|
Home :: Discover EGUSD :: Superintendent :: Superintendent's Message
As the state of California continues to wrestle with the budget, public education institutions are forced to make decisions based on the most recent information available.
The information that we have today is based on the Governor’s May budget revise. This revise proposes a complex formula for restoring public education funding based on questionable future lottery revenues. The information received from the Governor’s office is much more positive for public education than it was in January. However, there is still a long road ahead of us before both sides of the legislature come to an agreement and the governor puts his signature on the final document.
The May revision forecasts little economic growth for the state in 2008, followed by slowed growth in 2009. The Governor proposes funding public education by borrowing $15 billion from Wall Street against future increased profits from the state lottery. In order for this to work, voters would have to approve an initiative on the November ballot.
The Governor has offered a backup plan in case the lottery measure fails to pass. That plan includes a one cent increase on the sales tax, which would yield about $6 billion annually. The May revise does include fully funding Proposition 98. It does not include funding for a cost of living adjustment.
For Elk Grove Unified, this new proposed budget means that if the May revise were to pass, as is, the district would now face about $15 million in cuts for 2008-2009 rather than the $25 million in cuts we were facing based on the Governor’s January proposal.
The district is required by law to submit the 2008-2009 budget and 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 budget projections to the state by July 1. These budgets are based on the most current information from the state – at this time the Governor’s May revise. This means that the budget being submitted includes $15 million in cuts in 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
The cuts in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 are very preliminary and will likely change greatly over the next year based on decisions made at the state level. Please know that after the Governor approves the final state budget, school districts across the state will have 45 days to submit their revised budgets. At this time, district administration is working on a priority list of those programs that we would add back following the approval of the final state budget.
The board of education, myself and district administration remain committed to maintaining our standards of educational excellence that is delivered each day by each of us. We will continue to be thoughtful in the coming months in making the choices that we believe will best benefit our students, staff and community.
Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Superintendent's Archived
Messages
Welcome to the newly
redesigned website for the Elk Grove
Unified School District.
PSAT For All
Safety is one of our top priorities
Winter Break Message
Achievement Gap
Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget
California’s fiscal crisis and its potential affect on public education funding
“EGUSD Goes Gold – Celebrating 50 Years of Educational Excellence.”
|
