A Senate committee killed a bill Wednesday that would have required school districts to make pay cuts across the board - for administrators as well as teachers - in the event of cutbacks.

The Colorado Education Association pushed for the equity- pay legislation after the Holyoke school district threatened to cut teachers' pay to help weather a budget crisis.

"There was a perception that teachers were taking a pay cut and administrators were not," said Don Daly of the CEA. "I can't say that was a fact because the school suddenly found $180,000."

House Bill 1055, by Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, and Rep. Cherylin Peniston, D-Westminster, would have required pay cuts across the board.

The Senate Education Committee voted 4-2 to kill the bill, with two Democrats siding with Republicans.

Bacon agreed to soften the measure and turn it into a resolution. "Certainly, I don't want teachers across the state to believe the legislature doesn't value their contributions more than administrators when it comes time to (make) pay cuts," he said.

Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Association of School Executives opposed the measure.

They argued that matters of pay and benefits should be decided by the school board and not the lawmakers.

Velma Rose, chief financial officer for DPS, argued the bill would make it tougher for urban and rural school districts to attract quality superintendents and administrators.

washingtonam@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5086