Here's a comparison between the Governor's proposed budget and the one adopted by the Republican legislature | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's Note: This article was originally publisher by our friends at the Beaufort Observer.

You decide, but we fail to see what all the fuss is about

    We now have the latest information on the state budget. (Hat tip to Rep. Bill Cook who provided it to us over the weekend). Click here to download a table that compares the Governor's Recommended Budget to the Legislature's Adopted budget which was set to Perdue Saturday morning.

    The Governor has contended that the budget is a disaster for public education in the state. We'll let you decide for yourself whether that's the case or not when you compare the differences between her budget and the Republicans' budget.

    Bottom line the difference is right at a half percent difference in a $7.5 billion budget.

    What you do see is two overarching points:

    First, neither budget hits the classroom very much. But the GOP budget adds more teachers and preserves teacher assistants which were cut in the House budget.

    The GOP budget provides for discretionary reductions totaling $124 million but adds back the $109 million Perdue would have cut for transportation.

    There would be a one-time reduction of $27 per pupil in instructional supplies and a recurring cut of 41 cents per pupil.

    As you will see in the list, the biggest differences come in cuts the Legislature made in central office and Department of Public Instruction lines, including and particularly in staff development money.

    But by way of commentary, if we read the list correctly the Legislature would cut the Learn and Earn program that allows student to enroll in community college courses and get high school credits, including the Early College programs. There is a five million cut there and we think that is the most regrettable thing we see in the budget. Those programs would ultimately save the state money and could save individual students and their families the cost of two years of college. Those programs should be expanded, not cut.

    But while we are commenting we would suggest that we thing any reasonable person who studied these numbers would have to conclude that all the hyperbole coming from the Governor and her special interest friends is rather misplaced.

    It could have been worse, much worse for the public schools. It probably should have been worse for the sake of the taxpayers of the state.