As billions more to cuts in public education are proposed, including cutting $1.4 billion from a school year that has already ended, the Education Coalition is calling for the Legislature to enact a comprehensive budget solution and supports provisions repaying schools the funding they are owed under Prop. 98.
The Education Coalition also wants to remind our state’s leaders that there are no federal stimulus dollars remaining to “back-fill” any further cuts. With school doors closed for the year and summer school programs canceled, lawmakers are proposing additional cuts to school budgets that have already been spent from sources that have already been drained. School districts simply don’t have a time machine to go back and make cuts to a school year that has already ended.
As a result of the unprecedented cuts to education made over the past year, California’s schools are planning to increase class sizes, cut programs critical to student learning and cancel bus routes in the coming school year.
California’s students – who already live in a state that ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending – have been subjected to unprecedented cuts, wiping out programs that help student achievement and robbing an entire generation of the quality education our children deserve.
The devastation of these cuts is not only lost jobs right now, but deep, lasting damage to the ability of our children and the state to compete and succeed in the future. Although education only represents 40 percent of the state budget, our schools have been subjected to 60 percent of the cuts.
During the past week, local schools have been forced to make even deeper cuts:
Schools feel cash crunch (Monterey County Herald 6/25/09)
As the June 30 budget deadline for school districts approaches, only one thing is certain: What is on the books at the end of the month may not be what is on hand this fall.
The cumulative cuts for all county school districts for the current and upcoming fiscal year amount to $54 million.
SRJC to cut 430 classes in fall semester (Santa Rosa Press Democrat 6/24/09)
Santa Rosa Junior College is cutting 15 percent of its fall course schedule, a move that will eliminate about 430 classes and save $2.5 million.
“We are looking at a fairly significant number of classes,” said college president Robert Agrella. “We are getting much closer down to bare bones.”
L.A. Unified OKs $1.6 billion in cuts over three years (Los Angeles Times 6/24/09)
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved nearly $1.6 billion in cuts over the next three years that will result in layoffs and increased class sizes and could one day mean the elimination of such key programs as all-day kindergarten and summer school. The action also makes it increasingly likely that many of those targeted for layoffs, including about 2,200 teachers and up to 2,000 school staff, such as custodians and cafeteria workers, will be dismissed, although union leaders said they are still negotiating to save jobs.
Districts approve reduced budgets (The Desert Sun 6/24/09)
Two Coachella Valley school districts on Tuesday approved budgets for the 2009-10 school year that were slashed by tens of millions of dollars in state funding.
The boards of education for both Palm Springs and Desert Sands unified school districts unanimously passed the budgets, $194 million and $219 million respectively.
Both districts have cut teaching and administrative employees, left vacant positions unfilled, increased class sizes, cut back on programs and decreased funding to school sites, among other changes.
Buses cut, teachers’ pay may be next (Novato Advance 06/25/09)
Responding again to the state of California’s economic woes, the Novato Unified School District board of trustees Monday night approved a resolution that reserves the right to negotiate for reduced 2009-10 compensation for all employees.
Sports fees spread at capital-area schools (Sacramento Bee 6/21/09)
Meanwhile, some districts are considering closing the doors on middle school athletics and freshmen teams.
"It's been a real challenge to work through," Colfax athletic director Rob Hitchcock said. "Things have changed daily because of the state budget."
Red Bluff Union High School auto shop chopped (Red Bluff Union 6/21/09)
The school board is considering cuts to numerous programs and classes as it struggles to close a projected $530,000 deficit for Fiscal Year 2009-2010.
Even facing declining enrollment and shrinking state funding, cutting the auto shop class was never considered until now and Wednesday night the board said the program would not be renewed in the fall.