The House has been zipping through the various pieces of the public schools budget, with no debate and few “no” votes. The first one, for the division of administrators, passed on a 65-4 vote, with only Reps. Barbieri, McMillan, Sims and Shepherd voting no. The second, SB 1184, for the teachers division – which includes the career ladder teacher-pay plan – passed 66-3, with just Barbieri, McMillan and Sims dissenting.

The third bill, SB 1185 on operations, passed 65-4, with Reps. Dayley, McMillan, Barbieri and Sims dissenting; SB 1186, on children’s programs, passed 64-5, with the “no” votes coming from Reps. Barbieri, Batt, Dayley, McMillan and Moyle.

SB 1187, on the facilities division, passed 60-6, with Reps. Nate, Barbieri, Dayley Scott, Moyle and McMillan dissenting. SB 1188, on funding for educational services for the deaf and blind, passed unanimously, 66-0. The final piece, SB 1189, central services, passed on a 59-7 vote, with “no” votes from Reps. Harris, McMillan, Palmer, Moyle, Nate, Scott and Sims. 

The school budget reflects a 7.4 percent increase in state funding from this year's level.