STATEHOUSE (Feb. 3, 2010) - Senate lawmakers this week approved a bill that could ease the potential negative impact of the announced school spending cuts due to the depth and duration of the national recession, State Sen. Ron Alting said.

Alting (R-Lafayette) authored Senate Bill 309, the only Senate bill this session providing options to help schools sustain unfortunate cuts brought on by reduced income and sales tax revenues while avoiding additional teacher layoffs and increased class sizes.

Recently, a committee approved an amended version of the bill, modifying Alting’s original intent to raise the amount of capital project funds used to pay certain expenses.

Alting said current language in the bill still provides Lafayette School Corp. more than $1.1 million, nearly $1.4 million for Tippecanoe School Corp. and an additional $316, 590 thousand for the West Lafayette School Corp. to offset cuts.

Amended SB 309 allows school administrators at their discretion to take money from transportation and capital project accounts and spend those funds on other operating expenses when teachers and staff forgo pay raises in the 2010-11 school year.

“I have been working closely with superintendents from Tippecanoe County school corporations to preserve and promote the progress of our children’s educations,” Alting said. “This bill is the only measure that was drafted to address a pressing need, and it does so without raising a single property tax.”

SB 309 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

Sen. Alting represents Senate District 22, which includes a portion of Tippecanoe County.