Vantage Point: Gimmicks and old glue won’t help us

The May budget revision has not revised our opposition to the governor’s proposed 2008-09 budget. Under the latest proposal, school districts and county offices of education would be forced to open the new school year receiving nearly $700 less per student in average daily attendance than in the previous year. They would have larger class sizes and larger student-counselor ratios, and before- and after-school programs that were designed to assist students with the greatest need would be eliminated.

As usual, the May revision relies on plenty of the gimmicks that we all have become accustomed to, such as the smooth assurance that Proposition 98 will be fully funded—even though, as CSBA Assistant Executive Director Rick Pratt points out, “The Proposition 98 increase of $198 million actually represents a reduction of nearly $800 million in funding received by schools” (see his analysis on page 4). Selling shares in the lottery is the latest gamble; if voters don’t like that, how about a 1-cent sales tax hike? This is like opening a jigsaw puzzle box only to find that most of the pieces are missing, so we force the ones we have together or file them down to make them fit. California has had a budget deficit in nine of the last 10 years. We have borrowed and used accounting tricks, hoping that good times were just around the corner. Under similar circumstances, a legitimate business would have closed its doors years ago.

This can’t be a cuts-only budget, and the state must stop using what is now very old glue to patch the multiple holes it has ignored for a decade. If cuts are needed this year, they must be accompanied by a plan that produces a stable revenue stream that will address the long-term needs of California, not more year-to-year tinkering around the edges. In the era of term limits, it is hard to find leaders who can come up with solutions that will outlast their short stay in office. We challenge the governor and the Legislature to develop and enact the policies essential to the future of our great state.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of CSBA’s Delegate Assembly, we are now well positioned to fully engage in a statewide discussion about increased revenue. The delegates passed a set of principles to guide the association in evaluating any revenue enhancement measures that may be considered by the Legislature or voters. CSBA is not currently supporting or advocating for a particular revenue plan, but the delegates’ careful deliberations put us on record in favor of principles of adequacy, equity and simplicity in any plan that does emerge. The school board members who give so much of their time to serve on your Delegate Assembly can be proud of their conscientious effort, and they are to be applauded for their outstanding work.

Over the next few months, the Legislature will be very busy with the budget. Please know that CSBA’s staff and officers—and, I’m sure, many of you—will also be busy ensuring that the state does not close its budget gap by widening the gap between the resources schools need to be successful and what the governor is willing to give them.