News Impacting CA School Districts Through August 28
Federal News
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s call to adopt sweeping education reforms that would dramatically reshape California’s public education system and qualify the state for competitive federal school funding.
The National Education Association (NEA) has formally announced its opposition to core elements of the administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top fund.
Sacramento News
The Department of Finance released its most recent multiyear budget forecast. Projections show an operating shortfall of $7.4 billion in 2010-11, widening to $15.5 billion in 2011-12, the first year of the next governor’s term in office. In the past two elections, the governor had to make difficult choices before he unpacked his things.
Keep an eye on this story. State property tax values fell 2.4%, the first such drop since California began keeping records 76 years ago in the depths of the Great Depression. The 2.4% drop in the assessed value of all taxable property statewide means California will sending more General Fund dollars to fund Prop 98 since the property tax dollar offset is dropping.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Whenever groups attempt to develop a reform package, there is the chance of a quid pro quo. Calbuzz examines California Forward reform package and discovers an interesting item that would limit the Legislature’s ability to raise revenue through “mitigation fees” on business.
The Senate Local Government Committee has updated its fact sheets on California’s cities, counties, special districts and redevelopment agencies in the committee’s on-line reference library.
School District Impacts
You know there are problems with public education funding when a regional magazine covers the impacts on local school districts. Diablo Magazine prepared an article detailing impact of $100 million in revenue losses to suburban school districts east of San Francisco. Superintendents in all districts have been left with little choice but to slice into programs, increase class sizes, or reduce staffing. Unfortunately, district leaders expect to be slammed with more bad budget news next year.
A group of high school student researchers — the Council of Youth Research, sponsored by UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (IDEA) — spent five summer weeks this year researching the effects of education cuts in Los Angeles-area schools and neighborhoods.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through August 21
Federal News
Schwarzenegger said he is calling a special legislative session to do away with laws that might make California ineligible for federal Race to the Top funds. He has asked state Legislators to present him with a package by early October that would lift the state’s charter school cap and allow teacher evaluations to be linked to student test scores.
Sacramento News
Dan Walters comments on the uphill struggle for a bill that would prohibit a local school district from mandating college prep unless it also “adopts an optional graduation requirement that requires the completion of an equal amount of course-work to attain entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high school”.
Peter Schrag comments on “myths” of the California budgetary problems.
Reforming State and Local Governance
The Governor was busy suggesting reforming the pension system and creating a part-time Legislature. Meanwhile Repair California, California Forward and the California Action Network are preparing their reform packages for next year’s ballot.
La Mesa has become one of the first cities to launch part of a pension reform pushed by a group of city managers in San Diego County — have workers make annual payments to help fund their pensions
School District Impacts
As school begin to open many class rooms will see more students in their classrooms as class size reduction is phased out.
Last minute fund raising restores some of the cuts made in March for this Bay Area school district.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through August 14
Federal News
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. Education Department is engaged in a high-pressure campaign to get states to lift limits on charter schools through a $4 billion education fund, Race to the Top, that encourages more charters as one of the criteria for states to qualify for a piece of the pie. A total of 40 states and the District of Columbia permit charter schools.
The press continues to cover the issue regarding California’s eligibility to receive Race to the Top federal grant dollars due to existing legislative language prohibiting the use data to measure teacher effectiveness.
Sacramento News
State textbook adoption cycles are suspended as a result of the recent passage of the State budget. However, 10 electronic textbooks for high school have been approved.
On the budget front, July revenues are actually above forecast. Do not celebrate too much. A revision to July forecast and low revenue month means the impact is very small.
Sacramento Bee cartoonist Rex Babin take on Crowd Control.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Will unsustainable pension benefits force the Legislature to reexamine CALPERS?
Los Angeles Times George Skelton writes on polarization in the State Legislature is paralyzing the State.
School District Impacts
The Santa Rosa school district is examining allowing corporate naming rights for school properties to raise revenues.
The elimination of class size reduction is beginning to show with schools opening. In Manteca, the first day impacts was glaringly with 42 students in one classroom.
Another school district decides to go to the voters for a parcel tax extension.
Local school districts in the North Coast area are using federal stimulus monies to make through 2009/10. What happens in 2010/11 is another question.
Raising $2.8 million in six weeks seems ambitious to save programs from cuts implemented in March.
As local school budgets get smaller, inter-district transfer recruiting is becoming a sore point in the North Coast area.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through August 7
Federal News
The state Senate will hold hearings later this month to determine if legislators need to change a California law governing the use of student test scores in order to qualify for Race To the Top federal grant dollars. Perhaps the real work of determining eligibility will be done by Attorney General Jerry Brown
Sacramento News
School districts are worried about mid-year cuts even as the ink is drying on the approved budget.
In case you are counting, the Governor signed 128 bills and vetoed nine bills.
Reforming State and Local Governance
The crash in revenue collection that began 19 months ago forced lawmakers in the past two years to make the deepest cuts to the state’s discretionary fund in the history of the Golden State.
On page seven of this Field Poll report, California voters support for Prop 13 remains strong after thirty years.
For the policy wonks, you can review the guidelines issued by the California State Auditor for California’s new law for drawing boundary lines for State Assembly, State Senate, and State Board of Equalization districts.
School District Impacts
Natomas School District approved August layoffs of teachers and counselors.
As school districts struggle with shrinking budgets, look for more calls to sell under utilized school properties.
School districts that are looking to take advantage of lower penalties for Class Size Reduction are having difficulty implementing those changes due to local contract language.
An emerging trend as more school districts pay to study implementing a local parcel tax.