California School Boards Association responds to Governor Brown’s May budget revision
West Sacramento, Calif. – The California School Boards Association applauds Governor Brown’s continued attempt to resolve the state’s $26.6 billion budget gap with a balanced approach that relies on both spending cuts and revenue extensions. This approach is absolutely essential if deeper cuts to public school funding are to be avoided.
Even after the spending cuts approved last March and higher-than-expected revenues, the state still has a $9.6 billion budget gap, and revenues must be a part of the solution. As the May Revision states, failure to get the necessary revenues by extending existing tax rates could “require a suspension of the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee and deep reductions” to K-12 funding.
The Governor’s proposal that revenue extensions be subject to voter approval at a later, unspecified date is troubling, in that it does nothing to resolve the uncertainty facing school districts now as they prepare to meet their legal obligation to adopt their own budgets in less than a month, and to begin the new school year in late summer.
“The fact is, schools need real revenue now,” said Martha Fluor, CSBA President and board trustee for Newport-Mesa Unified School District. “School board members must base their decisions on revenue they can count on when finalizing district budgets in June. The consequences of not extending revenues beyond this fall will result in laying off more teachers, cutting additional instructional days, closing more schools and eliminating the very programs that ensure student success.”
Parents and community members understand that investing in education is the foundation of a strong economy and a well-educated workforce – now is the time for our lawmakers to begin making that investment.
For more information, please contact Brittany McKannay at (916) 669-3244.