Dana Ragle and Sue Conway
The 2008 state budget for California looks grim. The state is projecting a $14 billion deficit for this year. Governor Arnold Swarzenegger has proposed major cuts in spending, including cuts to education to close the budget gap. The governor and the legislature need to take a more balanced approach in dealing with this year’s budget crisis. The leadership in Sacramento must set priorities and consider both spending cuts and revenue increases to close this $14 billion budget hole.
The governor labeled 2008 the year of education, rightfully making public schools one of his priorities for the coming year. Threatening to cut billions of dollars from schools is certainly not a reflection of his stated goal of improving and financing our education system.
Our students must be a top priority. Schools have been making significant progress in the last four years, with reading scores up 25 percent and math scores increasing 17 percent. For progress to continue, maintaining funding for our public schools is critical. Our students did not cause the budget crisis and should not be asked to solve it through funding cuts to education.
The governor is threatening midyear or across the board budget cuts that would be devastating to our public schools. Local schools are half way through the year, and any cuts now would have a direct impact on students and important programs. The governor’s proposed 10 percent across the board cut would mean $5 billion less for education. California already under funds its public schools and further cuts would undermine the progress students and schools have made in the last few years.
The governor and the legislature must do more that pay lip service to education. If public schools really are a priority for them, then our leadership in Sacramento must adequately fund education. The budget should not be balanced on the backs of students, and our schools should be allotted the minimum funding guaranteed under proposition 98 for the coming year.