The Challenge For Our Schools

California policymakers initially said 2008 would be “the year of education.” Instead, it turned out to be the year of the multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

Falling tax revenues have produced a state budget gap of approximately $17.2 billion,
prompting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to propose almost no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and a 6.5 percent reduction in categorical spending for California’s public schools.

So what does this all mean for Irvine?

Based on the above figures and enrollment projections, IUSD has reduced its ongoing costs by $6.145 million and generated an additional $6.45 million in one-time savings, including $5 million secured by freezing nonessential expenditures during the last six months of the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The final budget for 2008-09, approved June 24, outlines $212.9 million worth of expenditures – both restricted and unrestricted – against $208.2 million worth of total revenue, leaving a negative balance of about $4.7 million. IUSD had planned for the latter shortfall, which will be offset by one-time savings

Irvine and other school districts in California are required to submit their annual budgets on or before
June 30 each year. While the state also shares this deadline, legislative leaders rarely meet it, forcing
education officials at the local level to make important financial decisions based on the governor’s proposals
from January and May. However, once the state officially adopts its spending plan – this will likely occur
in August or September – IUSD will have 45 days to make any necessary adjustments.

Approved Budget Reductions for 2008-09

In response to the state’s fiscal crisis, the Board of Education on April 15 reluctantly approved all but one of the items on staff’s recommended list of budget reductions for 2008-09. The exception was item 5b, which would have reduced science instruction in grades four and five. Board members opted instead to preserve 120 minutes of fourth- and fifth-grade science instruction per week, directing staff to utilize one-time funds from an Irvine Ranch Water District reserve account.

IUSD is required to adopt its budget no later than June 30. However, many staffing decisions must be made sooner to ensure that principals have enough time to strategically and thoughtfully develop the best possible instructional programs for students.

Of the cuts made April 15, approximately $6.15 million will produce an ongoing savings that could help IUSD weather a multiyear fiscal crisis; the rest – approximately $6.45 million – comes from one-time funds that will help bridge the gap in 2008-09.

Parents, staff, community members and the Board had previously weighed in on proposed budget adjustments in public meetings and through suggestions submitted online. As a result, class-size reduction caps in the third and ninth grades were spared, and staff rescinded recommendations to trim athletics, media specialists, support for larger classes and the district’s popular Secondary Writing Project.

How to Advocate Against Cuts to Education

Write a letter to the Governor insisting he not penalize our students for the state’s budget woes.
(View a Sample Letter)

Contact your local Assembly member or Senator to urge the rejection the Governor’s proposed cuts.
(View a Sample Letter)

Write a letter to the editor of your favorite newspaper opposing the Governor’s proposed cuts to education.

• Irvine World News: ddennis@ocregister.com. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity, and those of less than 200 words will be given preference. All letters must include a name, city of residence and a phone number. The number will not be published.

• Orange County Register: letters@ocregister.com or P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1626. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity, and those of about 200 words will be given preference. All letters must include a name and telephone number, which will not be published.
  
  
• Los Angeles Times: ocletters@latimes.com or 202 W. 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please do not send group letters or attachments.

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