Schools

Long Beach School Board Approved Resolution Supporting a Statewide Education Election

On a vote of 5-0, the Long Beach Board of Education approved a resolution calling for voters to be given the choice over extending taxes to fund education. Here's the text:

The Long Beach Board of Education at its March 15 meeting formally threw down in support of California voters being given a chance to decide whether to extend existing state taxes to fund state education. The 5-0 vote supported Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget. Here is what the Long Beach school board passed:

"A RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SUPPORT PLACING A REVENUE EXTENSION MEASURE ON THE BALLOT
WHEREAS, Governor Brown’s 2011-12 budget proposal is a balanced approach between revenues and new cuts to solve the deficit and provides for an extension of temporary revenues to support programs our students need and deserve; and
WHEREAS, over the last several years, K-12 education funding has taken a disproportionate amount of budget cuts; and
WHEREAS, state and local funding for schools has been cut by more than $18 billion, or about $1,900 per student in the last three years; and
WHEREAS Long Beach Unified School District has projected a funding shortfall of over $50 million if current taxes are not extended and as a result, over 1,000 teachers in Long Beach Unified School District have received notices of potential layoff; and
WHEREAS, the loss of $7 billion in one-time federal funding further reduces school budgets; and WHEREAS, to begin to reverse this downward spiral, Californians must retain the revenues that
enable us to invest in our schools and students; and
WHEREAS, the governor’s budget proposal to limit further cuts to schools in 2011-12 is dependent on voter approval of an extension of existing temporary tax increases; and
WHEREAS, a ballot measure to extend temporary revenues could help prevent further cuts to schools, and without this extension of revenues the LAO reports that funding for schools would fall by at least $2 billion, or more than $335 per student; and
WHEREAS, Long Beach Unified School District expects our local legislators to work with the governor to protect schools from further cuts and to ensure the continued investment our students deserve; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Education of the Long Beach Unified School District supports the Governor’s balanced approach to addressing the financial crisis with a combination of cuts and revenue extensions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of the Long Beach Unified School District supports placing a measure on the June 2011 ballot calling for a five-year revenue extension to protect our schools and students by making education a priority in our state."


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