Gov. Jerry Brown will have a heck of a time persuading voters to raise taxes by $6.9 billion to benefit schools if he can’t get the education community excited about it first. And so far it’s proving to be a hard sell.
District officials do fear the downside if Brown’s tax proposal fails, but they don’t see a lot of upside if it passes. Many feel like they’re being used by Brown and his administration, who are characterizing a general temporary sales and income tax increase as a tax for K-12 schools and community colleges.
If parents and teachers end up reaching the same conclusion – and being equally unexcited – the governor’s plan could be in big trouble.
On Friday, Brown got the first pushback on the current and proposed budget, which assumes his tax increase will pass. In amending SB 81, the Senate budget committee proposes restoring $248 million in school bus funding that’s part of the midyear budget cuts. Brown is proposing to kill the whole bus program – worth about $570 million – next year.
READ MORE by John Fensterwald of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation
Showing posts with label bus funding elimination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bus funding elimination. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
State Eliminates bus funding: implications and preparedness of Calaveras County
On December 13, 2011 Governor Brown slashed $400 million from the education budget including the complete elimination of school bus funding at $248 million.
Calaveras County covers 1020 square miles with an approximate population of 42,000. Of that number 6052 are students enrolled in the Calaveras County School system. The effect the bus ellimination could have on a rural county like Calaveras could be staggering. Cuts to the budget in previous years have caused serious cutbacks to transportation and its routes, "I know we already have students who walk 1-2 miles to get to school due to transportation services for students who live in town being eliminated." Stated Superintendent Kathy Northington further stating, "It is a delicate balance for districts in the area of transportation, if they don’t offer transportation, then there could be a potential hit to their funding from student attendance if students don’t attend."
Calaveras County covers 1020 square miles with an approximate population of 42,000. Of that number 6052 are students enrolled in the Calaveras County School system. The effect the bus ellimination could have on a rural county like Calaveras could be staggering. Cuts to the budget in previous years have caused serious cutbacks to transportation and its routes, "I know we already have students who walk 1-2 miles to get to school due to transportation services for students who live in town being eliminated." Stated Superintendent Kathy Northington further stating, "It is a delicate balance for districts in the area of transportation, if they don’t offer transportation, then there could be a potential hit to their funding from student attendance if students don’t attend."
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