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SALEM, OR (KPTV) -

Oregon's Senate approved a $7.225 billion education funding bill Monday along party lines.

Democrats say the $600 million dollar increase in funding will provide stability in Oregon schools and allow for full-day, free kindergarten for all children for the first time in state history. Senate republicans say democrats voted against their $7.56 billion proposal despite admitting $7.225 billion was not enough.

Democrats say their budgetHouse Bill 5017is part of a multi-year investment to get education funding back on track after years of cuts.

Senate republicans released their $7.56 billion budget ahead of Monday morning's session. They say their budget would reduce classroom sizes and allow schools to start offering art, music and P.E. classes where they were cut.

Democrats have spent the last decade disinvesting in K-12 education, said Senator Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River). Oregon has the worst graduation rate and some of the largest class sizes in the nation, $7.5 billion would have been the first step toward proving kids truly are our first priority, but I think even that number is too low.

Senate democrats say their funding bill is just the beginning of long term improvements to the state's K-12 education system.

As a lifelong educator, I have always fought for more dollars in our classroom, said Senator Ron Monroe (D-Portland). With today's vote we set the floor for fundingnot the maximum amount of funding that our schools can get, but the minimum.

In 2013 Oregon's House of Representatives added $1 billion to the state's K-12 school system. Democrats say their $7.225 billion budget is a 9 percent increase that will maintain the legislature's historic boost to education. Democrats say HB 5017 also allows for automatic triggers to boost education funding if the state has extra money.

"This budget provides an increase of $605 million of state funds and an estimated increase of $351 million in local funds, equaling a $956 million total funds increase for K-12 schools in the next biennium. It fully funds full-day kindergarten and allows us to maintain the $1 billion in investments we made in Oregon classrooms two years ago," said Senator Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin). "It provides a floor for funding that will allow school districts to move ahead with the process of writing their budgets while we await the May forecast and work to find even more dollars for Oregon's schools."

Read more from the original source:
Ore. Senate Dem's pass multi-billion dollar education budget, Republicans say it's not enough