Schools Make Deep Cuts to Programs Due to Budget Crisis

O'Connell Releases Survey Showing Severe School District Budget Reductions

June 17, 2010

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell last week released the results of a statewide survey of local educational agencies (LEAs) to find out how state budget cuts to public education are affecting them. O’Connell held a news conference in the Natomas Unified School District (in Sacramento County) where all eight elementary school libraries were shut down to close a budget gap.

“The survey results make clear that school administrators are making heartrending decisions to balance their dwindling budgets while trying valiantly to keep students’ best interests in mind,” said O’Connell. “Sixty-five percent of districts that responded to this survey made cuts to building and school grounds maintenance, fifty-eight percent cut funding for instructional materials, and fifty-eight percent reduced funding for district administration. Forty percent of respondents have reduced the number of teachers; reduced or eliminated summer school; increased class sizes; and cut art and music classes, closed libraries, eliminated school nurse positions, and canceled sports programs.

O’Connell added “These deep cuts to our schools were made even though the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided critical funds to save education jobs last year. These ARRA funds are now running out, and our state budget picture continues to look bleak. In the Governor’s May Revise, he proposes another $1.5 billion in general-purpose funding cuts that will exacerbate the current annihilation of services to students.

“Our public education system is in crisis. These cuts hurt students and hurt California’s future economic viability. I call on the Governor and the Legislature to show the courage and leadership needed to find a budget solution that puts students first and protects our schools from further cuts.”

The California Department of Education launched the survey in April to ask administrators in county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools how they have balanced their budgets in light of state budget cuts to public education.

At the close of the survey in May, 387 LEAs responded. They represent 1.7 million students, or 26 percent of the statewide enrollment. The cuts at Natomas Unified School District are similar to cuts made by LEAs throughout the state.

“We made the decision to close our eight elementary school libraries with a heavy heart, but our budget situation is so dire that we had no choice,” said Natomas Unified School District Interim Superintendent General Davie, Jr. “We’ve also cut all of our health aides, eliminated busing, shortened our school year by five days, increased K-3 class sizes to 30-1, and issued layoff notices to about 30 percent of our teachers, classified staff, and administration.”

Administrators were asked questions on what type of educational organization they are; which programs were cut or eliminated in the last two school years, 2008-09 and 2009-10; enrollment data as of October 2009; and what other actions were taken in the last two school years such as staff reductions, school closures, or reduced school year as a result of funding cuts. These are the results of the K-12 budget cuts survey by category and the percentage of respondents that made cuts in those categories:

For more information on the state budget crisis’ impact on education, please visit the California Department of Education’s Budget Crisis Report Card Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/ht/bcrc.asp.

Source:  California Department of Education