Education advocates will fight governor’s special election agenda 

The California School Boards Association and other members of the Education Coalition said they are dismayed and disappointed that Gov. Schwarzenegger has called a costly special election Nov. 8 as part of his plan to gut Proposition 98 and assume sweeping new powers to make mid-year spending cuts.

“The governor says he wants to listen to the people,” said CSBA President Dr. Kerry Clegg. “Polls show that people don’t want a special election. The voters have shown that they support schools and minimum funding guarantees for education provided by Proposition 98.”

Clegg and other Education Coalition leaders spoke to reporters about their upcoming campaign against the governor’s special election agenda during a Sacramento press conference June 14, at which the coalition previewed a new radio ad that will play in both English and Spanish throughout the state. The new ad features interviews with parents who say they are disappointed that a governor who says he supports schools would call an expensive special election that will cost millions of dollars, while districts across the state are cutting services.

The Education Coalition “Protect 98” campaign focuses on the agreement the governor made with the public education community last year. Schools agreed to forgo $2 billion to which they were entitled under terms of Proposition 98 last year to help balance the state budget. In return, Schwarzenegger agreed to share future revenue increases with schools.

But his budget proposes reducing the Proposition 98 allocation to schools by more than $1.1 billion in each of the current and budget years, according to the state Legislative Analyst.

To make matters worse, Schwarzenegger’s special election initiative, the so-called “Live Within Our Means” act would amend the state constitution to eliminate vital Proposition 98 funding guarantees to schools and give the governor broad new powers to make across-the-board cuts without voter or legislative consent.

“We’re being told by the governor that we must ‘live within our means,’” said CSBA Executive Director Scott P. Plotkin. “And yet, he’s willing to spend tens of millions of dollars to hold a special election come November. California is in no position to spend millions of dollars in a special election, when vital programs are being cut and so many of our schools are struggling to make ends meet.”

Clegg said voters have made it clear that they support Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantees for public schools.

“The centerpiece of this special election is an initiative that would exacerbate an already inadequate education funding problem by eviscerating Proposition 98 and eliminating minimum funding guarantees for schools at a time when schools cannot afford to cut any more,” said Clegg, who told reporters that his own school board in the Sulphur Springs Union Elementary School District has cut 10 percent of its $25 million budget over the past four years.

“This year we have been forced to remove music teachers and some teachers’ aides. You can’t tell me that school districts are going to be happy with the governor’s budget and its purported ‘increase’ for schools.”

As of June 23, the secretary of state had certified eight initiatives for the special election ballot. Measures on the ballot so far cover everything from redistricting and use of union dues to prescription drug prices and waiting periods for teenagers seeking abortions. June 30 was the deadline for initiatives to qualify for the ballot. It was also the deadline for the state Legislature to adopt a constitutional amendment, bond measure or other legislative measure for the special election ballot.