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July 2009
 | CSBA Assistant Executive Director Rick Pratt, left, joins state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and Susan Miller, interim superintendent at Sacramento City Unified School District, in a June news conference highlighting the impact of the latest round of state budget cuts to education, the fourth in less than a year. |
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31 July 2009 - The line item vetoes for education were relatively minor; they include eliminating duplicative funding for special education transportation and funding for the Curriculum Commission, which is not necessary as there will not be any instructional materials adoptions for the next four years. Health and welfare programs didn’t fare as well; they incurred a further cut of $50 million to the Healthy Families program that provides low- or no-cost insurance to children who don’t qualify for Medi-Cal.
28 July 2009 - The U.S. Department of Education on Friday released draft priorities and requirements for states planning to apply for $4.35 billion in “Race to the Top” funds, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
28 July 2009 - "Once again, the Governor and legislative leaders have failed our students," said Scott P. Plotkin, executive director of the California School Boards Association. "Our kids are paying the consequences for the state’s unacceptable funding system. These cuts will cause lasting harm to our students and our state’s ability to compete and succeed in the future.”
24 July 2009 - Four days after the initial announcement that a deal had been struck between the legislative leadership and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Legislature pulled an all-nighter and met through the wee small hours of the morning, through the late morning and finally into the middle of the afternoon to pass a package of bills that addresses the state’s $24 billion deficit. By the time both houses had adjourned, approximately 30 bills had been approved. Some—including the education bills—were passed on a two-thirds vote, and will take effect upon the governor’s signature. Others were approved by a simple majority vote that delays implementation by 90 days.
21 July 2009 - It is important to note that this is likely another stopgap measure and, as state general fund revenues continue to decline, the Legislature and the governor will have to address any additional shortfalls. Translation: more cuts.
21 July 2009 - An unprecedented summit drew approximately 500 elected local government officials from all over California to Sacramento last weekend for two days of strategic talks on reforming state-local government relations and financing.
21 July 2009 - A new bond financing opportunity under the federal stimulus program can help school districts, county offices of education and charter schools construct new facilities, purchase land and repair and renovate existing schools—and a new CSBA partnership can help applicants meet all the requirements in time for the first-round deadline of Aug. 25.
16 July 2009 - A budget deal may be reached by the weekend but over the past 24-48 hours it has become increasingly clear that the final stumbling point is school funding.
7 July 2009 - CSBA joined other education leaders today in denouncing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to suspend Proposition 98 and cut another $3 billion in education spending in the current budget year, which would increase the amount schools have lost over the past year to nearly $12 billion.
7 July 2009 - Several of CSBA’s leaders also wield increasing influence in the National School Boards Association.
1 July 2009 - At a press conference this morning, the governor said the new budget shortfall now stands at $26.3 billion and proposed to suspend Proposition 98 to reduce 2009-10 education funding by $3 billion.
In California School News
If legislators and the governor approve spending cuts for education that resemble those the Budget Conference Committee approved June 16, schools will have been cut over $5.2 billion in 2008–09. And that’s not counting inter-year deferrals and the reclassification of $1 billion in school funding in order to further erode Proposition 98’s minimum guarantee.
CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance and the Association of California School Administrators last month joined as plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to ensure that nearly $12 billion owed to public schools under Proposition 98’s minimum funding guarantee is eventually restored.
By the time we entered the fiscal year that began July 1, school budgets had been cut four times since September.
CSBA’s California Schools Business Affiliate program, which offers school-related businesses the chance to publicize their goods and services while supporting public education, begins its 11th year on July 1. The program had 122 affiliates last year.
All nominations must be postmarked or received by Friday, Aug. 21.
Registration is now open for CSBA’s annual Back-to-School Webcast, scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept. 24.
A well-known television news journalist and a best-selling writer and independent business consultant have joined the lineup of General Session speakers for CSBA’s 2009 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in San Diego Dec. 3–5.
The following is a status report on key education-related bills.
Speaking at the first day’s General Session will be John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The second day’s General Session will feature noted education policy expert Pedro Noguera.
For the third year in a row, new features have been added to CSBA’s Web-based agenda software, making it easier and more intuitive to navigate. The upgrades go live July 7.