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Schools struggle without budget

By Timm Herdt (Contact)
Friday, September 12, 2008

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SACRAMENTO — Education leaders said Thursday that the state's prolonged budget stalemate is threatening the financial solvency of school districts around the state and has deprived students of learning opportunities.

Because school administrators remain uncertain over how much funding they will receive from the state, staffing decisions remain in limbo, class sizes have been increased, school-based child-care centers have been shuttered, textbook purchases have been delayed and many districts have had to resort to borrowing, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

He noted that if a budget is not enacted by Monday, more than $3 billion in payments to schools and an additional $467 million to child-care centers will have been delayed. In addition, many districts had to cancel or drastically scale back summer school programs because of the uncertainty.

"We are setting our students up for failure," O'Connell said. "The impacts are real, and they're real today."

Today is the 74th day of the fiscal year without a budget, and lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still appear to be well short of assembling the two-thirds majority of votes in the Legislature needed to end the impasse.

Bob Wells, executive director of the California Association of School Administrators, said school officials across the state are scrambling to patch together enough resources to continue special programs that are paid for with what is called "categorical funding" from the state, money that cannot be disbursed to districts until a budget is in place.

"We've created all of these programs to assist students who need extra help, and none of that money is going to flow until we have a budget," Wells said. "This sense of a relaxed attitude about the budget has to get shaken up."

Thus far, three versions of a budget have been voted down: a conference committee plan proposed by majority Democrats in the Legislature, a variation of Schwarzenegger's "compromise budget" proposed in August and, this week, a plan devised by Republican lawmakers.

The key hang-up is over how much of a $15 billion shortfall will be filled through new revenues. The original Democratic plan calls for $8 billion in tax increases, Schwarzenegger seeks $5 billion through a temporary sales tax increase, and the Republican plan includes no major tax increases but relies upon $2 billion in borrowing from future lottery revenues.

Lynne Faulks, a lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, said every version of the budget includes a cut to education to some degree. The Democratic plan would fall $2 billion short of allowing schools to maintain this year's level of spending, and the Schwarzenegger plan would fall $3 billion short, she said.

Although the Republicans score their plan as providing as much money to education as Schwarzenegger's, the Education Coalition notes that nearly $2 billion of that funding relies on borrowing from the lottery. Since many experts believe that could not be accomplished by the end of the fiscal year, the coalition scores the GOP budget as a $5 billion retrenchment for education.

Republican lawmakers this week have stepped up their efforts to pass an emergency appropriation that would authorize the controller to pay schools, hospitals, healthcare clinics and adult day-care facilities the billions they have been shorted since July 1. But Democrats and Schwarzenegger say they will not go along with a temporary fix because it would relieve pressure to enact a budget with long-term solutions.

"We need to address this problem today, not postpone it," O'Connell said.

Meanwhile, most schools are into their third week of classes.

"Teachers are teaching, bus drivers are driving," said Faulks, "and nobody has any idea what will happen with the budget."

Discussions

There are 48 comments to this article.

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Comments

Posted by goldeneye on September 12, 2008 at 6:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

california is such a mess i don't even know where to begin. Governor Arnie is a disaster. Democratic legislature, a disaster.

Posted by Freedom1 on September 12, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

A "mess" is a great description - but disaster is more like it. As a native Californian I've seen this wonderful state turn into a cesspool. Our Democrat run legislature likes to tax and spend - and now with the downturn in the housing market and businesses that once employed its middle class citizens fleeing this once "golden" state because of ridiculous regulations they've run out of money. From failing schools to closing hospitals and everything in between, the only thing left "golden" in this state is the bank accounts of its incompetent, unfortunately elected officials, from mayors (like Tony Villar) and senators and congressmen across all party lines who care more about their own political futures than the citizens they are supposed to represent. We will surely be the first state to reach Third World status!

Posted by vcreader101 on September 12, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe we should stop paying all of the legislature's salaries and decision-makers at the top.. I bet they could agree on a buget real quick if we stopped paying them for not doing THEIR jobs!

Posted by Freedom1 on September 12, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sounds like a plan to me vcreader101.

Posted by Nosmo_King on September 12, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Scapegoat, that is a VERY good description of current CA.

Posted by whatevers on September 12, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If I didn't know any better I'd think public schools are sounding more like private, you know get your own books, get your own transportation, all I need is to pay a monthly tuition fee.

