If propositions fail, cuts to public education will be severe

Dep. Superintendent Jeff Baarstad shared some troubling news with attendees of the Conejo Valley Unified School District board meeting last week, predicting more cuts and less stimulus monies to education.

Even though the board just approved more than $8 million in cuts, Baarstad said there's a good chance CVUSD could see more than $10 million in additional cuts.

Baarstad said further cuts are certain, and that the May 19 initiatives—which could mean more money for schools—are trending very poorly.

"They currently are not being supported," Baarstad said. "You have to be blind to not see the concern from residents about new taxes, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. In addition, people are taking out their anger at the California state Legislature on these initiatives. They aren't seeming likely to pass."

If Prop. 1A doesn't pass, state education won't be able to receive the $9 billion promised in 1B, even if it passes.

Baarstad said the state budget will have a deficit of $12 billion to $14 billion if the initiatives pass. The hole will grow to $20 billion if they fail.

The outlook for the governor's June budget revision includes "certain" additional cuts, Baarstad said, as well as the possibility of additional taxes. Potential cuts to education are $500 per average daily attendance, totaling about $10.7 million to CVUSD alone.

"It's almost incomprehensible," Baarstad said. "We've already been cut $6 million and voted on another $2 million in the next fiscal year.

"Now we may have another $11 million tacked onto us," he said.

CVUSD board member Peggy Buckles was frustrated with the news.

"Do our legislators have any idea of what they're doing to education?" asked Buckles.

Baarstad said they did, and he warned he was going to editorialize a bit.

"We have a serious disconnect in this state, and indeed in this country," Baarstad said. "People want highquality services and extremely low taxes. The legislators know what they are doing to us, and they don't like it."

Superintendent Mario Contini agreed.

"This is an absolute real problem now. What they've done is they've tied their own hands. They've used up all the tricks and gimmicks and smoke and mirrors. It's really important for the public to understand that this is not a fake situation.

"The public is fed up, and our hands are tied. We are burdened with the need to have to make hard decisions. Let's keep it together."

Contini shared his empathy with those affected.

"I feel in this room right now, and I see faces in the room, and it's very troubling," Contini said. "I don't know how to say it, but it feels like we are all just kind of melting right now. I look around the room, and I see great teachers and great parents. We know every time we sit and talk about this it's not all that encouraging. We thought we were making headway, and then we got more bad news.

"The best thing we can do right now is share in the pain," Contini said.