Wolk disappointed by decision to hold bills for education funding flexibility

Urges swift action to provide districts flexibility in tough budget times

SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) expressed her disappointment today with a key legislative committee’s decision to hold four bills, including her own Assembly Bill 1908, to provide budget flexibility for the state’s struggling school districts.

In anticipation of unprecedented budget cuts, school districts throughout the state have made devastating decisions this year regarding their educational programs, issuing more than 20,000 lay-off notices to teachers, and districts are anticipating further cuts of thousands of school administrators and classified employees.  Science, foreign language, library media science, music, and art programs will be severely impacted, if not eliminated entirely.  However, the Assembly Education Committee voted this afternoon to hold the bills, and refer their content to budget committee.  

“School districts are cutting their budgets right now. Programs are being decimated or eliminated. Students, teachers, parents, and communities are devastated,” said Wolk, who urged the committee to take immediate action on the proposals. “Districts need a better understanding of what tools will be available to them so they can better plan now for next year. Timing is everything. If we wait until we pass a budget to pass these proposals, it will be too late for many districts and educational programs.”

AB 1908 by Wolk, one of the bills held in committee, enables school districts to transfer categorical reserves to its unrestricted general fund whenever Proposition 98 is suspended. Those funds could be used by school districts for general education purposes, and to help mitigate some of the cuts proposed this year.

“While the bill would not provide districts with a complete solution to the huge budget cuts proposed by the Governor, it would provide districts with immediate, modest budget flexibility to assist them in difficult budget times such as California is experiencing now,” Wolk said.  

Among those testifying in support of the bill was Sandra Silberstein with the California Association of School Business Officials, who echoed Wolk’s push for timely action.

“Lay off notices went out March 15. On May 15 they become final. Many schools open July 1. If the budget is still in play at that time we can not resurrect programs in the budget year,” Silberstein said.

The bill is being sponsored by the Dixon Unified School District, and supported by the California School Boards Association, Davis Unified School District, and California Association of Suburban School Districts, and San Francisco Unified School District.