2:15pm | The head of Long Beach Unified School District has issued a statement announcing that he supports Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to place on the ballot the five-year extension of certain state taxes, the revenue from which would be used to maintain current education funding levels.
LBUSD Superintendent Christopher J. Steinhauser said Wednesday that the state’s recent slashes to California’s education budget have left the district cash-strapped.
“Our state must find a way to provide stable funding for education,” Steinhauser said. “I support the governor’s proposal to put tax extensions on the ballot.
“Our public schools are at a crossroads,” he continued, “and we need to give voters a chance to weigh in regarding school funding.”
Long Beach Unified, the third largest unified school district in California, is in a state of financial crisis and projects the impending loss of up to $634 per student for the 2011-12 school year.
This has lead to the school board’s approval over the last couple of months of a series of worst-case-scenario gouges to its $700-million general fund, all of which are set to take effect next school year.
“These are the worst reductions I’ve seen in more than 30 years in public education,” Steinhauser said. “We’ve cut more than $200 million since 2008. This has to stop.”
On Feb. 15 the board approved $24.4 million in reductions, a move that came just two weeks after $27 million was slashed from next year’s budget.
Hundreds of certificated employees stand to be laid off in July, and the district is sending a total of 778 reduction in force, or “March 15,” letters. (These reduction in force letters are aptly nicknamed because, according to union contractual agreements, a teacher that may be laid off must be informed by March 15 of his or her impending potential job loss. The district cannot legally lay off any teacher this summer who does not receive one of these letters on or before March 15.)
And teachers aren’t the only ones who need to worry. Administrators, librarians, school nurses, psychologists, counselors and other non-certificated personnel will also see their ranks thinned.
The school board last week unanimously approved for the chopping block three graduation requirements — computer science, health and service learning — for high school seniors, much to the dismay of parents and teachers alike.
Additionally, class sizes in all grades are set to jump, and nearly a third of the district’s transportation services will cease to be offered.
“California cannot grow its economy by neglecting its schoolchildren,” Steinhauser said.