06/14/03

MONTGOMERY State Superintendent Ed Richardson said Friday he will order Alabama's 1,400 public schools to close Oct. 1 if voters reject Gov. Bob Riley's tax plan and legislators fail to adopt an education budget.

He said schools would remain closed until lawmakers approved and Gov. Bob Riley signed a new budget for fiscal 2004, which begins Oct. 1.

Richardson met with the state's 128 public school superintendents, who were buzzing after he told them of his intent.

"I tell you, if we have to close schools Oct. 1 and shut down football in the middle of the season, well, it's just bone-chilling to even think about," said Shelby County Superintendent Evan Major.

Some superintendents privately grumbled that Richardson is grandstanding, trying to scare voters into voting for Riley's $1.2 billion tax plan. Richardson said he's not bluffing.

Richardson said if voters reject Riley's plan Sept. 9, then legislators will have to be called into a special session to fund state budgets while facing an almost $700 million deficit.

"Under that scenario, I think it will be very difficult for lawmakers to pass taxes to raise revenue when voters have just said no to the same thing," Richardson said. "I believe and hope they will pass budgets by Sept. 30. But if they get bogged down and we don't have a budget, then we have to be ready to act and the only thing at that point I can do is order the schools to close until we have a budget."

Asked to sign pledge:

Richardson not only urged the superintendents to go home and work to pass the governor's plan, he asked them to sign a pledge that they will work every day until Sept. 9 to pass the tax increases.

Appearing before the group, Riley asked them to do the same. Before he could begin talking, the superintendents gave him a sustained standing ovation. Riley told the school leaders that the fate of the state is now in the hands of community leaders like them. Riley urged the superintendents to persuade voters to support a package of tax increases and school reforms.

"What I'm asking the people of Alabama to do is what I'm asking you to do today . . . believe we can have the very best," Riley said. "Believe we can change the image of this state so fundamentally because of education that we will never go back to these failed policies of the past."

Riley urged the educators to work with passion to pass the reforms because for most of them this will be their one chance to change the state.

"Now it's up to you to go back and sell this package," Riley said. "If we don't do it, and I believe this with all my heart, if we don't do it, I'm not too sure we're going to have another opportunity to do it in the next 10 to 15 years."

Most superintendents said selling the package will be tough.

"If the vote was today, I don't think it would pass in the county," said Jefferson County Superintendent Bob Neighbors. "I think we have a chance to change that but we have a lot of work to do."

Cullman Superintendent Suzanne Freeman, whose community last month rejected a tax increase for schools, said Riley's plan faces an uphill fight in her city. But she said Richardson's intent to close schools and stop football might force voters to have to look harder at supporting Riley's plan.

"I think it will wake people up when they can't put their kids on those little yellow school buses and send them off in the morning and can't go to the game on Friday because there is no game," Freeman said.