Voice Your Concerns Over Proposed Cuts to Public Education

In mid January, the Governor of California declared a "state of fiscal emergency" due to the estimated $14 billion state budget deficit and proposed massive cuts to public education.  The proposed budget will result in a $4.8 billion cut to California's schools and will severely damage the quality of education in our state, forcing school districts to discontinue programs, layoff employees, and increase class size.

A $4.8 billion budget cut is equivalent to:

• laying off more than 107,000 teachers
• cutting more than $24,000 per classroom
• reducing per student spending by more than $800
• laying off over 137,000 bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, and other education support personnel
• cutting $7.76 million, on average, to every school district
• increasing class sizes statewide by as much as 35%

California students did not create the budget problems and their educational progress should not be stifled because of it.  It has been well documented that California schools have made significant progress in the area of student achievement.  The proposed budget cut drastically undermines student success and is a giant step backwards.

According to Education Week, California has dropped from 43rd to 46th in the nation in per-pupil spending - that's $1900 less per student than the national average.  The same report gave California an abysmal D+ in education funding.  States such as New York spend 75 percent more on education than California.  Despite the lack of funds, California students and schools have made significant progress.  Reading scores are up 25 percent and math scores have increased 17 percent in the last four years.  We cannot expect this progress to continue while cutting billions of dollars from schools.

California already has some of the most overcrowded classrooms and the greatest shortages of librarians, counselors and other critical support staff in the nation.  We need to protect smaller class sizes and encourage student achievement through investing in our schools.  The governor's proposed budget threatens class sizes, as well as music, art and career technical education programs.

California voters passed Proposition 98 nearly twenty years ago to ensure students and schools have a minimum funding guarantee, and reaffirmed their supporting during the 2005 special election.  The governor's proposed budget undermines the integrity of Proposition 98 and the will of the voters to fund our schools.  A state budget proposal that cuts funding to schools is not a real solution because it doesn't address California's underlying problem of inadequate and unstable revenue sources.  Proposition 98 was designed to protect our students from instability in funding so they have the reliable resources educators need to teach and students need to learn and succeed.  Legislators should pass a balanced budget that makes education funding, and investing in California's future, a priority.  Anything less is unacceptable.

The proposed state budget will significantly affect the operations of the Fontana Unified School District.  We too will need to take a hard look at our budget and adjust our spending to reflect expected revenue.

We are urging all interested parents, teachers, support staff, and community members to call upon members of the Legislature to uphold Proposition 98, the minimum school funding guarantee, and reject the severe cuts to schools that are proposed.

Click here to download a sample letter that may be used to voice your concerns regarding the proposed budget cuts to our local Legislators.  Click here for Spanish version.

Our local Legislators are:

Click here to download a sample letter that may be used to voice your concerns regarding the proposed budget cuts to editors of our local newspapers.  Click here for Spanish version.

Our local newspapers are:

Please address questions, comments, and suggestions regarding this web site to: webmaster@fusd.net