CA School Finance News Through June 19
Federal Stimulus Monies
While the White House was able to get Stimulus Bill through Congress, the initial bailout request for California has been spurned.
Sacramento News
By Wednesday, the state’s budget standoff seemed either to be approaching its final chapter, or on the verge of unraveling entirely, depending on your vantage point in the state Capitol. Current budget legislation contains provisions for reducing the school year 5 days and suspending the California High School Exit Exam. Superintendent O’Connell praised Governor for his stated intention to veto the suspension of the CAHSEE.
The big sticking point in the budget is TAXES. This week a blue-ribbon commission rewriting California’s tax code agreed on a policy framework. Of course the devil will be in the details.
California’s general fund budget is dependent on personal income taxes for about half of its support, which is why it and other states with high dependence are feeling the nation’s most severe budget pinches, a new study by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Government Institute reveals.
Pollsters characterized the May 19 vote against five budget measures as an order to a dysfunctional state government to fix California’s budget mess – and do so quickly and not necessarily a wholesale rejection of any new taxes.
Parcel taxes coverage continues as the Wall Street Journal writes about the passage of Piedmont’s $2000 per parcel tax.
Here is a handy document to help you understand how we got into the current fix and why Sacramento has become so dysfunctional when it comes to managing the state’s finances.
A number of California education organizations have filed suit accusing the state of violating federal laws and the state constitution by suspending the monitoring of specialized education programs for at least one year
The California Republican Party is running a pointed ad on YouTube in a low-budget answer to the Service Employee International Union’s $1 million television advertising blitz urging lawmakers to consider new taxes along with spending cuts
Technically, the state has an approved budget for 2009/10. Therefore, state finance officials say there’s a chance state government might have to do what it hasn’t done in 17 years: issue IOUs instead of paying its bills.
School District Headlines
Many school districts like San Diego are making cuts to balance the 2009/10 budget and waiting until next year to deal with 2010/11. Here maybe the reason why .
Staying the Course
- School board approves budget: Temecula district expects to spend $7 million more than it takes in
- Vista school trustees use federal money to save jobs
Employee Negotiations
- The Long Beach Board of Education, on a 3-to-1 vote, approved a resolution that district officials say was legally required to give board members the power next school year to cut employee compensation, which could include pay and benefits.
- Antioch district to alert administrators they may lose jobs
- Claremont teachers agree to no raise for coming school year
Implementing Cuts
- San Jose Unified approves raising class sizes in grades K-2 Interesting side effect is the “perceived fairness” as condition to implementing a shorter school year.
- Salinas high school district lays off 13 workers
- 230 Lodi Unified workers to lose jobs
- Natomas trustees slash $4 million from district budget
- Doors closed at three Chino Valley schools
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