainy day funds. "There isn't anyplace else - money doesn't grow on trees," Goedde said. "If you give it back in early retirement and you give it back in field trips, you're going to have to take it someplace else." Asked whether it's better to restore funds for those items and cut elsewhere, Goedde said, "That's what I heard from educators." He said of the remaining non-statutory items in the school budget, textbooks, which already are being trimmed back by 40 percent next year, and classroom supplies look the most promising to cover the shortfall. "If I look at those below-the-line items, those are the two that I would pick," Goedde said.

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