Posted by cast on September 12, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

$467 million to child-care centers will have been delayed.
This is one of our problems.I thought our Schools were suposed to teach not babysit.

Posted by Just_wondering on September 12, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Here Here vcreader101!! They are laying off and penalizing the wrong group of government workers.

Posted by whatevers on September 12, 2008 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

cast - now that you bring that up, last week as I was driving by Rio Mesa I saw a bus dropping off girls with strollers, it made me wonder WTH?

I knew about day cares at schools but I wonder if it does more damage then help?
It will keep kids in school until they are 18,
But I wondered what girls w/o kids are thinking, "oh heck I can have a kid the school will take care of it", or do girls see it as "dang I don't want to go through what those girls are going through" you know, dragging the car seat, stroller, diaper bag, and at lunch time instead of hanging out with friends they go to check up on the kid.

But I do agree that if our schools are struggling with money then day care should be out, I would rather have a school without a day care, than a school without transportation or books.

Posted by VCNative on September 12, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There needs to be a audit of the school system, find out where the money is going. I don't have the exact figures but supposedly we spend more than most states and yet have one of the worst records. I don't mind paying high taxes but the money is going to be mispent by some union, forget about it! Frankly, no teacher (or gov employee) should have tenure. If you don't perform you should be let go (polite way of saying FIRED). I remember when I was in high school, my geography teacher would show movies all day and just sleep. He never got fired, what a waste of taxpayers money! For the most part there are a lot of great teachers but there is some house cleaning that needs to be done.

Posted by eclipsewatcher on September 12, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't know, maybe Donald Trump should be the next Governor of California . . . he has no problem telling underperformers "YOU'RE FIRED!"

Posted by BeaHappi on September 12, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Maybe we should stop paying all of the legislature's salaries and decision-makers at the top.. I bet they could agree on a buget real quick if we stopped paying them for not doing THEIR jobs!"

I totally agree! I sent the governor an email through his website (I'm sure HE read it...:~))and said the same thing.

We are the only state without an approved budget...the only one. That's just ridiculous.

I'm sure that we could find a team of ppl here from the regular readers who could go up there and get the job done.

We all need to write to our state legislators and tell them to get their acts together.

Urgh!

Posted by schmiddl on September 12, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Everyone should read Roger Cohens Article In the New York Times Dated Yesterday called In The Seventh Year...
Most of you blog all day on here it should make for interesting conversation...Youll have to type it in the search column...

Posted by schmiddl on September 12, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

cant wait to see what you all think so come on hurry up and google it in...

Posted by lawabider on September 12, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

When a child (or parents of the child) decide to keep a baby as a teenager, since when do I pay for that??? If you want to get knocked up in high school, better make sure you can afford private tudors while you stay home and mother your child... California The Dream State of Handouts... Go Democrats!!!

Posted by schmiddl on September 12, 2008 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I got pregnant my freshman year had him my sophmore and had to go straight to work my education had to wait until I was old enough to pay for college myself (done a little still cant afford it lol) I agree...about not funding these teenage pregnancy schools I refused to go to one I waddled around Hueneme High... now 3 kid's later all the same father... Shocking I know...26 with a 6th grader, 1st grader and 2 1/2 year old,on the board of the PTA (crazy right) I am in Accounting not because I'm educated because I was drivin and not dependent on the state if I can do it so should everyone else....

Posted by BeaHappi on September 12, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

schmiddl...you go girl! Not that I would want to have been in your situation, having kids that young...but kudos to you for making your own way.

Hard work goes a long way...and the example you set for your children is a valuable gift to them.

Posted by schmiddl on September 12, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you I would like to think when at one point when my dad thought his daughter was gonna be another welfare leaching lowlife with 3 baby daddys He is now beaming with joy and probably more proud of me than ever...

Posted by lorisan on September 12, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by lawabider on September 12, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When a child (or parents of the child) decide to keep a baby as a teenager, since when do I pay for that??? If you want to get knocked up in high school, better make sure you can afford private tudors while you stay home and mother your child... California The Dream State of Handouts... Go Democrats!!!

oh great!!! tax payers are again providing child care for students who got knocked up. when do we teach them the responsibilities of taking care of their own child 24/7? let them know and feel the consequences of their own actions. unless they experience all the hard work in raising and providing for a child, students will keep on having them since tax payers are there to pay and raise their kids.

