Category Archives: Budget cuts

The Reporter: Sequestered cuts would hit Travis Unified School District hard

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If Congress doesn’t act before Friday, officials from one local school district say its operations will face severe cuts on day one of the so-called federal sequestration and not just over time, as some analysts are predicting.

Sequestered cuts to the federal budget are set to take effect Friday and the White House said this past weekend that would include cuts to federal school “Impact Aid,” a program that helps school districts impacted by a federal presence by providing them an “in-lieu of tax” payment. In Solano County, Travis Unified School District relies heavily on federal impact aid to educate more than 5,400 students.

via Sequestered cuts would hit Travis Unified School District hard.

The Reporter: Vacaville schools keep ‘fingers crossed’ in U.S. government’s threat of budget cuts

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By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.com

The threat of government cuts continues to loom and unless Congress acts by Friday, $85 billion in forced cuts are set to take effect from March-September, impacting every state in the union.The White House compiled numbers from federal agencies and its own budget office on how the cuts might impact each state and released those figures this past weekend. The numbers reflect the impact of the cuts this year.

As to whether states could move money around to cover shortfalls, the White House said that depends on state budget structures and the specific programs, though administration officials did not have a list of which states or programs might have flexibility.

via Vacaville schools keep ‘fingers crossed’ in US government’s threat ….

EdSource Today: Districts must return to 180-day instructional year by 2015-16

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By 

Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature agree: The state should again require a minimum 180-day school year, starting in 2015-16.

Brown confirmed his view in a section of  the 154-page education “trailer bill,” the supplemental legislation accompanying the state budget, that the administration released last week.

The Legislature reduced the minimum number of instructional days to 175 in 2008, amid severe cuts in school funding, in order to allow school districts to shut down operations and use staff furloughs instead of additional layoffs. Lawmakers set an expiration date at the end of the 2014-15 school year. Brown is recommending the same timetable.

via Districts must return to 180-day instructional year by 2015-16 – by John Fensterwald.

Education Week: Obama to Congress: Halt Automatic Cuts to Federal Education Spending

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by Alyson Klein

President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to temporarily delay a series of automatic, across-the-board cuts set to hit federal K-12 education spending—as well as defense, criminal justice, and a whole host of other programs—on March 1.

Obama is putting forward a package of tax changes and spending cuts intended to buy some time so that lawmakers can come up with a broader agreement on spending. But he wasn’t specific in a short speech Tuesday about just how long he was seeking to postpone the cuts—published reports say a few months—or exactly how he would pay for the delay.

via Obama to Congress: Halt Automatic Cuts to Federal Education Spending.

SF Public Press: Tuition Refund Will Net CSU Students $250, but Set System Back $132 Million

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by Lissette Alvarez

A tuition refund of $249 or more per semester that the California State University system is planning to give most full-time students will be a godsend for thousands feeling financially pinched in their academic pursuits.

But the move will also reduce tuition revenues into the system by about 3 percent this school year — money that administrators will have to find somewhere else if they want to avoid further cutbacks.

via Tuition Refund Will Net CSU Students $250, but Set System Back $132 Million.

Education Week: Fiscal Cliff Cheat Sheet: 10 Frequently Asked Questions

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by Alyson Klein

Almost as soon as President Barack Obama was re-elected, the coming fiscal cliff took center stage. Lawmakers and the Obama administration are supposed to solve the problem in a planned “lame-duck” session of Congress, which starts today.

That means we can expect to hear the words “entitlements”, “revenue”, “loopholes”, and “sequestration” a whole lot for the next couple months. What does it all mean for you, as a teacher/principal/superintendent/policy person?

via Fiscal Cliff Cheat Sheet: 10 Frequently Asked Questions.

Dixon Tribune’s Facebook Wall: Brian Dolan: Prop 30’s passage is a “big sigh of relief”

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Brianna Boyd
Editor

A giant sigh of relief.

That was Dixon Unified Superintendent Brian Dolan’s first reaction early Wednesday morning when he learned, just after 1 a.m., that Proposition 30 was approved by California voters.

If Governor Jerry Brown’s proposition had failed at the polls, Dixon Unified would have faced a $1.5 million cut in January, a $4 million reduction for next year’s budget and another $5.5 million cut in 2014-15. The cuts would have added “insult to injury” Dolan said for a district that is already operating on a bare bones budget due to the state’s financial crisis.

via Dolan: Prop 30’s passage is a “big sigh of relief”

 

Education Week: Congress Likely to Stay Divided, Will Gridlock on K-12 Continue?

