School administrators in all sectors were waiting with bated
breath pending the unveiling of Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2011-12 proposed
budget. K-12 districts were left virtually untouched while
community colleges, the University of California and California
State University systems will see their budgets slashed by as much
as $500 million each.
Morgan Hill – School administrators in all sectors were waiting with bated breath pending the unveiling of Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2011-12 proposed budget. K-12 districts were left virtually untouched while community colleges, the University of California and California State University systems will see their budgets slashed by as much as $500 million each.
How bad is it? In one statistic students’ fees will contribute more to UC schools than the state of California for the first time in the state’s history of higher education.
At Morgan Hill Unified School District, the forecast is much brighter – as long as Brown gets his way in June when he hopes voters will approve extending standing tax increases for five more years to offset cutting from K-12 education.
“It’s good news,” said Assistant Superintendent of Budget Services Bonnie Tognazzini earlier this month. She said if voters do extend the tax increases set to expire this year, which voters rejected in 2009 under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the deficit will be easier to grapple at least this coming fiscal year.
Brown proposes that a special election is held in June, though even if approved by voters, the Legislature needs a two-third approval to pass tax measures. Some Republicans are already sitting on their hands over extending the tax increase for another five years.
Cuts will be deep if the extension isn’t approved, Brown has said.
“(The state budget) was even better for K-12 education than we anticipated … not for the community college level though,” Tognazzini said. If passed, community college fees will increase to $36 per unit from $26 to buffer a $400 million loss in funding for schools such as Gavilan College in Gilroy and its satellite campus in Morgan Hill.
MHUSD expects the 2011-12 budget deficit to linger around $2 million instead of much more depressing deficits in years past: since 2008, the district has had to reduce spending by $11.9 million.
What will hurt K-12 district next year, will be the absence of one-time federal stimulus money. Programs that benefited from the infusion of cash under President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will either dissipate or be reduced.
School districts now wait to see if the five-year tax extensions move to the June ballot.
Tough budget for tough times
The new governor’s “painful” proposal to balance a $25 billion state budget deficit urges voters to take their medicine now, asking them to choose between even deeper cuts in state spending versus tolerating existing temporary tax increases.
“We protect kindergarten through 12th grade education,” said Brown at a budget proposal press conference.
“Now with my program – including the extension of the taxes – schools will be held even at $49 billion.”
Since they’ve taken the bulk of the cuts, Brown said, it makes sense to him.
“I think K-12 educators should be reasonably pleased, but cautiously optimistic,” said Brian Edwards, senior policy analyst for EdSource – an independent not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues.
In this economic climate, he said, continuing to get flat funding from Proposition 98, which was passed in 1998 and guarantees minimum state funding for schools, is pretty good.
“It’s a welcome relief from cuts in the recent times that have been somewhat disproportionate,” he said, but adds everything hinges on the mercy of voters.
Assuming Brown gains support from legislation and gets the measure on the special election ballot in June – a feat Edwards said could take some political wrangling – voters will decide whether to approve a five-year extension on two temporary taxes increases and a fee adopted in 2009. This includes a personal income tax increase, a sales tax increase and a hike in California’s vehicle license fee.
If the measure fails to pass, Edwards said Proposition 98 could drop by $2.2 billion.
Community colleges hit hard
Things aren’t looking breezy for Gavilan College in Gilroy, either.
Brown’s proposed budget calls for higher education establishments such as community, University of California and California State University systems to sacrifice for the greater good by approximately $1.4 billion.
In an attempt to patch at least half of a $25.4 billion 2011-2012 gap, Brown said he is hoping to scrape up $12.5 billion in spending reductions; $4 million of which would come from community college funds.
Jan Bernstein-Chargin, director of public information for Gavilan College; more or less indicating it’s better to rip the Band-Aid off then peel it slowly.
If Brown’s proposal is implemented and taxes are maintained, she pointed out there will be a 6.39 percent reduction to community college funding, according to the Community College League of California.
If not, the CCLC states there will be a 14.35 percent reduction, including a fee increase from the current $26 per unit to $36 per unit.
Reflecting on education’s economic landscape, Edwards said pressures created by high health care and salary costs, coupled with fallen revenues, is a bad mix.
While Brown was “pretty smart to protect education,” Edwards said everything is contingent on how well the new governor can sell his idea.
“A lot of it will depend on how much he takes it to the pulpit, and makes a case for the tax extension,” said Edwards. “What it would mean to extend them, and what it would mean not to.”
