FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BURLINGAME – California's students were the big winners in Tuesday's election as voters approved Proposition 55, the $12.3 billion school construction and repair bond, and voted yes on Propositions 57 and 58 to prevent deeper budget cuts to public schools.
"California voters again showed their support for public education and their willingness to invest in the future of our kids and our state," said Barbara E. Kerr, president of the 335,000-member California Teachers Association. "The passage of Prop. 55 completes a two-year goal by CTA to provide funding to repair rundown schools and colleges, and give our students and teachers the facilities they deserve."
Prop. 55 is the second half of the state school bond package that began with the passage of Proposition 47, the $13 billion bond approved by voters in 2002.
Kerr said teachers are also pleased about the passage of Prop. 57, the Economic Recovery Bond, providing a one-time $15 billion bond to help pay off the state's budget deficit, and Prop. 58, the California Balanced Budget Act, requiring a balanced state budget every year. Both propositions had to pass for either to become law.
"The passage of Propositions 57 and 58 will help protect our schools from additional, severe state budget cuts," Kerr said. "It also means that local school districts have no reason now to enact mid-year program cuts or teacher layoffs."
The defeat of Proposition 56, which would have reduced from two-thirds to 55 percent the vote required by the Legislature to pass the state budget, was the dark spot of the evening. "Prop. 56 would have provided some much-needed structural reform to the state budget process and guaranteed that the state budget is passed on time. Students and school districts suffer when the state budget is late," Kerr said. "CTA will continue to fight for legislative reforms to help end the partisan gridlock in Sacramento."