With education composing 40 percent of the state budget and Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger cutting programs without Legislature
approval, educators across the state are bracing for a second year
of cuts in the middle of the budget cycle.
”
We’re waiting and seeing. We’ll have to just see what happens in
January,
”
said Jackie Munoz, superintendent of the Aromas-San Juan Unified
School District.
With education composing 40 percent of the state budget and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cutting programs without Legislature approval, educators across the state are bracing for a second year of cuts in the middle of the budget cycle.
“We’re waiting and seeing. We’ll have to just see what happens in January,” said Jackie Munoz, superintendent of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District.
On Thursday, Schwarzenegger, without the Legislature, restored funds to local governments, and announced the possibility of cutting into higher education.
“Most people knew that he could not balance the budget and take away the car tax and not cut education,” said Jean Burns Slater, superintendent of the San Benito High School District. “It’s not a surprise, more like a disappointment.”
Cutting higher education is unfortunate because they have already been cut to the bone, said Judith Barranti, superintendent of the Hollister School District. One of the best things about California is that it provided a quality education for anyone who wanted it, she said.
The only thing educators can do right now is prepare for the worst-case scenario, said Peter Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of the HSD.
Slater, along with superintendents across the state, will be attending conferences and workshops in January to get as much information about the state’s financial situation that is available. Slater said her goal is to hear the different points of view.
Declining enrollment in San Benito County is also an issue since schools will be receiving less revenue from the state based on Average Daily Attendance.
“It’s worrisome that (Schwarzenegger) would put education funding in jeopardy,” Barranti said. “We have declining enrollment, which means revenue for the district is less and our costs keep going up. It’s going to be hard to keep our programs going.”
While Barranti understands education gets the “lion’s share” of the budget, she argued that schools are barely making it now.
Funding areas that have already been cut or deferred into the future include school safety, mandatory costs and deferred maintenance.
One solution to the budget problem Schwarzenegger is pushing is putting a bond on the March ballot, but a downside is that California’s bond rating is going down the tube, Slater said.
From last year’s budget cuts, school districts have already been making cuts to the section of the budget not tied up in staff pay and benefits. About 20 percent is left.
“At the district level, we’ve been looking at ways to cut money, including our garbage pickup and uniforms,” Barranti said. “From the district office here, I can’t do that in Sacramento (where it needs it most).”
Though most school districts will come out of the budget crunch alive, educators don’t know how alive.
“Something has to give, and it’s going to hurt,” Gutierrez said.
