School officials in Mobile and Baldwin counties breathed a collective sigh of relief Wednesday over the passage of an amendment that will allow the state to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars for education, thus lessening the blow of expected budget cuts.

State schools Superintendent Joe Morton said he has no doubt that Gov. Bob Riley will declare the budget cuts, known as proration, possibly in December, and borrow the now-allowed $437 million from the Rainy Day Fund for schools.

The state would then have six years to pay that money back.

Baldwin school officials relieved by vote