The State Board of Education voted unanimously on a resolution that sharply criticizes the budget passed by the state senate today. They say it will lead to thousands of teachers and teacher assistants being laid off.
Republican leaders in the state senate say the budget protects teacher and teacher assistant jobs. The senate version that now goes to the house restores $300 million to public education from an earlier version of the budget. But Governor Bev Perdue – and now the State Board of Education – calls that a shell game. The budget cut to local school systems increases by $128 million dollars in the senate budget - forcing local school districts to layoff teachers and staff. The State Board’s resolution says that will do "irreparable harm" to the state school system. Some analysts also say it will drop North Carolina to 49th in the country in per-pupil spending.