More cuts to Oregon schools?

Oregon's schools may have undergone a rapid decline over the past 15 years as budget cut after budget cut destroyed any possibility for maintaining electives and such programs, but it appears as though that hasn't stopped the state from preparing to make more cuts. Steve Law of the Salem Statesman Journal reports:

Living within your means isn't that easy. That's what Oregon legislators will find out when they kick off the 2005 session this week and begin tackling the state's new two-year spending plan.

A modest increase in funds for the budget cycle starting July 1 won't be enough to cover inflation and population growth. Barring an unexpected economic boom, that could mean cuts to music and other public school electives, hefty college tuition increases, cuts to senior services and health care and lower take-home pay for state workers.

"I don't think this will be the session of big new ideas," said high-tech industry lobbyist Jim Craven of Salem. "It just seems like people are going to be telling you 'no, no, no.'"

Oregon once had some of the best schools in the nation, so it's sad to see these cuts inhibit the children of the state from receiving an ample education.