Gary Thomas, Ed.D. County Superintendent

Superintendent's Message

Voters Support Public Schools By Passing Prop 30

It was gratifying to see in November that voters in California elected to pass Proposition 30, the governor's initiative to temporary increase tax revenue. With the final voting results showing 55 percent approval for the measure with more than 12.2 million ballots cast in the state, I was genuinely pleased at the level of support for our public schools.

There is no question that Prop 30 was a calculated gamble taken by Gov. Jerry Brown. While there has been public support for schools and funding from the electorate over the years, tying budget decisions to people's willingness to accept tax increases in a less-than-favorable economic circumstance was risky. That being said, I am grateful that the voters understood the gravity of the fiscal situation facing schools and voted to back them. This sends a very positive message about the importance voters place upon investing in our students, and the hard-working, dedicated staff who support them.

The passage of Prop 30 protects public schools from $5.5 billion in mid-year "trigger cut" reductions, which is certainly a huge relief for resource-starved districts. While passage of the measure does not increase funding for public education in the current year, it does begin to pay back some of the $9.5 million in deferrals owed to schools.

Yet the reality is that public schools statewide - and especially here in San Bernardino County - still face stiff economic challenges. After experiencing roughly $20 billion in cuts over the past four years, districts and schools have suffered with reduced educational programs to students; crippling layoffs to teachers and support staff like counselors, librarians, nurses and custodians; and increased class sizes. Even with passage of Prop 30, it will be a number of years before funding, staffing and programs are fully restored.

Between the cuts and deferrals, an unprecedented number of schools and districts are in financial distress. As county superintendent, one of my main responsibilities is to provide financial oversight and assistance to our county schools. During the spring when districts had to submit their scheduled interim reports on their financial situation, 13 of our county's 33 school districts - or nearly 40 percent - reported financial distress. That's a staggering number and is reflective of the years of cuts and deferrals districts have had to absorb.

In addition, the state budget deficit situation isn't entirely cleared up yet either. Even with passage of Prop 30, the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office is predicting the state still faces a $1.9 billion deficit through June 30, 2013. Although that figure is not nearly as daunting as those over the past several years going into the annual budget cycle, there still remains work to do to close the gap.

Certainly, the temporary tax increases undoubtedly will calm the shaky financial waters K-12 funding has endured for the past several years. My hope is that by maintaining projected revenues for this fiscal year - without the crippling uncertainty of a "trigger cut" of nearly $6 billion had Prop 30 not passed - the outlook for our local schools and districts has brightened.