EXCERPT FROM: Lexington Herald-Leader
By Jim Warren
The Kentucky Department of Education has submitted to state budget officials its proposals for cutting education spending by about $20 million for the rest of the fiscal year.

Department leaders will meet with Gov. Steve Beshear's budget officials Friday for detailed discussions of the proposed cuts, education department spokeswoman Lisa Gross said Thursday.

It will then be up to budget officials to accept or reject the proposed reductions.

Gross emphasized that even if the education reductions are approved, it is unclear when or whether they would occur.

"It would simply mean that if it comes to cutting spending by 6 percent, this is how it would be done," Gross said. "At this point, it is only a plan."

The reductions, which Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday outlined via e-mail to state school superintendents Monday, are to conform with Beshear's plan for a 6 percent state spending reduction to offset declining revenue.

Education officials have said that items such as the SEEK program, which provides local schools' basic operating funds, and health care coverage for education employees would be spared from any reductions.

They said many programs affecting local school districts around the state potentially could be cut, including dropout prevention, gifted and talented education, family-resource and youth-services centers, and preschool programs.

The possibility of cuts already has raised objections from some advocacy groups. On Thursday, Cindy Heine, associate executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, said reductions in preschool funding could be particularly threatening.

Full text available at Lexington Herald-Leader.