By Staff
Members of the Alabama Legislature will have their hands full this year as they look to budget with projections down for both the general fund and education budgets.
Local school officials are already projecting they will have to cope with proration this coming year - but luckily they have planned ahead for that prospect, with reserve funds that can help balance the books. But reserve funds won't last forever, and the state has some tough choices to make in coming weeks.
While we admire Gov. Bob Riley's push for more pre-kindergarten classes, for example, that's a program that will take more funding - and more funding is exactly what schools won't have this year.
While that is just one example of a program that could get lost in the battle over money this session, we hope that the state will not force schools and other agencies to find local funding for such projects when the state can't come up with the money for them.
We don't envy our legislators as they approach their session this year, but we do hope they make wise decisions that will protect our financial future.