Sacramento Road Trip 2011 - Elementary School Position [1]

K-12 Education Took Biggest Cuts

State Budget General Fund Expenditures by Major Program Areas (Dollars in Billions)

2007-08           2008-09           2009-10            2010-11             % chg

K-12 Education               $42.5               $35.5               $34.6               $36.3               (14.5)

Higher Education            11.8                 11.7                 10.6                 11.6               (1.4)

Health/Human Svcs        29.7                 30.9                 25.0                 27.0               (9.3)

Corrections/Rehab.         10.2                 10.3                 8.2                   9.3               (9.0)

Natural Resources            1.9                   2.0                   1.9                   2.0                  8.3

School districts have taken proportionately more cuts than other segments of the state budget and if we are forced – due to a failure to insure at least a flat level of funding – to take more cuts, we are deep into people and programs. [2]

In our five local districts the “easy” cuts have been made.  These include materials and supplies, “fat,” cuts “away from the classroom.” In the last three years we’ve gone much further.  We have already negotiated compensation concessions, raised class sizes, eliminated summer school and other programs, and laid off 660 employees across all five districts, a reduction of 13.5% of our workforce.

The next cuts come from the same places, only deeper – it’s where the money is:

• Negotiated compensation reductions (furloughs, across the board salary cuts, etc) [2] [2]
• Reduction in Staff – each elementary district has taken action to serve layoff notices to teachers.  Hart has noticed counselors and psychologists. [2]
• Increased Class Size [2]
• Shorter school year [2]
• Lost Programs (i.e. music, library, physical education, after school enrichment, summer school) [2]
• Transportation Cuts [2]

The Governor’s budget assumes that the temporary taxes are extended by the voters for five more years. The budget also proposes that additional reductions be made in the event that the tax extensions are not approved. This leaves schools in a position of needing at least two plans:

• Option 1 – flat funding – continues the funding level contained in the enacted budget for 2010-11 into 2011-12
• Option 2 – a $2 billion reduction in funding – results in a loss of about $330 per ADA for the average district.

Districts are planning for both eventualities until the fate of the tax extensions is determined.

Additionally, economic changes between now and enactment of the 2011-12 budget could also cause a revision, up or down.