State Leaders Decry Lack of School Funding
Jul. 8–The state’s controller and schools chief took turns on Thursday blasting what they called inadequate levels of state funding for public schools, using as ammunition an annual report that shows more school districts are dipping into savings to pay for services.
That trend promises to grow as funding falls short of growing costs, they said, which could lead to the increased possibility of districts sacrificing core programs, closing schools or requesting emergency loans that would leave them open to state takeover.
State Controller Steve Westly and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, both prominent Democrats, made their comments at a Thursday press conference in Sacramento just hours before the Legislature approved the latest state budget proposal and sent it along to the governor.
“This is a status-quo budget that won’t prevent insolvency,” O’Connell said.
Westly and O’Connell called for higher funding and pledged opposition to a November ballot initiative that would give the governor more power over budgeting, saying it could destabilize future school funding.
The report, which covers fiscal year 2003-04, shows that districts and county offices of education spent more than they took in for the first time in 12 years.
In Santa Clara County, four districts reported impending financial problems of varying levels in interim reports covering 2004-05: East Side Union High School District, San Jose Unified, Evergreen Elementary and Sunnyvale Elementary.
In San Mateo County, Jefferson Union High School District, La Honda-Pescadero Unified and South San Francisco Unified reported problems, along with Live Oak and Santa Cruz City Elementary in Santa Cruz County.
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