News Impacting CA Schools for the Week Ending Jan 22
Federal
President Obama announced he’ll ask Congress for $1.35 billion to extend an education grant program for more states and local school districts to win grants.
Assuming that Congress goes along, districts will compete for an additional $1.3 billion Race to the top grants later this year or early in 2011. That way, innovative districts won’t be cheated by governors, like Rick Perry of Texas, who refused to compete for the money – dismissing Race to the Top as a federal intrusion – or states that submitted pedestrian applications that were denied money.
40 states and the District of Columbia submitted applications to compete in Phase 1 of Race to the Top. Which raises the question: Do Federal education dollars work? Here is the Department of Education’s 2009 assessment of education performance and accountability.
Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts jolted the political world, and may spell the end for President Obama’s health care legislation. But what are the edu-implications?
Sacramento
State Superintendent Public Instruction Jack O’Connell delivered his 7th annual State of Education Address. In his speech to educators, policymakers, students, and parents, O’Connell highlighted progress made over the past seven years in improving student achievement and applauded California’s educators for doing the hard work to achieve these results even as schools were forced to absorb deep cuts in funding.
A new report by UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (IDEA) studies impact of state budget cuts on high poverty school districts.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Californians for Improved School Funding is proposing an initiative to amend the California Constitution so that special taxes for local school districts, commonly known as parcel taxes, can be approved by a 55-percent vote of the qualified electors. This initiative, known as the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act, would let communities raise operating funds for their local schools with a 55-percent “yes” vote, provided the accountability and disclosure requirements included in the initiative are met.
With unemployment running over 12 percent, California has already borrowed more than $6 billion from the federal government to keep unemployment insurance checks flowing. That’s nearly three times as much as New York, the second biggest borrower of UI funds.
School Districts Impacts
Tuolomne County Schools
A panel of parents, school board members and school officials identified various cost-saving ways to share services between districtsat a first-of-a-kind summit. The Shared Services Summit, held at Sonora Elementary School, organized by the Sonora Elementary Board of Trustees and school parents, was attended by representatives and interested parties from the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office and the following school districts: Jamestown, Belleview, Big Oak Flat-Groveland, Curtis Creek, Sonora Elementary, Sonora High, Soulsbyville, Summerville Union High School and Twain Harte-Long Barn.
Temecula School District
The Temecula school district plans to ask its unions for major salary concessions as it looks to cut $26 million from its 2010-11 budget. Balancing the budget will take a combination of concessions from the district’s two labor unions and its management team, as well as layoffs, Okun said. He told trustees he is looking to cut $18 million to $22 million in labor costs .
Capistrano Unified School District
The Capistrano Unified School District faces at least a $21.5 million deficit over the next 18 months, but stands poised to close its budget gap through sound financial planning and aggressive cost-cutting measures, including seeking pay cuts from employees, Interim Superintendent Bobbi Mahler said.
Lake Elsinore School District
Lake Elsinore school trustees announced this week that the district will ask all employees to agree to a 10 percent pay cut to preserve jobs and keep schools open as administrators look to close a $19.9 million budget deficit. If the deal is approved by the district’s two unions, trustees say, it is anticipated that there will be no layoffs or additional school closures in 2010-11.
Fremont Union High School District
The Fremont Union High School District will ask voters this May to approve a parcel tax. The board of trustees has agreed to put the measure on a May 4 ballot. The measure asks voters to renew the district’s existing parcel for another six years. The current tax, which brings in approximately $5.2 million annually, or about 5 percent of the district’s budget, expires June 2011.
Fontana Unified School District
Fontana Unified School District is facing the worst budget deficit they have seen and could lead to layoffs and deep program cuts. The district faces a projected $28 million shortfall for the 2010-11 school year.
Vista Unified School District
A month after the Vista Unified School District declared an impasse in budget negotiations with its teachers union, hundreds of teachers flooded and slowed down a school board meeting by asking to speak to every possible item on the agenda. Most of the teachers who spoke said they were upset with the district’s plan to cut their pay by 2 percent and cut their work year by five days.
Oxnard Union High School District
A divided Oxnard Union High School District board voted to cut hours for 30 food service workers at various campuses.
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