While any cuts to school funding hurt, CTA won a major victory by keeping out of the final current-year reduction bill all across-the-board cuts, reductions to the base revenue limit, teacher furloughs or class size increases. CTA's mobilization also played a key role in keeping out of the final measure the governor's proposed 3.66 percent across-the-board reduction to revenue limits and categorical programs, the proposed additional 7.46 percent cut to categorical program funding, and proposed cuts to adult education and Regional Occupational Centers.
The bill, SBX1 18 makes a variety of education-related budget reductions to the K-12 and higher education portions of the 2002-03 Budget Act. Specifically, this bill cuts $2.4 billion from education. According to CTA budget experts, the bill:
- Defers, permanently, $1.1 billion from the special apportionment payment from June 25, 2003 until July 2, 2003
- Allows school districts to access up to 50% of their total unrestricted and restricted reserve balances to offset the 2002-03 mid-year reductions, excluding reserves for capital outlay
- Makes a $103 million reduction in one-time instructional materials funding and requires school districts to first purchase instructional materials for English learners and reading intervention materials for students in grades 4 through 8 with the remaining funds
- Reduces the School Library Materials program by $11.6 million
- Defers $122 million in remaining K-12 mandate claims
- Reduces the Peer Assistance and Review Program by $21.7 million with an intent to cover "the minimum amount needed to provide matching funds for the BTSA program"
- Suspends the Golden State Examination Program ($7.2 million) and the Career Education Exam ($.8 million)
- Waives the local deferred maintenance match for 2002-03
- Delays the final payment for Instructional Improvement and High Priority Schools Grants from this fiscal year (2002-03) to the following fiscal year. These funds are usually paid in September each year, so this action makes the appropriation in the year the funds are actually paid.
- Reduces various programs to capture savings from lower than expected participation rates
- Reduces the current year budget for the California Community Colleges ($141.2 million), the California State University ($59.6 million) and the University of California ($60.9 million)