22 April 2005

 

 

Parents, Teachers, and Staff of Manhattan Beach Unified School District:

It is time for us to try to make a difference in the State’s budget for education. California is 43^rd out of 50 states in education funding per student. Our state provides only ~$5206 per student in general funds to MBUSD. Even adding categorical funds (funds to be spent only on specified programs), our state provides only ~$6368 per student. Compare these low funds to other states, New York provides ~$11,588 per student, and Connecticut provides ~$11,378 per student. We need more funds from the State of California so that we can provide the excellent education that our children both need and deserve.

What You Can Do To Help

1. Completely fill out the bottom portion of the letters below and mail them ASAP. They need to get to Sacramento immediately if they are to make a difference. Grab your envelopes and stamps and do it right now.  Templates are included below.
2. If you want to write personalized letters instead, please do so. PTA Presidents Beth Allen and Susan Warshaw (president@pkpta.org) or Pennekamp Legislative Representative Cindy Ellenberg (parliamentarian@pkpta.org) have information sheets to help make your letters effective.
3. Be sure you are on your PTA’s e-mail list. Advocacy materials that promote a political position or suggest a plan of action are not allowed through public school channels (i.e., no Tuesday envelope. Basic information with no political slant is all that is allowed. Advocacy materials will be distributed by mail or e-mail. To receive these PTA e-mails please contact the Pennekamp PTA at pkpta@hotmail.com.

Ways to Help In the Future

We will be counting on your help and participation in future advocacy efforts:

• Rally on May 11 from 4:00 - 5:00pm in the parking lot in front of the Mira Costa Adminstration Building
• Campaign aimed at the Federal Government to get them to fully fund special education (and all other mandates).

If you are interested in helping organize these efforts, please contact Edie Babbe at ediebabbe@aol.com. Put "MBUSD Advocacy" in the subject so it isn’t deleted as spam.

Help us increase education funding! 

Our kids need our help NOW!

 

California has some of the most stringent standards for education and yet is 43^rd out of 50 states in the amount of money spent per student. The Governor’s initial budget, released in January, would provide the following funding to MBUSD as follows:

General Funds = ~$5206 per student

(determined using Average Daily Attendance (ADA))

Categorical + General Funds = ~$6368 per student

(categorical funds are for specified programs only, including monies from the Federal Government for special education that is passed through the State).

When you hear statements in the media that the State provides an average of $10,000 per student, this number includes all monies budgeted (categorical + general funds) averaged over all students in our state. MBUSD receives from California ~$6368 per student. It is not the case that MBUSD receives from the State $10,000 per pupil.

Our most severe challenge is the shortfall of funds for federally mandated special education services. Next year, MBUSD expects to spend ~$11,400,000 on special education expenses while only receiving a total of ~$4,400,000 from the State and Federal governments for these expenses. This ~$7,000,000 shortfall must come out of the MBUSD general fund. Consequently, if funding numbers do not change, only $5088 is budgeted to be spent per student in MBUSD from all government sources for regular education.

The Governor’s initial proposed budget has some items of interest to education funding:

1. STRS payment – The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) currently receives a 2% of salary contribution by the State. The Governor’s initial budget removes this contribution to be picked up by the teachers themselves (essentially a 2% pay cut) or by the district (~$450,000 expense for MBUSD).
2. Prop 98 – Proposition 98 provides a baseline for the State’s education funding. Last year, to help balance the State’s budget, the Governor made a deal with the education community. The education community agreed to have the Prop 98 required funding level suspended for last year and the Governor agreed to reinstate the funding over the next three years. The Governor has taken the position that because the State’s budget problems are worse than anticipated, the Prop 98 funds for next year will not be reinstated as previously agreed. This means $1,400,000 less in State funding to MBUSD for next year and probably continuing in later years.

Mid-year cuts – The Governor wants to be able to make mid-year cuts if the State’s budget is out of balance. Mid-year cuts are extremely hard on school districts as most of their expenses are certificated personnel salaries which are committed for the entire year by union contracts.

Templates of letters to government officials

• Senator Sam Aanestad
• Senator Debra Bowen
• Assembly Member Judy Chu
• Assembly Member Mike Gordon
• Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell
• The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Senator Carole Migden
• Assembly Member Sharon Runner