Posted by extraneousroot on September 12, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Here is a little info about how are schools work. Our schools are focused on improving their API scores. One of the factors to doing this is to move the students from one step up to the next. There are 5 steps; advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. When a student advances up the steps, the schools get points and the inverse if they descend. But here is the catch. If a student advances from proficient to advance, the school earns 125 points, but if the student advances from far below basic to below basic the earns 200 points. So think, if you were a school district and you want the points, what students would you focus on? Yes that is correct, the low students and focus less on the bright "our future". This is a recipe for disaster. One other thing, this was not the teachers idea.

Posted by jskdn on September 12, 2008 at 12:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

When we hear these river of tears stories due to lack of a budget, lets be clear about who is causing it.

"Republican lawmakers this week have stepped up their efforts to pass an emergency appropriation that would authorize the controller to pay schools, hospitals, healthcare clinics and adult day-care facilities the billions they have been shorted since July 1. But Democrats and Schwarzenegger say they will not go along with a temporary fix because it would relieve pressure to enact a budget with long-term solutions."

These are the people that have chosen to use this as a political lever, with much assistance from the media, to get what they want. By the way the same thing happened last time and was similarly not reported.

Posted by HntrDavidson on September 12, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Partisan bloggers are such a bore. To only blame the problems with our state on one party or the other is an overly simplistic view of how government works. The problems with our state, and specifically the state budget, are structural in nature. The primary culprit is the required 2/3 majority vote for passage of the budget. Only two other states, Arkansas and Rhode Island, place such an enormous road block in front of their Legislature.

The other issue California must reexamine is the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts. The current maps reward extremism in both parties and strongly discourages compromise. This leads to the ideological deadlock we see every year at budget time.

Stop listening to the party rhetoric and look at reality. Democrats tax and spend, Republicans spend and borrow. Both are financially irresponsible and a waste of tax payer money. I wish people would stop rooting for their "political team" and hold both parties responsible for their actions.

Posted by lawabider on September 12, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good post, Hunter! United we Stand, Divided we Fall -- and we've been falling for years... Although I will stand on the side of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY every time!!!

Posted by delta-ms on September 12, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SAME OLD-SAME OLD. LABELS AND BLAME ---- NO SOLUTIONS.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

extraneousroot: Thanks for sharing that info about API scores for the schools. That scoring system definitely needs an overhaul.

The reason there's a daycare program in HS is not only for the HS students that had kids...but I believe it also includes children of those of low income areas that can't afford daycare, but need it as they head out to work their low paying jobs each day. They're not sitting at home collecting checks...but they're part of the working poor. As for the H.S. students with kids in these programs, the schools would rather have them in the classroom with their kids in on-site daycare vs. not collecting the funds for having that student at school each day as well as not throwing the kids out on the streets for the mistakes they make. To take away a girl's H.S. education because her and her d*mb@ss boyfriend make a mistake as teenagers (all the while the guy gets to stay in school full-time) is unfair to the girl.

Whether that's right or wrong....is up to each person and their own personal experiences with such a situation and their biased opinions generated by never having had to go through it. Those that oppose such a thing are mostly those that have little compassion as it is.

Posted by lawabider on September 12, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

don't agree with you on this one "hubby" (Babyzdaddy)... One of my foster daughters got knocked up in 11th grade, dropped out to stay home with the baby and, now that he's two, is going to school at Ventura City College (on HER dime) and regaining not only her highschool equivalency, but beginning her college training as well -- bottom line: personal responsibility CAN and DOES happen!

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Paul: We all know you HATE taxes....that's fine...and it's quite simple to say: No...because I have to pay for it. Your ideal world would only benefit those with the resources available. You can safely say this because you are assuming that you will never need these resources. That's fine for YOU...but you're not the only person paying into taxes, and those other people paying into taxes might end up having to use social services, what then? Their SOL? Personal responsibility only means something when you have the means to take the responsibility. That "to each his own" attitude will get only get us to a situation where people will charge each other for EVERYTHING. Monopolies will run rampant and only those that can swindle their way to the top or already have the resources from the get-go will make it...others...will not, go hungry, become homeless and die.

