Piper Moore serves with Madison City Council of PTAs. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Madison City Council of PTAs opposes taking money from the Education Trust Fund to resolve Alabama’s budget crisis.

“Alabama is currently facing a major budget crisis and our legislators returned to Montgomery on Sept. 8 to try to pass a budget for our state,” Piper Moore with Madison City Council of PTAs said.

“A bill pending in the legislature wants to take approximately $250 million away from the Education Trust Fund to use elsewhere in our state’s budget,” Moore said. “Our public education in Alabama is already under-funded, so a cut of this proportion would be devastating.”

Moore distributed the announcement to PTA presidents in Madison to share with their schools’ memberships. “I decided to post this publicly because this is a ‘stand/call to action’ from Madison City Council of PTAs,” Moore said.

LeAnne McGee, who serves as legislative chairperson for Madison City Council of PTAs, contributed to this announcement.

“Our legislators who are considering allowing this cut tell us that they’re not hearing from enough parents about their opinion on this important issue. Please contact your state senator and your state representative today to let them know that you want them to find a way to solve the budget crisis that does not take money away from public education,” Moore said.

State Superintendent Tommy Bice, Alabama Board of Education Representative Mary Scott Hunter, Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler, Madison Board of Education and “many educators and citizens in Alabama are doing all they can to ask legislators not to take money away from education,” Moore said.

Moore recommends contacting state senators and representatives for Madison:

* Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, bill.holtzclaw@alsenate.gov, 334-242-7842 in Montgomery, 256-651-5921 cell.

* Sen. Arthur Orr, email at arthurorr.com, 256-260-2147, 334-242-7891 in Montgomery.

* Rep. Mike Ball, mikeball@knology.net, 256-772-8730, 256-539-5441, 334-242-7683 in Montgomery

* Rep. Mac McCutcheon, c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com, 256-539-5441 for delegation, 256-655-3764 at home and 334-242-7705 in Montgomery.

* Rep. Micky Hammon, mickyhammon@gmail.com, 256-260-2146, 334-242-7709 in Montgomery.

To identify your legislator, visit capwiz.com/state-al/home.