Decision makers – Gary Alexander

School districts will give up four days of teaching rather than give up levy equalization funds. That’s the opinion of State Representative Gary Alexander, the ranking Republican on the State House Budget Committee.

Alexander said a meeting, earlier, with 42 school superintendents in his 20th Legislative District, were adamant that he help protect the levy equalization money given by the state each year. Alexander made those comments on Decision Makers, which airs every Tuesday at Two on AM 1240 KGY Radio.

Some 250 of the state’s 296 school districts get those state funds, which equal $300 million each biennium. The Governor’s proposed budget cuts in half those funds.

“It’s devastating to small, rural school districts,” Alexander said. If given a choice between cutting the funds and eliminating four school days Alexander said he would prefer to cut the school days. “I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said.