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by Alyson Klein

The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to stay in GOP hands and the Senate under Democratic control, according to the Associated Press. Over the past two years, that combination has meant a lot of sniping and not much action on big issues, including the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

So does two more years of a divided Congress mean two more years of gridlock on key issues? Lawmakers will get their first test soon. Even before the new Congress takes office, lawmakers must figure out a plan to head off “sequestration,” a series of planned, 8.2 percent trigger cuts to nearly every federal K-12 program, including special education and money for disadvantaged students.

via Congress Likely to Stay Divided, Will Gridlock on K-12 Continue?.

EdSource Today: Big districts divided over cutting school year if Prop. 30 fails

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By Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald

California’s 30 largest school districts are about evenly divided on whether they plan to further shorten this academic year if Proposition 30 fails next week, according to a new survey by EdSource Today. A third of the districts have already negotiated with their unions to lop anywhere from a week to a month from the school calendar if the initiative is defeated. Slightly more than a third report that they do not plan any more furlough days, and the rest say that a shorter school year remains an option that they plan to raise with their unions.

Responses from the 30 largest school districts, enrolling a third of the state’s 6.2 million students (see chart below), represent a snapshot of how school officials and teachers unions will deal with the consequences if Prop. 30 is defeated. However, the picture remains fluid. Some districts shifted their positions during the two weeks that EdSource Today collected information, and others offered ambiguous answers, reflecting uncertainty over how they’ll respond to a sizable cut to their budgets.

via Big districts divided over cutting school year if Prop. 30 fails – by Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald.

Daily Republic: Columnist gives stories behind state ballot issues

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by Barry Eberling

FAIRFIELD — Political columnist Dan Walters on Wednesday shared views on the upcoming election that go beyond what can be found in advertisements or the voter’s pamphlet.

Walters, who writes for the Sacramento Bee and whose columns appear in the Daily Republic, talked about many of the 11 propositions, including Proposition 40, which addresses redistricting, and Proposition 30, which is a tax measure backed by Gov. Jerry Brown. He compared the behind-the-scenes maneuverings to a popular Mad magazine Cold War comic feature.

via Columnist gives stories behind state ballot issues.

The Educated Guess: Baron moderates discussion on “community college crisis”

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By Brent Zupp

EdSource senior reporter Kathryn Baron moderated a discussion for CreaTV on the current community college crisis in California. Panel members included Dr. Rita Cepeda, Chancellor of San Jose/Evergreen Community College, and Dr. Laurel Jones, President of Mission College.

In addition to providing a knowledgeable overview of the challenges facing California community colleges, these experts offered an insiders view on the difficult decisions community colleges are making to address these enormous challenges.

via Baron moderates discussion on “community college crisis” – by Brent Zupp.

SacBee — Editorial: Why is teachers union leaving money on the table?

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At a time when California has cut funding dramatically for K-12 education – and may have to cut more after next week’s election – it makes no sense for school districts to leave millions in federal education dollars on the table.

Yet California school districts have had to struggle to win teachers union support for a new round of Race to the Top competitive grants specifically for school districts – as much as $40 million per district, depending upon size.

This competition – for districts seeking to improve academic performance with personalized learning for students – is well worth pursuing in these tough financial times.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/30/4947410/editorial-why-is-teachers-union.html#mi_rss=Editorials#storylink=cpy

via Editorial: Why is teachers union leaving money on the table?.

The Reporter: Dixon Unified School District trustees set to discuss budget

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Accountability progress, an update on the 2012-13 budget and Internet content filtering will be on the minds of Dixon school leaders when they meet Thurs-day.

Jesus Contreras, the district’s senior director of educational services, will deliver the report on accountability and also the Williams quarterly report.

The Williams report is the result of a legal case and SB 550, the School Accountability Report Card, or SARC. It includes reporting requirements for “good repair” of school facilities; for teacher

via Dixon Unified School District trustees set to discuss budget.

