PTA Legislative Alert: VOICES FOR EDUCATION HEARD IN SACRAMENTO: “The Governor’s administration …is urging school districts to maintain current staffing and programmatic levels for the coming school year”.

California State PTA Legislative Alert

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Voices for education heard in Sacramento

June 29, 2011 - Late last night, the Legislature approved a majority vote budget that maintains current levels of funding for K-12 education, if the revenue assumptions it is based on hold true.

This budget does not reflect the stable, long-term solution we hoped for.  And it does not protect and invest in children at a level that our children need.

This is, in large part, because the Governor was not able to secure the necessary two-thirds vote in the Legislature for the extension of temporary taxes.

However, the “worst case” scenario, an "all cuts" budget solution was avoided.
While far from perfect, this budget shows that your voices and those of other education advocates were heard in Sacramento.

Thanks to everyone who wrote a letter, sent an e-mail, participated in a rally, made a call or visited their legislator.  You truly made a difference for the children of California.

Here is a brief first look at the K-12 education budget | http://bit.ly/kICgm8

June 29, 2011: A first brief look at the budget

Late last night, the Legislature approved a majority vote budget that – if the revenue assumptions it is based on hold true – would maintain current levels of funding for K-12 education.

While this budget does not reflect the stable, long-term solution we hoped for (the Governor was not able to secure the necessary two-thirds vote by the Legislature for the extension of temporary taxes), it does show that our voices and those of other education advocates were heard in Sacramento.

An “all cuts” budget solution was avoided – and the funding level for K-12 education will be $350 per student higher than what the Governor originally proposed in January, although $2.2 billion of that money will be deferred until next year.

The approved budget is based on alternative revenues sources and projections of $4 billion in increased revenues. Additional midyear cuts will be automatically triggered if the anticipated revenues do not come in. Of most interest to schools: If revenues do not grow by at least $2 billion, $1.9 billion in cuts will be triggered. Most of these would fall within the education sector, including an elimination of state funding for Home-to-School Transportation ($248 million) and a reduction of up to seven days in the school year ($1.5 billion). Major additional cuts to higher education would also be triggered.

The decision on whether these triggers will be pulled and additional midyear cuts made will occur no later than December 15. The cuts would then be effective starting in January. The Governor’s administration is confident that revenue projections will be met and is urging school districts to maintain current staffing and programmatic levels for the coming school year.

We will continue to analyze and share information about other important aspects of this budget.

Certainly, higher education, child care, healthcare, child welfare and other services for children and families will be impacted. Remember: More than $10 billion in cuts was previously approved by the Legislature in March (on top of $18 billion in previous cuts to education), so the overall impact on children and families is still enormous.

But we have been successful in preventing deeper cuts for now.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to write a letter, send an e-mail, participate in a rally, make a call or visit your legislator. You have truly made a difference for the children of California!