In a visit to Eugene Thursday Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said she plans to ask lawmakers to support summer learning- saying the state needs to improve its flagging literacy rates.
Last legislative session, Kotek asked lawmakers to spend $50 million on summer learning. They approved $30 million.
Kotek said programs that did receive funding are wrapping up now and are already showing positive results. But, there are still many districts in need that have not received support yet.
“Hopefully we're going to have a number that will allow us to do better than we did this summer,” she said. “I don't believe in the next biennium, every part of the state, or every school will have the same level of support, but I think we'll try to get to every community as much as we can.”
Director of the Oregon Department of Education Charlene Williams said a taskforce is working to develop a funding proposal to increase access to summer learning and make it more sustainable, long term.
“When we’re gearing up for summer funds and we don’t have consistency, it's like trying to build Rome in a day and then tear it down once summer is over, hoping you’ll have the resources to build again,” she said. “This group is really hoping for, and recommending consistency.”
Kotek said she's also working on a proposal to address school districts’ overall funding issues.
Over the last several years Oregon’s public schools have struggled with literacy rates, absentee-ism and declining enrollment. Many have also laid off workers over the last year.
Kotek said she plans to ask lawmakers to adjust the formula they use to fund education - which will add more than $500 million.
"It is a large commitment, that way we've calculated,” she said. “It's big, and it's going to challenge us as a state to meet our other needs. That is a significant amount of investment. What I'm hearing from the school district is they know if that happens, they will be more stable.”
