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Mixed signals in budget proposal
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Sacramento - California State PTA President Jo A.S. Loss issued the following statement in response to today's release of the Governor's proposed budget.
In
his presentation today, the Governor said his "budget proposal protects
education." While this is encouraging, we expect actions that will match these words. There are early indications that the proposal contains adjustments to budget calculations and formulas that would result in reductions of more than $2 billion in funding for schools, as well as the possible elimination of health insurance for hundreds of thousands of children. In the coming weeks and months, California State PTA will closely analyze the proposal, and work diligently to hold the Governor to his commitment.
It is imperative that there be no further cuts to programs and services that contribute to the health, education and well-being of our children. Already, in the past two years $17 billion has been cut from school budgets - cuts that go far beyond any possible notion of efficiency - and cuts that are disproportionate to those made in other program areas of the state budget.
We all know this year's state budget will require tough choices. But it also gives legislators the opportunity to do something brave and rare: put the next generation above the next election by fully protecting funding for education and children.
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# # # everychild. onevoice.
The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout
the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the
motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest
and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education,
health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at
national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is
nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial.
For more information about the California State PTA, visit www.capta.org.
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