News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending June 25
Sacramento
In the past few years, the State has deferred payments to school districts to address budgetary and cash flow problems at the State level. This practice has gotten so bad that numerous school districts have had to take out loans to address their own cash flow issues. In a bit of good news, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed a bill that does not give districts all the money they should receive before June 30, but at least 57 percent. At least $1.1 billion will still come late.
Reforming State and Local Governance
November 2010 will once again be busy for voters. Ballot measures to legalize marijuana, decrease the margin needed to pass a State budget, increase the margin to increase fees, repeal AB 32, Congressional redistricting, eliminate the newly created commission on redistricting means there will be plenty of commercials on the television.
School Districts Impacts
After passing three parcel taxes in the past eight years, Alameda Unified School District lost their latest attempt by a slim margin of one percent with 65.6% Yes.
In a growing trend, employee groups are agreeing to salary rollbacks in addition to furlough days. In Saddleback, teachers and other certificated employees must take a 9.73 percent pay cut that includes a mix of furlough days, higher insurance costs and salary rollbacks. In Sacramento, SCTA members will be required to give up $950 in salary in each of the two years of the agreement. District officials say that the $2.1 million in savings from that giveback this year is the equivalent of three furlough days for SCTA members.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through June 18
Federal News
California will not be receiving any help with their budget from the Federal government when a $23 billion aid package was defeated in the Senate.
Sacramento News
Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has introduced a bill directly responding to issues raised in a February lawsuit challenging the large-scale layoffs of teachers at three Los Angeles Unified middle schools and in low-performing schools elsewhere in California. The bill would explicitly give superintendents and schools boards the authority to override teacher seniority rules in order to prevent disproportionate layoffs at any school. A federal judge ruled last month that districts already have this power under state law; they just don’t use it.
Reforming State and Local Governance
One issue facing State and local governments is rising pension costs. Some states have begun changing the pension benefits to address the issue. With California facing its third multi-billion-dollar budget deficit in as many years, four state labor unions have agreed to roll back pension benefits for their new hires and increase retirement contributions for all state employees. In the meantime, CalPERS boosted the state’s annual pension payment 18 percent, up $600 million to $3.9 billion, and the question now is how big will increases be in the future?
School District Impacts
Complicating school districts ability to develop and approve thier budgets is ongoing negotiations. If negotiations bog down into impasse then districts like Hayward can not meet their budget deadline.
News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending June 11
Federal
The House approved a teacher jobs bill in December, but that legislation stalled in the Senate. With lawmakers wary of moving big spending measures, the upcoming bill may be the last vehicle that could carry the teacher money before the November elections.
Sacramento
Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor believes it may be unavoidable – and may be preferable – to suspend Proposition 98, the primary method of funding K-12 schools and community colleges, in a year when the state is struggling to close a massive $20 billion deficit.
Larry Aceves, a candidate backed school administrator pulled off a surprise victory in the race of State Superintendent of Schools. He will be in a runoff against Senator Tom Torklason, a CTA backed candidate. Education reform candidate Senator Gloria Romero, finished third.
Under SB X5-1 (sections 14-15), which the Legislature passed in January to promote the state’s Race to the Top application, the State Board of Education must vote up or down on the Academic Content Standards Commission’s common-core recommendations by Aug. 2. The catch is that SB 5X-1 requires that the Academic Content Standards Commission verify that the new common-core standards are as “high-quality” as California’s standards. By the time the commission holds its first meeting, on Thursday, June 17, it will have less than a month before it must report its findings to the State Board of Education.
In response to attacks from CTA, Senator Steinberg tells his side of the story.
As if getting a budget passed and signed on time is not already near impossible, Governor Schwarzenegger is reaffirming his pledge to not sign a budget without public employee pension reform.
Reforming State and Local Governance
With the passage Proposition 14, everyone is guessing what the impact will on the future of state politics and the Legislature.
School Districts Impacts
As school districts looks for additional revenue, Board members should make sure staff has reviewed all of the implications of implementing a “pay to play” practice.
News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending June 4
Sacramento
For nearly three decades, California’s largest teachers union has all but handpicked the candidate who went on to win the race for state superintendent of public instruction. In a packed field of 12 candidates, three have emerged as the top contenders for the nonpartisan job. All three are Democrats, two of whom are splitting the support of the education establishment, and a third who has attracted support of non-establishment education reformers.
Proposed legislation that would require all incoming kindergartners be 5 years old by Sept. 1 cleared the state Senate on Wednesday and is now headed to the Assembly for consideration. The Kindergarten Readiness Bill, authored by state Sen. Pete Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would move the state’s kindergarten-age cutoff date from the current Dec. 2 to Sept. 1.
School Districts Impacts
In a legal case challenging a school district ability to charge different rates for parcels, Alameda Unified School District received a favorable ruling from Alameda Superior Court. The plaintiffs plan to appeal.
Elk Grove Unified School District teachers gave overwhelming approval Tuesday night to a two-year contract that included a pay cut, nine furlough days, an increase in their medical co-pay and the suspension of an annual bonus from lottery funds.
San Diego city schools on a traditional calendar will end the academic year a week early next year to accommodate five mandatory furlough days for its 15,000 employees, the school board has decided.
The union that represents San Francisco teachers has approved a labor contract that reduces the number of layoffs and shortens the school year by four days.
Teachers in the Long Beach Unified School District will take unpaid furlough days next school year, resulting in five fewer days of student instruction, – the maximum reduction allowed by state officials next school year as part of an effort to help districts balance their budgets.
With their school district facing a $5 million budget shortfall in the next fiscal year, Lucia Mar school district trustees decided Tuesday to show their support for district staff by taking a pay cut. The $456 monthly stipend received by the seven board members will be reduced by 5 percent.
At Natomas Unified School District, the school library has become a luxury that can’t be afforded.