Indiana schools will get budgets cut in January

Gov. Mitch Daniels said Indiana will start cutting school funding starting in January.

Daniels previously announced
the K-12 cuts of about $300 million. Schools will lose about 3.5 percent of current state funding in 2010, starting with their
January payment. The State Board of Education had recommended that the cuts begin in January.

State Superintendent
Tony Bennett said school districts can find 3-percent savings without laying off teachers.

Daniels said education
is such a big part of the state budget that cuts were unavoidable to ensure Indiana doesn’t have a deficit when the budget
ends in July 2011. The Republican governor has already ordered cuts at state agencies and universities.