Santa Monica-Malibu, CA Board of Education Opposing Insufficient Funding in the Governor's Budget
Type: Resolution
Status: Adopted on 1/31/05
Source File: http://www.smmusd.org/brd0405/add013105.pdf
Text:
RESOLUTION NO. 04-13
IN OPPOSITION TO GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
WHEREAS, California’s six million students deserve high quality schools with well trained educators, small class sizes, quality instructional materials, up-to-date textbooks and dynamic parents support; and
WHEREAS, Governor Schwarzenegger made a promise to California’s students and schools to ensure adequate school funding and to support voter-approved Proposition 98; and
WHEREAS, the Governor’s 2005-06 budget proposal breaks his promise to California’s students and undermines the education funding protections California voters supported; and
WHEREAS, California schools have suffered $9.8 billion in cuts in the last several years resulting in school closures, increases in class size, lay offs of teachers and support staff, and a shameful shortage of librarians, counselors, nurses, custodians and groundskeepers throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has suffered more than $9 million in cuts in the last several years hurting local efforts to increase parental involvement, ensure up-to-date textbooks and ensure ongoing teacher training and guarantee small class sizes; and
WHEREAS, the Governor’s budget proposal breaks his commitment to students and schools despite the fact that state revenues are actually higher than was projected when the agreement was approved; and
WHEREAS, A recent “Quality Counts 2005" report by Education Week notes that California ranked 44th in the nation in per-pupil funding; and
WHEREAS, A recent study by the RAND Corporation corroborates these findings and notes California’s K-12 school system has fallen from its position as a national leader thirty years ago, to its current ranking near the bottom in every objective category; and
WHEREAS, California voters approved – and continue to strongly support – Proposition 98 to protect schools and students from harmful budget cuts and to establish a minimum level of education funding; and
WHEREAS, The Governor’s budget proposal goes against the will of the California voters;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District strongly opposes the Governor’s 2005-06 budget proposal and urges the Governor to uphold the education funding protections the voters say they want; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District calls on the Governor to fully fund education according to the requirements of Proposition 98.