Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recently proposed cuts to
public education funding have sent a shockwave through K-12 public schools,
both forcing principals statewide to downsize their staffs and raising statewide
concerns about students’ level of preparation for postsecondary work.
In order to compensate for a $14.5-billion state deficit,
Schwarzenegger’s proposal calls for a 10-percent funding reduction to nearly
all state programs and departments. The reduction would cut $4 billion from the
amount formerly guaranteed by Proposition 98, a number equivalent to
approximately $800 per year for each
public school student.
The
the effects of Schwarzenegger’s proposal, issuing over 900 pink slips since
February in an attempt to curb its budget by $80 million.
Additionally, the statewide college preparatory classes —
such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses — are in
danger of elimination, along with various other extracurricular programs.
La Jolla High School Principal Dana Shelburne said the loss
of these programs would likely have adverse effects on public school students’
chances of college admission.
“Colleges and universities have become extremely
competitive, and admission is based upon a number of factors, including success
[in] rigorous coursework,” he said. “If and when AP courses fall to the wayside,
students will have fewer choices, and the fewer the course choices, the fewer
the opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of that level of work.”
Shelburne added that students who do go on to college might
find themselves unprepared for the academic rigors of higher education.
“The less challenging the [high school] curricula, the less
prepared students will be for university-level work, and the less the chance
for success,” Shelburne said.
Shelburne drew parallels between
budget crisis and an existing budgetary problem in education.
“Small high schools in rural areas have dealt with the lack
of opportunity for some time, and students who attend those institutions have
not yet fully determined a way to show capacity when course options are so
limited,” he said.
Democratic legislators have voiced opposition to the cuts
with the support of school groups such as the California Teachers Association,
Education Coalition and Association of California School Administrators,
suggesting alternative methods to remedy the shortfall.
The California School Boards Association outlined the
statewide ramifications of the “disastrous” plan, which includes 107,000
teacher layoffs, increasing class sizes by up to 35 percent and eliminating all
music, art and career technical education programs. In addition, layoffs would
extend to encompass 137,000 bus drivers, janitors, food service workers,
maintenance workers, nurses and other education support professionals.
Suggested alternatives include asking the state to increase
state revenues by closing certain tax loopholes, increasing fees or raising
taxes in some different manner.
Schwarzenegger’s proposal also seeks to suspend and amend
Proposition 98, a 1988 amendment to the state constitution that established a
minimal level of funding for public schools and community colleges.