It all depends on your perspective in life and your experiences. I took a look at the Libertarian Party once until I realized that I am a product of social programs...not welfare...but education programs outside of the normal school environment. When my Dad lost his job for a few months...he received un-employment assistance until he found another....were we homeless? No...did we make it...yes.

All in all...I agree that ABUSES of such programs are not necessary....but I find it a bit EXTREME to completely eliminate such safety nets.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

lawabider: There are always exceptions. Here's my compromise on this. How 'bout we have and fund the programs with restrictions? More than 1 child? You're out. Stop attending school on a very frequest basis...you're out. Low grades...you're out.

You're step-daughter is a great example of how IF she WOULD have used the program in question...She could be a sophomore at a University, vs. having to double-up classes at VC simply to "catch up" to her peers. Sounds like she's ambitious and with such ambition, such a program would have allowed her to not be de-railed for 2 years and would continue the progress she might have already been making before she got pregnant.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

paul: I take it you also never purchase insurance? Why pay for someone else's accidents? Someone else's health and death rates? Taxes used for Social Services are arguably very similar.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Don't get me wrong...I'm not Gung-Ho on this go ahead and live free off of the taxpayers dime...but I'm not to that other extreme either. I think most situations can be "worked" and made to work for the affected parties.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

you're = your BTW

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Paul: Please tell me where I could find a private loan if I have no job, no house, no collateral? I'm interested...what kind of low interest rate can I get for one of those?

BTW, are all your opinions heavily leaning towards one extreme or another? If you develop a products that is a hit with society and makes you a lot of money, that's great for you. Make your money. The problem will exist as greed takes over and those corruptable get corrupted and take out anyone else that's not going to help them achieve their greedy goal of absolute monopoly.

I get it..you want anarchy and a keep sprinting or die society. That's rather selfish and unsympathetic, but that's your right.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Paul: If you're in a 40% tax bracket and can't figure out the tax loopholes that enable you to decrease your tax rate and still make the same money....you have more problems than you think buddy.

You do not have a choice to opt out of taxes, true, but those services are always there if you ever need them. Actually...regardless if you have paid into them (necessarily). Can you say that about car insurance, life insurance? Again, I see them as a safety net that I'm paying into....now...ABUSERS of those systems are your REAL problem Paul, not the systems themselves.

I hope you never need those services because THEN, you'd understand.

Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on September 12, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Paul: Loose use of the idea of "morality". You think it's less immoral to let a child die in a hospital from meningitis because their parents can't pay for health insurance let alone the medical care and your anarchist state doesn't provide the social services to pay for that medical care or your tax dollars going to pay for such services and save that child's life?

Wasteful spending in deed. Who needs all these people to stay alive? I guess it's just "survival of the fittest" for you huh?

Posted by commonsense on September 12, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The California voters need to take some of the blame since they failed to adopt redistricting several years ago. As a result, we have self-serving gerrymandered districts that keep extremists on all sides of the aisle in power.

Certainly agree with the ideas of withholding legislative pay until this situation is fixed (and/or locking them all in a room without food, water or toilets until the problem is solved).

Posted by Latina_805 on September 12, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

possible stabbing on Rose. Del Sol Park, oxpd's everywhere....high_society?

Posted by reality_awareness on September 12, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The schools are only the latest victims to our legislator's failed responsibility. Legislators need to be held accountable. If no budget is enacted by July 2nd, all legislators shall be held in session in building until such time as they do their @#$@$ job.

Posted by HavingMySay on September 12, 2008 at 8:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just want to respond to Growlerboy...not sure where you get your information but you are dead wrong. Of the 50 states, California is 48th in funding for schools!!!! 48th!!! And by the way, there are audits conducted from the state and from outside agencies several times a year. Talk what you know, please. And another thing...what "union" do you think is spending the money? No union has control over the finances of the district. Where did you come up with that?

Posted by Timofun on September 12, 2008 at 9:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

just remember, its because of the super majority created by prop 13 that is the reason a budget hasnt been passed. all it takes is a few of the minority party to not work with the other side and amazingly this happens. say what you want to say about prop 13 (it probably kept most of my family from losing their houses) but this has to stop. why are we allowing 1/3rd +1 of the legislature hurt the state so much?

Posted by VCNative on September 12, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)