By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – The Alabama House is to consider a $6.2 billion budget to fund education for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
The House is scheduled to debate Tuesday the bare-bones budget that is expected to preserve teaching positions across the state. The the proposed budget maintains funding for a popular program to improve student performance in reading.
The budget would eliminate funding for classroom supplies, such as paper and chalk.
The budget reduces funding for textbooks to $17 a student. Legislators say that's enough to pay for student workbooks, but not to buy new textbooks.
The budget has already passed the Senate. But it will likely have to return to the Senate to approve changes made in a House committee.