Dixon Tribune’s Facebook Wall: Dixon Unified faces a bleak financial future

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Brianna Boyd
Editor

The state’s financial crisis has painted a bleak picture for Dixon Unified School District. State revenue will remain flat, at best, and could decline as much as $455 per student by January. No one expects another dollar of federal assistance, and if Governor Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30 fails at the polls, Dixon Unified will be forced to slash over $9 million from its budget over the next two years.

In an honest, open and very direct presentation during a town hall meeting Tuesday night at Tremont Elementary School, Dixon Unified Superintendent Brian Dolan told the 30 parents, community members and district staff gathered in the multi-purpose room that he sees no light at the end of the tunnel. Truth be told, he said, it will likely get much worse before anything starts to improve.

via Dixon Unified faces a bleak financial future

 

Dixon Patch: With Cuts on the Table, DUSD Will Hold 3 Town Hall Meetings

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by Justin Cox

Dixon’s schools are facing thousands (or millions) of dollars in cuts, just like many others across the state. The Dixon Unified School District will cut $950,000 if Proposition 30 passes. If it, they say they’ll need to cut about $4 million.

Amid this bleak financial backdrop, the district has scheduled three town hall meetings to inform parents and the community on issues related to the district’s budget.  Here are the three meetings:

via With Cuts on the Table, School District Will Hold 3 Town Hall Meetings.

Dixon Tribune’s Facebook Wall: Dixon Unified to hold town hall meetings on budget

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The Dixon Unified School District has scheduled three Town Hall Meetings to inform parents and the community on issues related to the District’s budget. The meetings will be held as indicated below:
• Tuesday, October 16th, 6:30 P.M. at Tremont Elementary Multi-Purpose Room
• Wednesday, October 24, 6:30 P.M. at Dixon High Theater
• Tuesday, October 30, 6:30 P.M. at Anderson Elementary Multi-Purpose Room
Parents and community members are welcome to attend any of the meetings as they are not tied specifically to any individual school site. Superintendent Brian Dolan and Chief Business Official Cecile Nunley will provide an informational presentation and address any questions or concerns that the public brings forward.

via Dixon Unified to hold town hall meetings on budgetThe Dixon Unified School Dis….

The Educated Guess: Should California’s teachers vote with the governor?

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Jeff Camp

Nearly half a million of California’s voters are teachers. Like other voters, they will soon have to decide how to mark their November ballots. They will certainly scratch their heads over Propositions 30 and 38, competing measures that would ease the damage of four years of steady budget cuts.

Should teachers vote for Prop 38, which would bring significant new money to each school and provide funding for preschools? Or for should they vote for Prop 30, which would bring less money to education – but has the backing of the governor?

The California Teachers Association (CTA), the state’s largest teachers union, has committed to support the governor’s measure, and has officially taken a neutral position on Proposition 38. But as the CTA’s top leaders fan out to campaign this month in lieu of their usual quarterly meeting, one has to wonder if their hearts will be in it. When it comes to sustaining funding, either measure would do for the moment, and Prop 38 would establish a longer period of commitment.

via Should California’s teachers vote with the governor? – by Jeff Camp.

Dan Walters: California’s school funding confusing

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If you want your head to spin, try to figure out how much money we spend each year to educate California’s 6 million K-12 school students.

Official agencies and outside groups publish numbers, but they rarely agree. They either take their snapshots at different times or include different types of spending and/or different sources of financing.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget pegs the number at $63.4 billion during the 2012-13 fiscal year, but assumes that voters approve his sales and income tax increase measure, Proposition 30, on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/01/4869015/dan-walters-californias-school.html#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters#storylink=cpy

via Dan Walters: California’s school funding confusing.

The Reporter Opinion: Yes on Prop. 30 opinion: Stop the decimation of California’s public schools

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By Moira McSweeney

 

To find a time of robust education funding levels in California, you have to look back pretty far — more than 40 years, in fact. Back then, California was one of the nation’s leaders in public education. We ranked among the top 10 states in per-pupil spending, and our students ranked in the top five among the states in achievement.Today, California sits near the bottom on all of these important measures. We rank 48th in per pupil spending and we are dead last in the ratio of teachers to students.

This didn’t happen overnight. Our students have been the victims of political gamesmanship and bad decisions that have made the state’s financial situation so dire. When the national recession first hit, we found ourselves facing an immediate budget deficit of more than $26 billion. Today, we find ourselves facing even deeper cuts in public education funding.

via Yes on Prop. 30 opinion: Stop the decimation of California’s ….

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