Groups rally for more education spending to aid success of Indiana school children

INDIANAPOLIS -- The state's largest teachers union rallied at the Statehouse Monday and called for more money for Indiana public schools, while black legislators seeking more education funding appealed to a higher power: God.\nDuring a short "pray-in" Monday, about a dozen lawmakers and local ministers stood in a loose circle outside Gov. Mitch Daniels' office, heads bowed. They asked God to show Daniels the importance of directing more money toward education.\nRep. Carolene Mays, D-Indianapolis, said she has been unable to get the attention of Daniels or Republicans and is concerned that funding cuts "are going to destroy public schools."\n"We need God to step in," Mays said. "I do hope that God will speak to the governor and say all of our children matter, not just those in private schools."\nA Baptist minister, the Rev. Charles Ellis Jr. of Indianapolis called on God to touch the hearts of the lawmakers and the governor.\n"Let them cut somewhere else," Ellis said. "Education's too \nimportant."\nHundreds of people at a rally Monday agreed.\nAlice Davis, who taught at Indianapolis Public Schools for 35 years before retiring, said she's heard the same message about education funding year after year.\n"Before the election, education is a top priority," she said. "After the election, it's the low man on the totem pole."\nIndiana State Teachers Association President Judy Briganti said there was a sense of urgency to get more education funding into the budget during this last, hectic week of the legislative session. Lobbyists are stepping up calls to lawmakers, and ISTA has held several "Save Our School" rallies around the state.\n"We're just not giving up," \nBriganti said.\nDaniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said the governor respects the hard choices made this week about the budget.\n"In Gov. Daniels' State of the State address, he acknowledged that public education spending has more than doubled in just over a decade and said that when the state's solvency has been restored, increases must continue," Jankowski said. "The governor has said that education spending must occur within the constraints of an honestly balanced budget."\nDaniels' proposed budget gave no new money to education, but other versions of the two-year, $24 billion budget bill contain funding increases.\nThe Senate's version of the budget would give schools a 1.2 percent increase in 2006 and a 1.3 percent increase in 2007. But changes to the school funding formula would mean cuts for 129 school districts, Democrats say, especially those in rural and urban areas.\nRep. William Crawford, D-Indianapolis, said education is a top priority for Democrats.\n"None of the budgets reflect that that's a major concern," Crawford said.\nCrawford said there have been no negotiations between Republicans and Democrats on a possible budget compromise.\nHouse Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, said GOP leaders were close to working out their own differences regarding the budget. Republicans have said they want more money for schools but are committed to passing a balanced budget.