Budget math
PUSD is bracing for deep cuts come July
By Joe Piasecki 01/08/2009
If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has his way, the state budget crisis will be solved not only by raising taxes, but also by cutting back on everything from state employee salaries to health care programs for the poor.
But perhaps the largest cuts described in his most recent budget proposal, released New Year’s Eve, would target education.
For the next fiscal year, starting July 1, Schwarzenegger would reduce funding for K-14 public education by more than $3 billion (including some $320 million from community colleges, such as Pasadena City College) and raise fees at University of California and state universities by about 10 percent across the board.
While it remains unclear how community colleges will deal with cuts (Community Colleges Chancellor and former Pasadena Democratic state Sen. Jack Scott could not be reached), the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office has recommended raising tuition fees.
The Pasadena Board of Education, meanwhile, will meet on Jan. 27 to discuss making as much as $5 million in cuts to PUSD’s next fiscal year budget — cuts that could negatively impact classroom activities, said Board President Tom Selinske.
Because the district already shaved more than $2 million off this year’s spending by trimming administrative staff, “There’s not a lot of excess that I think can be wrung out of the system,” said Selinske, who expects cuts will force the district to shave as much as 2.5 percent from its roughly $200 million budget.
“It’s going to be challenging. I’m concerned it’s going to impact classrooms. I don’t know if we’re going to have much choice, and I’m very concerned,” he said.
Pasadena Democratic state Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, meanwhile, is opposed to cutting back on schools, as California already ranks 47th in the nation in terms of per pupil education spending.
“It’s very difficult to entertain cuts to education. For many for us, that’s why we ran for office,” said Portantino. “It makes no sense to cut education when we need high-wage earners [to boost economic growth], which come from people having higher education.”
Because reaching a budget agreement is still very much up in the air, Selinske said the district will prepare as best as it can by assuming deep cuts are on the way. At the same time, board members are also planning how to begin using proceeds from Measure TT, the $350 million school facilities improvement bond passed by voters in November.
Although bond money cannot be used to balance the budget, some projects — such as replacing outdated equipment and installing energy-saving appliances — could reduce maintenance and utility costs.
Under Schwarzenegger’s latest budget offering, school districts would have more discretionary authority on state funding. With such flexibility, said Selinske, the district might be able to reduce the impact of cuts on the classroom by tapping state facility-maintenance funding — if TT work can reduce the need for those funds — for academic classes.
On Tuesday, the board is expected to approve an organizational framework for administering bond proceeds and criteria for selecting members of the bond’s Citizen Oversight Committee.
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