Keating hints at pay raise plan of his own

Thursday, January 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Gov. Frank Keating huddled with state Republican legislators to discuss his own teacher pay raise plan that he expects to unveil next week. "The governor's budget will have enough money at least for a$2,000 across-the-board increase, but to have access to it, the school boards must have a merit pay plan in place," Dan Mahoney ,Keating's communication director, said Wednesday.

On Monday, Senate President Pro Tem Stratton Taylor and House Speaker Loyd Benson announced a $3,000 across-the-board teacher pay increase proposal. The leaders cited reports that ranked Oklahoma near the bottom of states in teacher pay. In response, Keating said he would sign "any teacher pay raise the Legislature sends me," but he added that such a bill must be accompanied by funding legislation.

Mahoney said the governor's budget, which will be presented to the Legislature on Feb. 7, will recommend cutting school administrative costs as a way to help fund merit pay and bonus pay for math and science teachers. He said the governor would encourage districts to consolidate administrative functions to save money. Keating has said school administrative costs are bloated, citing a study by state Finance Director Tom Daxon that says average administrative costs in Oklahoma as a percentage of total school revenue are twice the national average.

House Republican Leader Fred Morgan, R-Oklahoma City, said he has filed a bill giving the Office of State Finance the authority to examine school districts with high administrative costs and recommend cuts. School boards could also invite the state office to examine their administrative budgets under the measure, Morgan said. Meanwhile, Keating posted an open letter to educators on his Web site, saying he would sign any pay raise the Legislature sends him, adding, "it's encouraging to see them finally come together and joining me in a call for teacher pay raises

Taylor found Keating's remarks ironic. "For someone who's spent his entire tenure of office hurling insults at teachers, it's laughable for Governor Keating to imply that he's suddenly become their best friend and protector," Taylor said. "Just a few weeks ago, the governor was telling people he would hold teacher pay hostage until he could force the Legislature to meet his partisan agenda."

Taylor and Benson have said they hope to pass the pay raisel egislation early in the session. Keating agreed, saying legislators should vote on the measure on Feb. 16, the day teachers are scheduled to hold a rally at the Capitol.